The Tasting Panel magazine

July 2013

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SPEED TASTING REPORT Vinturi in Vegas With so many of the city's best palates gathered in one place, we couldn't help but throw one last challenge their way, so we invited our panelists to test the Vinturi Spirit Aerator's effectiveness with a little test-run using Peligroso Añejo Tequila. This high-end aerator is more modern than mod, but our panelists were impressed with the results. Here are some of their beforeand-after tasting notes. Max Solano Before: bright, clean agave notes. Light with long herbaceousness and a dry finish. After: Opens up and softens up. Ben Grosse Before: Lots of sweet agave character. After: Brought out the silky complexity of the spirit. Kent Bearden Before: Vegetal with raw agave nose; acid and vegetal heat for an añejo. After: Nose is softer, sweeter and less vegetal. It makes the spirit more approachable for the average drinker. Downtown Soul Rolling up on his skateboard to let THE TASTING PANEL into the front door of Downtown Cocktail Room, Jeremy Merritt is the picture of burgeoning downtown Las Vegas—approachably cool, good-looking, easy-going and local. "I would say on a typical night here, the place is full with almost completely locals. It takes quite the tourist to be able to find us and blend in. " That's who the resurgence of Downtown Las Vegas was intended for: the typical Las Vegas local who, before, only had the Strip to play. "Las Vegas needed a soul and now it's getting that, " explains Merritt, who, as the Head Bartender at the Downtown Cocktail Room, was one of the key players in the recovery of Fremont Street and its surroundings. "I've really loved being able to contribute and cultivate such a prominent environment—one that every other city already has. " Merritt insists that a "soul" is exactly what the revival of Downtown now offers the patrons of Sin City. "What you find down here is something completely different. These places are real and authentic, says Merritt. "There's no gimmick on Fremont Street. " These places are owned by real human beings, not huge corporations. " —Breanne DeMore 132  /  the tasting panel  /  july 2013 TP0713_100-148.indd 132 6/24/13 6:04 PM

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