Review: Indio Blood Orange Vodka
Indio Blood Orange Vodka was introduced in 2006. It is one of six vodka varieties they produce in Portland Oregon. The other’s include Marionberry, Lemongrass Lime, Ultra Premium, Chute Eight, and their limited release Starka Barrel Aged Vodka. The Indio Spirits Company also creates several whiskey’s, rum’s, gin, and liqueurs. At one time they also made a Wasabi flavored vodka. Indio Blood Orange is distilled from rye and is filtered through charcoal activated coconut husks. Blood Orange flavor is infused before bottling at 80 proof. Read more 
Review: Cruz Silver Tequila
Cruz Silver Tequila was introduced in 2008. The company was formed in 2005 by ASU alums Pep and Saulo Katchner and Todd Nelson. It was originally distilled at NOM 1102, and is now made at NOM 1455. It is made with 100% estate grown Blue agave. The agave is steam cooked in brick ovens for 2 days and then cooled before the juice is extracted. After slow fermenting in open vats, the tequila is double distilled in small batches. The tequila is packaged in hand blown bottles. The glass, along with the metal cross and cap are made from recycled material. Read more
Review: Crown Royal Honey Whisky
Crown Royal Honey Whisky was just released. It is their third flavor infused whisky. The others include Maple and Regal Apple. Crown Royal Regal Apple is in my opinion the best tasting flavored whisky on the market today. When I posted my review of Regal Apple October 2014 I correctly predicted Crown’s next flavor might be Honey. In fairness I thought it might be Honey, Cinnamon, or Cherry. Each of these flavors would have been safe picks since there are several already produced. For 2017 I’m challenging Crown to create a Summer Seasonal flavor, possibly Coconut, or Pineapple. Crown Royal Honey starts with pure water naturally filtered through limestone, corn, rye, and barley. After distilling the whisky is aged in oak barrels and then hand selected before natural flavors are infused. In case you are wondering the bag is golden yellow. Read more
Review: Over The Barrel Black Cherry Hard Soda
Over The Barrel Black Cherry Hard Soda is one of five hard soda flavors recently released by the Rhinelander Brewing Company. The other flavors include Root Beer, Cream Soda, Grape, and Blueberry. Long before Cherry Coke was launched by Coca Cola in 1985, several manufactures produced a black cherry flavored soda. I always wondered why the different brands were all Black Cherry Soda, instead of just Cherry Soda. The truth is there are two main types of cherries, tart and sweet. The sweet cherries are commonly called black cherries. The main difference is tart cherries are used primarily for baking, while the black cherries are the cherries most people snack on. Over The Barrel Black Cherry Hard Soda is batch brewed with the finest 2 row malted barley and real cane sugar. Natural and artificial flavors with caramel and artificial colors are added before bottling in 11.16 oz. bottles. Read more
Review: Bacardi Grapefruit Rum
Bacardi Grapefruit Rum was just released. It is one of 17 flavored rums they create with rum distilled in Puerto Rico. This is the industries second grapefruit flavored rum. Captain Morgan Grapefruit Rum was launched January 2015. Bacardi starts with molasses and a single strain of yeast, Le Levadura Bacardi. After fermenting for 30 hours in closed fermentation tanks the fermented molasses is split, with some column distilled, and some beer distilled. Each is aged separately in charred American white oak barrels previously used to age bourbon. Once mature the rums are blended and filtered though a mix of charcoal made from tropical woods, and coconut shells. Natural flavors are then infused before bottling in Jacksonville Florida at 70 proof. Read more
Review: Evan Williams Fire
Evan Williams Fire was originally launched February 2012, and it was named Evan Williams Cinnamon Reserve. Evan Williams is named for a Kentucky settler who was Kentucky’s first distiller when he began distilling along the banks of the Ohio River in 1783, in what is now Louisville. The bourbon is distilled in Louisville and bottled in Bardstown Kentucky where natural hot cinnamon flavor is infused. Read more
Review: Seagrams Grape Hard Soda
Seagrams Grape Hard Soda is one of four hard soda flavors Seagrams launched their line with in March of this year. The other flavors include Lemon N Lime, Orange Cream, and Cherry Cola. Seagrams Grape Hard Soda is brewed at the Genessee Brewery in Rochester New York. Artificial flavor and artificial color are added. It is available in the Seagrams 12 pack variety packs with three bottles or cans or each flavor included. Read more
Review: Chairmans Reserve Spiced Rum
Chairmans Reserve Spiced Rum is crafted in St. Croix with molasses and pure naturally filtered water. The rum is double distilled in copper alembic pot stills and continuous stills. The rum from each distillation is aged separately in barrels previously used to age bourbon. The rum is then blended by their master distiller. Chairmans Reserve Spiced rum is infused with cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, vanilla, coconut, allspice, lemon, orange and Bois Bande, a bark renowned in the Caribbean as a potent aphrodisiac. Some of the spices, including the Bois Bande are steeped in the rum for up to a year, while the others are added during the blending process. Read more
Review: Bellion Vodka
Bellion Vodka is made with NTX, creating a new category of science meets consumption called functional spirits. Functional spirits reduce the negative aspects of traditional spirits. So far the US Government has not agreed to allow Bellion Vodka to promote these benefits. NTX is a proprietary blend of Glycyrrhizin, Mannitol, and Potassium Sorbate that was developed by a team of PHD’s in the Pharma Industry, commissioned by Harsha Chigurupati. The claim is that it works by blocking the harmful substances in alcohol from reaching the liver. The vodka base is made from a blend of corn and wheat in Fairfield California at Frank-Lin Distillers. The Bellion Spirits company will soon be launching Dera Tequila, and Smoak Bourbon. Read more
Review: Over The Barrel Hard Root Beer
Over The Barrel Hard Root Beer is one of five hard soda flavors recently released by the Rhinelander Brewing Company. The other flavors include Grape, Black Cherry, Cream Soda, and Blueberry. The Over The Barrel Hard Soda line was initially created for Food Lion to sell at the 1100 stores they operate in South Eastern states in the US. Ironically Food Lion was interested in all of the flavors except the hard root beer flavor. They thought the hard root beer flavor had become over saturated. This is my twelfth hard root beer review. They may have a point. Over The Barrel Hard Root Beer is batch brewed with the finest 2 row malted barley and real cane sugar. Real cane sugar, natural and artificial flavors, and caramel color are added. Read more