Grand Traverse Distillery True North Wheat Vodka
Brilliant, crystal clear. The nose is wonderfully floral with an equal dose of sweet, toasted grains, dried berries, tarragon, and an distinct accent of wet river stones. The palate confirms the nose being rich and expansive on the palate with a silky core while maintaining its vibrancy. Layers of sweet grains are flanked by hints of citrus zest, teaberries, and mineral. Ideally balanced being both generous and sprite with a long, lingering finish that ultimately becomes dry and clean. $30 – 5 Stars
Christian Drouin 25 Years Old Calvados, Pays d’Auge
Brilliant, crystal clear. The nose is wonderfully complex with fresh juice, caramel apples, and rich baked apples competing for dominace with waves of spice, oak, dried fruits, and a subtle cinnamon heat. The palate is a natural extention of the nose delivering rich, layered fruit and caramel core with assertive brown spices rising on the finish met by toasted oak and delicate mineral accents. Full-bodied with hedonistic fruit notes while keeping a perfect balance and delivering a finish that beautifully carries on for minutes. $259.99 – 5 Stars
Christian Drouin Vintage 1975 Calvados, Pays d’Auge
Brilliant, crystal clear. The nose is very floral and amazingly youthful with loads of apple and supporting waves of marzipan, honey, candied orange peel, rancio, and rich butter toffee, and delicate brown baking spices. The palate is in full agreement with the nose delivering waves of fruit, caramel, honey, and spice with peppery wood, soft cinnamon heat, and a trailing toffee and apple melange that lingers seemingly forever. Medium to full-bodied with intense honey and fruit married in one flawless package that defies its age. $356.99 – 5 Stars
Christian Drouin Vintage 1995 Calvados, Pays d’Auge
Brilliant, crystal clear. The nose is quite fruity and complex with scents of prunes and cashew butter, red cherry, vanilla custard, stewed red fruits, red currants, and cinnamon. The palate is so in-tune with the nose with loads of red fruits, spice, cinnamon, and bright Port cask notes giving it a strong vinous accent. Full-bodied and quite assertive with so many fresh fruit flavors arriving in waves with baking spices and Port while keeping a perfect balance. $163.99 – 5 Stars
Talisker 10 Years Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Brilliant, crystal clear. The aromatics are wonderfully smoky with waves of toasted malt, dried fruits, brown baking spices, treacle, sea salt, smoke, and hints of wood. The palate reveals an avalanche of flavors and textures being amazingly vibrant while sweet as well. It begins with sweet and complex toasted malt notes with layers of fruit, spice, sea air, and smoke. Perfectly balanced and near perfect being both youthful and remarkably mature for a 10 year old. $60 – 5 Stars
Glenfarclas 17 Years Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Brilliant, crystal clear. Rich and complex aromas of dried apricots, figs, roasted nuts, butterscotch, and a generous dose of Sherry rise from the glass. The palate is in full accord with the nose revealing further dimensions of marzipan, sweet black fruits, allspice, and hints of clove. The flavors mingle perfectly and linger for minutes after swallowing. Perfectly proportioned with hedonistic pleasure and style. It is assertive while being delicate and that is no small feat. $93.99 – 5 Stars
Oban 14 Years Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Brilliant, crystal clear. A wonderfully complex nose showing sweet malt notes supported by hints of earth, peach, orange marmalade, and sea air. The rich malted barley notes that dominate the aromatics are on full display with rich notes of caramel, and baked apple, with hints of cigar box, shortbread, ginger tea, and sea salt. This rich malt has such a lush texture on entry with enough viscosity to suspend the flavors throughout. While big and chewy it is never cloying or flabby with a bright dose of acidity to keep it fresh. $74 – 5 Stars
Laphroaig Cairdeas 2015 Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Brilliant, crystal clear. The nose offers quite a conundrum as it offers bright berry and apple fruit but once you shift your attention to to the rich, salty, peat notes with its iodine and pepper accents the fruit becomes just a cherished memory. The palate fully concurs with the nose again offering a glimpse at fruit before the earthy peat and spice notes roll in like tidal wave with hints of anise, clove, allspice, seaweed, and campfire. It's Laphroaig so it's not going to be shy but it does have a delicate note albeit buried with a mass of beautiful peat and smoke. $74.99 – 5 Stars
Laphroaig 32 Years Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Brilliant, crystal clear. The nose is incredibly decadent with rich, old Sherry in the lead with loads of brown baking spices (clove, allspice, cinnamon, and nutmeg among others), brown butter, dark chocolate, baked apples, and a generous dose of the classic Laphroaig smoke and sea notes. The palate echoes the nose delivering a rich and silky core that ideally marries fruit with spice, chocolate, Sherry, peat, oak, and sea salt. Full-bodied with rich and lingering flavors that carry on for minutes. Despite its heft it is never heavy and always balanced on the palate. $1200 – 5 Stars
Lagavulin 16 Years Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Brilliant, crystal clear. The nose is wonderfully complex offering beautiful scents of Lapsang Souchong tea, rich Sherry, peat, iodine, toasted malted barley, and sea breezes with a touch of salt, vanilla, and caramel. The palate is the multidimensional expression of the nose as it delivers layers of peat-drenched malt and caramel with loads of spice, peat smoke, and decadent wood notes that linger on for an eternity. Full-bodied and majestically assertive, this is the bull in the china shop if the bull were impossibly nimble and wearing ballet shoes. $98 – 5 Stars
