Spirit Reviews

Ilia Lerner, founder of the brand and the Delantero Group, is a proud sponsor of “Soccer for Hope,” a non-profit organization funding pediatric cancer research. “This is the sole tequila brand devoted to soccer players and fans,” Lerner points out. This single estate Blanco offers waves of jasmine and lavender perfume, with a glint of fresh agave. Sleekly textured, with a band of vanilla and earthy clay, along with black-peppered blueberries. Floral notes persist, leaving a long finish of heather and brown sugar. GOAL!

Ethereal wisps of citrus and earth on nose and palate, entertaining a “mystic” sense of place. The liquid leaves a silky sheen, its smoky nuance and herbal undertones a subtle whisper on the finish.

Distilled in Idaho from USDA certified organic grain. Juniper is present but entertains an array of botanicals in a creamy frame. Elderflower and lemongrass take center stage with white-peppered accents. A silky train of rose petals, tangerine peel, and vanilla bean alite on the finish.

Lavender and a sprinkle of bluebells offer a floral perfume that shines on first sip. Juniper and anise create a path for a parade of flavors: vanilla, tangerine pel, and tobacco leaf. Tons of character!

Made by fourth-generation Master Mezcalero Aarón Alva Sánchez, in partnership with Jim Cramer and Lisa Detwiler, this unaged 90-proof mezcal is produced with maguey grown at high elevation in the state of Puebla. Clear in color, it opens awash in medicinal herb, bell pepper, smoked wood, and lime salt, fully formed on the palate with a finishing touch of vanilla.

Another expression of mezcal by Master Mezcalero Aarón Alva Sánchez, this 86-proof mezcal is double-distilled after the maguey is roasted 5-8 days in underground pits before a 10-14-day fermentation. It is then aged 1-3 months in glass vessels with an agave penca leaf in the state of Puebla where the Tobalá agave takes 8-15 years to mature and is considered the king of agaves. Dark amber in color, floral and fruity, it offers rounded, refined notes of leather, baked earth, baking spice, caramel, and toasted nuts, while a smoky undercurrent adds complexity, accentuating a long, silky finish.

A seed-to-sip 80-proof vodka made from estate-grown 100% high-protein red wheat grown in Montana and distilled once with mineral-rich Yellowstone spring water, this rich, nuanced ultra-premium product expresses pure, clean flavors with an impressive depth of flavor. Intended as a sipping spirit enjoyed at the table over a big cube of ice, it offers layers of vanilla and brioche laced in caramel and cream, with a long, plush finish.

This is a collaboration between importer/specialty whiskey bottler High n’ Wicked and Barbados-based Foursquare Rum Distillery. Together they have made a 100-proof Irish whiskey distilled in Ireland from 95% French maize and 5% malted Irish barley that is aged first in ex-Bourbon barrels before being finished 12 years in single-blend Barbados rum casks and bottled in Kentucky. With a sweet entry of molasses, vanilla and coconut, it glides on the palate in refined smoothness, just lightly spiced in clove and other baking spices.