Review: Ciroc White Grape
Ciroc White Grape was just launched. It is a Limited Edition release. It joins a year round flavored vodka lineup that now numbers eight. The vodka base is made from a blend of Ugni Blanc and Mauzac Blanc grapes. The juice is made into a wine. The wine is distilled four times in stainless column stills by Master Distiller Jean-Sebastien Robicquet at his 500 year old family owned Maison Villevert Distillery. A fifth distillation follows in a traditional custom copper pot still at Distillation de Chevanceaux in the South of France. The vodka base is then infused with a blend of white grape and other natural flavors. Read more 
Review: Loft and Bear Vodka
Loft and Bear Vodka was crafted in the heart of the Los Angeles Art District. It is currently produced by another distillery to the same specifications while their new distillery is being built. After graduating from UNC Chapel Hill Paul Ryan, aka Bear embarked upon a journey to create a vodka purely for the challenge of developing something unique. The summer of 2014 in a loft in downtown LA, he did just that. Loft and Bear is made from soft organic winter wheat and California sourced spring water. At launch it was crafted in a 30 liter copper pot column still. It was distilled four times and filtered once. Once open the new distillery will distill the vodka in a 1300 liter pot and column still. Read more
Review: Sugar Skull Rum Native Coconut Blend
Sugar Skull Rum Native Coconut Blend is one five Sugar Skull Rum varieties that may be better know as Master P’s rum. Not only does Master P own the brand but he has rapped about the brand, and if you have been to an Orlando Magic basketball game recently you may have even tipped a few at Sugar Skull Rum Landing located in the arena. Each flavor variety starts with their Tribal Original Rum base made sugar cane molasses sourced from the Caribbean and South America. The rum is distilled at several partner distilleries in the Caribbean Islands where each distillery uses a four column still. The rum is shipped to the US where it is filtered and blended. Sugar Skull Rum Native Coconut Blend is flavored with natural ingredients before it is bottled at 42 proof. Read more
Review: Western Son High Plains Raspberry Vodka
Western Son High Plains Raspberry vodka was just released. It joins a flavored vodka lineup that includes Peach, Cucumber, Lime, Blueberry, Watermelon, Prickly Pear, and Grapefruit. They also produce Western Son Original unflavored vodka. The Western Son brand was launched in 2011. The distillery is located in the former Old Panty Factory in Pilot Point Texas. Each flavor starts with their original unflavored vodka made from a mash of Midwest and Texas Yellow corn. Once the corn is milled water sourced from a local aquifer further filtered through reverse osmosis is added to the mash. After fermenting, the vodka is distilled ten times. First in a copper pot still. The spirit is then distilled in a 20 foot column still containing 13 perforated copper plates. The vodka is quadruple filtered before natural flavors are blended with the original vodka base. Read more
Review: Jack Daniels Tennessee Apple
Jack Daniels Tennessee Apple was just released. Flavored whiskey sales growth has slowed since the explosive growth experienced a few years ago, but the market is still growing. Two of the top seven flavored whiskeys are apple flavored. This is not Jack Daniels first apple flavored spirit, shortly after prohibition they released an apple flavored brandy. JD Tennessee Apple should also not be confused with the previously released seasonal Jack Daniels Winter Jack. Winter Jack was made with Jack Daniels Old No. 7 Tennessee Whiskey, apple cider liqueur and holiday spices. It was bottled at 30 Proof. JD Tennessee Apple is made from their Tennessee whiskey base made from 80% corn, 12% barley, 8% rye, and limestone spring water sourced from a two mile deep cave. After fermenting with starter yeast from a previous batch for 6 days, the mash is distilled once in a large column still. Once distilled to 140 proof the unaged whiskey is mellowed through ten feet of handcrafted charcoal for 3-5 days, then aged in new white oak barrels hand built by Jack Daniels. The 33 separate wood staves are held together by the sheer pressure of the woods precise arrangement. Once assembled the barrels interior is toasted. The Tennessee Whiskey is then blended with apple liqueur made from real green apples, and bottled at 70 proof. Read more
Review: Burnetts Coconut Rum
Burnett’s Coconut Rum is made in Bardstown Kentucky at the Heaven Hill Distillery with rum distilled in the Caribbean. Previously bottled versions of Burnett’s Coconut Rum labeled this as a Virgin Island distilled rum. Burnett’s is a value brand probably best known for the 40 flavored vodka’s they produce. I picked up this bottle of rum for $7.99. Read more
Review: Sugar Skull Madagascar Wildberry Rum
Sugar Skull Madagascar Wildberry Rum is one of five varieties of rum sold under the Sugar Skull Rum label. The brands name and packaging honor Dia de Los Muertos. The other expressions include Tribal Original, Mystic Vanilla, Native Coconut, and Hellfire Cinnamon. The brand was launched November 2014 by CEO J Smoke Wallin. At some point Master P joined the ownership group. Each flavor starts with the Tribal Original silver rum base made from sugar cane molasses sourced from the Caribbean and South America. It is distilled at several partner distilleries in the Caribbean Islands who use four column stills. The rum is shipped to the US where it is filtered, and blended. Sugar Skull Madagascar Wildberry is flavored with natural ingredients before bottling at 60 proof. Read more
Review: Key West Chefs Green Coconut Rum
Key West Chefs Green Coconut Rum is crafted at Key West’s first legal rum distillery since Prohibition. The distillery was founded and created by Paul Menta and Tony Mantia in 2012. It is built on what was originally Jack’s Saloon in 1900. In 1903 it became a Coca Cola bottling facility. Paul considers himself a chef first and a distiller second so their process is called chef distilled. Green Coconut is one of several flavored and spiced rums they currently create, that include Key Lime, Cuban Coffee, Spiced, Devil’s cinnamon, and Vanilla Brulee Dark Rum. Each of their flavored rums start with their original white rum base made from crystal demerara Florida sugar cane. The rum is distilled six times. The unaged rum is blended with coconut water and oils from green coconuts sourced from southern Florida and the Keys and a minimal amount of Florida cane sugar. Nothing else is added before bottling at 80 proof. Read more
Review: Captain Morgan Gingerbread Spiced Rum
Captain Morgan Gingerbread Spiced Rum will be introduced in October as a Limited Edition release. Yes pumpkin is not the only fall seasonal flavor. Over the years Captain Morgan has become the Oreo Cookie version of line extensions. Captain Morgan Gingerbread is made from a blend of rums distilled in St. Croix from Caribbean sugar cane molasses in a continuous still and aged for 1 year in oak barrels. Spice and other natural flavors are blended before bottling at 60 proof. Read more
Review: Papa’s Pilar Marquesas Blend Dark Rum
Papa’s Pilar Marquesas Blend Dark Rum is a Limited-Edition Release that will be available in October. I was lucky enough to get my hands on a bottle a little early. All of Papa’s Pilar’s rum expressions are inspired by Ernest Hemingway. Marquesas Blend Dark Rum is named after the Marquesas Keys, a group of islands just west of Key West. After a brutal storm hit during a fishing expedition, Ernest Hemingway was stranded for two weeks on these islands. Papa’s Pilar Marquesas is made from 7 hand selected rums aged up to 24 years. The rums are crafted by Master Blender Ron Call at Hemingway Rum Company’s distillery in Key West Florida located just yards from where Hemingway used to dock his boat. The rums are sourced from the Caribbean, US, and Central America. After blending, the rum is placed in #4 char Kentucky Straight Bourbon barrels to finish maturing before bottling at 88 proof. Read more