Reviews
November 12, 2009
Akvinta Vodka Review
Akvinta Vodka
Triple-distilled organic super-premium vodka
80 Proof (40% ABV)
Review Sample Supplied By: Avkinta Vodka
Typical Price: About $40
Available in: New York, New Jersey, California
The Look: The Akvinta bottle is pretty striking, shot through with crimson and gold on the label and a cool little bronze button on the side. In the glass, Akvinta looks like, well, vodka.
The Nose: Lemon and other citrus peels.
The Taste: Citrusy with some pepper and an herbal bite. Very dry mouth feel, almost astringent, which we liked. Once we chilled it some of the sharper edges went away, and we were left with a very smooth, drinkable vodka.
The Verdict: We thought this was a tasty vodka - hell, maybe they're onto something with their crazy "Quintuple Filtration" idea. They run this stuff through birch charcoal, marble, silver, gold, and platinum, which may sound like overkill but it seems to work. We liked it chilled and on the rocks with a twist of lemon, and it would be a darned good fit for any citrusy cocktail if you ask us, as long as you can foot the super-premium price tag.
They include some pretty fancy Akvinta cocktail recipes on their site, and we're dying to try the Croatian Breakfast, so it looks like we're going to have to round up some orange marmalade and egg whites.
November 9, 2009
Cruzan Single Barrel Estate Rum Review
Cruzan Single Barrel Estate Rum
Dark St. Croix Rum
80 Proof (40% ABV)
Website: CruzanRum.com
Typical Price: Around $30
Available online at Internet Wines & Spirits
The Look: The bottle is tall and slender with black and gold labeling, getting away from an island party vibe to something a little more classic. In the glass, the rum is a smooth brown color reminiscent of whiskey...not too dark, not too light.
The Nose: The nose was full of caramel and brown sugar and molasses, and there was a hint of nuttiness there too. No huge alcohol burn, but not too sweet either.
The Taste: This rum is on the dryer side, not too sweet, with nice sweet flavors in the mix that don't overpower. There was maple and spice, nutmeg and vanilla, and the faintest hint of dried fruits on the back end. Very nice at bottle strength, but we liked it even more once we added a splash of water.
The Verdict: This is a good rum, period. It's not too spendy at around thirty bucks, and we were really impressed with the effects of blending various rums of various ages into a single cask and aging them another year. Don't step on this one with cola - this one's a sipper for after meals, and would make some excellent cocktails as well.
Many thanks to the Cruzan Rum folks for sending us our review bottle.
November 7, 2009
Canadian Club Classic 12 Whisky Review
Brand/Name: Canadian Club Classic 12 Blended Whisky
80 Proof (40% ABV)
Review Bottle Source: Supplied by Canadian Club
Typical Price: Around $25
Available online at Internet Wines & Spirits
The Look: A squat and flat-shouldered bottle; the black and white accents on the label give it a classic look.
The Nose: Whiffs of caramel, honey, brown sugar - very reminiscent of a well-aged rum at first whiff. Doesn't jump out of the glass and bite you on the nose - has the reserved quality we associate with aging. There's fruit in there too, adding an interesting sour tang on the back end, but it doesn't overpower the sweet.
The Taste: Starts off sweet, with a burn like raw ginger. Gets a bit more bitter toward the finish, but not in a bad way...like the bitterness of the charred oak it was aged in. Some fruit to go along with the nose, finishes quickly, leaving a vanilla taste in the mouth.
The Verdict: We liked the Classic 12 just fine on the rocks, and a little water went a long way to smooth whatever edges were left on it. We were impressed with it in cocktails we usually make with bourbon as well...right on down to our standby drinks, the Old Fashioned and the Manhattan, where we thought it added a nice je ne sais quois. A must-try for folks who like the regular Canadian Club expression, and bourbon lovers who're looking to broaden their horizons without straying too far from what they like.
October 26, 2009
Vinturi White Wine Aerator Review
We've been excited to try out the Vinturi Aerator, especially considering the fact we'd never given much thought to decanting white wine, or even letting it "breathe" as we might a red. Vinturi was kind enough to send us a model to review, and when we opened the box we were impressed with the heft of the vaguely cylindrical gizmo that greeted us, and pleasantly surprised to find a no-drip stand and cloth storage bag as well.
We peeked through the Aerator, unsure how much effect it would really have on our wine, but decided to take it at face value. We poured two glasses from the same unchilled bottle of the best Chardonnay we could get at the supermarket for $3.49, one directly from the bottle and the other through the Aerator.
It sloshed through the gadget with a satisfying glugging sound, and we were fascinated by the bubbles we saw in the chamber, and if nothing else we felt like we got our money's worth for the show alone. But would it fulfill its promises of a tastier glass of wine?
We took the two aforementioned glasses of wine, and we put them in front of our Senior Wine Intern, asking for a blind taste test of the contents of the glasses, to identify which had been aerated. After going through the tasting rigamarole, our intern correctly identified the aerated wine, saying the flavor and bouquet were subtly, but noticeably improved. Further tasting with other interns confirmed the positive review - this thing really works, especially on wine that starts out not-so-hot. The price tag may seem high, especially for those who don't drink much wine, but it strikes us as a great gift and an exciting addition to the gadget-hound's wine rack.
Vinturi White Wine Aerator; more info at the Vinturi website.
May 28, 2009
Belvedere Black Raspberry Vodka Review
Sometimes we get a liquor in to review that feels...well, it just feels too classy for us. You know, like we're the only guys in shorts and flip flops who show up at a black tie affair. Belvedere's Black Raspberry vodka is one of those bottles - we feel like we should handle the bottle with white gloves so we don't smudge the finish.
Then we remember Belvedere puts their pants on one leg at a time, and we crack the bottle and get to sipping.
Continue reading: "Belvedere Black Raspberry Vodka Review"
May 19, 2009
Jim Beam Red Stag Black Cherry Bourbon Review
We got our bottle of Jim Beam's soon-to-be-released black cherry flavored bourbon, Red Stag, a couple weeks ago and now it's time to review it. We mentioned this before - we were hesitant to even try it at first, because full disclosure requires us to say right up front we're Jim Beam White Label men from way back, and we were a bit concerned about a syrupy Nyquil nightmare that would forever tarnish our sweet, sweet nectar.
So how did we fare? Surprisingly well, we must say
Continue reading: "Jim Beam Red Stag Black Cherry Bourbon Review"
May 17, 2009
Hiram Walker Triple Sec Review
We've never reviewed triple sec here on the site, but we're starting to think we should focus more on things like this. Hell, sometimes liqueurs and other mixers make up 25 or 30 percent of the cocktail you're drinking - we're thinking we're going to want to make sure the stuff is on the level.
Plus, this is going to be a fun review for another reason - because the Hiram Walker folks sent us a bottle of Cointreau, what many people consider the industry standard in orange liqueurs. So how does good old Hiram measure up to Cointreau? Only one way to find out, isn't there?
Continue reading: "Hiram Walker Triple Sec Review"
May 13, 2009
Absinthe Mata Hari Review
Before we received our bottle of Absinthe Mata Hari, we had never heard of bohemian absinthe. We figured it was some kind of crazy libation people drank at poetry readings, sipping on it in between snapping their fingers in applause for the latest spoken word stylings. Hell, maybe that's exactly what it is.
All we know is we tried it, and yeah...maybe we did feel a bit more like Maynard G Krebs afterward.
Continue reading: "Absinthe Mata Hari Review"
April 14, 2009
Guest Review: Michter's US 1 Whiskey
We haven't done a guest review in a while, so we're excited to drop this great review of Michter's. As usual, the only problem we have with this review is that we didn't get to drink it, but we've had the stuff before and thought it kicked some serious arse.
Thanks for the reivew, Carlos.
Continue reading: "Guest Review: Michter's US 1 Whiskey"
March 24, 2009
Double Cross Vodka Review
We got our bottle of Double Cross Vodka a little bit ago, and we've sort of been reluctant to open it. No ulterior motive other than that rectangular bottle looks pretty darned cool front and center in the Liquor (Snob) Cabinet, and we didn't want to sully it by draining it. But, of course, our curiosity to try out the nectar inside overtook our aesthetic sense, and we had to pop it open for some sniffing, sipping, and cocktails.
OK, maybe it wasn't as existential as all that. But you're curious about how it all turned out, aren't you?
Continue reading: "Double Cross Vodka Review"
March 5, 2009
(ri)1 Rye Whiskey Review
January 16, 2009
KU:L Vodka Review
Do you ever have one of those moments where everything comes together exactly, a lilting song of perfection with each piece fitting into the puzzle almost of its own accord? This is the opposite of how things went with our KU:L Vodka review. That's not to say we didn't like the stuff...quite the contrary. It was just a comedy of errors of lost notes and spacey editors that started way back in November. But you know what? We think KU:L is tasty enough and a good enough value you won't mind the wait.
Read our notes below.
Continue reading: "KU:L Vodka Review"
January 7, 2009
MGD 64 Has Faint Beerish Taste, Consumer Reports Reveals
We understand the urge to reduce the calories in beer. We really do. No one wants to end up looking like Peter Griffin just because he likes to have a few sudsy cold ones every day, but can we keep it reasonable? Most light beers taste like someone emptied a beer bottle and filled it with cold water - do we really have to remove any more flavor?
Apparently, we do. Consumer Reports will be featuring blind taste tests of two types of beer in its February 2009 issue - two low calorie beers from Miller (MGD 64 and Miller Lite) and two chelada-like lime beers (Bud Light Lime and Miller Chill). We don't want to spoil it for you, but when Miller Lite is considered to be the "more complex and heavier-bodied" of two beers, we're all going to hell in a handbasket.
As for the lime beers, we won't color your opinions with our own (unless you're chelada curious), but apparently the lime flavor masks any actual beeriness. On the bright side, maybe they'll be the Bartles & James or Bacardi Breezers for a whole new generation of high school kids who hate the taste of beer.
Battle of the Light Beers at Consumer Reports
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