Booker's Batch 2015-06 6 Years Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon
Brilliant, crystal clear. The nose is filled with rich, caramel soaked grain with supporting notes of dried red fruits, vanilla, allspice, clove, nutmeg, and charred oak. The palate is in full agreement with the nose as it delivers a rich and spicy fruit and grain core with loads of spices ranging fiery black and white pepper to brown baking spices and vanilla bean. Very intense with no punches pulled as this delivers dense and assertive flavors of grain, wood, and spice. $60 – 4.5 Stars
Somrus Indian Cream Liqueur
See the Full BevX Featured Review & Beverage of the WeekBrilliant, crystal clear. The nose is incredible and one of a kind. The exotic scents of rose, dairy, cardamon, pistachio, and cinnamon with hints of sweet citrus and bergamot. The palate echoes the nose with the addition of a silky, creamy texture that acts as the perfect delivery vehicle for the complex floral and spice notes. Medium-bodied with perfect balance and an ever evolving collection of spice notes that linger for minutes. $24.99 – 5 Stars
Ventura Limoncello
Brilliant, crystal clear. The nose is filled with the vibrant scents of freshly juiced lemons with a healthy dose of fresh lemon zest and lemon drop candy. The palate echoes the nose delivering rich and concentrated lemon flavors with a bigger dose of peppery lemon zest that veers towards white pepper that builds on the finish. This is definitely on the intense end of scale for Limoncello as the tart and pepper zest notes are not entirely enveloped in sugar. $28 – 4 Stars
Ventura Orangecello
Brilliant, crystal clear. The aromatics are so pure and forward offering bright scents of candied, sliced blood orange with accents of mandarin orange and red grapefruit. The palate is in full agreement with the nose, rich and concentrated orange flavors that focus on the juice and pulp with a vibrant dose of zest that add an edge and keep it fresh. It's a big mouthful of orange with waves of sweet juice and zesty peel. $28 – 4.5 Stars
Gonzalez Byass Lepanto Solera Gran Reserva Brandy de Jerez
Brilliant, crystal clear. The aromatics are quite complex while subtle with scents of toffee, Marcona almonds, orange peel, Sherry, earth, vanilla, and sultanas. The palate echoes the nose delivering a generous, unctuous caramel and fruit core with layers of nutmeg, nut, citrus, brown butter, and hints of clove. It's a medium-bodied Brandy with complex layers of fruit, caramel, spice, and wood with perfect balance. $55.99 – 4.5 Stars
Gonzalez Byass Soberano Spanish Brandy
Brilliant, crystal clear. The nose is filled with beautiful Christmas cake fruits with rich brown baking spices, caramel, wood, and candied walnuts. The palate is in full agreeement with the nose delivering lush but vibrant fruit core with waves of spice, oak, honey, and toffee with hints of vanilla and black pepper. Medium-bodied with great depth and complex spice notes while featuring rich and ripe fruit flavors. $24.99 – 4 Stars
Papa's Pilar Blonde Rum
Brilliant, crystal clear. The nose is rich and exotic with scents of butter toffee, marzipan, vanilla, lemon drops, ripe tropical fruit, and subtle spice notes. The palate echoes the nose delivering a silky, buttery texture with ripe fruit, citrus zest, nutmeg, cinnamon, and hints of clove. Medium-bodied with a lush and generous mouthfeel giving layers of fruit and spice with a bright dose of acidity to keep it balanced. $29.99 – 4 Stars
Papa's Pilar Dark Rum
Brilliant, crystal clear. The nose is filled with scents of charred oak, vanilla, generous brown baking spices, earth, concentrated fruit, mocha, hints of black pepper, treacle, and Bourbon. The palate absolutely confirms the nose as it offers a viscous fruit and caramel core with loads of spice, oak, and Sherry. Full-bodied and quite intense with dense barrel notes, molasses, and baking spice notes lingering for minutes. $39.99 – 4 Stars
Cutty Sark Prohibition Edition Blended Scotch Whisky
Brilliant, crystal clear. The nose is quite alluring with sweet malted barley and grains drenched in ripe fruits with baked apples, buckwheat honey, roasted walnuts, toffee, vanilla, and clove. The palate echoes the nose delivering a lush fruit core with silky baked fruits layered with caramel and loads of brown baking spices with black pepper and oak notes emerging on the finish. (It really needs a splash of water to come alive.) Despite its obvious strength (100 proof) it is really quite approachable and delicate while being incredibly generous with fruit, caramel, toffee, and spice notes. $29.99 – 4.5 Stars
Old Forester Birthday 2015 Kentucky Straight Bourbon
Brilliant, crystal clear. This is a very aromatic Bourbon offering a complex set of aromatics featuring generous oak notes, sweet vanilla, dried orchard fruits, cigar box, orange peel, toasted walnuts, dried herbs, and brown baking spices. The palate echoes the nose delivering more pepper upfront than the nose suggests while quickly developing a lush and spicy fruit and caramel core with loads of baking spices building on the finish. This is a full-throttle Bourbon that marries intensity with complexity. $79.99 – 5 Stars
