Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/271567
1 10 / the tasting panel / march 2014 Don Q Flavored Rum Don Q Rum is made in Puerto Rico at Destileria Serrallés, one of the oldest family-owned and -operated businesses in the Americas. Among its diverse product line is an innova- tive range of flavored rums spearheaded by bestselling Don Q Coco Flavored Rum. There are two secrets behind its popularity, the first of which is the flavor and quality of the base rum. While some suppliers use lesser quality spirits in their flavored expressions, not so with Don Q. Its rums are made with blend of premium molasses-based, column-distilled rums. "The other secret behind our success is we blend our rums with the finest natural flavoring available," says VP of Business Development Roberto Serrallés. "So when you drink our Don Q Coco, you taste the seductive, semisweet flavor of our island's coconuts. It's a beautiful experi- ence whether sipped over ice or blended into a Piña Colada." The Don Q range of flavored rums also includes Don Q Mojito, Don Q Pasión and Don Q Limón. All come by their brilliance naturally. www.donq.com Kringle Cream There are parts of Wisconsin and the Great Lakes region where a riot will ensue should a bakery run out of kringles. Once you taste these baked delicacies, you'll under- stand why. A kringle is a hand-rolled Danish pastry that is rested overnight before being shaped into an oval and filled with fruit, nuts and spices. It is then baked and slathered with a heavenly icing. Well, now you can get your kringle and drink it too with recently released Kringle Cream. Made at the state of the art Death's Door Distillery outside of Madison, Wisconsin, Kringle Cream is a rum-based cream liqueur made with local dairy cream. The 30-proof liqueur has an off-white hue, a velvety textured body and a buttery, nutty and slightly spicy flavor. The taste of flaky pastry on the finish really seals the deal. "We're excited to bring Kringle Cream to market with our friends at Death's Door Distillery," says John Eason, COO at Serrallés USA. "We think the brand will bring a sense of fun and excite- ment to the marketplace." www.kringlecream.com Bak's Bison Grass Vodka Bak's Bison Grass Vodka is a tradi- tional Polish vodka flavored with bison grass, which is indigenous exclu- sively to Eastern Poland. The hand-harvested bison grass grows wild only in glades within a few forest preserves; their exact locations are closely guarded secrets. The aromatic grass is said to give one vitality and strength; others insist that it possesses aph- rodisiac properties. Whatever the motivation for drinking it, this vodka is an experience not to be missed. Bak's Bison Grass Vodka is triple-distilled in column stills from potatoes and artesian well water and then infused with bison grass essential oils. The vodka is filtered through charcoal and oak chips before being bottled at 82 proof. As is customary, every bottle contains a long, slender blade of bison grass. States U.S. importer Adam Bak of Adamba Imports, "Our vodka is a genuine treat served neat or with a slight chill. And as far as contemporary drink-making goes, Bak's Bison Grass Vodka has so much character that featuring it in creative cocktails is almost too easy." www.bisongrassvodka.com aged for the flavors in the infusion to become fully integrated. La Pinta, 38 proof, is a luscious treat similar to sangria. TEQUILAS PREMIUM RumChata Cream Liqueur Who wouldn't crave horchata-laced cream liqueur infused with Caribbean rum? RumChata is delicious and devoid of the cloying finish that plagues some cream liqueurs. If you can't have fun with RumChata behind the bar, call the paramedics. AGAVE LOCO Square One Organic Basil Flavored Vodka Square One's flavor sensation is infused with the organic essence of four varieties of garden-fresh basil —Genovese, Thai, lemon and sweet. Then small amounts of organic cori ander, honeysuckle and lemongrass are added to balance the spirit's robust herbal character. SQUARE ONE ORGANIC