West Cork Sherry Cask 12 Years Old Single Malt Irish Whiskey
Brilliant, deep copper color. The aromatics are complex and delicate with malted barley and grain notes in the lead supported by accents of spring flowers, orange peel, toasted almonds, and dried apricot with subtle hints of the Sherry cask. The palate echoes the nose delivering a lush and round malt and grain core with flanking notes of citrus, honey, nutmeg, and oak with the rich Sherry notes riding on the finish enveloping the toasted malt. Medium to full-bodied with layers of grains and fruit presented in perfect proportions with a bright dose of acidity as well. $64.99 – 4.5 Stars
West Cork Rum Cask 12 Years Old Single Malt Irish Whiskey
Brilliant, deep bronze color. The nose is filled with toasted grains soaked in honey with waves of marzipan, sweet floral notes, toffee, toasted coconut, and unmistakable Rum accents with dried fruits. The palate is in full agreement with the nose delivering a fruit-driven core with loads of nutmeg, black pepper, and citrus zest to add interest while finishing with a sweet marriage of honey and malt. Medium to full-bodied with a lush, nearly chewy core while offering enough vibrant citrus notes to maintain balance. $64.99 – 4 Stars
West Cork Port Cask 12 Years Old Single Malt Irish Whiskey
Brilliant. deep amber color. The nose reveals a classic West Cork profile of rich, malted barely and grains supported by accents of toffee, floral notes, fruit, and honey with the Port cask offering a sweet, vinous character. The palate fully concurs wit the nose delivering a lush but vibrant grain-driven core with layers of ripe orchard fruits, honey, red berries, and oak. Full-bodied with a lush grain and fruit core foiled by ripe orchard fruits and red berries with a bright dose of acidity that provides balance and structure. $64.99 – 5 Stars
Trail's End Batch No. 2, 8 Years Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon
Brilliant, deep amber color. The aromatics are quite complex and intense with waves of sweet grains with wild mint, spring flowers, fruitcake, toasted nuts, and cigar box with pine resin and oak. The palate is in full agreement with the nose delivering a rich, dense mélange of fruit, oak, spice, and grain with accents of dark chocolate, cigar, and assertive oak rising on the finish. Full-bodied with dense waves of whiskey, fruit, and very assertive oak that knocks it a bit out of balance. $49.95 – 3.5 Stars
McCarthy's Oregon Single Malt American Whiskey
Brilliant, deep copper color. The nose is quite assertive with bright fruit nearly equaling the peat and campfire notes flowing to supporting scents of pine cone, caramel malt, and oak. The palate echoes the nose delivering a lush, sweet malt core that is soaked in peat smoke, pine resin, and rich toffee accents with oak rising on the finish. Full-bodied with dense malt and peat notes balanced by wood tannins and a bright dose of acidity. $54.95 – 4.5 Stars
Christian Drouin XO Calvados, Pays d’Auge
See the Full BevX Featured Review - Beverage of the WeekBrilliant golden to copper color. The aromatics are amazingly fresh and vibrant with scents of fresh apple juice and cider, caramelized apples, baked stone fruits, toasted almonds, brown baking spices, and a splash of vanilla. The palate is equally youthful and mature delivering layers of ripe fruit, spice, mineral, a fine salinity, and trailing floral notes, with cinnamon heat, vanilla bean, and oak on the finish. Medium to full-bodied with layers of ripe fruit and generous portions of spice, vanilla, and oak. $126.99 – 5 Stars
Christian Drouin Hors D'age Calvados, Pays d’Auge
Brilliant, rich amber color. The nose reveals a perfect balance of rich, baked apples, brown baking spices, earth, and oak. The most striking aspect is its absolute harmony. The palate echoes the nose delivering seamless integration of fruit, spice, and oak with subtle accents of apple, peel, mineral, and vanilla bean with hints of chocolate. Medium to full-bodied displaying perfect balance as the lush fruit and spice are foiled by bright acidity and oak offering structure and nuance. $159.99 – 5 Stars
Christian Drouin 1967 Calvados
Brilliant, deep amber color. The nose is complex while surprisingly assertive showing its muscular single distillation with charming notes of ripe fruit with waves of generous spice notes (clove and cinnamon in the lead). The palate confirms the nose in every way featuring the rustic, single-distilled fruit with spicy cask notes and a delicate note of rancio and a pronounced oaky finish. Full-bodied while quite elegant with ideal balance and incredible length. $476.37 – 4.5 Stars
Christian Drouin 1977 Calvados, Pays d’Auge
Brilliant, deep mahogany color. The concentrated fruit notes marry seamlessly with the Sherry casks creating a decadent blanket of fruit and spice flavors with accents of wild flowers, caramel, and nutmeg. The palate equals the nose delivering a lush and spicy fruit-driven core with waves of caramel, toffee, marzipan, and dense dried fruits with Sherry accents. This full-bodied beauty is perfectly balanced with a bright, fresh acidity that frames the rich fruit and Sherry flavors. $294.99 – 5 Stars
Christian Drouin 1987 Calvados, Pays d’Auge
Brilliant, deep amber color. The nose is wonderfully expressive with dense, youthful fruit in the lead supported by scents of orange marmalade and candied orange peel with dried red fruits and waves of brown baking spices. The palate fully concurs with the decadent nose delivering a rich, fruit-driven core that is flanked by spice, oak, and subtle earth tones that linger for minutes. Full-bodied with ideal balance with bright acidity to match the dense fruit and a surprising firm grip of tannins on the finish. $207.99 – 5 Stars
