Review: Hanson of Sonoma Organic Cucumber Vodka
Hanson of Sonoma Organic Cucumber Vodka is one of six vodka varieties crafted by the Hanson Family in Sonoma California. The others include Mandarin, Ginger, Boysenberry, Espresso, and their Original unflavored. The vodka base is made from organic Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and French Colombard grapes and pure artesian well water. The spirit is seven times small batch distilled in a pot still and a column still with 50 distillation plates. A proprietary seven stage filtration follows. The vodka base is then infused with organic cucumber before hand bottling at 80 proof. Read more 
Review: Bumbu Rum
Bumbu Rum is made at the historic West Indies Rum Distillery in Barbados. The distillery was founded in 1893 by two German Brothers and was recently acquired by Maison Ferrand. Yes this is the rum Lil Wayne shouts out in two of his newest songs featured on his Dedication 6 release. Those tracks are Fly Away and New Freezer. Bumbu Rum is based on the original recipe created by 16th and 17th century sailors of the West Indies. This spice grog was called Bumbu. They made their version by blending navy strength rum with native fruits and herbs of the Caribbean. In making the current Bumbu Rum a little more care is given in crafting the rum base. The Master Distillers select sugarcane from eight countries including Barbados, Belize, Brazil, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guyana, and Honduras. The terroir of each countries sugarcane contributes unique flavor characteristics. The spirit is fermented with a yeast strain that dates back to 1840. Bumba is distilled using two continuous stills and aged up to 15 years in Grade A once used bourbon barrels. Spices, fruits, and herbs, all 100% natural ingredients are added to the rum after aging and prior to bottling at 70 proof. Read more
Review: Courvoisier VSOP Cognac
Courvoisier VSOP Cognac is crafted from white grapes grown in the Grande and Petite Champagne, and Fins Bois crus. Courvoisier nurtures a close relationship with over 800 vine growers to ensure the grapes used are the finest in the Cognac region. The grapes are harvested at their peak, at the end of summer. Once pressed the juices ferment over seven days. The wine is double distilled only from November to March using traditional and unusually small 25 hectoliter alembic pot stills. The eaux-de-vies are aged in barrels handcrafted from the finest French oak. Master Blender Patrice Pinet then fuses these fine spirits into a consistent and harmonious blend. Read more
Review: Blue Iguana Silver Tequila
Blue Iguana Silver Tequila is produced at Distilarora del Valle de Tequila with 100% blue agave grown in both the Highland and Lowland Regions. The agave is hand selected when the brix sugar content is between 23-28. The agave hearts are steam roasted in century old traditional brick ovens for 36-54 hours. Next one half of the roasted agave hearts are pressure cooked in a 20 ton autoclave for 15 hours. After cooling for 9 hours they are shredded in a mill. The agave juice is fermented for 36 hours in a stainless steel tank, and double distilled in pot stills. Read more
Review: Beluga Noble Russian Vodka
Beluga Noble Russian Vodka was first produced in 2002 at the Mariinsk Distillery. The Mariinsk Distillery was established in 1900 in the heart of Siberia. Noble is one of five varieties of Beluga Russian Vodka. The others include Transatlantic, Allure, Gold Line, and Celebration. Beluga Noble is made from barley malt and pure water from 300 meter deep artesian wells in the bedrock of Siberia. The water is double filtered through quartz sand and special silver. Once distilled the spirit is filtered through a 10.5 meter coal column filter composed of birch charcoal. The vodka is flavored with fractional amounts of honey, oat, and milk thistle, and then left to rest for 30 days prior to bottling. Read more
Review: R L Seales 10 Year Old Rum
R L Seales 10 Year Old Rum is crafted at the Foursquare Distillery on the Caribbean Island of Barbados. The odd shaped black bottle is designed to look like the old style leather flask pirates used to transport their rum. The thumb indent molded into the glass bottle actually feels more comfortable when drinking pirate style, aka straight from the bottle, as opposed to pouring into a glass. It is named for Richard Seale the Great Grandson of Reginald Leon Seale, who founded the Foursquare Distillery in 1926. Richard Seale is also the Master Distiller who created R L Seales 10 Year Old Rum. The Foursquare Distillery crafts several rums including the Doorly, Real McCoy, and 10 Cane line of rums, and the distillery is located on the site of an old plantation that dates back to the early 1600’s. Read more
Review: Saint James Heritage Rum
Saint James Heritage Rum is made with a meticulous blend of rums carefully selected from six of the finest Caribbean Islands by Master Blender Myriam Bredas. These rums are distilled and aged for 12 months in Martinique, Guadeloupe, Guyana, Trinidad, Jamaica, and Barbados. Some of these rums are distilled with molasses, and some with fresh pure sugarcane juice. Saint James was born in Saint-Pierre de la Martinique in 1765 from the hands of Reverend Father Edmund Lefebure. This dignified priest crafted a cane spirit called Guildive. Today this spirit is known as Rhum Agricole. Saint James continues to produce rum from fresh pure sugarcane juice, and one of these rums is included in Saint James Heritage Rum. Read more
Review: Greenbar Tru Lemon Vodka
Greenbar Tru Lemon Vodka is crafted from a vodka base made from organic wheat and distilled in a continuous column still at the Greenbar Distillery in Los Angeles California. After a gentle charcoal filtration, 2000 hand-zested Eureka Lemons are infused in every small batch. That’s right only three ingredients are used, organic wheat, organic Eureka Lemons, and pure water filtered through reverse osmosis. Eureka lemons are a variety of Citrus Limon that was developed in California in 1958. Read more
Review: VDKA 6100 Vodka
VDKA 6100 Vodka was released April 2004. It is backed by actor Robert De Niro and Australian Casino Mogul James Packer. Yes, this is the same James Packer who was engaged to Mariah Carey. Robert De Niro, also had a hand in designing the packaging. The vodka is crafted by Artisan Spirits Merchants, with whey sourced from grass fed cows milk in the Bay of Plenty Region. VDKA 6100 is fermented using a rare strain of yeast imported from Ireland. The spirit is distilled three times and filtered through carbon rockets. Pure locally sourced natural New Zealand spring water is blended to proof. The VDKA 6100 name pays homage to the distance between New Zealand and the US. 6100 is also the country code of Perth Australia. Crown Metropol Perth, one of co-owner James Packer properties, is located there. Read more
Review: Plantation Barbados 5 Year Old Rum
Plantation Barbados 5 Year Old Rum is made from molasses in the birth place of rum, Barbados. The Plantation Rum brand was born in 1997. It was created by Alexandre Gabriel, the President and Owner of Maison Ferrand. Maison Ferrand also produces Pierre Ferrand, and Landy Cognac, Citadell and Magellan Gin, and Froggy B Vodka. Plantation Barbados 5 year old rum is fermented for 3-5 days and distilled in pot still and column stills. The spirit is aged for 3-4 years in bourbon casks in Barbados. The rum then crosses the sea where it is aged a second time, for 1-2 years in Limousin oak barrels previously used to age Pierre Ferrand Cognac. Read more