The Tasting Panel magazine

August 2012

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88 88 Altano 2009 Douro, Portugal ($12) An organic red table wine from the Symington family; smooth and dense with ripe berries, spice and cassis; long and lush with savory notes and concentrated fl avors. VINEYARD BRANDS Spain ($13) Smooth, mellow and fl eshy with ripe plum, Jellybean 2011 Berry Smooth, Catalunya, cherry and spice; supple, earthy and balanced; sweet oak and lovely style; 40% Tempranillo, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot. OFFBEAT BRANDS SPIRITS 93 92 wanted to see if could out smoke the lads at Laphroaig Corn Whisky, USA ($55) Wow! If you like smoke this is for you: corn whiskey that has been infused with the smoke of Texas scrub oak. Chip Tate wanted to see if he could out- Balcones Brimstone Scrub Oak Smoked and he succeeded; an amazing product and it's 106 proof as well; don't look for subtlety here—it's all about the smoke. BALCONES DISTILLING 91 Caliche Rum, Puerto Rico ($25) Lively and bright with clear color and nice rustic notes; smooth and rich with vanilla and a hint of sweetness; complex fl avors and lots of depth; crafted by Rande Gerber in conjunction with Serrallés, the maker of Don Q. SERRALLÉS USA 94 Especial, Dominican Republic ($20) Clear and creamy with gorgeous essence of sugar without being sweet; lovely, mellow, warm fl avors with vanilla and marshmallow; elegant and perfectly balanced; beautiful stuff with huge cocktail potential. Brugal Extra Dry Oak Cask Aged Rum RÉMY COINTREAU USA 93 Whiskey, USA ($35) Lovely malt and toasty grain nose; fl oral and showing pronounced rye notes with toasty vanilla oak and creamy notes; elegant, generous and lush; rich and seductive. Belle Meade Sour Mash Straight Bourbon Ridge Distillery Extrait d'Absinthe Verte, USA ($84) Absinthe from Montana? You'd better believe it. Mint and anise nose; strong and edgy with strong anise/licorice fl avors; hot and intense with bright fl avors and rough texture; long and piercing. 93 Mahia Fig Eau de Vie, USA ($50) From Nahmias et Fils in Yonkers, New York, a distillate of fresh fi gs; smooth, clean and showing an aroma of ripe, earthy fi gs—sort of a Fig Newton on steroids; lovely dry notes of anise, spice and vanilla; unique and impressive. Kosher. NAHMIAS ET FILS 94 ($42) Ruby-colored; smooth, lush and showing bright bing cherry and tangy acidity; sweet and rich with lovely balance and elegance; another classic from this great company. MARNIER-LAPOSTOLLE Grand Marnier Cherry, France NELSONS'S GREEN BRIER DISTILLERY august 2012 / the tasting panel / 59

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