Review: Blood Sweat and Tears Vodka
Blood Sweat and Tears vodka was recently released. The name represents origin, blood; work ethic, sweat; and the struggle of all triumphs and tribulations, tears. Brand creator Umberto Luchini, is a former Campari America Marketing VP who previously worked on Espolon Tequila. Blood Sweat and Tears Vodka is triple distilled in Eugene Oregon by Ben Green from locally grown Pacific Northwest winter wheat and pure Cascade water. They mash, ferment, distill, freeze filter, and hand bottle everything out of a repurposed old laundromat. The matte black glass bottle features artwork depicting Oregon landmarks including Benson Footbridge and Lost Lake. Benson Footbridge traverses Multnomah Creek between the cascades of Multnomah Falls. Lost Lake is a lake in Sisters Oregon that disappears down a hole every spring. Read more 
Review: Sobieski Cytron Vodka
Sobieski Cytron Vodka was released in the US in 2009. Sobieski is the number one selling vodka in Poland. The brand is named for King Jan III Sobieski. At one time Sobieski produced eleven flavored vodka’s for the US market. They now have four, including Orange, Vanilla, and Raspberry. Each flavored vodka is crafted with Dankowski rye and crystalline water from Oligocene springs. The vodka is distilled in a continuous column still. Natural flavors are then infused before bottling at 70 proof. Read more
Review: The Quiet Man Traditional Irish Whiskey
The Quiet Man Traditional Irish Whiskey was launched June 2015 along with The Quiet Man 8 Year Old Single Malt Irish Whiskey. The Quiet Man, or An Fear Ciuin in Gaelic, is named to honor brand founder Ciaran Mulgrew’s father, who spent 50 years as a barman in the pubs of Belfast. A bartender sees a lot and hears a lot of stories but his father told no tales. It was The Barman’s Code. The whiskey is currently sourced, and said to have a high malt component, while their own distilled whiskey matures. It is triple distilled and matured in first fill American oak bourbon casks for 4 years. The Quiet Man is blended and bottled in Derry Ireland. Read more
Review: Kilbrin Irish Whiskey
Kilbrin Irish Whiskey is a private label brand owned and produced by Quality Spirits International. It is imported by Saranty Imports. The brand was established in 2017. Kilbrin Irish Whiskey, and Kilbrin Single Malt 10 Year Old Irish Whiskey are sold at Total Wine and More stores. The name was inspired by the lore of treasure hidden in the parish of Kilbrin. KIlbrin is triple distilled, and made by blending rich malt whiskey, produced from malted barley, with the finest grain whiskey in Ireland. The whiskey is sourced from unknown distilleries, and no age statement appear on the bottle. Read more
Review: Libelula Tequila Joven
Libelula Tequila Joven is as the name suggests a blend of different tequilas. In May 2016 the CNI Brands team visited Mexico with one goal, to create the best possible tequila for a Combier Margarita. Combier is an orange liqueur also produced by CNI brands. After visiting several distilleries, blending many samples, and tasting about 80 margarita’s they created Libelula. Libelula has been on our radar for some time now, but distribution is limited. The bottle we are reviewing is a blend of 75% blanco and 25% Reposado tequila and was distilled and blended at NOM 1592. I say the bottle we are reviewing, because Libelula is currently crafted at NOM 1604 with a blend of 80% blanco and 20% Reposado tequila. We hope to source the currently produced Libelula and compare the two. The firefly labeled bottle’s look identical, so check the back to identify which version you are holding. Read more
Review: Kavanagh Finest Irish Whiskey
Kavanagh Finest Irish Whiskey is a blended Irish whiskey. Our contacts believe the whiskey is distilled and sourced from Kilbeggan Distillery. It is aged for 4 years in ex-bourbon barrels and is currently sold at Total Wine and More stores. If you are not familiar with Total Wine and More, they currently have over 160 stores in 23 states, with more on the way. Total Wine and More also sells Kavanagh Single Grain Irish Whiskey, Kavanagh Single Malt Irish Whiskey, and Kavanagh Irish Cream Liqueur. Read more
Review: Stoli Crushed Strawberry Vodka
Stoli Crushed Strawberry Vodka was just released. It joins the previously released Stoli Crushed Mango, Ruby Red Grapefruit, and Pineapple Vodka. If you have been a regular visitor of Best Tasting Spirits, or just someone who often visits their local liquor store, you will have noticed real juice flavor, has replaced natural flavor, as the go to ingredient in flavored vodka. A color that matches the flavor also appears to increase sales. Each Stoli Crushed variety starts with a vodka base made from a blend of 88 percent corn and 12 percent buckwheat harvested from the fertile farm fields of the Tambov region of Russia. The spirit is triple distilled and filtered four times. Pure natural spring water from an artesian well in Riva Latvia is blended with the vodka to reduce to proof. Real fruit juice, natural flavors, and certified colors are blended before bottling at 60 proof. Read more
Review: Mozart Chocolate Cream Pumpkin Spice Liqueur
Mozart Chocolate Cream Pumpkin Spice Liqueur is a seasonal release that one may say I’m very early or quite late reviewing. The nice thing is if you can still find a bottle on your favorite liquor stores shelf, it’s probably been market down in price. Pumpkin Spice, is one of several Mozart Chocolate Cream varieties that includes, Mozart Chocolate Cream, Dark Chocolate Cream, White Chocolate Vanilla Cream, and White Chocolate Cream Strawberry. MCC Pumpkin Spice is made with real pumpkin juice, bourbon vanilla, fresh cream, sugar, Belgium chocolate, West African cocoa beans, cinnamon, clove, turmeric, and a dash of chill spice, blended with the center cut of beet sugar alcohol. Read more
Review: Glendalough Double Barrel Irish Whiskey
Glendalough Double Barrel Irish Whiskey is a single grain whiskey made from corn and malted barley. The label honors and pictures St. Kevin who is said to have stood still with his arms stretched while a blackbird built its nest, laid eggs, and stood silent until those eggs hatched. The Glendalough Distillery was built by a group of five friends from Wicklow and Dublin Ireland. Currently the whiskey is sourced while their own crafted whiskey matures. The whiskey they currently source has been matured for three years in American oak bourbon barrels. Once received it is further matured for six months in 500 liter Oloroso sherry barrels sourced from the small town of Montilla Spain in once used European oak barrels to mature PX, Pedro Ximenez, grapes for two years. These barrels were build by coopers, from European oak from trees grown in forest in Northern Spain. Read more
Review: Crown Royal Peach Whisky
Crown Royal Peach Whisky was just released. Peach is a limited edition flavor, which translates to, if it sells well, it will become at worst a seasonal flavor, at best, a full time member of the Crown family. Flavors now account for 10% of all North American whisky sales, so it is no surprise Crown has created another flavor. The signature Crown Royal Whisky was first created in 1939 as a gift for the visiting King and Queen of England. Over 600 blends were produced before selecting the perfect blend that is still produced today. The Crown Royal base is made from pure water sourced from Lake Winnipeg naturally filtered through the limestone beneath and a grain blend of rye, corn, and barley. Roughly 80% of the grains used are sourced from Manitoba and surrounding provinces. Twelve distillation columns produce the fifty whiskies that comprise Crown Royal. Peaches are harvested at their flavor peak. Once picked the peaches are de-stoned, pressed and strained to preserve their bright, aromatic flavor. The peaches and natural flavors are infused with Crown Royal Whisky before bottling at 70 proof. Read more