liquor

Belvedere 80 Vodka Review

Filed under: Spirits

It's not easy to craft a new vodka that isn't more hype than hooch. But Belvedere gets credit for creating a discernible, interesting new expression.

Belvedere 80 Unfiltered Vodka is distilled four times from Dankowskie Diamond Rye, which is a rare and super premium baker's grade grain that gives the vodka an elegant full bodied taste that has hints of baked breads, sea salt and white pepper. Price $31.00.

The unfiltered vodka is unique for Belvedere, which follows a filtration and distillation processes with its other expressions.

The last Belvedere expression we tried was Belvedere Intense, a 100-proof vodka.

Tags: alcohol, Belvedere 80, Belvedere vodka, liquor, spirits, vodka

Lion's Pride Whiskey First Chicago Distilled Since Prohibition

by David Kiley (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

The first whiskey legally produced in Chicago since Prohibition will be available just in Midway this year, but it will get distribution beyond Illinois in the New Year.

Launched November 6, Lion's Pride Organic Whiskey, distilled at Koval Distillery in Ravenswood, comes in four single-grain expressions: rye, oat, dark rye and dark oat. Price is $48.00 for a 750 ml bottle.

Named in honor of Lion Birnecker, the son of Koval's owners Sonat and Robert Birnecker, Lion's Pride joins a line of vodka, liqueurs and other spirits made in the Birneckers' copper still.

Tags: alcohol, Lions Pride whiskey, liquor, organic, organic liquor, organic whiskey, rye whiskey, whiskey, whisky

WhistlePig 100% Rye Whiskey

by David Kiley (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

WhistlePig Farm Distillery, a Vermont-based distillery, has launched WhistlePig Straight Rye Whiskey, a new 100 proof whiskey made of rye grain.

The whiskey is hand selected by Dave Pickerell, master distiller at this Vermont distillery. WhistlePig Straight Rye Whiskey retails at a suggested price of $69.99 for a 750ml bottle. That runs higher than most Rye on the market. Rittenhouse, for example, retails for $19.99 in most outlets. Ri(1) retails for about $48.00.

WhistlePig is already being served at several New York restaurants like Blue Hill, Pastis, Union Square Cafe, Gramercy Tavern, Eleven Madison Park and The Standard Hotel.

WhistlePig Straight Rye Whiskey, aged in new American oak barrels for a minimum of 10 years, is hand bottled in Vermont's Champlain Valley at WhistlePig Farm. The whiskey is available in California, Illinois, New York and other select markets. Unlike many rye whiskies, WhistlePig is 100% rye and is bottled at 100 proof, making this a perfect choice for cocktails.

On the nose, WhistlePig offers nice wood notes from the oak casks, with hints of vanilla and caramel. Notes of dried orange peel, cinnamon, allspice and clove also appear, hinting at the flavors to be found inside.

Tags: alcohol, liquor, Rittenhouse Tye, rye, Rye whiskey, spirits, whiskey, whisky, Whistlepig

Absolut Launches Absolut Glimmer Holiday Packaging

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

Absolut Vodka has unveiled its newest limited-edition holiday bottle. Absolut Glimmer has the look of a cut crystal decanter. The bottle has gone through many different wraps and colors over the years but this is the first time that the bottle itself has been altered. The bottle is made of pressed glass mimicking the look of classically cut crystal. The 750 ml bottle sells for $19.99.

Tags: absolut, absolut vodka, holiday packaging, limited edition candy, liquor, vodka

Compass Box Releases Tenth Anniversary Special Edition

by David Kiley (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

Compass Box president John Glaser is celebrating the 10th anniversary of the brand with a new expression called Flaming Heart blend.

For Flaming Heart, Glaser says he sought to create an unusual balance among sweet, peat and spice that he'd found in an early Compass Box limited edition he called Eleuthera. "Eleuthera was this lovely balance of sweet and and fruity, with spice and peat," he said, while drawing the comparison.

Compass Box's 10th Anniversary Flaming Heart malt Scotch whisky is being produced in a limited release of 4,000 bottles (1,800 available in the U.S.). It should be available at better whisky shops in the major U.S. markets, as well as abroad by October 25.

Compass Box is a blender, not a distiller. The company offers five "base" labels--Asyla (malt and grain blend), Oak Cross (10- to 12-year-old Highland single malts), The Peat Monster (10- to 16-year Islay, south shore and Ardmore blend), The Spice Tree (10- and 12-year Highland blend), and Hedonism (12- to 28-year whiskies).

Flaming Heart is made from single malt whiskies from six distilleries located in the northern Highlands and Islands. Primarily whiskies from distilleries located in the villages of Brora (Highlands), Port Askaig (Islay) and the Isle of Mull (Islands), 40% was aged in refill American oak, while 31% was aged in first-fill American oak and 29% in new French oak.

Tags: alcohol, Compass Box, Compass Box Peat Monster, flaming heart, liquor, whiskey, whisky

Four Roses Bourbon: Anniversary Single-Barrel and Barrel-Strength

by David Kiley (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

Four Roses 2010 single barrel, barrel-strength limited edition Bourbon has been out a few months, but it was only recently that I caught up with it for a sample. I wish I had come on it sooner.

Four Roses newest was aged 17 years, an uncommonly long time for Bourbon. The occasion for the release is the 100-year anniversary of the distillery in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky. Bourbon aged that long can turn out mighty woody. But these folks didn't let that happen. The notes are warm caramel, spiced oranges and cloves. The smooth mouth feel belies the high-proof content. But then the liquid gold seems to run down to your ankles, and warms you from within.

There are about 2,300 bottles of the 100th Anniversary Limited Edition to go around, retailing at between $75 and $100 a bottle. I'd recommend this to any whiskey cellar. And think about buying two--one to drink and one to shelf.

Tags: alcohol, barrel-strength Bourbon, Bourbon, four roses bourbon, liquor

Louis XIII Holds Court at New York Strip Club

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits, Events

A white hummer pulled up in front of the club, and armed guards were on hand to meet it and escort the passengers. A welcoming committee, of sorts, waited on the red carpet, flanked by me and people like me. The passengers, of course, were a pair of Louis XIII Rare Cask de Remy Martin cognac bottles, and their destination club was the Rick's Cabaret gentleman's club in Manhattan.

Rick's may seem like a strange venue for such a rare spirit. According to Louis XIII senior brand ambassador Remi Brabant, only 786 bottles of the Louis XIII Rare Cask were made, and most will go to private buyers. This is also the case with the 30 bottles allocated to the U.S. market: most will not be featured in clubs. Yet despite these constraints, three bottles were made available to Rick's Cabaret – with the third going to the company's Tootsie's club in Miami.

Frankly, I was a bit surprised that a gentlemen's club would get such a high allocation. Make no mistake: Rick's Cabaret is an upscale establishment, and it provides a luxury service that can get as pricey as you'd like. But, it's just not what you'd expect ... it's not what I'd expect, and I tend to be rather open-minded on these matters. I used to cover Rick's Cabaret and had the pleasure of interviewing the company's CEO, Eric Langan, on several occasions.

Gallery: Louis XIII Rare Cask Remy Martin Arrives in Manhattan

Armed guards greet Louis XIII Rare Cask de Remy Martin

Louis XIII is carried into Rick's Cabaret

The Grand Unveiling of Louis XIII Rare Cask de Remy Martin

Tags: club, clubs, cognac, liquor, louis xiii, louis xiii cognac, manhattan, new york, new york city, remy martin, Ricks Cabaret, strip club, strip clubs, stripper, strippers

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Absinthe in Manhattan: An Illicit Delight Comes Home

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

There is no shortage of choices when you step up to the bar. An endless array of gins, vodkas, rums and other spirits can almost be intimidating ... yet disturbingly similar. If you want to stand out while sipping and socializing, skip the norm and ask for an absinthe. Edward III, a new product on the market, distinguishes itself in many ways. A clear absinthe – so technically you aren't dancing with la fee verte – it's produced locally, with organic ingredients. And rather than prepare it traditionally, with sugar and water, it can be used as the foundation for a number of unique cocktails, as co-founder Mark Maurice explains.

There's a new spirit in town ... and it's spirited, to say the least.

Gallery: Edward III Absinthe

Tags: absinthe, AbsintheCocktail, liquor, manhattan, new york, new york city

Wine.com Launches Flash-Sale Site WineShopper.com

by Jonathon Ramsey (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits, Wine

It is about time that the members-only flash sale has come to the most popular virtual source for vino. What Tablet Hotel's private sales are to lodging, Wine.com's has launched WineShopper.com will be the same for premium wines and champagnes: a place to buy the finest fermented elixirs at up to 70% off during a 72-hour window... or until they sell out. Wine.com's offering joins other wine sales sites such as WineTwitsDeals and the joyously named WineWoot.

Standard procedure would be to register at the site to receive daily e-mails on sales, but you can also get Twitter notifications or find out the scoops on Facebook. Last we checked, a bottle of Veuve required just $29.99, and a Silver Oak Alexander Valley Cab set you back $49.99. WineShopper is even offering a gift of Riedel glasses if you recommend enough friends to the site, but be sure to think that through – your friends might just make the deal you were after sell out more quickly...

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Tags: champagne, flash sale sites, liquor, wine, wine.com, wineshopper.com

The Spirits of Father's Day. Ten Bottles To Buy Dad.

by David Kiley (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

With Father's Day sneaking up on June 20, it is never too late to get Dad a gift he will appreciate if he keeps a bar and the better liquor retailers are open.

Choosing ten bottles as choices or Father's Day is not easy. But I apply a few criteria for gift giving suggestions.

1. Don't just get Dad a bottle of what he always drinks. If he drinks Wild Turkey week-to-week, think about a Small-batch bourbon that gets opened for special occasions, like when you surprise him with a Sunday afternoon visit he didn't expect.

2. Stay within his wheelhouse. If he drinks whisky 80% of the time, and hasn't made a Rum drink in 20 years, don't spend your money on an expensive Rum just because you like the bottle or the box it comes in.

3. Don't go for Vodka. Even if he drinks Vodka 90% of the time, I have yet to find the bottle of vodka I thought was worthy to give as a gift. It's colorless with barely a distinguishable taste. That doesn't say, "I love you Dad," in my book.

4. Think about introducing him to a new expression that is related to his taste. If he likes Islay (peaty) single-malt whiskies, buy one you don't see on his shelf that is more than he would spend on himself.

5. If he really is focused on one brand, like Glenmorangie Scotch, Jose Cuervo Tequila or Jack Daniels, you can't go wrong by buying him one of those distillery's premium or limited edition expressions. If he buys 12-year old Glenmorangie for himself, for example, he should love it if you buy him the 18-year old or one of the other premium or super-premium expressions.

If you are still stymied, and want an extra degree of novelty, go to www.johnniewalker.com, and take the Father's Day quiz, which asks the gift-giver to match the characteristics of their father to the right expression of JW: Red, Blue, Green, Gold or Black. I took the quiz for myself, and found that the best match for me is Johnnie Walker Gold.

Here are ten bottles I eagerly recommend for Dad, covering a few different categories: whisky, bourbon, rye, Port, Tequila and an after-dinner digestif.

Gallery: Ten Great Pours For Father's Day

Tags: alcohol, bourbon, fathers Day bourbon, Fathers Day Gift Guide, Fathers Day Spirits, Fathers Day Tequila, Fathers Day whisky, liquor, port, rye, tequila, whisky

Glenfiddich "Rich Oak" Released

by David Kiley (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

Glenfiddich has released a new expression, Glenfiddich Rich Oak 14-Year Old. Priced at around $50, the whiskey has been aged in second fill Bourbon barrels for more than 13 years, and finished in new American and Spanish oak.

The effect, as one would expect, is higher vanilla notes than is found normally in Glenfiddich, the number-one single-malt Scotch whiskey in the world. The notes of dried fruit and walnuts shine through as is the case with any Glenfiddich pour.

Tags: alcohol, Glenfiddich, liquor, new spirits, scotch, Scotch whiskey, single-malt whiskey, Speyside whiskey, spirits, whisky

Brugal Rums Now Available In The United States

by Jonathon Ramsey (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

We know the liquor cabinet is getting crowded, what with the old favorites and the latest tastemaking selections you need to keep up with, but allow us to widen your choice by just one: Brugal Extra Viejo rum. The dark amber elixir, aged from three to eight years in American oakwood casks, hasn't been available in the U.S. until now.

Behind the gold braiding that wraps every bottle of Brugal you'll find a bevy of flavors and notes: vanilla, almonds, raisins, toasted oak, pipe tobacco, roast coffee, warm toffee, hot cocoa, hints of nutmeg and anise. Not the kind of thing you'll want to drown in a bath of Coca-Cola, Brugal is best sipped straight or with a single cube. But who are we to tell you how to drink? We're only here to let you know what your friends might be looking for behind your bar. Should you decide it's time for traditional Extra Viejo Dominican rum, amigo, your liquor merchant will need $25 greenbacks for a 750ml bottle.

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Tags: brugal, brugal rum, dominican republic, liquor, rum

Plantation Rum Releases 20th Anniversary Edition

by Michael B. Dougherty (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

In celebration of Alexandre Gabriel's 20 years at the helm of Cognac Ferrand, the French producer has released an anniversary bottle from its Plantation Rum collection. As president and owner of the esteemed cognac house, Gabriel discovered that the used casks he had been selling to Caribbean rum producers created a superior flavor profile.

Inspired, he launched his own series of rums, sourced from their original countries of origin-Barbados, Jamaica, Panama, Trinidad, etc.-and shipped to the Ferrand Estate, where they undergo additional aging. While rums are typically aged in bourbon or sherry barrels, Ferrand takes the technique one step beyond by further maturing its rums in former cognac casks. The result is a tantalizingly complex spirit, and the 20th anniversary edition blends several aged examples. Warm notes of dried fruit, cinnamon and macaroons follow a citrusy nose of banana and mango, truly evocative of the rum's terroir.

Price: $39.99 for 750ml.

Tags: anniversary, cognac, liquor, plantation rum, rum, spirits

Tasting Ciroc Vodka's New Flavors

by David Kiley (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

New Coconut and Berry flavors from French vodka maker Ciroc are finally making it into circulation after months of chatter and small sampling. I'm not a huge fan of flavored vodkas with the exception of Ketel One Citroen. And I looked at the Coconut Ciroc with great trepidation and wariness as most coconut flavored liquor I have sampled in the past reminded me more of certain cab drivers' hair products than a whiff of the Caribbean.

All my doubts in place, though, the Coconut Ciroc surprised my senses. It helps that the distillers started out with Ciroc--made from grapes rather than wheat, potatoes or the other usual source material for vodka. Ciroc is one of my favorites to begin with, slightly oilier than many other vodkas and not as hot on the tongue. The Coconut is gentle, and makes for a very nice base for some Caribbean inspired cocktails. I tried one suggested by Ciroc combining Ciroc Coconut with 5 oz. of pineapple juice, a quarter oz. of fresh lime juice, soda water and rocks, garnished with a lime wedge. Nice.

I admit to preferring the Berry on ice after being stored in the freezer. It was also good straight up coming out of the freezer. I was not wild about the Ciroc suggested cocktail that combined the new flavor with Sprite, sour mix, grenadine and a lime wedge over ice.

Flavored vodkas keep proliferating chiefly because of women, especially women 21-39. The marketing phenomenon has made flavored vodkas one of the fastest growing niches in the spirits business. Of course, it also It also helps to get more shelf facings at liquor stores.

Prices: Around $36 per 750 ml bottle.

Tags: berry vodka, ciroc, ciroc berry, ciroc coconut, ciroc vodka, coconut vodka, Flavored Vodka, liquor

The Glenlivet: 1973 Cellar Collection Out in June

by David Kiley (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

Highlands single-malt Scotch producer The Glenlivet will release its latest Cellar Collection in June, a limited bottling from its three best 1973 casks. This is the eighth release of Glenlivet's Cellar Collection, and will be bottled at cask strength, 49% ABV.The casks selected include one ex-sherry butt and two refilled American hogsheads. Out of the total bottling, 240 will be available in the U.S. at $1250.00.

This release, helped by its 36 years of aging, is incredibly smooth with big sweet orange and gingerbread flavors. The best way to obtain a bottle is to special order it through one of the better spirit retailers such as Spec's Liquor in Austin; Federal Wine & Spirits in Boston; Park Avenue Liquors in New York or The Whisky Shop in San Francisco.

As always, though, age and price is no guarantee of quality. The Malt Advocate, for example, rated the 1969 Cellar Collection a 96, but gave the 1972 release just an 89.

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Tags: liquor, Scotch whisky, ScotchWhisky, single-malt, The Glenlivet, TheGlenlivet, whisky

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