Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/65124
THE OLIGARCH'S VODKA 94 American Dry Gin, USA ($32) Lovely clean juniper and citrus nose; elegant, pure and crisp with smooth, silky texture and lifted fl avors; fragrant and harmonious yet focused and complex with a long, vivid fi nish. Greenhook Ginsmiths 92 90 Mexico ($49) Light amber color; caramel, vanilla nose; creamy, rich, brown sugar and spice; lush, peppery and long with dense fl avors and edgy notes of vegetation and some heat. Luna Nueva 2012 Añejo Tequila, LCG INTERNATIONAL, LLC ($42) Smoky and earthy agave with lovely herbal fl avors; smooth and spicy with silky texture and a long fi nish. Sacacuento Silver Mezcal, Mexico PREMIUM MEZCALES LLC 95 Kentucky Straight Bourbon, USA ($50) Cherry and orange peel nose; silky and lush with sweet, toasted vanilla oak and dried citrus; tamarind, spice, hints of tropical fruit with a ripe, rich style; aromatic and sensuous; long and perfumed. BROWN-FORMAN 91 Scotland ($35) Very smooth and mellow with toffee, sweet toasty oak and silky dried fruit; lovely and balanced with style, fi nesse and balance; charming and easy-going. FREDERICK WILDMAN & SONS Pig's Nose Blended Scotch Aged 5 Years, Woodford Reserve Double Oaked 91 Germany ($25) A dark amber herbal liqueur with a nose of bitters, spice, chocolate, plum pudding; thick, creamy and sweet with bitter overtones and notes of spice, chocolate, herbs and caramel. VISION WINE & SPIRITS Killepitsch Premium Kräuterlikör, 93 Stroh Jagertee, Austria ($25) Deep amber color; lovely aromatic nose of tamarind, prune and Christmas spices; creamy, smooth and complex with notes of mint, chocolate and cinnamon; sweet and remarkably rich with layers of fl avor. NICHE IMPORTS 95 The Himalayan Edition, Limited Edition Vodka, Latvia ($3,000) This very special edition is limited to 300 bottles. A lush vanilla nose leads to a texture as smooth as ermine, with lovely grain fl avors from the winter wheat and clarity from Himalayan water. Rich elit by Stolichnaya Pristine Water Series: and beautifully poised, with mellow, clean and keenly focused fl avors, this masterful vodka is both elegant and sensuous, with a precise fl avor arc that goes on like a Russian novel. WILLIAM GRANT & SONS may 2012 / the tasting panel / 65