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Pure Prairie League Prairie Organic Vodka (SRP $25) The nose and flavors of Prairie Organic Vodka reflect the natural- ly smooth journey the ingredients take from Earth to bottle. Begin- ning with the finest organic corn, each small batch of Prairie is dis- tilled as many times as necessary to achieve its bright nose, smooth texture and balanced notes of vanilla and spice. The long and clean finish make Prairie enjoy- able on its own; when mixed with pomegranate juice and a squeeze of lemon, you'll find that it's truly in its element. PHILLIPS DISTILLING Panama's Finest Ron Abuelo 12 Años Rum (SRP $35) Like many Panamanian distillers, Varela Hermanos takes rum very seriously. Especially when it comes to their most mature dark rum, Ron Abuelo 12 Años. The third-genera- tion family distillery harvests all of the sugarcane used in Ron Abuelo 12 Años from its own estate, then carefully ages the mixture in white oak barrels for 12 years to achieve a rich, full-bodied and smoky flavor. A little too heavy to serve neat, this rum works well over ice, allowing its true character and softness to come through. VARELA IMPORTS Blithe spirits BRanD MInI-SPotS frOm the purity Of A greAt vOdkA tO the Spice Of An exOtic rum, frOm the pOiSe Of A clASSic BOurBOn tO the cOmplexity Of A nOBle tequilA, the tASting pAnel never tireS Of SuperB SpiritS, whether exciting newcOmerS Or lOngtime fAvOriteS Beyond the Margarita Sol de Mexico Añejo Tequila (SRP $55) The days of tequila shooters and fiery Margaritas are over. Tequila has grown up, and Sol de Mexico is a perfect example of the spirit's new style. Sol de Mexico's beautiful glass bottle sets the stage for this impressive, aged tequila. Each small batch of this tequila is aged for at least a year, and extracts its distinctive flavor from a variety of oak, including old bourbon and cognac barrels. From this layered and complex spirit you can expect an earthy, floral nose with hints of caramel. Flavors of asparagus, coconut and pepper come through and are followed with a long finish of sweet tobacco and spice. UA IMPORTS Kentucky Classic Wild Turkey 101 (SRP $45) Smooth, toasty and lush. A classic Kentucky bourbon such as Wild Turkey 101 requires few words. Straight bourbon is a strictly regu- lated spirit, meaning that every bottle of Wild Turkey 101 is made with the finest American grains and contains the same pure flavors in every bottle. Wild Turkey is aged in new white oak barrels, allowing it to extract notes of spice and vanilla and giving the bourbon a warm, dark amber color. With Wild Turkey 101 you can expect the same great product day in and day out, year after year, bottle after bottle. SKYY SPIRITS 74 / the tasting panel / january–february 2010