Ponchatoula, located about an hour north of New Orleans, is said to be the strawberry capital of the world. The authentic strawberry notes are fresh and mocha-tipped, while the whiskey is sippin’ smooth. Perfect for cocktails or over ice, the balance is perceptible, with no burn and not overly fruity.
From a distillery founded in San Francisco, the water used to make this gluten-free vodka is sourced in Northern California. With a lemony nose, the flavors follow thematically in lime peel, lime salt and wet stone, with a lengthy finish that is round and smooth.
This liqueur is a nod to Joe Gambino’s Metairie, Louisiana bakery and one of his iconic cakes: a charming liqueur made with Wisconsin cream (which simply floats across the palate) and aged Caribbean rum. Cinnamon-kissed with a spiced rum finish – you can taste vanilla pound cake on the tip of your tongue.
A collaboration between Japanese Master Blender Yahisa Yusuke and Kentucky Owl Master Blender John Rhea. Aromas of exotic spices, incense, gingerbread, and fig. A sunrise of surprises on the palate, lighting up the tongue with jasmine, plum blossom, and peanut brittle. A rallying of white pepper, cinnamon, and capsicum tingle and season notes of apricot, toffee and a nip of tobacco.
Made from wild-harvested desert Sotol plants, this is a pungently earthy, herbal and clear spirit whose ancestral home is Chihuahua, though the denomination of origin for Sotol also includes Durango and Coahuila. While not an agave, Sotol is processed similarly and of historic significance to indigenous tribes. It packs a punch, beginning in herbal and salty brine before lingering with length on the palate in a compelling haze of smoke.
Couldn’t be any better in flavor authenticity and a reined in sweetness that shows off the attributes of an approachable base whiskey. Perhaps we can refer to this as the “edge of decadence,” a salted treat that brings back childhood memories, but this adult version that melts across the palate. Add elegance to the equation and we deem this a well-deserved 94.
Produced from 100% wild harvested Maguey Madre Cuishe, it begins with earthy aromas of smoked, honeyed peaches. A dramatic entry of charred mesquite, jasmine, and walnut. Silky on the palate, with an animale quality, and a zing of roasted poblano on the finish.
Made with local grain in Snohomish, Washington, this Rye was aged a minimum of two years in barrel. Salty molasses, spice and mango flavors build around a foundation of dry intensity and dried fruit, making for an immensely flavorful and memorable experience on the palate.