Review: Tommyrotter Vodka
Tommyrotter Distillery was founded by Bobby Finan and Sean Insalaco. It opened July 2015 in a 116 year old factory in Buffalo New York, in the historic hydraulic manufacturing district. They produced vodka, gin, and bourbon on their 2700 square foot production floor before closing the distillery in 2024. The distillery takes its name from the Tommyrotter’s Club a brand of rebellious artisans in the early 20th century who sought adventure mischief and inspiration. Tommyrotter Vodka is made from 100% New York grown corn. It is distilled six time followed by a 3 stage filter with layers of charcoal, gravel and sand. Read more 
Review: El Ateo Blanco Tequila
Most tequila in the world comes from agave grown in Jalisco. El Ateo is made from 100% family estate agave grown on fields Don Luis Villalobos first planted in 1953, in Romita Guanajuato. Guanajuato is one 5 states agave can grow on to be called tequila. El Ateo was founded by the son and grandson of Don Luis, Luis Angel Villalobos, and Luis Villalobos. It is distilled at the family owned Plantaciones Tequilana in Arandas Jalisco. El Ateo is the single brand this distillery makes. Some distilleries produce tequila for hundreds of different brands. El Ateo is small batch distilled starting with hand selected weber azul agave with a very high 39 brix count. The agave is cooked in stone brick ovens and once cooled, tahona crushed. The extracted juice is fermented in open air stainless tanks and double distilled. The tequila is proofed with deep well water and aerate before bottling. Read more
Review: Vo Vodka
Vo Vodka is crafted at SONO1420 America’s Maritime Distillery. Ted Dumbauld a former Navy veteran founded the distillery in 2019 after experimenting with hemp based whiskey recipes. They currently produce several whiskeys, Blaze Cinnamon Bourbon, Sindica Gin, and Vo Vodka. The distillery is built in an 1800’s industrial building steps away from the Long Island Sound. February 4, 1919 the Connecticut State Senate by a vote of 14 to 20 failed to ratify the 18th amendment making Connecticut the first of two states to defeat Prohibition. The distillery is named for its location in SOuth NOrwalk CT with a tip of the hat to the vote of 1919. Vo Vodka is distilled from a blend of cane and corn. Read more
Review: Lagrimas del Valle Plata Tequila El Chiqueno
Lagrimas del Valle is a vintage single ranch tequila. Each vintage of Lagrimas is harvested from a single field. W.L. Lyons Brown III the founder of Lagrimas and Altamar Brands collaborated with the Rosales Family of Tequila Cascahuin. Master Distiller Salvadore Chava Rosales Trejo is a fourth generation distiller with a family history dating back to 1904. El Chiqueno is their second vintage. It is crafted from 100% blue agave harvested in 2022 with an average brix of 32%. The agave is grown at an elevation of 1260 meters south of the Rio Santiago near Amatitan. This field is adjacent to Palo Verde, their first vintage which was made with 100% agave with an average 35% brix. The agave is cooked in masonry steam ovens. A traditional stone tahona crushes 30% of the cooked agave. The extracted juice is fermented in wood fermentation tanks. A steel roller mill extracts the remaining 70% and that nectar is fermented in stainless steel tanks. After a double distillation, deep well water is blended before bottling at a higher octane, 92 proof. Read more
Review: Newport Craft Vodka
Newport Craft Vodka is no longer produced at Newport Craft Distilling Co. Very little information is available about this vodka so when we had the opportunity to pick up a bottle of vodka produced by this distillery we assumed we would receive a bottle of their flagship White Squall vodka. Well, you know what they say happens when you assume. The history of NCD starts in 1999 when Brent Ryan and Derek Luke founded Newport Storm Brewery. In 2006 they were granted the first distilling license in Rhode Island since 1872. Brendan O’Donnell led an investment group the acquired the company in 2017, and in 2019 they rebranded as Newport Craft Brewing and Distilling Co. Unlike their current vodka White Squall, which is distilled from 100% corn, Newport Craft Vodka was distilled from 100% cane sugar. Read more
Review: Tequila Baluarte Blanco
Tequila Baluarte Blanco was launched in the US 2007. It is distilled from 100% agave grown in the Highland region at Destileria La Experiencia. This distillery also makes the Ay Ay Ay, Humano, and Lo Siento tequila brands. The hand selected agave is trimmed and prior to cooking each pina undergoes an agave wash. The pinas are then cooked in a traditional brick oven and once cooled the agave is shredded and crushed. The juice is 100% naturally fermented and then triple distilled in copper column stills. Once filled the bottles are hand labeled and numbered. Read more
Review: Black Cap Vodka
Black Cap Vodka is made at Maine Craft Distilling in Portland Maine. Luke Davidson and Fred Farmer founded Maine Craft Distilling in 2012. Luke was the distiller and was their CEO until 2023. In addition to vodka, Maine Craft Distilling currently produces whiskey, gin, apple brandy, blue liquor, cinnamon vodka and a line of ready to drink canned cocktails. Black Cap Vodka is distilled from Maine grown barley and is filtered through Maine black tourmaline and maple wood that is charcoal fired. Read more
Review: Don Julio Reposado Tequila
Don Julio tequila is named for Don Julio Gonzalez who began distilling tequila at his uncle’s distillery when he was 17. In 1942 he borrowed money from a local businessman to open his own distillery, La Primavera. Don Julio Reposado was launched in 1989. It is made from 100% Blue Weber agave grown 6500 feet above sea level in the Highland region of Atotonilco Jalisco. Instead of harvesting the entire agave field at once Jimadors harvest plant by plant selecting only those ready to harvest. The trimmed agave is split in equal pieces then slow roasted in brick and stone ovens for 72 hours. They crush the cooled agave in a mill and ferment with natural yeast in stainless tanks before double distilling. The spirit is aged for 8 months in American white oak barrels. Read more
Review: Bully Boy Vodka
Bully Boy Vodka is made at Boston’s first craft distiller. Bully Boy Distillery opened in 2010. It was founded by brothers Will and Dave Willis. They grew up working on their 4th generation family farm and got their beverage start making cider. Next up was hard cider. Apple brandy followed. All from apples grown on the 100 apple trees grown on their farm. They currently produce amaro, bourbon, gin, vodka, and several bottled ready to drink craft cocktails. April 2017 they built a new 8000 square foot distillery in the Roxbury neighborhood of Boston across the street from their original location which remains open to distill their gin and create new spirits. Bully Boy Vodka was originally made from organic winter red wheat. It is currently distilled from 100% dent corn. The corn is harvested on their Charlescote Farm. They mill the corn and once fermented it is distilled on an 18 plate custom Christian Carl Still. Each 270 gallon batch is filtered for 48 hours through 50 pounds of activated carbon. Read more
Review: Jameson Triple Triple
Jameson Triple Triple is now available in the United States. It was first released in South Africa October 2024. This is Jamesons second iteration of Triple Triple. The first was introduced in 2019 as a Travel Retail Exclusive. The barrel aging process was a little different back then. The triple distilled spirit was aged in ex-bourbon, Oloroso Sherry Casks, and Malaga Wine Casks. Jameson Triple Triple is made from malted barley, and unmalted barley grown within 100 miles of the distillery, Non-GMO maize grown in the South of France, and water sourced from the Dungourney River. Jameson is made from a blend of pot still and fine grain whiskey. Both are triple distilled at the Midleton Distillery. The spirit is barrel aged in ex-bourbon and Spanish Sherry casks for a minimum of four years. A portion is further aged in chestnut casks. Read more