Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/142283
Michter's Small Batch US*1 Original Sour Mash Whiskey, USA ($44) Small amounts of previously fermented mash were used as a starter for new mash for this alluring 86-proof American whiskey. Baked apple and the pastry it's baked in are sprinkled with cinnamon—but the grip is tightly wound and not to be mistaken for sweetness. Instead, an upsurge of spice and tannins coats the upper palate for a chalky, yet masterful, finish. 91 CHATHAM IMPORTS Dry Fly Port Finish Wheat Whiskey, USA ($30) Finished in Huckleberry Port Barrels from Washington State's portmaking winery Townshend Cellars, this Washington State 86-proof wheat whiskey from Dry Fly's Creel Collection got us hooked. A slick, woodsy cedar profile melts into a burnt orange cream. Spiced apple-pie, notes, which tend to flock to good brown spirits, show their face here, alongside a playground of blue fruit and tangerines in melted caramel butter. 95 A Gathering of Gins Here are some of the stand-out gins I have tasted recently. I scored them all with four smooches. 93 Amethyst Handcrafted Lavender Gin, USA ($42) Lavender blooms right under your nose: round, rich and generous. The flavor is actually vapor distilled into this 90-proof corn-based gin from Ellensburg, Washington. White-washed vanilla "candle wax" surrounds a clean, enduring and subtly perfumed liquid lavender, hand-grown on the distiller's farm. No bitterness—just pleasure. 94 POINTS the tasting panel THE ELLENSBURG DISTILLERY And other spirits . . . Dulce Dorado Honey & Vanilla Tequila ($27) With its insistent agave nose, there's no hiding the authenticity of this tequila base. At 70-proof, this "liqueur" resounds with complexity. A procession of flavors: lime, avocado, cucumber and even artichoke make their presence known. But it's that touch of honey-sweetened lemon and an indulgence of maple, sweet tea, gardenia and herbs that makes this spirit noticeably dulce. 92 DULCE DORADO TEQUILA LLC. Watershed Distillery Four Peel Gin, USA ($28) From Columbus, Ohio, here's an 88-proof white spirit that aims for the zing. We zero in on a punch of pepper, with a bitter edge of lilacs and a tart-sweet lemon zest. On the second and third pass, a clean chamomile brightness shines in as a saltiness hits at the finish. Stunningly unique. 94 WATERSHED DISTILLERY Tanqueray Malacca Gin ($27) This is referred to as a "wetter" style (as opposed to London Dry) gin. Instead of a parade of juniper up front, there is a soft, bouncy effect of melons, peaches and candied pineapple. A cloud of citrus floats by. This 80-proofer possesses a sinfully self-aware finish, beaming with milk chocolate and black pepper creaminess. 94 St. Elder Natural Elderflower Liqueur, USA ($20) Handcrafted in small batches from a natural extract of elderflower blossoms, the floral, juicy pear nose makes you close your eyes reflexively, as you would when you smell a sweet-scented rose. The sumptuous palate serves up a caramel-doused summer peach. The finish is clean, white petals in a bounty of texture. 93 DIAGEO NORTH AMERICA july 2013 / the tasting panel / 89 TP0713_066-99.indd 89 6/24/13 5:49 PM