Other Spirits

Appleton Estate 12‑Year‑Old Rare Casks Jamaican Rum

/ / Other Spirits, Review /

Appleton Estate 12‑Year‑Old Rare Casks Jamaican Rum

43% ABV
$43
Website
Appleton Estate 12‑Year‑Old Rare Casks Jamaican Rum

What the Producer Says

The proof that craftsmanship and talent need another ingredient to achieve excellence: Joy

12 Year Old Rare Casks is a true expression of Master Blender Joy Spence’s passion. A blend of rare hand-selected pot and column still rums crafted with limestone-filtered water, all aged for a minimum of 12 years in the tropical climate of Jamaica.

Color: Deep bronze with a honey gold ring of age and mahogany reflections.
Aroma: Toasted oak, dried fruit, and hazelnut, followed by notes of dark cocoa, molasses, orange peel, vanilla, and hints of coffee.
Finish: Long, bittersweet, and luscious.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Banana nut bread with tropical fruit notes of coconut, mango, vanilla, oak and a hint of maple.
Palate:  Sweet caramel, vanilla, milk chocolate, unsweetened coconut, bit of maple, candied grapefruit and subtle spice notes.
Finish:  Short to moderate in length, with cotton candy, caramel and pepper spice.
Comments:  Continuing with another rum, this one is quite different from the Foursquare offering. On the palate, this reminds me a bit of a bourbon. Enjoyed the tropical fruit notes, and very easy to drink.

Rating: Stands Out

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State Line Coffee Liqueur

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State Line Coffee Liqueur

25% ABV
$30
Website
State Line Coffee Liqueur
We would like to thank State Line Distillery and Publicity For Good for sending us a sample to review.

What the Distillery Says

Locally roasted coffee, organic grains from Wisconsin’s Driftless region, and pure cane sugar combine to form a decadent liqueur that is velvety smooth with rich notes of coffee and chocolate.

Crowned ‘Best in the World’ multiple years at the prestigious San Francisco World Spirits Competition, State Line Coffee Liqueur represents unmatched quality in every sip.

State Line Coffee Liqueur is velvety smooth with rich notes of coffee and chocolate. Produced from locally roasted Kin-Kin Coffee it’s hard not to get hyperbolic about our coffee liqueur. But man — it’s good. Crazy good.

State Line’s neutral grain spirit blends with cold brewed Kin-Kin Coffee and cane sugar for a decadent liqueur that’s not too sweet yet not too bitter, like dark chocolate. Serve it over ice or shake up an Espresso Martini. It’s always good. Too good, even. Okay we’ll stop.

Learn more here!

What Gary Says

Nose: Medium to dark roast coffee with a bit of chocolate.
Palate: Sweet coffee with a bit of caramel and dulce de leche.
Finish: Short in length with notes of coffee and sweetness.
Comments: This is a delightful and coffee-forward coffee liqueur! That might sound like a given, but trust me – it was really eye-opening to experience. After tasting, I decided to pull out the “coffee liqueur” I had in my cabinet (Kahlúa) for a side-by-side comparison, and the two really aren’t that similar. This is less syrupy and a tad lighter in the glass (because of course I tried both in Glencairns because I’m a whisk(e)y geek!) This is coffee first, with sweetness playing a supporting role – where the other is syrupy sweet and more chocolate forward, with coffee falling well behind. It was only then I noticed that the other is ‘coffee AND RUM liqueur’, which I had forgotten. All that to say, don’t think of this as a substitute for the other – it really does stand on its own, and if you’re a fan of coffee, this is a gem!

Rating: Stands Out/Must Try

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Foursquare Exceptional Cask 2009 Aged Rum

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Foursquare Exceptional Cask Selection Mark XVII
2009 Single Blended Rum

60%
$95
Website
Foursquare Exceptional Cask Selection XVII 2009 2009 12yr 60%

What the Producer/Retailer Says

Foursquare Rum Distillery is located on a former sugar plantation that dates back to approximately 1720, within the tiny Caribbean island of Barbados. The distillery was re-opened by the Seale family in 1996, distilling operations and blending are currently directed by Richard Seale, 4th Generation Trader/Distiller of R.L. Seale & Co.

Exceptional Cask Selections represent the unique, and rare offerings of Foursquare Rum Distillery that Richard has hand selected – his personal projects only released when he feels they are of exceptional quality. These are one of a kind expressions, available only for a limited time, and showcasing truly unique approaches to both Rum blending and maturation.

Barbados- Mark XVII from Foursquare Rum Distillery. A single blended rum, aged for 12-years in Ex-Bourbon casks. No color, sugar, additives, or filtration. Rich and assertive character with notes of dark cherries, cranberry, orange peel, caramelized pineapple, and dried peach.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Coconut, almonds, confectionary cotton candy, mango, dried fruit, vanilla, cocoa and floral.
Palate:  Warm and sweet, vanilla, brown sugar, caramel, cinnamon pastry, bit of ginger ale and sour fruit notes.
Finish:  Short to moderate in length, drying with vanilla.
Comments: This nose is just amazing; so different from anything I’ve nosed (my brain immediately thought “OMG – this is Almond Joy in a glass!”) The palate is very nice, but this is one of those pours where I enjoyed the nosing more than the tasting – although the tasting ain’t bad either.

Rating: Stands Out/Must Try

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Ron Navazos Palazzi Cask Strength Rum Oloroso Casks

/ / Other Spirits, Review /

Ron Navazos Palazzi Cask Strength Rum
Oloroso Casks

51% / 51.5% ABV*
$100
Website
Rum Navazos Palazzi Rum Cask Strength Oloroso Casks

What the Producer Says

* Note that there were two releases of this, in July 2013 and July 2014; not sure which my sample came from.
Rum Cask Strength Oloroso Casks.
Bottled July 2013 & 2014. 1500 bot (each year)
A PM Spirits exclusivity.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Molasses, dark fruit notes, plums, raisins, brown sugar, burnt crème brulée with a hint of nylon rope.
Palate:  Creamy mouthfeel with fruitcake, raisins, plums, apricots, caramel, toffee and vanilla.
Finish:  Short to moderate in length, drying with dark fruit.
Comments: First I apologize for not knowing the exact provenance of this particular sample I’m reviewing (the two vintages could be wildly different, although the only distinction made by the producer is the year and ever-so-slight difference in proof). First world problems to be sure, and given this was released 10+ years ago – chances of finding this in the wild are fairly low (but sharing the review in case you’re at a friend’s house and you spot it, eh!).
I’m not a big rum guy, but DAMN! This is just delicious! A bit of water didn’t change it too much, amps the dark fruit on the nose. Just lovely – the sherry cask on the nose is very ‘scotch-like’, and if more rum I tried was anything like this, I’d be getting into rum a lot more.

Rating: Must Try

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Traverse City Whiskey Co. Cherry Old Fashioned Cocktail

/ / Cocktails, Other Spirits, Review /

Traverse City Whiskey Co. Cherry Old Fashioned Cocktail
Cocktail Made w/ Bourbon, Bitters, Cherries, Simple Syrup and Citrus Expression

27% ABV
$20 / 375 mL (8 pours)
Website
Traverse City Whiskey Co. Cherry Old Fashioned Cocktail
We would like to thank Traverse City Whiskey Co. and Ro-Bro Marketing & PR for sending us a sample to review.

What the Distillery Says

READY-TO-SERVE
CHERRY OLD FASHIONED
It starts with our best-selling cherry whiskey, which is perfectly balanced by homemade bitters and a twist of Seville Orange. Whether you serve it chilled or over ice, it makes the perfect cherry on top of your next celebration.

“An Old Fashioned is one of the original classic bourbon cocktails,” said Chris Fredrickson, Co-founder, Traverse City Whiskey Co. “Our delicious and convenient ready-to-serve Old Fashioned cocktails are hand crafted and ready to pour. They’re a welcomed addition to our portfolio of whiskey offerings.”

Known as the “Whiskey of the North,” TCWC draws upon its early family roots in the distilled spirits industry dating back to the late 1800’s, sourcing all its grains (corn, rye, and malted barley) from the Midwest. Led by Chris Fredrickson, the distilling team strives to make quality products, inspired by patented distilling techniques invented by Fredrickson’s great grandfather that were approved by the US PTO during the prohibition era.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Cherry cough lozenges, hint of floral notes.
Palate: Cherry forward, with bitters, bit of orange; like an Old Fashioned w/ a splash of cherry juice.
Finish:  Moderate in length with cherries.
Comments: Poured in the glass, this is a bit cloudy and less brown than the TCWC Old Fashioned; looks almost like a Rose wine. This is definitely cherry through and through. Full disclosure – I’m not a fan of TCWC’s American Cherry. They sent us a sample back in 2017, and I mainly got cherry cough syrup. This is made using that base spirit, although I like this better than that. If you’ve had and enjoyed their American Cherry, than this might be right in your wheelhouse. I love the bottle, both size and color (easy to fit in the fridge, and the white just looks kinda cool). Like the other, I tried this first neat and then chilled and over ice – but unlike the Old Fashioned Cocktail, I preferred this just chilled without ice. For my palate, I found that ice on the lower ABV just thinned it out too quickly.

Rating: Average

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