Stands Out

Germain-Robin Fine Alambic Brandy Lot 25
40% ABV/80 Proof
$40 to $50
Website

What the Distillery Says:
Hand-distilled on an antique cognac still by Hubert Germain-Robin, master cognac distiller, in Mendocino County, California.

Wonderful Californian fruit overtones, with appealing floral aromas and a sensuous viscosity in the mouth. Much better than VSOP cognacs.

What Richard Says:
Nose: This one is fruitier and a little less floral that typical cognac. Fall leaves, fresh cut grass, lemons, and fresh grated ginger stand out. It’s also a little more alcoholic on the nose than you would expect at 80 proof.
Palate: Light, delicate, grassy, not overly sweet. It’s very refreshing. No a typical cognac-type palate.
Finish: The finish is a little musty, not too woody, dry, and rather clean. There are are more hints of cognac-type flavors on the finish than either the nose or palate.
Comments: I had a little fun with Matt a few years back. We were exchanging whiskey samples and one of the samples I gave him had no label. I told him just to try it and tell me what he thought. I got a lot of guesses for various whiskeys but the end result was that he really liked the sample and wanted to know what I’d given him. Well, it was a generous sample from my first bottle of Germain-Robin. It’s been around for over 20 years but I only discovered it about five years ago. I’ve bought several bottles since then. I was, and still am blown away by the quality of this American brandy. The makers have a great story and a really great product. I really think this is a stand out product for cognac, brandy, and whiskey fans alike.
Rating: Stands Out

Pierre Ferrand Ambre Grande Champagne Cognac
40% ABV/80 Proof
$40
Website

What the Distillery Says:
The Ambre is pure warm comfort. Mellow, rounded, richly aromatic, redolent of prunes and apricots and peaches, it had surprisingly little wood evident. Instead there was light spicy cinnamon and a whisper of vanilla. There’s a distinct floral note of roses as well, and a wonderful whiff of fresh fruit pastries baking in the oven, with a wisp of almond past or marzipan. All Ferrand cognacs are derived from vineyards in the heart of the chalk-rich and mineral-laden soils of the Grand Champagne region.

What Richard Says:
Nose: Almond cookies, roses, and fruit blossoms. It’s like being in a orchard during the first spring blooms.
Palate: The palate is a little more muted than I expected. It’s very mellow with cinnamon and stone fruits.
Finish: The finish is not my favorite. It’s a little tart and acidic. However, a good cigar mellows the finish out nicely.
Comments: I don’t know about all the “wisps” and “whispers” the maker touts but this a very enjoyable brandy. Pierre Ferrand was my first foray into Grande Champagne cognacs and I still keep it close at hand in some form or another. Pierre Ferrand as a range and the Ambre itself stand out among cognacs. If you are a regular brandy drinker I recommend giving it a try. If you’re a hard core whiskey drinker who has never indulged in cognac or brandy I think it might be time to be a little adventurous.
Rating: Stands Out

Southern Comfort Fiery Pepper
35% ABV/70 proof
$16.99 for 750 ml

What the Distillery Says:
Southern Comfort Fiery Pepper is a devilishly spicy Cajun concoction that turns up the heat of the pursuit of pleasure. Genuine whiskey and the premium flavors of Southern Comfort get a blast of real Tabasco Sauce® in this fusion of fire and spice.

Southern Comfort Fiery Pepper is an original concoction of two Louisiana classics, Southern Comfort and Tabasco. The idea of fusing these two iconic brands was done with an eye toward consumer’s enjoyment of challenge shots and the growing popularity of spicy foods, while remaining genuine to the roots of both brands.

Southern Comfort Fiery Pepper is a unique product that blends the great taste of Southern Comfort with robust and fiery pepper flavors. Most people know that Southern Comfort proudly traces its roots to New Orleans, so the Cajun inspiration of flavorful peppers is a perfect partner. We start by blending a Southern Comfort base and then carefully introducing our proprietary blend of pepper flavors. Similar to the great Chefs of New Orleans creating that perfect Cajun dish, we painstakingly screened & selected several pepper flavors to create the ideal balance, which can be described as habanera and green pepper. Spicy heat (capsaicin) is measured in Scoville units, and the heat in Southern Comfort Fiery Pepper has a Scoville value comparable to Anaheim, Poblano, Rocotillo and Peppadew peppers. The next step is to blend together real Tabasco® Sauce and whiskey. These ingredients are blended and then carefully filtered for clarity. The Tabasco and whiskey blend is then added to the Southern Comfort for the ultimate blend of the great taste of Southern Comfort, the spiciness of pepper and Tabasco, finished with the smoothness of whiskey.

What Richard Says:
Nose: The nose on the puppy is all hot peppers.
Palate: The palate is like a milder version of Southern Comfort with a Tabasco kick.
Finish: There are little traces of sweetness but mostly it’s all peppers.
Comments: This is one interesting little idea. With all the honey, vanilla, and cherry iterations of just about every mainstream brand this is a refreshing change. I actually kind of like it. It’s made with real whiskey and real Tabasco sauce. Southern Comfort recommends consuming this chilled and in cocktails. I tried it chilled and I agree it’s even better that way. Brown-Forman also sent over some cocktail suggestions included below.
Rating: Stands Out

I would like to thank Svend Jansen with Brown-Forman for sending me a bottle to review.

SoCo® FIERY PEPPER SHOT
1 1/2 oz. SoCo® FIERY PEPPER
Keep cold in the fridge until you’re sure you’re ready, then pour carefully into shot glass

SoCo® FIERY PEPPER SWEET VENGEANCE
1 1/2 oz. SoCo® FIERY PEPPER
1/2 oz. Pineapple Juice
Combine ingredients with ice in a shaker. Shake with a sense of rage. Strain into a shot glass.

SoCo® FIERY PEPPER VOLCANO SACRIFICE
1 1/2 oz. SoCo® FIERY PEPPER
2 1/2 oz. OJ
3 1/2 oz. Cranberry Juice
Combine ingredients with ice in a shaker. Strain into a shot glass and make a wish to the Tiki gods.

SoCo® FIERY PEPPER VOODOO DOCTOR
1 1/2 oz. SoCo® FIERY PEPPER
DR PEPPER®
Pour SoCo® FIERY PEPPER into a tall glass with ice. Mumble some voodoo mumbo jumbo while top it
off with Dr Pepper® and garnish with a lime wedge.

SoCo® FIERY PEPPER BLOODY MARY
2 oz. SoCo® FIERY PEPPER
6 OZ. Bloody Mary Mix
Squeeze of lime
Combine ingredients in a tall glass with ice. Stir cautiously. Garnish with a celery stick.

SoCo® FIERY PEPPER MARGARITA
2 oz. SoCo® FIERY PEPPER
4 oz. Margarita Mix
Pinch of salt
Squeeze of lime
Combine ingredients in a rocks glass with ice. Stir con mucho gusto. Garnish with a lime wedge.

Southern Comfort
35% ABV/70 Proof
$12 to $15 for 750ml
Website

What the Distillery Says:
Not much really. The company website actually redirects you to Wikipedia. Here’s what Wikipedia says:

Southern Comfort (often abbreviated in English to SoCo) is an American liqueur made from neutral spirits with fruit, spice and whiskey flavourings. The brand was originally created by bartender Martin Wilkes Heron in New Orleans in 1874,[citation needed] and is now owned by the Brown-Forman Corporation. Although the original product contained whiskey, the current formula for Southern Comfort only contains whiskey-tasting flavouring rather than actual whiskey (except for the premium version called “Special Reserve”).

In the US Southern Comfort is available as 100 US proof (50% alcohol by volume), and 70 US proof (35% alcohol by volume). Southern Comfort Special Reserve, found in duty-free shops, is a blend of Southern Comfort and bourbon, and is 80 US proof. Southern Comfort Lime, released in the Summer of 2010, is 55 proof (27.5% alcohol by volume) and Southern Comfort Fiery Pepper, released in the Fall of 2011, is 70 proof (35% alcohol by volume).

Southern Comfort also produces Ready-To-Pour cocktails available in the US including Southern Comfort Sweet Tea, Southern Comfort Hurricane and Southern Comfort Lemonade, which are all 30 proof (15% alcohol by volume).

Southern Comfort has expanded over the years and has several product offerings globally. Outside the US, Southern Comfort produces single-serve cocktails, including Southern Comfort Lemonade and Lime in the UK and Southern Comfort and Cola in Australia.

Outside of the Americas, Southern Comfort is produced and bottled in Dublin, Ireland.

What Richard Says:
Nose: How do you really describe the smell of Southern Comfort? It’s like describing what apples smell like. Other things smell like SoCo, SoCo doesn’t smell like other things. Even still, vanilla, lemon, oranges, and cinnamon are the most pronounced notes that I get.
Palate: Cherries, vanilla, simple syrup, and cloves.
Finish: Here’s the only place I get any hint of whiskey, even though it’s only whiskey flavoring. SoCo actually finishes a little shorter and cleaner than you might expect. Most syrupy liqueurs seem to never go away.
Comments: I guess this was an early sort of introduction to whiskey for me. Long before Matt and I spent long hours contemplating that first bottle of Bushmills, he showed up at my door with a bottle of SoCo. Okay, so Southern Comfort isn’t really a whiskey liqueur. Today it’s made with neutral spirits and whiskey flavoring. Still, when you say “whiskey liqueur” more often than not Southern Comfort will be pretty close to the top of the list people start naming. SoCo is a classic. Is it something I’m dying to drink glass after glass of? No. However, it still holds its own and stands out among today’s growing sea of liqueurs. While I’m not going to down glasses of it I’ll still drink my share in an Alabama Slammer.
Rating: Stands Out