Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/793596
78 / the tasting panel / march 2017 SPIRITS Bib & Tucker Small Batch White Whiskey, USA ($40) Clean nose of pencil shavings and vanilla. Warm, generously spreading mouthfeel: white pepper, marshmal- low, wet stone, rye plus a dab of raspberry- pomegranate and orange marmalade. Sweet corn on the finish, white petals and that inching up of heat makes for a good time double-distilled whiskey. 92 proof. 94 3 BADGE MIXOLOGY Stonecutter Spirits Single Barrel Gin, USA ($55) Lilac-scented, juniper-inspired, this 90-proof bourbon-barreled gin—a Double Gold medalist at last year's San Francisco World Spirits Competition—starts off with an exquisiteness. The floral and biting-spiced palate turns into a charcoal and anise smoothness. This is a liquid chameleon—charming and intriguingly changeable. 93 Nautical American Gin, USA ($33) Sea salt is one of this 84-proof domestic gin's unique ingredients—along with 14 other botanicals, mainly U.S.–grown. The bottle design is also unusual due to its flat back. On the nose, freshly cut spearmint wafts through, along with lilacs and a sweeter juniper than most. The brininess shows itself right away, with mint, black pepper and a lavender-orange note that is notably exotic. 93 VERTICAL SPIRITS Short Mountain Distillery "Prohibition Tea" Tennessee Moonshine, USA ($30) This 60-proof sweet peach tea moonshine cocktail is based on stone-milled corn and uses Tennessee spring water. The aroma is pure whiskey, with hints of molasses and stone fruit. The slight burn on the palate begs for an ice cube to be dropped in to settle down the peppered mouthfeel. Black tea comes through mid-way, with a dry finish—not overly sweet. Would do well with added chilled juices and more of that ice. 89 Stonecutter Spirits Heritage Cask Whiskey, USA ($61) Finished in Cabernet Barrels, this Kentucky whiskey trav- eled to Vermont to undergo a triple-barrel aging process. Dusky orange, milk chocolate and porridge are heart-warming aromatics. At 90 proof, it barely pinches the palate with heat, but the demure notes of coconut, chocolate pudding and apricot are welcoming and sensual. 94 Hanson of Sonoma Espresso Flavored Vodka, USA ($30) By the cocktail hour, you may have already downed your quota of caffeine, but if the desire is still there to sniff the roasted coffee-mocha aromas you so dearly love, this is your afternoon and evening delight. While the nose lures with sweet, the palate appeals to the bitter bean. Seven-times-filtered and gluten-free, this small-batch 80-proof grape- based California vodka is a wake-up call that sure tastes like that first cup of the day. The just-enough sweetness is from the addition of agave nectar. 92 HANSON HANDMADE SPIRITS LLC Calamity Gin, USA ($27) With a name that in itself should garner praise, this white spirit is a play on the American folk hero and Wild West pioneer woman who befriended Wild Bill Hickok. Scents of vio- lets, cheery peppered white petals of freesia and a honeyed white grapefruit are some of olfactory music coming from the glass of this 80-proof Texan. The pepper gains ground on the palate, along with grapefruit rind and an elaborate bunch of blue flowers. The finish of vanilla and bread dough adds textural buoyancy. 95 SOUTHWEST SPIRITS This quartet of new cream liqueurs, sold in individual servings, is an exciting discovery. Café Agave French Vanilla Cream, USA ($2.99/50 ml.) Clean, vivid vanilla is not shy with an echo of tropical fruit behind it on the nose. The flavors incorporate so many underlying pleasant- ries such as orange blossom, vanilla wafer and a hint of lilac. Superb. 92 Café Agave Salted Caramel Cream, USA ($2.99/50 ml.) A treat on the nose, the aroma of freshly made caramel is definable. With an echo of coffee bean and a mellow salinity, this creamy dream can be savored without any overindulgent characteristics. 93 Café Agave Toasted Coconut Cream, USA ($2.99/50 ml.) One of the cleanest, purest expressions of coconut—it perfumes the glass and you can picture the fresh juice and meat of the fruit. On the palate, the soft, billowy creaminess embraces the coconut flavors with a lingering note that keeps sweetness at bay for a just-right finish. 93 Café Agave Mocha Cream, USA ($2.99/50 ml.) For chocolate aficionados, the regal aromas of the dark variety is apparent and offers an extra savory perfumed note of just-brewed espresso. The surprise on the palate is the delicacy of the liquid, the lithe texture of the cream and the slow-to-fade finish of melting mocha. 92