Booker's Batch 2017-01 6 Years Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon
Brilliant, crystal clear with a deep mahogany color. The aromatics are wonderfully complex and bold, dense vanilla fudge, gooey caramel, and brown baking spices supported by waves of baked fruit, toasted oak, and brown butter. The palate echoes the nose delivering a lush and velvet-like caramel and oak-driven core with generous fruit and assertive spice notes that rise on the finish. Full-bodied and so incredibly silky and lush while also showing balance and restraint. $71.99 – 5 Stars
Don Q Signature Release/Single Barrel 2007 Rum
See the Full BevX Featured Review & Beverage of the WeekBrilliant, deep amber color. The aromatics rise from the glass with the complex essence of aged Rum offering scents of baked orchard fruits with waves of caramel, vanilla bean, brown baking spices, and roasted pineapple flanked by charred oak. The palate echoes the nose delivering a rich but vibrant fruit and spice core with layers of caramel, brown butter, and vanilla with dry oak and leather accents and hints of mineral. Medium to full-bodied with ideal balance thanks to a fresh dose of acidity with an impossibly silky texture and incredible length. $40 – 5 Stars
West Cork Port Cask 12 Years Old Single Malt Irish Whiskey
Brilliant. deep amber color. The nose reveals a classic West Cork profile of rich, malted barely and grains supported by accents of toffee, floral notes, fruit, and honey with the Port cask offering a sweet, vinous character. The palate fully concurs wit the nose delivering a lush but vibrant grain-driven core with layers of ripe orchard fruits, honey, red berries, and oak. Full-bodied with a lush grain and fruit core foiled by ripe orchard fruits and red berries with a bright dose of acidity that provides balance and structure. $64.99 – 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
Christian Drouin 1977 Calvados, Pays d’Auge
Brilliant, deep mahogany color. The concentrated fruit notes marry seamlessly with the Sherry casks creating a decadent blanket of fruit and spice flavors with accents of wild flowers, caramel, and nutmeg. The palate equals the nose delivering a lush and spicy fruit-driven core with waves of caramel, toffee, marzipan, and dense dried fruits with Sherry accents. This full-bodied beauty is perfectly balanced with a bright, fresh acidity that frames the rich fruit and Sherry flavors. $294.99 – 5 Stars
Christian Drouin 1987 Calvados, Pays d’Auge
Brilliant, deep amber color. The nose is wonderfully expressive with dense, youthful fruit in the lead supported by scents of orange marmalade and candied orange peel with dried red fruits and waves of brown baking spices. The palate fully concurs with the decadent nose delivering a rich, fruit-driven core that is flanked by spice, oak, and subtle earth tones that linger for minutes. Full-bodied with ideal balance with bright acidity to match the dense fruit and a surprising firm grip of tannins on the finish. $207.99 – 5 Stars
Laphroaig Cairdeas Madeira Cask Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Brilliant copper color. The aromatics are both exotic and intense offering scents of sweet turf fire with blood orange, sea salt, baked apple, dried chili, anise seed, and nougat. The palate fully concurs with the nose delivering a lush and vibrant fruit and peat mélange ideally framed by brown baking spices, oak, and citrus. Being Laphroaig you know it's not going to be a wallflower. It's quite intense but wonderfully complex and perfectly balanced. $74.99 – 5 Stars
Gautier Gold & Blue XO Cognac
See the Full BevX Featured Review & Beverage of the WeekBrilliant, deep amber color. The aromatics are simply amazing offering a marriage of fruit and spice that can only be found in an elite spirit with extended aging. Scents of cinnamon accented baked fruits, rich caramel, and dried tropical fruits fill the nose supported by dark chocolate, earth, leather, mineral, and oak. The palate fully concurs with the nose delivering a lush and decadent fruit-centric core with gorgeous flanking notes of brown baking spice, toffee, cocoa, vanilla, and toasted oak. Full-bodied with a lush, creamy core balanced with acid, spice, and delicate citrus zest accents. $134.99 – 5 Stars
Glenfarclas 21 Years Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Brilliant, deep golden/amber. The aromatics are rich and complex with scents of sweet Sherry, nutmeg, baked apple, tropical fruits, caramel, and wildflower honey with accents of vanilla and whips of smoke. The palate in is full accord with the nose delivering waves of Sherry-soaked fruits with flanking notes of brown baking spice, with hints of smoke, vanilla, and citrus. Full-bodied while showing perfect balance as the lush flavors are ideally foiled by bright acidity and spice accents. $124.99 – 5 Stars
