Other Spirits

Traverse City American Cherry

/ / Other Spirits, Review /

Traverse City American Cherry Edition
35% ABV
$35
Website

What the Distiller Says
MASH: CORN, RYE, MALTED BARLEY

When you live in the “Cherry Capital of the World” and come from a multi-generational cherry farming family, a cherry whiskey is a bit of a must. Our American Cherry Edition is different than most cherry whiskies on the market today and is steeped with Montmorency cherries grown on our family’s farm. We like to say that its flavor profile resembles “whiskey with a hint of cherry, not the other way around.”

What Gary Says
Nose: Cherry cough medicine.
Palate: Less heavy cherry than the nose, but still a LOT of cherry; barely “whiskey” essence.
Finish: Short and sweet.
Comments: I’m not a huge fan of flavored whiskey, but this one to me is less a flavored whiskey, then a cherry liqueur with a hint of whiskey. The cherry is really overpowering. If you like cherry, this might be a great thing. If you’re looking for whiskey with some cherry – I’d recommend checking elsewhere.
Rating: Probably Pass

What Richard Says
Nose: A mix of Luden’s cough drops and cherry flavor Popsicles.
Palate: All cherry. Cherry Fanta maybe.
Finish: Basically not even there.
Comments: I agree with Gary. This really seems like more of a liqueur instead of flavored whiskey. I don’t think I would drink this straight but maybe as a substitute for cherry herring or Luxardo liqueur in your favorite cocktail.
Rating: Probably Pass

We would like to thank Traverse City Whiskey Co. for sending us a bottle for review.

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Stolen Smoked Rum

/ / Other Spirits, Review /

Stolen Smoked Rum
42% ABV
$20
Website
stolen-rum
What the Bottler Says:
STOLEN is proud to introduce the World’s First Smoked Rum… the result of an artisanal approach fueled by the desire to reinvent the rum category.

We start with a column-distilled rum from Trinidad, made from locally sourced sugar cane and molasses. The rum is then aged for up to 2 years in used American oak whiskey barrels. Capturing the essence of a fresh brewed cup of joe, we infuse the rum using re-fractionated Colombian Arabica coffee, wholly distilled from same-day roasted beans. The warm, roasted flavor is complemented by the creamy sweetness and velvety texture of premium Madagascan vanilla beans and Moroccan fenugreek. The rum is rounded off with notes of American hardwood, acquired through a smoking process called pyrolysis—the burning of hardwood in the absence of oxygen.

The finished product is a smooth, medium body rum with a generous bouquet. On the palate, the deep profile of coffee, vanilla, warm caramel and dark chocolate mix with lingering notes of charred oak for a long, smooth, smoky finish.

What Gary Says
Nose: Burnt molasses, barbecue sauce and smoke.
Palate: Barbecue liquor, liquid smoke with some sweetness.
Finish: Mercifully short.
Comments: On the nose, this is what I imagine a barbecue infused liquor would smell like. In full disclosure, I’m not a rum connoisseur by any stretch. I really didn’t care for this. If you’re into different kinds of rum, maybe this is an interesting outlier (I remind myself that folks who like bourbon and first try Laphroaig might have a similar “What the @#$% did you put in this glass?” reaction). But this definitely wasn’t in my wheelhouse. The liquid smoke overpowers everything, and while I appreciate a smokey whisky – this didn’t have anything else going for it.
Rating: Pass

What Richard Says:
Nose: Rich sweet notes of coffee, vanilla extract, milk chocolate, and a hint of campfire smoke.
Palate: Rum or coffee liqueur? This is pretty damn similar to Kahlua mixed with Bailey’s Irish Cream.
Finish: The finish is a little hot and presents lots of espresso powder, cocoa powder, and charcoal grill smoke.
Comments: This is one of the more interesting things to come across the Whisk(e)y Apostle desk in recent months. However, there has been so much done to this spirit through the “pyrolysis” and “re-fractionated” infusion process that this seems like rum in name only. This would be better served as a Kahlua substitute given the highly pronounced coffee notes.
Rating: Probably Pass

We would like to thank Stolen Spirits for sending us samples to review.

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Jose Cuervo Reserva De La Familia

/ / Other Spirits, Review /

Jose Cuervo Reserva De La Familia Tequila
40% ABV
$130
Website
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What the Distillery Says:
Reserva de la Familia® is the world’s first extra-añejo tequila. It is hand selected from the Cuervo® family’s private collection. Each bottle is made using only blue agave harvested at its peak maturity after seven to twelve years of growing in the field, and aged in French and American oak barrels for a minimum of three years. Reserva de la Familia® is best served in a snifter, allowing for full appreciation of its flavors, aroma, and velvety finish.

What Richard Says:
Nose: There is a backbone of subtle agave that you can smell but it is layered under ripe citrus and stone fruit notes.
Palate: A rich delicate sweetness rolls over the tongue reminding me of (duh) agave nectar, orange zest, and pumpkin pie spice.
Finish: The finish is very clean and refreshing with an almost minty woody undertone.
Comments: I don’t like tequila. I’m a master of all I survey when it comes to drinking whiskey but tequila has whipped my ass on too many occasions. I don’t know that I’ve ever really “sipped” tequila. The remaining occasional imbibing I still do is usually a margarita in summer. So when Cuervo offered to send over samples of this I didn’t exactly say no but I wasn’t particularly encouraging them either. After spending some time with the Reserva De La Familia I’m left wowed. This is fantastic. There is the slightest note of agave to hint at this being tequila but it is a lovely drink and nothing like tequilas I’ve had before. Again, I’m not a tequila expert so there may be better out there but this is best I’ve had. Whiskey and brandy drinkers should give this a try. Tequila drinkers should run out and buy a bottle right now.
Rating: Must Buy

We would like to that Jose Cuervo for sending us samples to review.

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Stiggins’ Fancy

/ / Other Spirits, Review /

Stiggins’ Fancy Plantation Pineapple Original Dark Rum
40% ABV
$30
Website
1207290x
What the Blender Says:
Plantation Pineapple Rum – Stiggins’s Fancy, created by company founder Alexandre Gabriel and cocktail historian David Wondrich, is inspired by several traditional recipes used in the 1800s. Gabriel infused ripe Queen Victoria pineapples in Plantation Original Dark Rum for three months, before adding the distillate of rum macerated sith the bare rind of the fruit. The resulting 40% abv rum is described as having notes of tropical fruit, smoke, citrus peel and clove.

“David and I did this project in part out of sheer curiosity,” Gabriel said. “Mostly, however, we did it because the pineapple is the symbol of hospitality and also the symbol of the Tales of the Cocktail Apprentice program.”

The new expression is also named after the Reverend Stiggins, a character in Charles Dickens’ The Pickwick
Papers whose favoured tipple was pineapple rum. “Stiggins’s Fancy is our liquid “thank you” to the Tales Apprentices who do so much for all of us. We hope you all
enjoy drinking it as much as we did making it.

“The 1824 Journal of Patent Inventions notes that it was customary in the West Indies to offer pineapple rum to
visiting European friends. Following the West Indian tradition, Plantation Pineapple Rum is our gift to you.”

What Richard Says:
Nose: With a wisp of coconut this would smell like the finest pina colada in the world. Rich, bright, sugary rum interlaced with fresh cut pineapple…as you would expect, right?
Palate: Surprisingly, this is not cloyingly sweet at all. It is the most impressive pineapple infusion that I’ve ever tasted elegantly laid into the rum.
Finish: Dry and fleeting.
Comments: This rum is amazing. It is the most impressive flavor infused spirit (not just rum) that I’ve ever tried. By itself this is crazy good and enjoyable and in a cocktail it is damn near unmatched. Kudos!
Rating: Must Buy

We would like to thank Maison Ferrand for sending us a sample to review.

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