Jameson Black Barrel Irish Whiskey

When it comes to Jameson, few people venture beyond the standard base Jameson Irish Whiskey blend. Jameson has become so popular and obsequious that people often refer to the base blend simply as “Jameson”. It’s unfortunate, because the Jameson line, which includes Jameson 12 Year and Jameson Gold Reserve, has a lot to offer. Perhaps price has been an issue to some consumers, as Jameson Gold Reserve is delicious but priced at nearly double the base blend.

Seeking to bridge the gap between their higher end products and the base line, Jameson has come out with a blend that is only $10 more than the standard Jameson. Jameson Black Barrel Select Reserve brings together Irish pot still whiskey and rare small batch grain whiskey aged in a combination of ex-sherry and ex-bourbon barrels. The aging barels contribute a significant amount to the ultimate character of Black Barrel.

Jameson Black Barrel Select Reserve ($35, 40%) has a decidedly rich and sweet nose. The  lush, ripe fruit from the sherry is front and center, then mixes with the bourbon barrel notes of oak, marzipan, cinnamon, and oak. The entry is packed with flavor but not overly aggressive. Clear sherry fruit notes mix with the vanilla and soft oak. It’s evenly balanced and the flavors come together very well. A slight spice joins the mix in the mid-palate along with a subtle, salty grain note.  The finish on the Black Barrel is flavorful and easy, fading out at a perfect pace and leaving the mouth fairly clean.

There’s been a real trend in the whiskey space to put out flavorful and unique blends that don’t have an age statement on them, and for some reason many of them are called “Black”. Johnnie Walker has been very successful with Johnnie Walker Double Black and we think Jameson is going to be equally as successful with Black Barrel. Well priced, Jameson Black Barrel is an extraordinarily affable, flavorful, and easy to drink Irish whiskey that is a clear upgrade from the standard blend.

Patron XO Cafe Dark Cocoa

We’ve been longtime fans of Patron XO Cafe, a tequila and coffee liquor which costs literally half the price of Patron Silver Tequila. Patron XO isn’t extremely well known and we’ve enjoyed introducing people to this delicious spirit. We were quite surprised, but entirely excited, to hear that Patron is releasing another tequila-based liquor in their Patron XO line: Patron XO Cafe Dark Cocoa. As with Patron XO, the new Patron XO Cafe Dark Cocoa uses Patron Silver as its base spirit, and it’s also priced extremely low at $24.95 (again, half the price of Patron Silver).

Both the coffee and the chocolate in Patron XO Cafe Dark Cocoa are sourced from Mexico: the chocolate is a Criollo variety which is produced in Mexico’s Tabasco region, and the coffee comes from the Mexican states of Veracruz and Chiapas. The coffee sources are the same as Patron XO Cafe, although the brew that’s used to make this spirit is clearly different and a lot less intense.

Patron XO Cafe Dark Cocoa ($24.95, 30%) – from the start it’s clear that the Patron XO Cafe Dark Cocoa is remarkably different from Patron XO Cafe. The predominant note on the nose with the Cafe Dark Cocoa is tequila, whereas in the XO Cafe it’s coffee. Under the tequila is dark, thick, and slightly sweet chocolate with very faint coffee as an undertone. As with the nose, the entry leads with tequila, and sweet agave notes are crystal clear right at the start. At the opening, the chocolate notes are soft and subtle, acting more as an undertone of the tequila. The chocolate flavors ramp up in the mid palate where they are joined with just a dash coffee. The coffee here feels more like a supporting character than a lead note (as it is in XO Cafe). Patron’s signature pepper flavor is also apparent in the mid palate but without much of a kick.  The chocolate notes are really solid and taste like a good quality semi-dark chocolate with absolutely no artificial elements to the flavor. The finish is long and sweet with a hint of pepper, agave, and chocolate lingering on the palate. There’s absolutely no heat or kick, making it incredibly easy to drink.

Patron XO Cafe Dark Cocoa is at a lower proof than the XO Cafe (with 5% less alcohol), but it tastes a lot more like a tequila liquor. Without the strong coffee notes there isn’t as much bitterness, although the pepper notes from the tequila are more predominant and help keep it from becoming uncomfortably sweet. Overall though, the flavor profile is decidedly sweeter than XO Cafe.

In many ways, Patron XO Cafe Dark Cocoa feels like Patron XO Cafe 2.0. Patron has come back around and recast their offering so it’s more tequila forward, has less coffee flavor, and is softer and sweeter with less alcohol. It also more closely resembles the amazingly successful strategy that Jack Daniel’s has with their Tennessee Honey Liqueur, a gentle and clear introduction to the core product, which in this case is Patron Silver Tequila.

Put simply, Patron XO Cafe Dark Cocoa is dangerously delicious. It manages to deliver a chocolate coffee liqueur experience that also preserves the wonderful flavors of the base spirit, appealing both to tequila fans and drinkers looking for a softer, sweeter introduction to the category.

Adam Carmer in The Attic in Las Vegas

Freakin’ Frog, a little beer and whisky bar on the border of the UNLV campus in Las Vegas, is probably the last place you’d expect for a game-changing discovery. While this bar appears to cater to the college crowd, it actually has one of the best curated selection of beers we’ve seen, and upstairs “the attic” has one of the most extensive collections of whisky in America. Freakin Frog may seem like an unlikely setting for a revolution, but the owner, Adam Carmer, seems even less likely as a revolutionary. Carmer spends as much time behind a podium as a professor at UNLV as he does behind the bar. In addition to being a restauranteur and professor, Carmer has worked as a Master Chef and Sommelier with Steven Wynn as Director of Restaurants at Mirage Hotel & Casino.

Behind the bar at Freakin Frog, Carmer seems like a combination of nutty professor and David Copperfield. Extremely passionate about what he does, Carmer walks me through a collection of over 800 different whiskys, introducing many of them like old friends. Adam Carmer didn’t set out to revolutionize the way we taste spirits – it was his love and passion for spirits that led him there.

Over 800 Whiskys at The Attic in Las Vegas

It was while running Freakin Frog that Carmer stumbled upon an entirely new way of tasting and evaluating spirits. Think of this as the spirit equivalent of the apple falling on Isaac Newton’s head. One night, while drinking some whisky and lost in tasting it, Carmer’s wife interrupted him. Instead of swallowing his sip, he held it in his mouth while he listened attentively to what his wife had to say. It was after this that he realized the effect it had on his experience of the spirit.

After a great deal of research on how the olfactory system works and why things smelled and tasted so different after this experience, Carmer set out to develop a tasting method that would reflect it. The result of this is the CSTEM (Carmer Spirits Tasting Enhancement Method). While it may sound simple and its execution is fairly easy, it represents nothing short of a revolution in the way we taste and experience spirits.

To date, there has been only one generally accepted way of smelling and tasting spirits. The basic mechanics are that you smell a spirit and then taste it. A few variations include holding the glass a fair distance under your nose as to not be overwhelmed by the alcohol, or diluting the alcohol with water. That’s how it’s done and no one has really challenged this methodology until now.

The CSTEM is based on the realization that by acclimatizing the olfactory system to the spirit you are drinking, you are better able to access the flavors and aromas it has. Fundamentally this is done by bringing a small sip of spirit into your mouth, holding it there for a full twelve count, and then slowly drawing it into your throat over a series of small sips. This is all done before ever sticking your nose in a glass, and all done with your mouth closed. The process is deceptively easy but the result is nothing short of magical. Through this method, the entire olfactory system gets calibrated to the spirit you are drinking and enables you to access some of the elements that you simply can’t smell or taste otherwise.

This process also doesn’t require you to be some sort of super taster or super smeller, and it removes many of the barriers that people have to be able to access and identify the elements in what they are drinking.

Here’s a step by step run down of the CSTEM (Carmer Spirits Tasting Enhancement Method):

• Pour 1/2 an ounce of whatever you want to taste in a glass. Do not smell the spirit or the glass.
• Take a very small sip (about 1/4 of what you poured or 1/8th of an ounce). Keep that sip in the front of your mouth with your mouth closed. Don’t trap the sip on your tongue, let it naturally run off your tongue to the front of your mouth, gums, under the tongue, etc. Do not swish or agitate the sip.
• Do a slow twelve count while letting the spirit sit in your mouth. Only breath through your nose while you do this, and do not open your mouth.
• After twelve seconds, your sip should now have combined with a fair amount of saliva and you should be able to draw it back in a series of 4-5 small swallows.
• Once you’ve done your swallows, exhale and breathe normally.

Next comes the magic:

• Pick up your glass and smell the spirit. There should be no alcohol burn and you should be able to clearly smell the aromas in the glass.
• Take another sip of the spirit and swallow it naturally. You’ll notice a significant change in the taste of the spirit.

Here’s Adam Carmer walking through the tasting process:

Adam Carmer has an upcoming book on the CSTEM and offers tastings at The Attic at Freakin Frog which can be scheduled at whiskyattic.com.

Jack Daniel's Whiskey Barrels on Fire

When it comes to American whiskey (or bourbon), a tremendous amount of the flavor you taste in your glass (as much as 60%) comes from the barrel that the whiskey was aged in. As a result, the time and attention that whiskey manufacturers like Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey put into making that barrel is extremely significant. Drink Spirits had an opportunity to go behind the scenes at the Brown-Forman Cooperage in Louisville, Kentucky to see firsthand how these barrels are made.

Brown-Forman Cooperage in Kentucky

The Brown-Forman Cooperage is the only barrel making facility exclusive to one distiller. Formerly the Blue Grass Cooperage Company, the cooperage was renamed in 2009 to the Brown-Forman Cooperage. The facility makes barrels for all of the Brown-Forman barrel aged spirits, including Woodford Reserve, Old Forester, Herradura Tequila, Collingwood Canadian Whiskey, Early Times Bourbon, and of course, Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey.  The scale of the facility is massive, including an aging and storage facility for the wood that goes into making the barrels that has over thirty million dollars worth of lumber stored in it.

Brown-Forman Master Distiller Chris Morris Stands by Piles of Drying Oak

Barrels made at the Brown-Forman Cooperage are all made from American Oak. Wood is sourced from a number of regions, including the Ozarcks, Appalachia, and a “Northern Region”  that includes and surrounds Minnesota. The wood from the various regions is milled and then delivered to the cooperage. Fresh cut oak, or “green wood,” is 85% water, so to be used for barrels it needs to be dried and aged. Drying wood too quickly can create splits, cracks, and checks (microscopic cracks) which cause a barrel to leak, so the wood needs to be slowly aged outdoors. The green wood is stacked fifteen to twenty feet high in an outdoor stockyard for nearly a year. Each whiskey has its own barrel recipe that dictates how long the wood is dried and aged; for example, Woodford Reserve is 9 months.

In addition to gradually drying out the wood, exposing the wood to the elements also helps determine flavor. Green wood is high in tannic acids (as much as 12%) which translates into harshness and astringency in a whiskey. When you dry wood outside and it gets drenched with rain and then dried by the sun, this helps reduce and “tame” the levels of tannic acid.  There are also fungal and microbial reactions that occur when you naturally age cut wood that unlocks the phenolic structure (which is where the vanilla flavors come from) as well as breaks down some of the wood’s natural carbohydrates. This process imparts many of the fruit, spice, and sweet flavors and aromatics that make their way into the final whiskey.

Oak for Jack Daniels Barrels in Huge Kiln

After being exposed to the elements, the oak is then relocated into giant heated warehouse kilns where they are exposed to high heat to finish the drying process. The amount of time that the wood may stay here again depends on the barrel recipe (which are all proprietary). The wood is mixed so that the final barrels are all a blend of the various sources of woods, which helps create a uniform flavor.

Wood Planks Become Staves for Jack Daniels Barrels

After the wood has been aged and dried, it makes its way through a number of steps in the cooperage on the way to becoming a barrel. The first series of steps are to transform the wood planks into the staves and heads of the barrel. Getting this process right is important as these barrels need to be water tight: imperfections or mistakes here lead to leaks later on in the process.

Chris Morris Shows off Charred Barrel Heads

The heads (or ends) of the barrel are made by pinning together planks of wood and then cutting them into a sphere. These heads are charred separately from the barrel and then affixed towards the end of the process.

Jack Daniel's Barrels Built by Hand

Barrels are built by hand one stave at a time. A worker at the Brown-Forman Cooperage will assemble 500 barrels a day with over 2,000 total barrels produced in a day. Of these, the majority are produced for Jack Daniel’s.

Chris Morris Showing Examples of Toasted and Charred Staves

After the barrels are built, they go through a multi-step process to get them ready for making whiskey. The first step is called toasting. The barrels are slowly heated on the inside to around 450 degrees. The amount of time they toast the barrels is a trade secret, but the toasting helps break down the natural occurring aldehydes including vanillin which get released into the whiskey during aging. Brown-Forman is one of the only cooperages to toast their barrels before charing them, and this extra step is one of the reasons why their whiskies have such nice vanilla notes to them.

Jack Daniel’s barrels go through the char process

Once the barrels are toasted, they are ready to be charred. Charring barrels is one of the most dramatic and exciting parts of the barrel-making process. Open ended barrels are placed over natural gas burners and set on fire, exposed to heat as high as 1500 degrees. How long a barrel is exposed to these flames determines how deep into the wood the char goes. Char is measured on a four level scale with the deepest char, #4, called alligator char (as the staves look a lot like the backs of alligators after this deep char). Charring a barrel breaks down the hemicellulose in the wood into sugars, which get caramelized and impart the sweet caramel flavor into the whiskey. The charred wood also forms a thin layer of carbon which significantly helps reduce the oiliness from the corn spirit used to make bourbon and whiskey. Ultimately, charring a barrel makes many of the elements from the barrel more accessible to the aging whiskey, as some of the elements are water soluble and some alcohol soluble (the proof of the spirit that goes into the barrel can dramatically impact the elements it can access from the barrel).

A Bung Hole is Cut and the Barrel is Tested

After a barrel is charred, the heads are added to each end, a bung hole (where the spirit goes in) is cut, and then the barrel is filled with water to check for leaks. Any barrel that leaks is then fixed by a small group of coopers who replace staves, fill cracks, and and fix bands. A small leak could mean losing a lot of whiskey over the aging process, so this final testing phase is crucial.

Once the barrels pass the testing, they are shipped off to Lynchburg, Tennessee where they are filled with new make spirit that ages to become Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey (or, for Woodford Reserve and Old Forester, they stay in Kentucky).

Barrel Staves from Jack Daniel's Whiskey Barrels

One of the things you realize watching a Jack Daniel’s Whiskey Barrel being built is how natural a process it is. While there’s a fair amount of machinery in the cooperage, the process all is focused on shaping and preserving the natural qualities of the wood. “Each barrel is as individual as one of us,” remarks Master Distiller Chris Morris, and it’s amazing how any spirit company can make a uniform whiskey using barrels that are all unique. There’s something magical about the process of turning planks of wood into whiskey barrels, and I’m glad we got a chance to see the process.

The Brown-Forman Cooperage can be toured as part of Mint Julep Tours.

Red Stag Honey Tea and Red Stag Spiced

Whiskey is one of the hottest segments of the spirits industry, and many of the American whiskey producers are working to lure more customers with products that appeal to the non-traditional whiskey drinker. Many of these products are sweeter, softer versions of the classic whiskey offerings, and the flavors run the gamut.  Most of the major American whiskey producers have played around with honey in some form or another. Of these, the Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey is the best of the lot, providing a sweeter and softer Jack Daniel’s experience. Jim Beam took a different approach to this space with Red Stag, a cherry flavored bourbon. Unfortunately the cherry flavors in the base Red Stag never tasted right, with an overly artificial quality to them (almost like cherry cough syrup) that made the other flavors of the whiskey hard to access.  This is a common problem with some of the ‘flavored’ products on the market, including Southern Comfort Fiery Pepper.

Jim Beam continues their pursuit of the non-traditional whiskey drinker with two new expressions of Red Stag – Red Stag Spiced with Cinnamon and Red Stag Honey Tea. It’s interesting that Jim Beam is sticking with the Red Stag brand for these two expressions (which has become associated with cherry flavor) rather than doing Jim Beam Honey Tea and Jim Beam Cinnamon, but they seem to feel that there’s some good equity in the Red Stag brand to extend.

Red Stag Spiced with Cinnamon (40%, $17.99) – is the best of the three Red Stag options on the market. American whiskey often has natural cinnamon notes that come from aging in barrels, so it makes sense to play off those existing flavors to create something new. Unfortunately like the original Red Stag the flavor notes taste too artificial and contrived. The nose on the Red Stag Cinnamon is distinctly spicy cinnamon, more like a red hot candy than a baker’s cinnamon. Along with cinnamon, there’s a center of mint with the slightest bit of oak underneath. Although the cinnamon is strong in the nose, you can still smell elements of the base whiskey.  The entry on the Red Stag Spiced is spicy, sweet cinnamon candy. The mid palate is very short and flashes a hint of cherry along with the cinnamon candy and some hints of Jim Beam Bourbon, but it’s a real hit and run.  There’s a little spike in the spice right at the finish but it’s also quick.  The finish leaves a sweet cinnamon-mint candy spice with the slightest hint of the artificial cherry. Unfortunately, as the core of the finish departs the less desirable artificial flavors linger for quite a while.

Red Stag Spiced is definitely a step in the right direction, but it still suffers from some of the issues inherent with Red Stag. The cinnamon could definitely balance the flavors out and makes things taste more whiskey-like, but it’s way too artificial, especially the add notes left at the end of the finish. It’s a fairly sweet spirit and does an amazing job of disguising the fact that it’s 80 proof / 40% alcohol. It would be very easy to get very drunk very quickly with Red Stag Spiced. Truth be told, Red Stag Spiced will probably be best served as a chill shot or mixed with Coke, and in that space it performs fine as low priced training wheels for someone looking to ease their way into whiskey.

Red Stag Honey Tea (40%, $17.99) – whereas the new Red Stag Spiced with cinnamon is a step forward for Red Stag, the Red Stag Honey Tea is a little bit of a step back. All the elements that go into Red Stag Honey Tea are flavors that work well with whiskey – honey, cinnamon, and tea. Unfortunately, they don’t come together exceptionally well with Red Stag Honey Tea. The nose of the Red Stag Honey Tea brings together classical whiskey notes like cinnamon and oak with a nutty note, bu the honey doesn’t really read much in the nose. The entry on the Red Stag Honey  Tea is a little bit blank and sweet – it almost tastes like you’re sipping simple syrup with a dash of honey. The flavor begins to come through in the mid palate  with cinnamon, spice, nuts, light honey sugar and a hint of cherry. Like with the Red Stag Spiced, there’s a quick spike of spice right before the finish along with a flash of black tea. The finish is slightly odd and sweet with bits of cherry and nuts, and lots of tea and some of the more artificial notes linger way too long.

It’s hard to make heads or tails of what they were trying to do with Red Stag Honey Tea, because the elements just don’t come together well. Part of the problem is that the honey doesn’t read clearly honey; it tastes more like sugar mixed with a little honey, and that leaves things just a little flabby and dull (although things are more honey like if you throw the bottle in the freezer). The tea flavors also don’t seem to have a real home in the mix and feel tacked on towards the end like they were shoe-horned in.  The cherry notes which feel like they’ve been added as a ‘dash to the mix’ just don’t work very well and here they are joined by an off-putting nut note which just isn’t appetizing. Red Stag Honey Tea isn’t awful, but it really misses the mark. Rather than improving on the base Red Stag, it muddles things to make them worse.

Red Stag Honey Tea and Red Stag Spiced with Cinnamon will be available the first part of 2012.

10 Vodkas Reviewed

At Drink Spirits we get a LOT of spirits to review, far more than it’s possible to cover. We recognize, though, that the people behind these spirits work very hard to bring them to market, and so we feel it’s important to cover as many as we possibly can. Assembling a blind tasting panel for vodka is like pulling teeth; although it’s the biggest selling spirit category, tasting vodka (which by definition is considered a neutral spirit) is sometimes a palate-crushing task, so we convened a special vodka session to address 10 of the interesting vodkas patiently waiting to be reviewed. We hope you’ll enjoy this look at 10 unique vodkas.

Reyka Small Batch Vodka (40%, $27) – this vodka comes out of Iceland and is made using a carter head still (the same kind of still that Hendricks Gin uses) and is filtered through lava rock. The nose on the Rekya Vodka is light and clean, with very few esters apparent and very subtle tones of vanilla and citrus. The entry is soft and smooth with light grain flavor that builds towards the mid palate, along with a light lemon undertone. The finish is fascinating – it brings on some powdered sugar and a little spice, and just when you think it’s over it circles back around with a nice pin prick of heat (much like a great Russian style vodka, but it a much more subtle and almost sly way). Reyka Vodka is a good, solid quality vodka, priced right, and delivers an enjoyable vodka experience.

Russian Standard Gold (40%, $50) –  fifty dollars is a lot to spend on a bottle of vodka, but Russian Standard has tried to up the value proposition with a lovely package that presents their vodka as a premium vodka. Made with Russian ginseng, the nose does have a slight earthy spice note to it along with the conventional citrus found in many vodkas. The entry is wonderfully lush and soft, and slightly cool with a terrific mouthfeel. The entry is slightly watery and blank but that quickly changes in the mid-palate with the ginseng spice that comes on strong and carries to a nice long, spicy finish. The ginseng spice is progressive, building after each sip.  Ginseng and vodka go together fantastically, and I like the heat and spice you get here from the ginseng much more than some of the spicy or flavored vodkas.  The opening is a little flat, but the great mouthfeel and the superb spice more than make up for it. Still, at $50 a bottle it’s really exclusively a vodka connoseur’s vodka.

Napa Vodka Distiller’s Blend (40%, $19.99) – grape-based vodkas have become popular over the last few years and they seem like a natural product to be manufactured in areas that have an abundance of grapes. It’s no surprise then to find a Napa Valley vodka made from Sauvignon Blanc grapes. The surprise here is that they’ve combined the grapes with winter wheat to make this vodka. The nose on the Napa Vodka is light and slightly sweet. The wheat notes are clearly present in the nose along with a slightly floral undertone from the sauvignon blanc grapes. These notes come together to make a slightly pasty aroma, but it’s not an unpleasant one. The entry is clearly wheat with a soft, round mouthfeel and grain flavor. The grape floral notes come in clearly in the mid-palate, but towards the finish the floral notes turn slightly soapy. Things really start to break down in the finish, which is slightly bitter and unpleasant. There is a nice cool ribbon of mint that’s thrown in there, but it can’t overcome the bitter notes. Napa Vodka has some fair elements, but they just don’t come together well. Perhaps if Napa Vodka went with a pure grape-based vodka like Finger Lakes Vintner’s Vodka they’d have something worth investigating.

Hangar One  Straight Vodka (40%, $29) – another vodka based from both grape and grain, the Hangar One Vodka combines pot stilled viognier wine and column still wheat vodka. The nose on the Hangar One Straight Vodka is sweet and slightly fruity with the slightest hint of cherry. There’s a slightly pasty undercurrent, but it’s not unpleasant. The entry is superb, fruity and floral, and soft with a very nice mouthfeel. The mid-palate picks up a nice spice note from the grain which complements the floral and fruit notes. We were almost a convert until we got to the finish. With a pitch-perfect ribbon of spice down the tongue, things turn soapy and bitter on the sides. It’s not a complete train wreck of a finish, but it’s enough to keep this very well-crafted vodka from being truly great, and makes us wonder if grape and grains really do belong in the same glass.

Ultimat Vodka (40%, $40)  - made from a mix of potato, wheat, and rye, this Polish vodka comes to the US care of the Patron company. The nose is pretty solid, slightly sweet, with clear grain notes and no harshness or strong esters. The entry starts out fairly soft and sweet and then builds quickly on the mid palate to a mix of wheat and black pepper. The pepper ramps up strongly in the mid palate and then finishes with a real crescendo. The finish is one of the spicier finishes we’ve tasted on a vodka. It’s no surprise that the makers of Patron fell in love with this vodka – it reminds us of the strong pepper kick of Patron silver tequila. At $40 a bottle, Ultimat Vodka is a little extravagant, but they’ve tried to make up for the price with a showcase bottle which looks dynamic but has one of the most frustrating tops on a vodka bottle yet.  Ultimat Vodka does a good job mixing potato, wheat, and rye into a vodka that’s almost custom targeted to the Patron drinker – someone who probably won’t mind spending $40 on a bottle.

Vivid Vodka (40%) – the vodka market is so vast, there’s certainly room for a porno vodka, isn’t there?  After all, Ron Jeremy has his own rum. Made at Side Pocket in Cottage Grove, Oregon, a contract distiller who also makes Vision Vodka, Spring 44,  Rogue Vodka (and many many others), the nose on the Vivid Vodka is light and slightly sweet. You can smell the grain but there are very few esters. The entry is soft and lightly sweet quickly building to a spicy pepper center. The mid palate is defined by spice with some focused heat in the center of the palate. The finish is long and spicy with an undercurrent of sweet.  Vivid Vodka is a solid middle of the road vodka that delivers a better experience than most other vodkas you’d find on the bottle service list in most clubs (i.e. Grey Goose or Skyy).

Spring 44 Vodka(40%, $25)  bills itself as a Rocky Mountain vodka and claims to use mountain spring water, but it’s also distilled at Side Pocket in Cottage Grove, Oregon. We actually called to confirm that Spring 44 actually trucks down spring water to be used in this vodka, and Side Pocket confirmed that they do. It’s a pretty amazing thing to do for a contract distilled vodka. The nose on the Spring 44 Vodka is very light with the slightest hint of lemon and without any vapors. The entry is very light, soft, and slightly sweet. It’s got a really nice mouth feel. Things get a little spicy in the mid palate and then a little hot. The heat lingers through the finish, which is slightly bitter, almost like the pith of a lemon rind. Compared with some of the other vodkas made at Side Pocket, Spring 44 isn’t among our favorites (so far that distinction belongs to Vision Vodka). The heat at the end of the mid palate and the finish just don’t go down well, and it doesn’t really balance out with the thin nose and light entry, leaving us a little cold on Spring 44 Vodka.

Absolut SF Vodka (40%, $25)  - we’ve always been big fans of Absolut’s base vodka, but the flavors haven’t always won us over (to be fair, most flavored vodkas don’t meet our expectations). Absolut SF combines grape, dragon fruit, and papaya into a pungent fruity mix. All three of these fruits are present in the nose with grape (like Welches grape juice) being the dominant note. The dragon fruit reads as slightly floral and the papaya is there but gets overwhelmed by the grape. As with most flavored vodkas, the flavors are right there on the entry again with grape dominating, and dragon fruit and papaya underneath.  Unlike some of the other flavored vodkas (like the Absolut Wild Tea Vodka), the base vodka hasn’t been obliterated and the grain notes from the vodka help balance out the sweet fruit.  Everything comes together nicely in the mid palate with some spice, and a little heat combines with the fruit. The grape notes subside just a bit and thing balance out. The grape is back for the finish and it sticks around for quite a while. Absolut SF has a slightly artificial quality to it, but again not nearly as bad as with some other flavored vodkas.  Absolut SF does a solid job of balancing out fruity flavors that often go awry in flavored vodkas and provides a nice option for people who enjoy flavored vodka.

Square One Cucumber Vodka (40%, $30) – one of the most difficult things to do with a flavored vodka is deliver flavors and aromas that aren’t artificial; 90% of the entries in the flavored vodka space fail at delivering anything natural or fresh. Square One Cucumber Vodka succeeds where other vodkas fail. From the first nosing it’s clear that Square One has managed to capture the essence of a cucumber. The nose is a perfect balance of the crisp vegetal center of a ripe cucumber with just the right amount of bitter undertone from the peel. With eyes closed, it’s easy to think you are actually smelling a freshly cut slice of cucumber. Digging underneath the cucumber aromas, the base vodka is there but without any esters. The entry is cool with cucumber flavor that is strong right from the opening note. In the mid palate, the base rye-based vodka shines through with a nice even black pepper spice. At the end of the mid palate the spice begins to chill out and the cucumber returns for a long and gradual finish which captures both the spice from the rye and the cucumber flavors.  Square One Cucumber Vodka is one of the better flavored vodkas on the market. It delivers fresh flavor while not abandoning the core vodka flavor experience. It’s quite simply the best of both worlds.

Portland 88 Vodka (44%, $20) – made at New Deal Distillery in Portland, Oregon, this vodka manages to balance out small craft distilling with an affordably priced vodka (one of the most affordable of the craft distillery vodkas on the market) . Although the proof is higher than all the other vodkas we’ve reviewed (it’s 88 proof to commemorate the company’s inception in 1988), the nose is as soft and clean as any of the vodkas we’ve tried. The nose has a slight limestone-like note to it with a slight powdered sugar undertone. Portland 88 isn’t vapory and has no citrus in the nose. The entry is very soft, round, and sweet with the slightest core of white pepper spice. It’s wonderfully balanced right from the start with a delightful mouthfeel. The core spice from the entry opens and envelops the sweet notes without obliterating them. It’s almost like the sweet and the spice trade places for a mid palate transformation that’s spectacular. The finish is long and balanced with nice spice and sweet in even amounts. Portland 88 ultimately cleans up, leaving your mouth slightly dry with the slightest cooling. New Deal’s Portland 88 Vodka is proof that craft and commercialism can unite in a vodka that shows care and craftsmanship but is also extremely affordable and competitive to other major vodkas on the market.

Great Spirits Under $40

Of all the guides we’ve done on Drink Spirits, the one that seems to get the most attention is Spirits That Look Expensive But Aren’t. This year we decided to pick a group of spirits that you could give as a gift that are unique, high quality, and under $40.

Two of our picks, Russell’s Reserve 6 Year Old Rye and The Yamazaki 12 year old Japanese Single Malt Whisky, come close to our budget. We found The Yamazaki 12 year at K&L Wine Merchants for $37.99 and Russell’s Reserve 6 Year Rye at Drink Up NY for $36.99.  Both of these spirits can be a little difficult to find, but of all the ones on our list, they are the ones that we recommend the highest.

Two of the spirits on our list should be very easy to find. Absolut Vodka’s Limited Edition (also referred to as Absolut Host) is widely available and is one of the better special packagings we’ve seen for a vodka.  Beefeater 24 is also now in wide distribution and it, too, is a great product in a fantastic package.

The final picks on our list are spirits that people may not be all that familiar with. Becherovka is a Czechoslovakian liqueur which is now getting a big push in the United States, and Black Bottle is a blended Scotch Whisky featuring many of the great whiskies from Islay.

The Yamazaki 12 Year Single Malt Japanese Whisky

The Yamazaki 12 Year Old Single Malt Japanese Whisky ($37.99, 43%) – admittedly, you may have to do some digging to find a bottle of The Yamazaki 12 under $40, but it can be done. Japanese whisky is one of the best under-explored areas of whisky. Modeled after the Scotch style, Japanese whisky adds its own unique touch by aging in three different kinds of wood. The Yamazaki 12 Year is immensely complex and flavorful, and opens up beautifully with a few drops of water or over a nice big ice ball. This is the kind of high impact gift that really makes an impression at a price that won’t break the bank.

Russell's Reserve 6 Year Rye

Russell’s Reserve 6 Year Rye ($36.99, 45%) – oddly enough, Russell’s Reserve 10 year Bourbon is a LOT easier to find than the 6 year, but this is one of those circumstances where the older spirit isn’t the better one. Put simply, Russell’s Reserve 6 Year Rye is magical. Of all the ryes we’ve tasted, none capture the beautiful light and fresh qualities of rye while still having a nice undercurrent of spice quite like Russell’s 6. Russell’s Reserve comes from Master Distiller Jimmy Russell who is also behind Wild Turkey (one of the most underrated spirits out there).  Rye whiskey is hot right now and it’s hard to think of one we’d love to give (or get) more than Russell’s.

Absolut Vodka

Absolut Vodka Limited Edition ($25.49, 40%) – there is no more universal gift in the spirits space than vodka, and it makes a perfect gift if you aren’t quite sure about the spirits preference of the person you are giving to. This year Absolut has hit it out of the park with a Limited Edition bottling of both their Absolut Vodka and Absolut Citron. With all of Absolut’s special flavors and releases, it’s easy to forget that their base vodka is so good. Made from wheat, Absolut Vodka is smooth and easy on the palate with the slightest suggestion of sweet wheat flavor and a hint of cherry. Absolut Vodka is often overlooked but it shouldn’t be – it’s a fantastic vodka and in its special “bling’ packaging, it makes a fantastic holiday gift.

Beefeater 24 Gin

Beefeater 24 London Dry Gin (45%, $29.99) – Most people are familiar with Beefeater Gin - it’s one of THE iconic gins of the world – but many aren’t aware that Beefeater recently released a brand new gin. Beefeater 24 takes the traditional botanicals found in the classic London Dry Gin and adds Chinese green tea, Japanese sencha tea, and grapefruit peel. These new elements transform Beefeater 24 into something absolutely wonderful.  Beefeater 24 works exceptionally well as a stand-in for most gin drinks, but it’s the star player in “The Statesman,” a fantastic appertif cocktail, and it’s mindblowing in The English Breakfast Cocktail. There’s a little bit of a wow factor to the Beefeater 24 bottle, which has been updated to look modern and hip, helping make it a great gift.

Black Bottle Scotch Whisky

Black Bottle Scotch Whisky (40%, $17.99) – if you’re on a tight budget but still want to give a gift that looks like you aren’t, Black Bottle Scotch Whisky is a perfect pick. Unbelievably priced under $25, Black Bottle is a blend of whisky from seven Islay distilleries combined with whisky from Deanston Scotch Whisky. While Black Bottle isn’t a substitution for such amazing Islay single malts like Ardbeg, Laphroaig, or Caol Ila, it is a nice affordable way to sample the wonderful flavors of Islay. The nose on Black Bottle is honey sweet with an undercurrent of salt, grain, and peat smoke. The entry is sweet and transitions into a deeper chocolately malt with smoke bringing up the rear. The finish is soft and short with just a hint of flavor left behind. Black Bottle isn’t a life changing whisky but it’s a great under $20 spirit gift.

Becherovka

Becherovka (38%, $25) – Bevker-oh-what? Yeah, that was our reaction when we first saw the bottle of Becherovka, a liqueur from the Czech Republic. Odds are if Pernod Ricard hadn’t picked up this spirit, we’d probably never see it in America. But lucky they did, because Becherovka is a fun, tasty herbal liqueur that easily rivals Jaegermeister. The nose on Becherovka is sweet clove and cinnamon with a touch of ginger and orange (it’s got Christmas written all over it). The entry is spicy and sweet with the cinnamon and clove jumping out of the glass. Things mingle more in the mid palate with subtle ginger, honey, and orange peel which brings a nice bitterness to the mix (like the orange in Regan’s Orange Bitters No 6). The finish is slightly medicinal and bitter, both in a pleasant way.  If you’re looking for a spirit gift that screams Christmas, it’s hard to think of one better than Becherovka.

For more great gift ideas see: Holiday Spirits Gift Guide – Great Alcohol to Give as Gifts, Spirits Related Gear, Great Spirits to Give as Holiday Gifts, and Spirits That Look Expensive But Aren’t.

The PDT Cocktail Book

PDT (or “Please Don’t Tell”) is a very influential speakeasy-style cocktail bar in New York. Located at 113 St. Marks Place in Manhattan, the front of PDT is the Crif Dogs restaurant. To get to PDT, you pick up the phone at the phone booth on a side wall of Crif Dogs and confirm your reservation. Then the phone booth wall slides open and reveals a hidden bar with some of the finest craft cocktails in the country.

It’s kind of ironic that a hidden bar called “Please Don’t Tell” has a cocktail book. While PDT is in the speakeasy style, the secret is out and the impact of the bar and the man behind it, Jim Meehan, has been immense. The PDT Cocktail Book looks and feels a little bit like a bible, and in many ways it is. The book contains over 200 pages of cocktail recipes including both classic cocktails and modern creations. The modern cocktails come from a variety of bartenders including Meehan himself, Audrey Saunders, David Wondrich, Don Lee, Julio Bermejo, Dale DeGroff, Sean Hoard, and Lydia Reissmuller to name a few.

The cocktails in The PDT Cocktail Book are arranged alphabetically and include many of our favorite cocktails like Tommy’s Margarita, Hemmingway Daquiri, Statesman, Ti-Punch, and Negroni, along with a number of cocktails we’re eager to try. The recipes are succinct with a short, one to two sentence description and some context for the drink. Brands are specified for the spirits in drinks but no one brand feels overly dominant. It seems more that Jim Meehan is picking the best spirit for the drink here than anything else.

In addition to the cocktails, there’s a good amount of basic information that is extraordinarily useful, including everything from what you need to set up a bar, recipes for housemade mixers, and a nice succinct section on technique. What’s great about The PDT Cocktail Book is that there’s no filler here. Basic information is presented as concisely and clearly as possible, laid out in a way that it’s easy to flip back to for quick reference.

There’s also absolutely no pretentiousness in the book. Meeham has received a massive number of accolades for his work behind the bar at PDT and it’s clear none of that has gone to his head. Everything here is presented straightforwardly with a myopic focus on being an excellent resource book that gets used often. There aren’t any personal narratives or showing off in any way.

People who’ve been to PDT will appreciate a short section dedicated to Crif Dogs hot dogs, including the “secret toppings” from star chefs Wylie Dufrense, David Chang, and Daniel Humm, as well as the Crif Dog specialty the John John Deragon.

Put simply, The PDT Cocktail Book is a modern classic cocktail book. It’s the kind of book you’ll see on the back bars of most of the major craft cocktail bars, right between Jerry Thomas Bar-Tender’s Guide and Dale Degroff’s Craft of The Cocktail. If you have even a passing interest in cocktails, The PDT Cocktail Book is a must-own book.

Woodford Reserve Double Oaked Whiskey

At Drink Spirits, we don’t cover a lot of product announcements, instead preferring to wait until the product is out to do a full review.  We are making a very special exception for an extremely exciting new product announcement.  Woodford Reserve, one of our favorite bourbons to make Manhattans, is going to be adding a new member to its product family: Woodford Reserve Double Oaked. This new product will not be a limited release or part of the Woodford Reserve Master’s Collection – Woodford Reserve Double Oaked is going to be a new permanent part of the Woodford family.

Woodford Reserve Double Oaked will be available in March 2012 for $50 per bottle. Woodford Reserve Double Oaked takes the traditionally matured barrel strength Woodford Reserve and then proofs it down to 110 proof. This spirit is put into a very special kind of barrel for an additional six months to a year before it’s brought back down to 90.4 proof and bottled.

The key to Woodford Reserve Double Oaked is, of course, this second aging barrel. The barrel has had an “extreme toast” which is at least twice as long as the standard toast that Woodford traditionally does with their barrels.  The barrel is then flash charred (literally 5 seconds), the lightest char possible. The inspiration for this product came from the Woodford Reserve Master Collection Seasoned Oak Finish and the impact that a different style of finishing barrel could have on a whiskey.  Woodford Reserve Double Oaked represents Master Distiller Chris Morris strongly held belief: “Don’t judge a whiskey by age alone, judge it by its character.”

When we first heard the price tag for Woodford Reserve Double Oaked, we were a little skeptical about a $50 bourbon, but that was before we tasted it. Woodford Reserve Double Oaked is phenomenal. From the nose it’s clear you’re smelling something special. There are the traditional bourbon notes here, but what jumps out is honey and big spice with deep cinnamon, clove, and oak.  The entry is very soft, surprisingly so given the strong spice on the nose. As it opens you get deep honey notes, vanilla, cinnamon, clove, and marzipan. The flavors here are immensely deep, rich, and lush. The finish is super long and thick without any harshness or burn.

On one hand, with such bold flavors you’d think that the Double Oaked would be an enthusiasts whiskey, but it isn’t. Double Oaked is so balanced, lush, and lovely that it’s extraordinarily accessible, even to the whiskey novice. The flavors of Double Oaked are big and bold but not overly agressive, and the mouth feel is smooth, thick, and round.

The only downside of Woodford Reserve Double Oaked is that we have to wait until March to get our hands on a bottle. It’s a downright impressive whiskey and could very likely kick off interest in the premium bourbon category.

Drink Spirits Holiday Alcohol Gift Guide

Last year we had an amazing response to our spirited holiday gift guides and part of the reason for that is spirits make great holiday gifts.  This year’s gift guide has spirits that start at $40 and go all the way up to $200 with many price points in between. We tried to pull from a variety of spirit categories, and select spirits that are special and that people may not already own on their home bar.

We hope you enjoy this year’s Holiday Spirits Gift Guide. Perhaps you’ll discover something here you’ll also want to give yourself as a gift!

The Yamazaki Single Malt Whisky 18 Years

The Yamazaki 18 Year ($129, 43%) –  Japanese Whisky is one of the great undiscovered frontiers of the whisky category. Very few Japanese whiskies make it to the US market and the ones that do are often easy to miss. The Yamazaki 18 has only been in the US market for seven years but has built a strong following and won a great number of accolades, including double medals at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. I was a judge at this competition where we first discovered this amazing whisky.  All spirits are tasted blind there, and our notes read “delicious, complex, entrancing, want to know more about this one!” Once it was revealed that it was The Yamazaki 18, a true love affair began with the spirit.

Inspired by Scotch Whisky, Japanese Whisky focuses on presenting the complex flavors of the grains, but then puts its own stamp on it through maturation in three different kinds of wood: American, Spanish, and Japanese Oak.  This brings a depth and complexity to The Yamazaki that is simply amazing.  In Japan, whisky is often consumed with large spheres of ice (blends are often served as a highball with soda water) and The Yamazaki 18 does exceptionally well with big ice or a few drops of water (see our piece on the relationship between whisky and water).  The Yamazaki 18 is an exceptional choice for a holiday gift – it stands out, is unique, and will be enjoyed long after the holidays have come and gone. [Buy online at Hi-Time Wine Cellars]

Cognac Jean Grosperrin - 1975 Cognac Fins Bois

Cognac Jean Grosperrin – 1975 Cognac Fins Bois ($180-$200, 50.8%) – on our recent trip to Cognac, we tasted literally hundreds of cognacs, and the ones which stood out the most came from Cognac Jean Grosperrin.  This small family-run company is a cognac merchant and purchases single vintage, single barrel, single region cognac from many years and all the growing regions in Cognac.  There are younger vintages from this company, but we felt that the 1975 Fins Bois was something special, and one of the best high-end spirit gifts you can give this holiday season.  Jean Grosperrin Cognac is sold at a higher proof than most cognac on the market, with each vintage and barrel proofed at what’s considered the ‘ideal proof” to support the flavors and aromas of the individual spirit.

The 1975 Cognac Fins Bois is simply spectacular. The nose is intensely complex and inviting. This is the kind of spirit you’ll hold in your glass and linger over the aromas for a long time. The nose is a swirling mix of fresh grape, dried apricot, ginger, vanilla cookie, and rancio (an elusive umami note that you get from older spirits). The entry is warm and round with some of the dried fruit and grape, and then it explodes almost immediately into the mid palate with a fireworks display of flavor. The sweeter opening notes combine with the spicy notes with a ribbon of rancio running through it all. It’s simply breath taking.  The finish is nothing short of elegant. It takes all the explosive flavor from the mid palate, tones it down, and carries it out leaving a nice spice on the center of the tongue. It’s hard to think of a cognac with more personality than the Cognac Jean Grosperrin – 1975 Cognac Fins Bois. [Wine Searcher is a great tool to find this cognac]

 

Ardbeg Alligator Islay Single Malt Whisky

Ardbeg Alligator ($120, 51.2%) – one of our favorite Islay Scotch Whisky producers, Ardbeg, really went out on a limb with their latest release. In general Scotch Whisky producers showcase the grain of their whisky over the barrel. This is why they often use previously used bourbon barrels that impart less barrel characteristic into the whisky. So what happens when a Scotch Whisky producer starts with a new barrel, charred to the deepest, darkest level possible (otherwise known as the Alligator char)?  You get a unique whisky that straddles the line between Scotch and American Whisky.  Ardbeg on its own is already a flavor-packed whisky with wonderful peat, salt, and sweetness. Adding the alligator charred new barrel on top of that adds all sorts of spice, vanilla, and caramel. Ardbeg Alligator more than just an interesting experiment, it’s a fantastic whisky and a great option as a holiday gift. (Read our complete Review of Ardbeg Alligator)

Parker's Heritage Collection Barrel Finished Whiskey

Parker’s Heritage Collection Barrel Finished Whiskey ($94.99, 50%) –  Every year Parker Beam does something unique with his Heritage Collection at Heaven Hill.  Previous years have showcased the further reaches of age in bourbon, the impact of wheat when added to the mix, and the superb complexity achieved by blending bourbon from many different years. Parker’s Heritage Collection Golden Anniversary is one of our very favorite spirits and is perhaps the best bourbon sold. This year Parker has brought two spirit categories together in a way we’ve never seen before.  Parker has taken 10 year old Evan Williams Single Barrel whiskey and aged it in three year old French Oak Cognac barrels from Cognac Frapin. The whiskey aged for an additional six months and then was bottled at 100 proof.

The nose on Parker’s Heritage Collection Barrel Finished Whiskey clearly presents both the traditional whiskey aromas and cognac. The center of the nose is cinnamon and oak but it’s surrounded by marzipan and raisin. It’s amazing how well the aromas from the cognac and the whiskey go together. This uncommon pairing continues to shine on the palate with a beautiful and seamless marriage of whiskey and cognac that showcases the spicy qualities of both, including toasted oak, cinnamon, honey, and ginger.  The mouthfeel on Parker’s Heritage Collection Barrel Finished Whiskey is amazing – soft and buttery with just the right amount of heat. The finish is long and flavorful with sweet cinnamon spice lingering on the palate. Parker’s Heritage Collection Barrel Finished Whiskey is another jewel in the crown of one of whiskey’s greatest collection of spirits and it makes an absolutely perfect holiday gift.  [Buy online at Drink Up NY]

Jack Daniels Single Barrel Select Whiskey

Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Select ($45, 47%) – Jack Daniel’s is the best selling whiskey in the world, but most people don’t explore it beyond the classic “Old No. 7″ bottle, which makes the Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Select such a great gift idea. The nose on Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel is much bolder and stronger than the standard Jack, with strong charred oak, spice, and sweet vanilla rounding it all out. The taste is still unmistakably Jack, but turned up to ’11′ with bright charred oak flavors, vanilla, and black licorice. It’s bold and flavorful but still maintains the smooth and affable quality that Jack Daniel’s is known for.  The finish is extremely long and preserves most of the flavors from the palate.

Even though Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel is at a higher proof (94 vs 80), it is still extremely smooth and easy to drink with a superb mouthfeel. The flavors here dominate much more than the alcohol. Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel is the perfect intersection of a universally liked brand, a unique product, a quality product, and a great price point. It’s hard to think of how you could go wrong giving this as a gift.

Nolet's Dry Gin Silver

NOLET’S Silver Dry Gin ($45, 47.6% ) – the premium gin market is a fairly new space and it’s no surprise that the Nolets, who were pioneers in the Vodka market with Ketel One Vodka, are again pioneering in the gin space. Nolet’s Silver Gin looks like a premium gin – the bottle itself is impressive with embossed glass and a color crested metal top. Giving Nolet’s Gin as a gift will make an impression, and that impression will only be enhanced by what’s in the bottle. Nolet’s Silver Gin is made in very small batches with a process that distills each individual botanical in this gin individually. It’s a painstaking process done only by a handful of gin producers that helps ensure that each flavor note in the gin is dialed in perfectly. Nolet’s Silver Dry Gin also is distinct because of the unique botanicals it adds to the mix, including Turkish rose, raspberry, and peach.

The nose on the Nolet’s Gin is soft, sweet, and floral with a nice clean edge to the aromas. The Turkish Rose and raspberry notes really stand out, but as you dig through them you get many of the great traditional gin notes.  The entry is very soft, floral and slightly sweet. It’s surprising just how easy it is to drink this gin neat.  From the soft entry, things open in the mid palate where the juniper and coriander notes join the mix and spice things up.  The finish has a clean edge to it that leaves some of the light spice along with a hint of the fruit and flowers.  The Nolets have helped define the category of premium gin with a gin that is truly exceptional and one of our top gift ideas this year.

Karlsson's Gold Potato Vodka

Karlsson’s Gold Potato Vodka ($40, 40% ) – a vodka has to be pretty special to make our holiday gift guide. Last year we selected Dan Aykroyd‘s Crystal Head Vodka as one of our key gift picks. This year it’s Karlsson’s Gold Vodka that has the high distinction of making our list. Make no mistake, there are some great vodkas on the market. We’re great fans of Absolut, Ketel One, Sobeiski, and Kanon Organic, but as much as we love those vodkas, we don’t really crave them.  Karlsson’s Gold Vodka is a vodka we crave, something we think about even when we aren’t drinking it. The key to Karlsson’s Gold seductive ways is its absolute deliciousness. The nose of Karlsson’s Gold is one of the most inviting vodka noses we’ve smelled, with a fantastic milk chocolate characteristic. The taste carries this wonderful milk chocolate and adds black pepper with an undertone of roasted potato skins. This delicious taste is mixed with a very soft and wide mouthfeel. The finish is surprisingly clean with a cool minty ribbon left in the middle of the tongue.

Vodka is a universal spirit, which makes it a good one to give as a gift. Karlsson’s Gold isn’t extremely well known, so odds are you’d be the one to introduce someone to this amazing spirit. But it’s so good you’ll probably want to pick up a spare for yourself. (Read our complete review of Karlsson’s Gold Vodka)

Need more great gift ideas? Check out Great Spirits to Give as Holiday Gifts, Spirits Related Gear, and Spirits That Look Expensive But Aren’t.