Review: 619 Vodka
619 Spirits North Park was established in 2012 by Nick Apostolopoulos a former software architect. It is named for the area code of San Diego California, where his vodka is distilled. They currently produce 5 flavored vodkas including Cucumber, Scorpion Pepper, Rose Petal, Pickle, and Coffee and their original 619 Vodka. When it was first released 619 was distilled from corn. It is now made from cane sugar. 619 Vodka is fermented for 2-3 days with Champaign yeast in 55 gallon drums. The spirit is distilled 12 times in a two column 1000 liter still and filtered 5 times. Read more
Review: Jose Cuervo Reserva de la Familia Anejo Cristalino
Anejo Cristalino is the fourth member of the Jose Cuervo Reserva de la Familia line of tequila. It joins Platino, Reposado, and Extra Anejo. This is Jose Cuervo’s premium line of tequila that was once only served to family and friends. Cristalino continues to be the fastest growing segment of the US tequila market having grown 36% last year. Jose Cuervo Reserva de la Familia Anejo Cristalino is crafted at La Rosena, the oldest distillery in Mexico from 100% organic agave grown on the family estate. The pinas are cooked in traditional stone ovens and after a long fermentation double distilled in small capacity copper pot stills. The spirit is aged in new American oak barrels for 1 year and then finished in Pedro Ximenez sherry casks for 6 months. A proprietary charcoal filtration follows to remove the color before bottling. Read more
Review: Method and Madness Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey
Method and Madness was created in 2017 dedicated to exploring new mash bills, distillation techniques, and wood finishes. This experimental micro distillery is part of Irish Distillers where masters and apprentices create new whiskey. Method and Madness Single Pot Still is made with a blend of malted and unmalted barley. It is triple distilled in a single distillery and non chill filtered. It is matured in sherry and bourbon barrels and finished in a variety of casks. Since it was first released they have crafted Single Pot Still whiskey finished in French chestnut, wild cherry wood, French Limousin oak, Japanese Mizunara oak, virgin Hungarian oak, and Garryana oak. Today we are reviewing their original which is still produced and is finished in French chestnut. Read more
Review: Vodkow Vodka
Vodkow Vodka is crafted at Dairy Distillery in Almonte Ontario Canada. It is rare we get our hands on a vodka distilled north of the border. I hear great things about what they are doing up north and I wish we would get more. Omid McDonald a serial inventor whose start ups include medical devices, and software for DJ’s was inspired to start distilling after visiting a micro distillery while on vacation in Charleston South Carolina. Shortly after returning home he spoke with his cousin who had just returned from his uncles farm. He described how people are drinking less milk and eating more cheese and yogurt and as a result milk permeate, a milk by-product was being dumped. Omid McDonald wondered if this by-product could be used to craft a vodka. He commissioned the University of Ottawa to develop a method to transform milk permeate into alcohol. After success in the lab he built a state of the art distillery with a German made copper Christian Carl still. He launched Vodkow Vodka, a carbon neutral vodka, in 2018. They currently also produce several cream liqueurs from their Vodkow vodka base. Read more
Review: Qui Platinum Extra Anejo Tequila
Qui Platinum Extra Anejo Tequila was launched in 2013 by Medhat Ibrahim, Mike Kerikos, and Pete Girgis. Qui was the worlds first Extra Anejo Cristalino tequila. The goal was to produce a beautifully aged tequila at an accessible price. They worked with Master Distiller Miguel Cedeno Cruz to craft their tequila. When it was first released it was priced around $59. Since then the price has gone up much closer to $100 and it has been produced by the 8 different distilleries in 10 years. While switching distilleries is not uncommon in the tequila industry 8 in 10 years is. The bottle I’m reviewing today was distilled at NOM 1605, Inulina y Miel de Agave. Throughout the changing distilleries the formula has remained the same. The 100% agave grown in the Highland region is cooked in an autoclave, fermented, double distilled, and aged for 3 1/2 years in former Tennessee whiskey barrels and French Bordeaux barrels. Once blended the tequila is filtered 9 times and then distilled a third time. Read more
Review: River Run Vodka
Karl Loewenstein taught History at UW Oshkosh for 21 years before retiring to start a second career as the Founder of Sturgeon Spirits Craft Distillery. The sturgeon name is taken from the areas history of sturgeon spear fishing typically done on ice over Lake Winnebago. In 2021 he purchased their building and in November 2022 they opened their doors. River Run Vodka was one of their first spirits and they currently also craft 16 flavored vodka’s including a Garlic Vodka, 5 Liqueurs, 3 Gins including a Mushroom flavored gin, rum, and 2 agave spirits. River Run Vodka is made from locally grown corn and it is distilled on their custom built still. Read more
Review: Drumshanbo Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey
PJ Rigney opened the Shed Distillery in 2014 on the shores of Lough Allen at the foothills of Sliabh an Iarainn in Drumshanb Co. Leitrim Ireland. PJ had worked in the spirits business for 30 years and was on the team that invented Baileys. He teamed with Head Distiller Brian Taft and they currently craft 3 versions of Gunpowder Irish Gin, Sausage Tree Vodka, and Drumshanbo Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey. Drumshanbo Single Pot Still is made using malted Irish barley, unmalted Irish barley, and Irish Barra oats. It is triple distilled on custom copper pot stills crafted by Arnold Holstein in Germany. The spirit is then aged for 5 years in a combination of single use Kentucky bourbon casks, and Sherry Oloroso barrels. The whiskey is blended and not chill filtrated before bottling at 86 proof. Read more
Review: Cava de Oro Anejo Cristalino
In the 1990’s Don Gilardo Partida Melendez and Dona Leticia Hermosillo Ravelero planted and harvested agave on their land. They built a distillery next to their agave field and with the help of Master Distiller Alberto Partida began producing tequila. The distillery Tequileria Puerta de Hierro now produces tequila for 23 brands including Adictivo, Amatitena, Compoveda, and Tierra Sagrada. Cava de Oro Anejo Cristalino is made from 100% agave grown on their field in the Lowland region. The agave is slow cooked in brick ovens, fermented with wild yeast and double distilled. The spirit is aged for one year in French oak barrels and charcoal filtered to remove the color. Read more
Review: Ciroc Limonata
Ciroc Limonata was just launched. It is the first new Ciroc flavor released since Diageo and Sean Combs parted ways after a partnership that began in 2007 where they shared profits equally. Ciroc was created by Jean Sebastien Robicquet at Maison Villevert, a distillery that has been in the family for 500 years in the South of France. The vodka base is distilled from a blend of Ugni Blanc and Mauzac Blanc grapes. The juice is made into a wine. It takes 4 bottles of wine to make 1 bottle of Ciroc. The wine is distilled four times in a stainless column still and a fifth time in a traditional copper pot still. The vodka is then infused with citrus and Italian lemon flavor before bottling at 60 proof. Read more
Review: Mijenta Tequila Reposado
Mijenta Tequila Reposado was launched December 2020, following the September 2020 release of Mijenta Blanco. Former Bacardi CEO Mike Dolan partnered with Maestra Tequilera Ana Maria Romero in crafting the Mijenta brand. Mijenta is made from 100% agave grown in deep red soil in the Highland region. Once hand trimmed the agave is slow cooked in an autoclave. The extracted juice is fermented with proprietary yeast strains and triple distilled. The tequila is then aged up to 6 months in 42 hand selected casks made from American white oak, French oak, and French Acadia casks. The 180 liter barrels are filled to a specific level allowing room for oxygenation. Each of the casks are tested every 15 days. Once mature the tequila is blended before bottling in recycled glass bottles with labels created from agave waste. Read more