Review: Nosotros Blanco Tequila
Nosotros Blanco Tequila was introduced in 2016. Distribution is currently limited, but after being awarded as The Best Tequila at the 2017 San Francisco World Spirit Competition that may change. It is made from 100% blue agave grown in the Lowland and Highland Region. The agave is slow roasted in brick ovens for 60 hours. A German proprietary yeast is used to ferment the agave. The distillation is described as artisan, followed by a chill filtration. Read more 
Review: Leopolds Silver Tree American Small Batch Vodka
Leopolds Silver Tree American Small Batch Vodka was introduced in 2001. It is crafted at Leopold Bros. Distillery in Denver Colorado. Founders Todd and Scott Leopold started brewing beer and now they craft distill Gins, Whiskies, Liqueurs, Aperitivo, Absinthe, and Amaro. They malt their own barley and mill their grains. Silver Tree Vodka is made from a unique blend of potatoes, malted barley, and summer wheat. Seven separate small batch distillations through a 40 gallon copper Vendome Pot Still, finishing through a column still follow. The vodka is lightly filtered before it is hand bottled and labeled with the batch number hand printed on each bottle. Read more
Review: Devotion Wild Cherry Vodka
Devotion Wild Cherry Vodka is one of six sugar free flavored vodka’s in the Devotion Spirits stable. The other flavors include Coconut, Blood Orange, Black and Blue, Perfect Cosmo, and Tiki. They also produce an unflavored Pure vodka. These vodka’s are made from 100% corn base and are distilled six times at Death Door Distillery in Middleton Wisconsin. Devotion Vodka was launched by Founder Drew Adelman November 2009 with the release of the worlds first protein infused vodka. In creating their flavored vodka’s, Drew teamed up with Allen Flavors, the maker of Arizona Iced Tea to develop a process of eliminating sugars as a flavoring agent in vodka. Devotion Wild Cherry Vodka uses an essence process along with natural flavor compounds. Read more
Review: St Augustine Florida Cane Vodka
St Augustine Florida Cane Vodka is made at the St Augustine Distillery located in the historic FP&L Ice Plant, built as part of St Augustine Florida’s first Power and Ice complex in 1907. This plant was the first to make commercial block ice in Florida. This distillery also crafts Bourbon, Gin, and Rum. Their Florida Cane Vodka was introduced in 2014 and is made from 100% Florida farmed sugar cane. The cane neutral spirit is re-distilled in a copper pot still. The distiller makes cuts by hand ensuring only the best quality spirit goes into each bottle. Read more
Review: Koval Vodka
Koval Vodka is a true grain to bottle vodka made from 100% Non GMO Organic rye grown by contracted local farmers. The rye is milled onsite. The water is sourced from Lake Michigan using a natural charcoal purification method. Koval translates to blacksmith but also refers to new ventures, and to forge in new directions. The Koval Distillery was the first legal distillery in Chicago since Prohibition. It was established in 2008 by Robert and Sonat Birnecker. Koval Vodka is twice distilled in a custom built pot still handcrafted in Germany by Kothe Destillationstechnik. The final product is bottled on site. Read more
Review: Azunia Blanco Tequila
Azunia Blanco Tequila was first released as Azunia Platinum Tequila in 2010. Jim Riley a former VP of PR and Events for Kettle One Vodka partnered with the family owned and operated Rancho Miravalle Estate to create Azunia Tequila. Hall of Fame Basketball legend Bill Walton is also an equity partner. In 2013 the brand redesigned their bottle. Gone is the twist off cap in favor of a new more modern looking design that featured textured paper labels, wood caps and hand crafted glass bottles. Some time between then and now the name was changed, the packaging was redesigned again, and Azunia Blanco Tequila is now made from 100% Organic blue agave grown for 8-10 years in the valleys of Jalisco on land owned and maintained by Sergio Zuniga and Family. The agave is hand harvested and split in the field, then taken to the estate owned distillery. The pinas are slow roasted for 36 hours in traditional clay hornos. Once cooled the pinas are crushed in the pressing mills to extract the agave juice. Yeast is produced naturally through a 5-7 day open air fermentation. It is double distilled in small batches in a pot still. Pristine water from a deep artesian well is blended to reduce to 80 proof. A unique filtration follows before it is bottled and hand labeled. Read more
Review: Azunia Platinum Blanco Tequila
Azunia Platinum Blanco Tequila was introduced in 2010. It has since been replaced by Azunia Blanco Tequila, a tequila now created with organic agave. While Azunia Platinum Blanco Tequila is no longer produced, it may still be available in limited quantities. My review of Azunia Blanco will be posted tomorrow. I will highlight the differences between the two in tomorrows review. Azunia Platinum Blanco Tequila is crafted by Master Distiller Salvador Rivera Cordona at the family owned and operated Rancho Miravalle Estate. The agave is grown for 8-10 years in the small town of Amatitan. The agave is slow roasted for 36 hours and allowed to cool before the cooked pinas are crushed in pressing mills to extract the agave juice. After fermenting in the open air for 5-7 days it is double distilled in a pot still. Read more
Review: Vanjak Vodka
Vanjak Vodka is the culmination of one families vision to create a premium Colorado vodka on a par with International brands. Vanjak gets its name from combining family members first names. Those names are Van, Jory, Anna, and Kim. It is made from corn and fresh spring water from Eldorado Canyon in Boulder Colorado. Vanjac Vodka is small batch distilled six times at the foot of the Rocky Mountains. A silver filtration process follows before bottling at 80 proof. Read more
Review: Crown Royal Salted Caramel Whisky
Crown Royal Salted Caramel Whisky was just released. The felt bag included is pumpkin orange. It is a Limited Edition seasonal variety, and one of four flavored whiskies Crown currently produces. The other flavors include Crown Royal Apple, Vanilla, and Maple. They recently retired Crown Royal Honey. Each flavor starts with the signature Crown Royal base that was first created in 1939 as a gift for the King and Queen of England when they became the first reigning Monarchs to visit Canada. Pure water sourced from Lake Winnipeg naturally filtered through the limestone beneath and a grain blend of rye, corn, and barley are used to create Crown Royal. Roughly 80% of the grain used is sourced from Manitoba and surrounding Provinces. Twelve distillation columns produce the fifty whiskies that comprise the Crown Royal signature blend. This is the result of 5 different recipes aged for varying periods of time in either new or re-use charred oak barrels. Once the whiskies have been aged to the blenders satisfaction, they are meticulously blended. Natural flavors are infused before bottling at 70 proof. Read more
Review: Endless Summer Silver Rum
Endless Summer Silver Rum was released in Florida March 2017, and is now also available in South Carolina. Additional distribution will follow. It is part of Grain and Barrel Spirits Company, which also produces Dixie Vodka, and Chicken Cock Bourbon. Endless Summer is named for the 1964 surf film Endless Summer, and the concept that if one had enough time and money it would be possible to follow the summer up and down the world making summer endless. Their search for the perfect rum lead them to the birthplace of rum, Barbados. Endless Summer is made in Barbados at a distillery located on the beach. It is crafted with rum produced and blended from three different stills, and coral filtered water from a spring garden aquifer. It is bottled at 80 proof with the Endless Summer films original movie poster as it label. Read more