The Bitter Truth EXR Bitters
Deep mahogany color. The nose is filled with the scents of dried herbs, bark, stewed fruits, and citrus peel with burnt caramel. The palate echoes the nose delivering a rich, viscous herbaceous core with sweet and tart fruits akin to Amaro with accents of bitter seeds. Medium to full-bodied with a viscous core relying on bitterness to give a refreshing edge. $34.99 – 3.5 Stars
Camus Seraphin XO Cognac
Deep chestnut, amber color. The nose is dense and expressive with rich aromas of dates, dried apricots, butter toffee, and baked apples, with accents of exotic brown baking spices and oak. The palate echoes the nose being rich and lush while dry with complimenting notes of roasted almonds and vanilla. Medium to full-bodied while being decidedly sweet and slightly viscous. $129 – 3.5 Stars
Leopold Gourmel Age des Fleurs 15 Years Old Cognac
Brilliant copper color. The nose is filled with scents of wild flowers, rich caramel, and vanilla cream with hints of sweet oak. The palate confirms the nose with notes of cinnamon, pepper, and cloves, with dried fruit flavors and a subtle hint of orange. The texture is rich and oily with ideal balance and a long, silky finish. $150 – 4 Stars
Christian Drouin Selection Calvados
Brilliant, crystal clear. The nose is greeted with bright fruit, fresh cider notes with strong hints of pear, supporting/secondary notes of wood, subtle brown baking spice accents, and hints of citrus. The palate totally agrees with the aromatics delivering a generous and vibrant fruit-focused core with waves of citrus, spice, and mineral. Medium-bodied with perfect balance and a soft, lingering apple cider note. $39.99 – 4 Stars
G'Vine Floraison Gin
Brilliant, crystal clear. The aromatics are very floral with a hint of citrus and a Genever-like sweetness with hints of fenugreek, green cardamon, and gooseberry. The palate echoes the nose delivering a sweet, fruit driven core with green spices, lime zest, and ginger. This is a soft and gentle Gin that may be too soft and gentle for some hardcore Gin lovers. It is undeniably balanced with great length and depth. $35.99 – 3 Stars
Merlet Crème de Peche, Peach Liqueur
Beautiful deep, golden color. The aromatics are so pure and so tactile that you believe that you can reach out and touch the freshly cut peaches with scents of the sweet, ripe flesh, tart skins, as well as a trace of stem and leaf. The palate is more pure peach with rich, peach concentrate at the core flanked by bitter skins, stone accents, and hints of under-ripe peach to add contrast. Medium to full-bodied with ideal balance with lush fruit from opening to finish. No one does a better peach liqueur. $24.99 – 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
