Review: Ezra Brooks Bourbon Cream
Ezra Brooks Bourbon Cream was recently released. It is made with all natural cream and Kentucky straight bourbon. Evan Brooks Bourbon was first created in 1957 by Frank Silverman to take advantage of the national shortage of Jack Daniels. It featured the same square bottle as Jack, with a black and white wrap around label, and it was also bottled at 90 proof. Though he claimed it was made at the Ezra Brooks Distilling Company the bourbon was actually distilled and sourced from the Hoffman Distillery in Lawrenceburg Kentucky. It is now distilled at the Heaven Hill Distillery, and the brand is owned by St Louis based Luxco. The bourbon is distilled with high quality corn, barley and rye at very controlled specific temperatures, and then aged in new charred American white oak barrels. A charcoal filtering follows. Read more 
Review: Western Son Hill Country Peach Vodka
Western Son Hill Country Peach Vodka is one of six flavored vodkas they craft in Pilot Point Texas. The other flavors include Ruby Red Grapefruit, Piney Woods Blueberry, South Texas Prickly Pear, South Plains Cucumber, and Apricot. 40% of the peaches grown in the state of Texas are grown in the Hill Country. This 25 county region of central and southern Texas stretches from the Northern suburbs of San Antonio ending southwest of Austin. The vodka base is made from American corn and water filtered through reverse osmosis. After 10 distillations through a 20 foot column still, the vodka is quadruple filtered. Natural peach essence are blended with the original vodka base before bottling at 60 proof. Read more
Review: McCleary Irish Cream Liqueur
McCleary Irish Cream Liqueur was recently released. It is a private label brand of Irish Cream made by Robert Merry Co. in Clonmel County Tipperary Ireland. I picked up my bottle at Binny’s in Chicago. Three years ago today I launched Best Tasting Spirits with a review of Bailey’s Irish Cream Liqueur. It only seemed fitting that I celebrate my 3 year anniversary with another Irish Cream Liqueur review. This is my 49th Irish Cream review. My 50th will be posted next week. McClearys Irish Cream is made with natural Irish cream, aged Irish whiskey, grain neutral alcohol, and natural flavors. Read more
Review: Heritage Mango Vodka
Heritage Mango Vodka is one of 23 flavored vodkas crafted at the Heritage Distilling Company in Gig Harbor Washington. They also produce several unflavored vodka’s, along with several gins, and whiskeys. This is a distillery I have tracked for some time, but their distribution is limited to the West Coast, so I have not been able to pick up a bottle to review. I was very happy to see their full spirit line is now available for purchase direct from Heritage Distilling. Heritage Mango Vodka is small batch distilled with a vodka base made from wine grapes, and then blended with natural flavors and bottled at 60 proof at their distillery in Gig Harbor Washington. Read more
Review: Revel Stoke Root Beer Whisky
Revel Stoke Root Beer Whisky was just released. It is one of eight Canadian Whisky varieties made by the Phillips Distilling Company under the Revel Stoke label. The other flavors include Roasted Pecan, Roasted Apple, Roasted Pineapple, Pumpkin Spiced, Spiced, Cinnamon, and their original Canadian whisky. Revel Stoke is named after the mountain ski resort town in British Columbia. Revel Stoke Root Beer is made with a blend of rye, corn, and barley malt. It is triple distilled in copper stills. The whisky is aged for 3 years in charred white oak barrels. Natural root beer flavors are infused before bottling at 70 proof. Read more
Review: Rebel Yell Root Beer Whiskey
Rebel Yell Root Beer Whiskey was released April 2016 along with a Ginger flavored whiskey. Both start with Rebel Yell Original Straight Bourbon as a base. This bourbon was first made in 1849 at the Stitzel-Weller Distillery with corn wheat and malt. Natural root beer flavor and caramel color are added before bottling at 70 proof. Read more
Review: Vox Vodka
Vox Vodka was launched by Jim Beam Brands in selective markets in 1999, and rolled out nationally in 2000. Vox may be best known for the award winning Austrian made glass bottle the vodka rests in, but Vox has also scored high with several reviewers. The Beverage Testing Institute for one, named Vox the top vodka in 2008 and awarded a score of 97 in their review. Vox is made from wheat and distilled five times at a distillery in the Netherlands with a 400 year history of distilling vodka. Once distilled a neutral micron cellulose filtration follows, filtering the impurities without affecting the aroma or flavor. Read more
Review: OFallon Apple Cinnamon Pumpkin Ale
O’Fallon Apple Cinnamon Pumpkin Ale is one of four new pumpkin flavored beers brewed at the O’Fallon Brewery in Maryland Heights Missouri. They join the Original OFallon Pumpkin Beer and OFallon Imperial Pumpkin Ale. The other three new pumpkin beers include Vanilla Pumpkin, Jack OLatte Pumpkin Stout, and Peach Pumpkin Ale. OFallon Apple Cinnamon Pumpkin is brewed as an amber ale with pumpkin and natural flavor. Additional natural flavors are added after brewing. Read more
Review: Crater Lake Vodka
Crater Lake Vodka was released in 1996. It is crafted at the Bendistillery in Tumalo Oregon. They also produce gin, several flavored vodka’s, and whiskey and the Bendistillery is a strong Private Label producer of spirits with over 40 brands created there. Crater Lake Vodka is made from corn and distilled five times and then filtered ten times through charcoal and lava rock, then briefly rested in oak. Pure Cascade Mountain water is blended to reduce to 80 proof. Founder and distiller Jim Bendis launched Crater Lake Vodka before it was cool to open a distillery, and he crafted his vodka with corn, long before Deep Eddy, and 1 year before Tito Beverage launched Tito’s Vodka. Read more
Review: Michaels Irish Cream Liqueur
Michaels Irish Cream Liqueur is made by Terra LTD in Bailieborough County Cavan Ireland. Terra crafts Molly’s Irish Cream and they also produce several private label brands of Irish cream liqueur, including Brady’s, Coole Swan, and Kavanaugh Irish Cream. Michaels is imported by BMA USA, and it is only sold in Texas. I picked up my bottle at Specs. This Michaels Irish Cream should not be confused with the previously reviewed Michaels Celtic Irish Cream that is made by Merry’s in Clonmel Ireland. Michaels Irish Cream is made with Irish Whiskey, fresh dairy cream, and natural flavors. Read more