Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/97133
Most All-Around Awesome Masterson���s 10 Year Old Straight Rye Whisky, Canada ($80) Brugal Especial Extra Dry Oak Cask Aged Rum, Dominican Republic ($20) Named for a man with remarkable prowess in gambling, buffalo hunting, army scouting, gun���ghting, newspapering and, of course, drinking, Masterson���s 100% Rye is as rough-and-tumble and perfect as its namesake. Small batch���distilled in an old-fashioned pot still, Masterson���s sources plump Paci���c Northwest rye and glacial water from the Rockies, resulting in a ���avor so intense and awesome that it���ll up your cool factor���even without the buffalo hunting. Sweet Valencia oranges���justsqueezed and sweetened with buttered caramel���is a perfumed incense that begins the steady slew of aromas and ���avors of this 90-proof Canadian rye. A distinct taste and sense of cinnamon buns warming in the oven with an eggnog back is more proof of an amazing liquid. Toffee, pepper and wheat toast soothe to the ���nish. 35 MAPLE STREET Best Love Potion Valentine Vodka, USA ($30) It���s easy to fall in love with a vodka named Valentine, but this is more than some charming brew. Inspired by the history of Detroit���s speakeasy scene, Valentine is produced using Michigan-sourced wheat, barley and corn, making this an all-American spirit with lovable appeal. Tripledistilled in small batches and charcoal ���ltered, Valentine is smooth and seductive, with plenty of charm as a sipping spirit and perfect for the farm-to-glass mixology set. Rated 94 by Anthony Dias Blue. Smooth and creamy with vanilla and lovely mouth feel; lush, rich and dense with velvety texture; long, deep and seamless with an amazingly luscious ���nish. VALENTINE DISTILLING CO. 148 / the tasting panel / december 2012 Most Surprising The rum category is hotter than ever, but if you think all white rums are the same, think again. Long gone are the days where making a rum cocktail meant masking super-sweet ���avors with more sugar. Today���s spirit-forward mixology focus calls for a rum that���s got more to offer than just a hangover-inwaiting, and Brugal Rum���s Extra Dry offering is just what the mixi-gods called for. Double-distilled in a proprietary process that produces a clean spirit with fewer heavy alcohols and residual sweetness, Brugal Extra Dry is a pleasantly dry surprise. Aged in White American Oak casks, the Brugal Rum Masters hand-select rums of varying ages to blend together, resulting in a premium-spirit with notable mixability. A pleasant surprise for spirits lovers looking to expand their rum horizons. Clear and creamy with gorgeous essence of sugar without being sweet; lovely, mellow, warm ���avors with vanilla and marshmallow; elegant and perfectly balanced; beautiful stuff with huge cocktail potential.