Review: Belvedere Peach Nectar Vodka
Belvedere Peach Nectar Vodka was just released. It is one of six flavored vodkas they currently create in Poland. The other five flavors include Citrus, Pink Grapefruit, Mango Passion, Lemon Tea, and Wild Berry. Belvedere Peach Nectar is crafted with Dankowski rye and pure water. The water is sourced from their own wells and it undergoes an 11 step purification process that includes reverse osmosis. The vodka is distilled four times and filtered twice, first through carbon and then a finer mechanical filtration process. Fresh peaches and apricots are gently soaked for up to five weeks. The flavors and aromas are extracted in a proprietary maceration process. These essential oils are then blended with the vodka. No sugar or artificial flavor is added before bottling at 80 proof. Read more 
Review: Smirnoff No. 21 Vodka
Smirnoff No. 21 vodka is not only the worlds best selling vodka, it is the worlds best selling spirit. Pyotr Smirnoff first opened his distillery in Moscow in 1864 and after this distillery was nationalized by the Tsar, the family escaped Russia and moved several times finally settling in the Ukraine. Today Smirnoff is produced in several locations world wide including the US, where it is made with Midwest grown grain and produced in Plainfield Illinois. The vodka is triple distilled and filtered ten times. Read more
Review: Pearl Citrus Vodka
Pearl Citrus Vodka is made in small batches with pure water from Canadian Rocky Mountain streams and soft Canadian winter wheat. The vodka base is distilled five times and filtered six times before natural citrus flavors are infused. Pearl currently crafts 18 vodka varieties and while Citrus was one of the five vodka flavors they stopped producing when they introduced their new bottle design, I find it easier to locate Pearl Citrus in liquor stores than their two newest vodka flavors, Chocolate Hazelnut and Pumpkin Spice. That said availability is limited. Read more
Review: Crusoe Organic Spiced Rum
Crusoe Organic Spiced Rum is one of two rums handcrafted by the husband and wife team of Melkon Khosrovian and Litty Mathew at the Greenbar Distillery, the first legal distillery in Los Angeles since prohibition. The other rum is an Organic Silver. The Crusoe name and bottles label are inspired by Robinson Crusoe. The Greenbar Distillery also creates IXA Organic Tequila, Slow Hand Organic Whiskey, Fruitlab Organic Liqueurs, and Tru Organic Gin and Vodka. Crusoe Organic Rum is made with organic molasses and sugarcane. To retain the flavor they use a micro oxygenation process. Hand sliced and crushed whole allspice, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and vanilla, along with hand zested oranges, osmanthus flower, and molasses are macerated with the rum for 3-4 weeks before bottling at 70 proof. The bottles are light weight, the labels are made with 100% recycled material, and they plant a tree for each bottle sold. Read more
Review: Uncle Bobs Root Beer Whiskey
Uncle Bobs Root Beer Whiskey is made in Mira Loma California by the 49 Distilling and Whiskey House, a division of private label distiller and bottler Levecke. It was released in 2014, so I really can’t say it was developed to capitalize on the Hard Root Beer craze. This is the second root beer flavored whiskey I’m aware of. The other is Jeremiah Weed Sarsaparilla Whiskey. Uncle Bob’s blends aged whiskey with natural root beer flavors and caramel color and is bottled at 70 proof. Read more
Review: El Grado Blanco Tequila
El Grado Blanco Tequila was introduced in the US July 2009. It was created by Master Distiller Salvador Fonseca and Ana Maria Romero, the author of, The Aroma of Tequila, and the only women given the title of Maestra Tequilera. They combine 200 year old handcrafted traditions with 21st century technology. The 100% Blue agave is hand selected and slow cooked in stainless steel ovens. A double distillation in copper pot stills follows. Read more
Review: Dragon Bleu Vodka
Dragon Bleu Vodka is distilled and bottled in the Grande Champagne Region of France by Master Distiller Patrick Brisset. His family has been producing cognac and other fine spirits since 1760. Dragon Bleu is a combined vodka blending a mixture of spirits each distilled once and made specifically with barley, wheat, and rye with pure water from the Gensac Springs. Read more
Review: George Ocean Spiced Rum
George Ocean Spiced Rum is one of five rum varieties made in Dallas Texas by Dynasty Spirits. The other rums include Coconut, Coffee, White and Gold. The rum base is distilled in the West Indies with George Ocean Spiced rum using their Gold rum as a base. Natural flavors and spice are blended in Dallas before bottling at 70 proof. The brother team of Dusty and Devin O’Dell not only create the George Ocean line of rum, but also Greenhouse Gin, Henderson Whiskey and Nue Vodka. Read more
Review: Smirnoff Sourced Pineapple Vodka
Smirnoff Sourced Pineapple Vodka was just released along with the previously reviewed Cranberry Apple, and Ruby Red Grapefruit flavors. Unlike the other Smirnoff flavored vodka’s that are made with their Recipe 21 vodka as a base, the Sourced line is gluten free and most likely made from a corn base. 10% real fruit juice from concentrate, with no high fructose corn syrup is blended with certified colors, before bottling at 60 proof. Read more
Review: Penningtons Peach Apricot Rye
Penningtons Peach Apricot Rye was introduced along with a Vanilla Rye in July 2015. The first bottles of both are just arriving in my market. They join the previously released and reviewed Strawberry Rye. Each is made at the Speak Easy Distillery in Nashville Tennessee. The distillery was opened by the husband and wife team of Jeff and Jenny Pennington in 2012. This Distillery also crafts Pickers Vodka, and Whisper Creek Tennessee Sipping Cream. Penningtons starts with a 100% rye mash bill whiskey crafted in small batches. A natural blend of peach and apricot flavor is infused before bottling at 70 proof. Read more