Espolon Reposado, 100% Agave Tequila
Brilliant, pale golden color. The nose is rich, sweet, and fruity with hints of vanilla. The palate is true to the aromatics with a rich fruity core flanked by spice and a pronounced wood note. Medium-bodied while being refined, mature, and nicely proportioned with a dry wood note. $21.99 – 3.5 Stars
Francescano Natura Assisi Peach Cream Liqueur
Brilliant, crystal clear. The nose is amazingly generous with ripe peaches and a touch of apricot nesting on a stone fruit custard. The palate echoes the nose delivering a very lush, peach and custard core that offers subtle peach skin notes as well to add interest with accents of citrus rising on the finish. Medium-bodied with incredible viscosity coating every corner of your mouth. $21.99 – 3.5 Stars
Heaven's Door Tennessee Straight Bourbon
Brilliant, deep bronze color. The nose is vibrant with generous notes of sweet grains, banana bread, butterscotch, and honey with hints of toffee, beeswax, nutmeg, and vanilla. The palate echoes the nose delivering a sweet, honeyed grain-driven core with spicy rye accents with hints of earth and toasted oak. Full-bodied with a lush, sweet core while balanced with a bright dose of acidity. Aged in new American oak for a minimum of seven years. $49.99 – 4 Stars
Coole Swan Irish Cream Liqueur
See the Full BevX Featured Review - Beverage of the WeekDense and viscous, mocha cream. The nose is subtle yet complex with notes of white chocolate, vanilla cream, marzipan, and a backbone of Irish Malt Whiskey. The palate echoes the nose delivering a silky, rich cream base with complex spice and chocolate notes that are kept vibrant by the bright Whiskey flavors that while subtle are indispensable. Rich and generous without being cloying with perfect balance that just begs for the next sip. $26.99 – 5 Stars
Cubaney Gran Reserva 12 Years Old Rum
Deep mahogany color. Aromatic notes of vanilla, cola, treacle, and dark molasses fill the nose accented by exotic hints of clove, allspice, Bourbon, and black pepper. The palate echoes the nose delivering sweet molasses and spice notes with a soft trailing semi-sweet and spicy finish. Medium-bodied being slightly viscous with crisp pepper and dry spice notes. $29.99 – 3 Stars
BiVi Sicilian Vodka
Brilliant, crystal clear. The nose is soft and delicate with notes of chalk and mineral in the lead with citrus zest accents. The palate is not at all what the nose had promised delivering a hot and rather angular attack with pithy lemon notes married with white pepper. Subtle on the nose and fiery on the palate. $29.99 – 2 Stars
Tyrconnell Single Malt Single Malt Irish Whiskey
Bright copper color. The nose offers a very pretty marriage of apples and pears, grain, and spice with accents of oak, honey, and citrus. The palate echoes the nose offering a balance between creamy malt and peppery notes. Citrus flavors abound on the finish as this dram becomes dry and crisp. $45 – 3.5 Stars
Bushmills Red Bush Blended Irish Whiskey
Brilliant, deep copper color. The nose is quite floral with bright notes of honey with accents of vanilla, grain, and spice. The palate echoes the nose delivering a light but sweet grain and honey-centric core with waves of spice and oak as it finishes short and dry. Medium-bodied with bright acidity but it does lack depth on the palate. The Bushmills Red is made from Whiskey aged exclusively in ex-Bourbon casks. $21 – 3 Stars
Boone Co. Jail Distillery Gin
Brilliant, crystal clear. The nose is wildly expressive with fresh juniper in the lead followed by vibrant and earthy botanicals that are lifted with accents of citrus and ginger. The palate is in full agreement with the nose delivering a lush but vibrant core with galangal (similar to ginger) and citrus with earthy angelica root and delicate brown spice and pepper accents rising on the finish. Full-bodied with ideal balance thanks to a bright dose of acidity and lively botanicals. An undisputed Best Buy. 4.5 Stars
Boone Co. Jail Distillery Conjugal Visit American White Whiskey
Brilliant, crystal clear. The aromatics are reminiscent of stepping into a large feed warehouse with waves of raw grains filling the nose supported by accents sour mash. The palate echoes the nose with raw and rustic grain core with hints of sour bread dough and black pepper. Full-bodied with an assertive, full grain explosion that has quite a punch on the overproof palate. Made with 100% corn in Lebanon, Indiana. 3 Stars
