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1 10 / the tasting panel / may 2018 CATEGORY REPORT Andrew John's Premium Gin ($20) This gin is blessed with juniper from the Rocky Mountains. On the nose, lemongrass and heather linger; juniper is sweetly scented with clean, feminine lanolin and spiced honey. With a round, buoyant texture, the flavors gain pizzazz as piquant key lime, vanilla, and soft lilac sail to the finish. 93 —M.M. XIII Kings Vodka ($20) Eight times distilled and five times filtered, this vodka has a smoothness on the palate and a sensational mildness on the nose. Produced from corn, this 80-proofer has aromas of blueberry and spearmint with flavor characteristics that include vanilla, white pepper, and grapefruit. 92 —M.M. Pelican Harbor Rum ($20) Pelican Harbor Rum has you at first sniff. Caramel-apple butter lures your senses as you're transported to the Caribbean. Melted brown sugar and orange peel turn sweet at the back of the throat as the textural glide of liquid carries further notes of cocoa, wheat toast, figs, and ripe plums. 93 —M.M. SOUTHERN CHAMPION Many an American entrepreneur can tell you that inspiration often strikes at the most unlikely moments. This certainly rings true for Merrilee Kick, a former teacher who once found herself grading papers poolside with a Margarita. Realizing how easily her glass could break with a careless flick of the hand while she worked, Kick began dreaming up a solution that eventually led to a small business loan and the creation of BuzzBallz. The ready- to-drink cocktail brand comes in recyclable packaging and has brought in more than $20 million in revenue. Never one to cease innovating, Kick continues to expand her Southern Champion portfolio with outstanding spirits. Inspired by the wild Rocky Mountain juniper of Montana, Andrew John's Premium Gin features layers of juniper, pine, lemon, orange peel, lime, coriander, anise, and black currant. The spirit undergoes eight distillations before being filtered five times, allowing for a smooth, crisp spirit against which the botanical flavors shine brightly. Both kosher and gluten-free, XIII Kings Vodka starts with 100-percent American corn before being distilled eight times and filtered five times—just like its gin kin—for a smooth, balanced vodka worthy of any royal family's collection. Meanwhile, Pelican Harbor Rum, a light spirit made from Caribbean sugarcane, blends rum from the U.S. Virgin Islands, Martinique, Barbados, Guyana, Trinidad, and Jamaica. When asked about the most surprising aspect of her career in the spirits industry, Kick says, "Looking back on it now, I realize what an accomplishment it was. Back when I started, I had to do everything by myself: create the packaging, buy machinery, get permits, create formu- las, handle compliance in every state, do production, and do all the billing, as well as shipping, marketing, adver- tising, and sales to distributors. So here we are today, making booze not only for ourselves but others, too!" at butter Caribbean. Following the American Dream: Southern Champion