Review: Aspen Vodka
Aspen Vodka is crafted at Aspen Distillers on a high bank adjacent to the Roaring Fork River in Aspen Colorado. Matthew Patel a doctor from Ohio founded and built the 18,000 square foot facility on 8 acres once used as a lumberyard. Aspen Distillers operates as the largest carbon negative distillery. Aspen Vodka is made from Non-Hybrid, Non-GMO heirloom red winter wheat exclusively grown on a 2200 single estate centennial farm in Colorado. The wheat is milled onsite prior to distilling. The water is sourced from snow melt that travels down the mountain and into the natural aquifer below the property. January 30, 2024 Aspen announced a partnership with WES Brands which will make it a lot easier to purchase a bottle of Aspen Vodka as WES will increase their distribution. Read more 
Review: Corazon Blanco Single Estate Tequila
Corazon Blanco Single Estate Tequila is crafted at Tequila Casa San Matias de Jalisco, a family owned distillery that has been distilling tequila since 1886. Owner Carmen Villarreal oversees the team and the creation of all Corazon Tequilas. Corazon is Spanish for “heart”. They start with 100% Blue Weber agave grown on a single estate in Los Altos de Jalisco. Once hand selected the trimmed agave is baked in clay ovens for 48 hours at 194 degrees. The extracted juice is fermented for 72 hours with a proprietary yeast, double distilled, and oxygenated prior to bottling. Read more
Review: Felene Vodka
Felene Vodka was launched 2016 by Founder and Master Distiller Tim Kelly. After a career in finance and media Tim was inspired while on a road trip through America’s heartland. After visiting dozens of distilleries and speaking with hundreds of people Tim was convinced there was a better way to make vodka. Felene is four times distilled in a stainless reflux column still from Non-GMO Sugar Cane. Once distilled the spirit is proofed with Rocky Mountain snow melt water with a high PH level. The vodka is filtered four times through block carbon and two stages of ultra fine screen filtration prior to bottling additive free. Read more
Review: O’RTE Tequila Blanco
O’RTE Tequila Blanco was released June 2023. Julious Grant founded House Group Brand in 2019. Julious is a 30 year wine and spirits veteran who spent time with Beam Suntory, Moet Hennessy, and Bacardi. O’RTE joins their other brands which include Awayuki Gin, Shunka Shuto, a Japanese Whiskey, and Omage, a California brandy. O’RTE Tequila Blanco is made from 100% agave grown on a single individual family estate. Each year they plan on harvesting from a new estate. I am reviewing their 2021 which was harvested on the Santa Cruz estate in El Potrero Jalisco. O”RTE is distilled at Destilador del Valle de Tequila. Read more
Review: Fortress Vodka
Fortress Vodka is produced at Fort Hamilton Distillery in Brooklyn New York. Alex Clark and his wife Amy Grindeland opened their distillery in the Industry City Complex, and started barreling whiskey in 2016. Industry City opened in 2013, and the 6 million square foot complex houses 550 companies in the former Bush Terminal. Construction of Bush Terminal began in the 1890’s and continued into the 1900’s. It was the largest multi tenant industrial property in the US. Fortress Vodka is made from 100% New York grown corn neutral spirit sourced from upstate New York, proofed with pristine water from the snow capped peaks of the Catskills Mountains. The spirit is carbon filtered over activated charcoal then bottled at 80 proof. Read more
Review: Mijenta Cristalino Tequila Reposado
February 20, 2024 Mijenta announced the release of Mijenta Cristalino Tequila Reposado. It is the fourth tequila expression in the Mijenta product line. Former Bacardi CEO Mike Dolan partnered with Maestra Tequilera Ana Maria Romero Mena and Destiladora de Los Altos and they launched Mijenta Blanco in 2020. Mijenta Cristalino is made from 100% agave grown at high elevation in the microclimate and red soil Highland region of Arandas Jalisco Mexico. The hand selected agave is slow roasted in stainless steel autoclaves. The extracted juice is fermented in stainless steel tanks, double distilled and then fermented in symphony barrels made using American oak staves from forests in Minnesota, Missouri, Pennsylvania, and Virginia for 8 months. Each wood variety leaves its own flavor DNA based on the characteristics of the wood grain and the terroir of the oak. Once mature the tequila is blended and charcoal filtered to remove the color before bottling additive free. Read more
Review: Farm House Vodka
Farm House Vodka was launched November 2023 by Anytime Spirits which was founded by Maddy Rotman and Taylor Lanzet. They previously introduced Anytime Spritz April 2023. Farm House is the first vodka distilled from 100% single varietal regenerative organic Warthog hard red winter wheat. The wheat grown by Breathe Deep Farm in Hudson New York is stone ground, mashed, fermented and distilled from scratch on site at McClintock Distilling in Frederick Maryland. Read more
Review: Sprinter Vodka Soda
Kylie Jenner is releasing Sprinter Vodka Soda Nationwide tomorrow, March 21, 2024 in a four flavor eight can mix pack. Sprinter is made with premium vodka, sparkling water, real fruit juice, and natural flavors. Kylie worked with Chandra Richter a female beverage development expert with more than 20 years of beverage industry experience. Chandra is Head of Product Development and Operations for Sprinter. After over a year of taste testing they selected Grapefruit, Lime, Peach, and Black Cherry to launch the brand with. Each 12 oz. slim can weighs in with 4.5% alcohol and 100 calories with no added sugar. Read more
Review: Asesinato Tequila Anejo Cristalino
Asesinato Tequila Anejo Cristalino is one of three tequila expressions released by Danny Worsnop lead singer of Asking Alexandria, and fellow musician Cory Williams. They spent 2 years developing the brand. Asesinato translates to Murder. As someone who listens to Octane on Sirius Radio I’m very familiar with Danny’s music. Asesinato is distilled at Destiladora Del Valle de Tequila, also known as Casa Maestri. This distillery produces tequila for 122 brands including Casa Maestri, Sparkle Donkey, Los Azulejos, Nosotros, Hussongs, Aquamiel, and Cincoro. The tequila base of Asesinato is made from 100% agave grown in both the highland and lowland region. The agave is slow roasted in traditional brick ovens and double distilled in a copper pot still. The spirit is then barrel aged for 12 months in American oak then carbon filtered before bottling additive free. Read more
Review: Fercullen Falls Small Batch Irish Whiskey
Furcullen Falls Irish Whiskey is crafted at Powerscourt Distillery. The story begins when Gerry Ginty and Ashley Gardiner presented a proposal to build a whiskey distillery on Powerscourt Estate to the Slazenger Family. They accepted and soon after Mike Peirce and his son Alex Peirce joined the venture. They started building their 22,000 square foot distillery complete with custom built Forsyths stills, and in June 2018 they started distilling whiskey. Fercullen is the old Celtic territory of land that stretched from Dublin across the Wicklow Mountains. The Powerscourt Waterfall, located on the estate is Irelands largest waterfall. The land and waterfall are the inspiration for the Fercullen Falls name. Fercullen Falls Small Batch was the first release from the Powerscourt Distillery using whiskey distilled on site. It is made from a 50/50 blend of malt and grain whiskey. The malt whiskey is aged in first fill ex-bourbon barrels. The grain whiskey is aged in a combination of ex-bourbon and new heavy char oak casks. Read more