100% Agave PROTECTED APPELLATION OF ORIGIN MADE IN MEXICO
Origin: Zacatecas. Agave tequilana
What Gary Says
DISCLAIMER: I’m a whisk(e)y enthusiast, and not familiar with Mezcal (so read at your own risk!) Nose: Sweet, vegetal with fresh but mild green pepper, only a hint of cigar smoke. Palate: Viscous, sweet with a vegetal note and a hint of corn and honey. Finish: Short and drying, sweet with roasted corn. Comments: Picked up a 50 mL of this along with two other Luminar offerings. Some of the reviews I’ve read on this called out that it is more like a tequila than a mezcal. While not terribly familiar with either, this definitely isn’t smokey like I’ve come to expect with mezcal. Pretty uninspiring and forgettable.
40% ABV $130 Website We would like to thank Luxco and BYRNE PR for sending us a sample to review.
What the Producer Says
To celebrate and honor El Mayor’s 25th anniversary, Master Distiller Rodolfo Gonzalez selected 25 barrels of the distillery’s oldest stock to create a unique, limited-edition tequila: El Mayor Extra Añejo Bourbon Barrel Aged. The ultra-premium tequila is aged for 39 months in American Oak bourbon barrels and distilled from Blue Weber agave from the valley area of Jalisco, Mexico. A limited allocation of approximately 6,000 bottles will be available at a suggested retail price of $129.99 per 750-ml. bottle. Distilled and produced at Destiladora Gonzalez Lux in Arandas, Mexico, the limited-edition tequila will be available nationwide in July 2023.
“This limited-edition Extra Añejo tequila is the culmination of 25 years of knowledge, expertise and innovation,” said Graciela Gonzalez, fourth-generation distiller and daughter of Rodolfo Gonzalez. “The result is an extraordinarily smooth, well-balanced tequila with elegant oak hints, baking spices and dried fruit on the nose and palate. It’s a gorgeous expression worthy of marking such a significant milestone.”
The El Mayor 25th Anniversary Extra Añejo Bourbon Barrel Aged bottle features a silver label and embossed detail around the neck. It is packaged in an attractive black box with silver markings that complement the label.
“The tequila category is experiencing a meteoric rise, fueled by award-winning brands like El Mayor,” said Chelsi Hofmeister, brand manager for El Mayor. “This latest 25th Anniversary Extra Añejo tequila is sure to be sought after by those who recognize and appreciate exceptional tequila.”
For recipes and more information about El Mayor and the limited-edition 25th Anniversary Extra Añejo Bourbon Barrel Aged tequila, or to find a retailer, visit elmayor.com or follow the brands @elmayortequila on Facebook and Instagram.
What Gary Says
DISCLAIMER: I’m a whisk(e)y enthusiast, and not familiar with Tequila (so read at your own risk!) Nose: Vanilla, agave, vegetal note, hint of tangerine and nutmeg. Palate: Thick mouthfeel with agave nectar, apples, vanilla, touch of cinnamon and a bit earthy. Finish: Short to moderate in length with honey, dried fruit and pepper. Comments: Not a tequila aficionado by any stretch, but of my limited experience, I found this to be quite nice. As a bourbon fan, you definitely get that influence which I appreciate. And this made a fabulous margarita!
Saint Brendan’s Salted Caramel Irish Cream Liqueur
17% ABV $15 Website We would like to thank Luxco and BYRNE PR for sending us samples to review.
What the Producer Says
Made with award-winning, triple-distilled Irish whiskey, all-natural cream from Irish dairy farms and salted caramel flavor, Saint Brendan’s Salted Caramel brings a new sweet-and-salty twist to traditional Irish cream. Produced by Niche Drinks in Northern Ireland, Saint Brendan’s Salted Caramel is bottled at 34 proof (17% ABV) and is available in a 750 ml bottle. Saint Brendan’s Irish Cream Salted Caramel will be available by the end of July 2023 at a suggested retail price of $14.99 per 750 ml bottle.
Saint Brendan’s Irish Cream Salted Caramel features aromas of sweet vanilla, caramel and toffee on the nose with silky cream and sweet whiskey on the palate. The warm, sugary finish highlights the sea salt and rich caramel flavor.
“The salted caramel flavor combination continues to grow in popularity with adult consumers,” said Allison O’Brien, brand manager for Luxco’s Irish Portfolio. “Adding this ultimate sweet-and-salty combination to Saint Brendan’s Irish Cream was a perfect match, resulting in a product that delivers across the taste profile. I expect our Salted Caramel will be a go-to choice for adults looking for a fun, boozy treat – especially during the summer months.”
What Gary Says
Nose: Creamy, caramel, butterscotch with a bit of chocolate. Palate: Thick and creamy mouthfeel, caramel, butterscotch, vanilla and cream. Finish: Long caramel crème candy. Comments: Honestly, these aren’t usually my thing – but after reviewing the Ezra Brooks Bourbon Cream earlier this summer and enjoying that (and maybe more importantly, learning my wife LOVED it), I decided to give this a try. Glad that I did! This is really nice. Quite a bit sweeter by comparison but is dangerously drinkable. Pour a couple fingers worth over a cube and this is delightful (although doesn’t need the ice coming out of the fridge). I quite enjoyed just a bit of this over some freshly baked banana nut bread (just letting it soak in).
16.5% ABV $22 Website We would like to thank Luxco and BYRNE PR for sending us a sample to review.
What the Producer Says
Ezra Brooks Kentucky Straight Bourbon forms the base for this smooth, rich bourbon cream that boasts authentic ingredients and an honest legacy.
“Based on the success of Ezra Brooks 99 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, we have elevated the proof for both the Ezra Brooks Rye and Bourbon Cream variants,” said Eric Winter, brand manager for Ezra Brooks. “Ezra Brooks 99 Rye drinkers will find the same great rye-whiskey taste, but with enhanced flavor delivered by the higher proof. Similarly, our new Ezra Brooks Bourbon Cream delivers a bolder, richer expression of the bourbon-cream flavor our customers love.”
TASTING NOTES: Cinnamon, nutmeg, and caramel blend with undertones of vanilla and sweet pecan on the nose. Buttery caramel is followed by sweet toffee and a smooth, warm finish on the palate.
INGREDIENTS: Corn, rye, malt, and natural cream
What Gary Says
Nose: Half and half with nutty caramel, chocolate and vanilla. Palate: Creamy and thick with dulce de leche, bit of chocolate, butterscotch and a hint of cinnamon. Finish: Long and creamy with toffee. Comments: Full disclosure – I haven’t tried a lot of these, other than at the end of a distillery tour. It isn’t that I don’t like them, but since once opened they have to be kept refrigerated – I always figured that my better half wouldn’t be crazy about my taking up the space for something I might just reach for every now and then. Little did I know that she would be the one asking “So why isn’t this on-hand at ALL times?” She really likes it, and enjoys a couple ounces over an ice cube in the evening. Richard shared his thoughts, and said he found this by comparison to some of the others to be on the sweet side – which is precisely why my wife would likely prefer this to the other. I found it quite nice in a Mudslide as well as dark roast coffee (although be sure to tamp down your usual sugar/sweetener volume, as this brings plenty of that to the party). And taking a cue from the wifey, I can’t argue that it is a nice evening sipper over some cubes on a hot summer night. Just be careful – as it drinks so easily, you can forget it is 33 proof (and don’t want to be rudely reminded of that the next morning!)
We think this is the best Cognac we have ever worked with. We know, we know – of course we think it’s good, it’s our product. But we’re serious…this Cognac is the epitome of everything PM Spirits is about.
Comprised of eaux de vie from one single cask plus a few assorted demijohns acquired by Nicolas over the years, these are the remains of the original plan for PM Spirits – an independent bottler of rare Cognacs. It was a romantic idea full of travels between France and the US, sourcing incredible Cognac, and bottling small lots by hand. It wasn’t practical, however, and PM Spirits eventually evolved into what it is today.
Yves Pelletan started to work full time as a cooper at age 14, learned the ropes of this demanding job and perfected his skills until he felt he was ready to open his own shop in the heart of Grande Champagne in 1973. His son, Jean-Noel, joined the family business in 2002. The work of this father and son team quickly became extremely sought-after in the Cognac region and beyond as they took the art of cooperage to the next level, prioritizing extreme quality over quantity.
We have bottled this as an homage to Yves and Jean-Noel Pelletan, two of only a handful of people to hold the title of Maitres Artisans Tonneliers, the apex of the cooperage profession. Yves and Jean-Noel have been instrumental to my understanding of Cognac and in making the liquid in this bottle taste as awesome as it does
A blend of Cognacs distilled between 1925 and 1965 Bottled in July 2020 • Cask Strength • 43.8% ABV 870 Bottles • No Additives • No Filtration
What Gary Says
DISCLAIMER: I’m a whisk(e)y enthusiast, and not as familiar with Cognac (so read at your own risk!) Nose: Grapes, fruitcake, vanilla, leather, allspice, dark fruit, Christmas spices and a bit of molasses. Palate: Creamy mouthfeel, sharpens a tad with fruit salad, tart tangerines, raisins, cherries, pepper spice and cinnamon. Finish: Long, drying with slightly bitter fruit notes. Comments: I tasted this amongst a lineup of various brandies and cognacs, and this was by far my favorite. In fact when I first tried it (and didn’t know any of the details about this marvelous spirit), I thought this might replace Paulet XO as my ‘go to’ – but that won’t be the case. I’m sure that I haven’t appreciated this as much as a true Cognac aficionado would have. It does share some similarities with really old whisk(e)y, notes of leather on the nose, and that creamy mouthfeel. A really lovely dram!
