Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/118688
SPIRITS 90 92 Ole Smoky White Lightnin' 100% Grain Neutral Spirits ($25) Aromatic and smooth with rich flavors of grain and vanilla; dense and earthy with a hit of heat on the finish. Sold in a mason jar. OLE SMOKY DISTILLERY 92 RumChata Rum Cream, USA ($25) Ecru color with lovely vanilla and almond aromas; smooth and lush with vanilla, creamy and mellow spice with lush almond and sweet vanilla; rich, balanced and lovely in an eggnog way; lovely and delicious. Papa's Pilar Solera Blended Dark Rum ($40) Named for Ernest Heminway's beloved boat and creatively packaged in a bottle shaped like a U.S. Army canteen; soft toasty nose with burnt sugar; toasted, complex and mellow, with tropical fruit and spice. Rums from the Caribbean, Florida and Central America are solera blended, then finished in Spanish sherry casks. HEMINGWAY RUM COMPANY 92 Tatratea Outlaw Tea Liqueur, Slovakia ($35) Deep, dark amber color; tea with hints of orange in the nose; spicy, herbal and bitter with serious heat; rich, complex and soft sweetness with intensity and balance. AVANT GARDE IMPORTS 93 Tatratea Peach Tea Liqueur, Slovakia ($30) Medium amber color; soft peach nose; spicy, smooth and sweet with ripe peach flavors; silky and elegant with aromatics in fine balance; lovely and vivid. AVANT GARDE IMPORTS AGAVE LOCO 90 Russell Henry Hawaiian White Ginger Gin, USA ($38) Smooth and lush; rich, dense and showing ginger spice and ripe, deep botanical flavors. CRAFT DISTILLERS 90 Nikka Whisky Yoichi 15 Year Old Single Malt, Japan ($130) From a Hokkaido distillery established in 1934 by Scotch whisky fan Masataka Taketsuru. Smooth and toasty with bready notes and nice, deep maturity; mellow and mild with finesse and elegance. ANCHOR DISTILLING COMPANY 92 Sin Piedad Mezcal Reposado, Mexico ($36) Light, golden color; smoky, vegetal nose; earthy, spicy and herbal; lush and deep with lovely balance and length. NOT YET IMPORTED 91 The Real McCoy Rum Aged 5 Years, Barbados ($29) A tribute to the rum runner spirits of the Prohibition era; soft, sweet nose; precise, balanced and toasty with sleek, elegant flavors; long and easy-going. REAL MCCOY SPIRITS april 2013 / the tasting panel / 69