Blade and Bow Limited Release 22 Years Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon
Brilliant, crystal clear. The nose is wonderfully rich and complex offering waves of decadent caramel, roasted nuts and toffee, dried fruits, brown baking spices, vanilla, and loads of charred oak. The palate confirms the nose delivering a lush caramel and fruit focused core with a wave of dry, peppery spice quickly leading to a long finish featuring brown butter, cinnamon, and nutmeg. This is a big and bold Bourbon showing its 22 years in oak on both the nose and the palate (while not as much to the eye) with flavors that build as sipped. $149.99 – 4 Stars
Rivulet Artisan Pecan Liqueur
See the Full BevX Featured Review & Beverage of the WeekBrilliant, crystal clear. The nose is wonderfully complex with notes of toasted pecans virtually leaping from the glass with supporting notes of rich caramel with hints of dark caramel, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, butterscotch and candied orange peel. The palate echoes the nose delivering a silky, lush toffee and praline core with accents of brown baking spices, cappuccino, maple syrup, treacle, and brown sugar. This is certainly a full-bodied and complex liqueur but its edge is that it is remarkably balanced with vibrant acidity that leads you to desire sip after sip. $34.99 – 5 Stars
Michter's Barrel Strength US*1 Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey
See the Full BevX Featured Review & Beverage of the WeekBrilliant, crystal clear. The nose is beautifully complex with rich, sweet toasted grain in the lead with generous supporting scents of toffee, butterscotch, dried black fruits, charred oak, brown baking spices, and vanilla. The palate is in full accord with the nose delivering a rich, caramel soaked rye core with generous notes of clove, allspice, vanilla, black pepper, and nutmeg. This is absolutely an intense Rye but the ultra balanced flavors perfectly mask the high alcohol levels. $75 – 5 Stars
Colorado Sun 'Shine Moonshine USA White Whiskey
Brilliant, crystal clear. The nose is filled with the scents of sweet talc and corn Whiskey supported by notes of citrus redolent of limeade and lime zest. The palate echoes the nose delivering a thick and sweet core with copious amounts of sweet lime and candy sugar. Despite the high proof, this spirit is rather soft and pleasant on the palate with no significant sense of alcohol heat. $30 – 3 Stars
Grand Traverse Distillery Small Batch Botanical Gin
See the Full BevX Featured Review & Beverage of the WeekBrilliant, crystal clear. The aromatics are bold and clear rising from the glass well before it's lifted. Scents of juniper with vibrant citrus notes take the lead with accents of angelica and cilantro. The palate echoes the nose while being somehow even more intense with the botanicals becoming nearly chewy. The juniper and citrus have become fruity being framed by vibrant citrus zest and peppery spice notes. This is a bold and intense Gin with generous botanicals delivered on a silky, creamy bed of a beautiful wheat-based spirit. $35 – 5 Stars
Grand Traverse Distillery Silver Reserve Rum
Brilliant, crystal clear. The nose is quite intriguing as the material (molasses) is quite familiar while the distillation in a hybrid pot still gives the rich, densely fruity qualities of a Caribbean pot still while being as clean and floral as a column still Rum. The palate confirms the nose delivering a dry, fruit-forward core with a silky texture. The over-proof finish gives the clove and pepper spice accents more lift as well as the charred sugar flavors that emerge on the finish. A full-bodied white Rum with lots of gusto and personality that will hold its own in cocktails. $31 – 4 Stars
Grand Traverse Distillery Double Barreled Ole George Rye Whiskey
Brilliant, crystal clear. The nose is assertively spicy with toasted grain and black pepper in the lead. After a small water addition this Whiskey really shows its stuff offering black fruits, rye bread, black pepper, toffee, and vanilla. The palate is full accord with the nose delivering a beautiful mix of fruit and grain with hints of black cherry with loads of spicy rye and sweet caramel. This is a very intense rye that requires a water addition in my view to best expand the flavors and tame the heat. $47 – 4.5 Stars
Grand Traverse Distillery 116 Proof Straight Rye Whiskey
Brilliant, crystal clear. Intensely spiced with loads of brown baking spices and a rich, fruity core with hints of cocoa, French roast coffee, and charred oak. The palate is equal to the nose with a rich, caramel drenched fruit core flanked by spicy rye, black pepper, allspice and dense caramel with hints of sweet vanilla. Super intense with rich bold fruit, caramel, spicy rye, and oak to spare. $47 – 4 Stars
Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon
Brilliant, crystal clear. Then nose is wonderfully fruity with baked apples in the lead supported by rich caramel, wild mint, lemon zest, vanilla, sweet red cherry, pralines, and honey. The palate echoes the nose delivering a decadent fruit and grain driven core with loads of brown baking spices, spicy rye, and generous oak notes. Bold flavors without being extreme featuring mature Bourbon while flashing a vibrant and youthful exuberance; it's perfectly balanced. $24.99 – 5 Stars
Blade and Bow Kentucky Straight Bourbon
Brilliant, crystal clear. Then nose is wonderfully fruity with baked apples in the lead supported by rich caramel, wild mint, lemon zest, vanilla, sweet red cherry, pralines, and honey. The palate echoes the nose delivering a decadent fruit and grain driven core with loads of brown baking spices, spicy rye, and generous oak notes. Bold flavors without being extreme featuring mature Bourbon while flashing a vibrant and youthful exuberance; it's perfectly balanced. $24.99 – 5 Stars
