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 1993 Calvados, Pays d’Auge
Brilliant, crystal clear. The nose is filled with the scents of honey, wild flowers, figs, caramel, and layers of fruit with toffee, apricot, pecan, and brown butter. The palate fully agrees with the nose delivering rich layers of brown butter and baked apple with loads of honey, assertive brown baking spices, and soft oak accents. Medium-bodied with perfect balance and a building warmth from the freshly toasted clove, cinnamon, and allspice. $191.99 – 4 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
Christian Drouin Pommeau de Normandie
Brilliant, crystal clear. The aroma of freshly baked apples fills the nose with supporting notes of brown butter, brown sugar, allspice, nutmeg, and subtle caramel accents. The palate echoes the nose offering a very vibrant but rich, fruit-driven core with generous butter toffee and soft brown baking spice notes. Medium-bodied and very sprite with the open bottle being in grave danger of being exhausted in one sitting. $34.99 – 4.5 Stars
Clyde May's Special Reserve American Whiskey
See the Full BevX Featured Review & Beverage of the WeekRich, vibrant burgundy color. The generous aromatics are loaded with rich caramel, dried orchard fruits, toffee, butterscotch, nutmeg, cinnamon, Amaretto, and candied orange peel. The palate is harmonious and seamless being decadent with a spicy edge with loads of viscosity to give the Whiskey length and depth. It finishes with a complex brown spice accent, hints of clove, and toasted oak. Full-bodied and totally hedonistic offering rich, ripe, sweet flavors with great balance and dexterity considering the high proof. $70 – 4.5 Stars
Saint-Vivant VS Armagnac
See the Full BevX Featured Review & Beverage of the WeekBrilliant, crystal clear. The nose is very pleasing and complex with sweet, honeyed apples and pears, dried fruits (think fruitcake), allspice, mace, vanilla, and orange peel. The palate echoes the nose delivering a lush but very vibrant fruit-driven core with supporting accents of oak, brown baking spices, black pepper, and dried fruit concentrate that lingers with nutmeg, clove, and brown butter. Medium to full-bodied with ideal balance and length offering the full and semi-rustic flavors that Armagnac lovers seek. $28.99 – 4 Stars
Rumson's Rum
See the Full BevX Featured Review & Beverage of the WeekBrilliant, crystal clear. The nose offers a very distinctive blast of Caribbean Rum "hogo" that's found in old, traditional Rums of the region. Behind this comes waves of butterscotch, caramel, wild flowers, nutmeg, and allspice with hints of lime and toffee. The palate is in full agreement with the nose as the sweeter flavors converge on the core giving a silky and buttery mouthfeel with a generous dose of spice and wood to create a crisp finish. Medium to full-bodied with a rich and silky core backed by loads of spice, pepper, and citrus. $32 – 4.5 Stars
Rumson's Grand Reserve Rum
See the Full BevX Featured Review & Beverage of the WeekBrilliant, crystal clear. The nose is filled with the sweet and decadent scents of brown sugar, butterscotch, vanilla, and brown baking spices with treacle, leather, cigar box, and rustic oak notes. The palate echoes the nose delivering a lush and sweet core of brown sugar and treacle with waves of spice, gingerbread, and sexy oak accents. Full-bodied and certainly sweet while never finishing heavy benefiting from a generous dose of spice and just enough acidity to keep it vibrant. $45 – 4.5 Stars
Rumson's Spiced Rum
Brilliant, crystal clear. The aromatics are hauntingly similar the the Rumson's standard Rum with a greater focus on sweet vanilla, nutmeg, and golden syrup. The palate is in full agreement with the nose offering a rich baking spice driven core supported by sweet butterscotch and sugar giving it body and weight. It's a Christmas cake in a glass. Medium-bodied with waves of sweet spices and sugar notes while never becoming too sweet. $32 – 4 Stars
