I recently went to Florida Keys and made the pilgrimage down to see Papa’s house in Key West. It was an interesting place to visit and to see all the six toed cats running about the place. While down there all the bars had plenty of Rum and of course they had ample supply of Papa’s Pilar in various configurations.
Read MoreI had the chance to sample Campesino Rum at LeNell’s, a boutique liquor store located in the Norwood neighborhood of Birmingham AL. I enjoy trying products that have a story and the Campesino story is a good one. It is a story about a local Birmingham boy, Hatton Smith, who was raised by a family in the coffee industry, and as a young man spent a summer living in the jungles of Panama leading hiking expeditions. After that he went to school to study Economics and International Trade and at the age of 21 moved to New York City to be a green coffee trader. He became restless and returned to Panama to live off the grid and set up a bio-char coffee roasting operation in the jungle. This is where he learned a new craft in distilling. He took over operations of a rum-still, perfected his craft and is now back in the United States bringing the amazing craft Rum to the market for us to enjoy.
Read MoreGodet's XO Terre is a Cognac with a big, bold, powerful flavour profile, with plenty of spices fluttering around the robust core of fruit. Good stuff for an after dinner drink, able to stand up to any flavours lingering on your palate
Read MoreOn a recent trip to the Bahamas, at the Baha Mar resort I was able to participate in a WhistlePig tasting at their T2 Cigar bar. I was able to try a flight of the 15-year straight Rye, 12-year cask Finish, and the 10-year straight Rye. All these whiskeys paired well with the Perdomo 12-year double barrel/bale aged vintage cigars I was enjoying with the flight.
Upon returning home I was able to score a bottle of the 10-year straight Rye at a local ABC store. I am a big fan of Rye Whiskeys and this 100% straight Rye is a delight. It is golden in color and has a nice fruit forward taste. Upon breaking it down further there are hits of sea salt, light tobacco and a touch of capers and cloves to give it that spiciness I enjoy in a good Rye. I also detect some hits of vanilla and caramel with a fruity finish that tastes of black cherry then tailing out to a hint of allspice.
It is a 100-proof bottle that is aged for 10 years. I find it a smooth pour for a 100-proof Rye. This whiskey made in Canada and bottled in Vermont. It is a bit on the pricey side, however I plan on keeping the 10- or 15-year straight Rye in the rotation for a sipping whiskey.
Read MoreThis is one of my favorite Kentucky Bourbons that comes from one of my favorite distilleries. W.L. Weller Special Reserve is a wheated Bourbon. This is a smooth, easy-going bourbon with a burnt orange color in the glass, scent combines a sweet hint of caramel, butterscotch and an oaky woodiness. It has a softer finish that makes is a nice sipping whiskey. It is a well-balanced bourbon that is flavorful and sophisticated. As is seems with most of the Buffalo Trace Distillery Bourbons it is hard to come by here in Alabama, I grab a bottle every chance I get as I never tire of this smooth, balanced pour. I especially like sitting out on the porch in the evening with a nice pour over a block of ice and paired with a smooth Fuente 8-5-8 with a maduro wrapper.
Read MoreSingle barrel Kentucky Bourbon with an ornate spherical bottle with a race horse stopper, the stopper becoming a bit of a collector’s piece as there are eight different stoppers with various poses of a horse and jockey. Blanton’s is one of the best bourbons on the market in my opinion. This bourbon comes from the famed Buffalo Trace Distillery. It has a deep reddish-gold color that gives is an amber appearance. Although there is no age statement it is generally believed to be aged for six to eight years in oak barrels and bottled at 93 proof. Has a nose of caramel and orange and the flavor is full-bodied with a hint of cloves and the sweetness of caramel and orange. This Kentucky Bourbon has become very hard to come by in my home state of Alabama, I have yet been able to acquire the full collection of stoppers.
Read MoreRevival Bourbon is made by High Wire Distillery Co. which is located in Charleston S.C. The bourbon I tried is a four-grain version made with Southern heirloom grains. The mash bill is heirloom white corn, red winter wheat, malted barley and Carolina Gold rice. They also make bourbon with a corn mash bill that is made with a revived heirloom Jimmy Red corn that I have yet been able to find. The bottle I sampled is 94 proof with no age statement. The color is very reddish to a medium Amber. On the nose the first hints are of cinnamon and a fruity smell of dark cherry. On a deeper dive I detect a sweetness that reminds me of my pipe tobacco. On the tongue it has a very nutty taste, of pecan or walnut, a little woody. Overall a pleasant sipping bourbon. It is lacking a little on the finish and perhaps guilty of being a bit too young.
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