Appearance: Nice slim design, cut away skeletonized  look to the entire case. Clear optical glass cover over camera. A rather stylish minimalist look and feel rather than the chunky overkill of some of the other cases out there, and also doesn’t stick to everything like some of those more rubberized or rubber covered cases that drag everything else out of your pocket once you get the phone loose . Buttons are easy to find and responsive, good quality plastic screen cover to protect the screen  but still enjoy your phone  it in all its glory

First Impression: Decently made with  silicone gasketing similar to what you find in cars, airplane engines, and other mission critical applications. Cover/shield is a press on grey smoked flexible polypropelene plastic that will not show scratches easily,with notches/cutouts for controls.Microphones and speakers are not blocked by case and the headphone jack has a adapter that screws into the case to maintain waterproof integtrity

Directions and Instructions: While a bit of a challenge to install, I love their obsessive thoroughness to make sure you get it right. First they test EACH case at the factory for waterproofness,then they make you test yourself and the case to make sure you can do it right. They provide very detailed instructions on line on how to assemble the case (minus your iPhone) than submerge it in your bathtub (or similar container of water at depth) to make sure you can snap it together without it leaking. Assuming you do this correctly, then you put your iPhone in the case and you are ready to go ! I will point out thought that to register the case for the full one year warranty you must provide the serial numbers from both the front and back of the case SO DO THIS FIRST before you put your case together !

Testing: While we haven’t tasted the case to failure point, we are quite impressed with it so far. Just like the iPad case we tested earlier, we have dropped it into water, washed it with cheap gin when it got dirty and strolled around with it in the rain, mud and carried it into some fairly ugly environments with no ill effects to either the case or the iPhone itself. This case is head and shoulders above any other case for durability, water and spill protection and overall durability and protection. Cover has built in stand with two settings, landscape picture frame type display and much lower typing stand which props up the iPad slightly for typing on screen. Both work well and more stable that other stands that came with cases we have tried. It puts many other cases to shame. Many cases  are good for general, light duty use, but for environments where it MAY – read probably sooner of later –  get wet, dirty or meet with some misadventure) this is one case to rely on. Remember iPhones have a indicator that turns pink if they get wet and Apple has little sympathy. First time you drop a phone into a toilet, take the wrong amusement ride or get soaked somewhere with a non waterproof case you are done. The case allows you to carry on with life with minimal worries as long as you follow maintenance and care directions. Slim design makes it easy to carry and store without sacrificing protection unlike some of the bulkier cases out there.

Bitch List: Maybe a little more rubber like coating to make me feel better about drops. This case seems almost naked compared to my other cases. This is a very minor fault given the overall quality and design of the case and probably more just my perception than anything else.

Other: They have a lot of other equipment and options for the case such as various mounts for bicycles, arms, a life ring for aquatic environments ( read boating and dropping it over the side),  and other items like ruggedized solar chargers and battery packs.

Final Thoughts: If you want the best and most protective case out there that is still reasonably thin and lightweight this is IT. While expensive compared to other cases you get what you pay for and more. One of the problems with the iPhone is that they can get ruined so easily. They just aren’t that durable compared to some of the ruggedized phones out there. With this case you can carry your iPhone almost anywhere you would go with one of those phones in any conditions – rain, snow dust, bars, parties, whatever and still get all the functionality and cool factor that was the reason you got an iPhone in the first case. The protection that a iPhone sacrificed for style over those ruggedized bricks is more than met by this slim but durable case. The  peace of mind and utility it brings you is well with the cost. Protective cases for your gear are like parachutes – don’t buy cheap ones- they may work most of the time, but most isn’t good enough.

Website: http://www.lifeproof.com

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Notes: As a logical add on to the LIFEPROOF Case if you have any intention of using your iPad and case out in the real world rather than sitting magnificently on your desk, I would highly recommend buying their straps (and hanger hardware that comes in the kit). The straps come as a set with the mounting hardware and retails for about $35 for the set. While this may seem a little pricey, the quality of the straps and the utility it adds to the case is well worth it. The hand strap is very useful for one handed viewing and typing, while the shoulder strap allows you to of course carry the iPad hands free.

Appearance: Reasonably pleasing to the eye if  if not breathtaking construction ( I used to be a parachute rigger so my standards are very high).

First Impression: Decently made overall, the shoulder strap is made from some light but not skimpy nylon webbing with black nylon hardware. Somewhat minimalist but functional without being over the top. The handstrap demonstrates a higher level of detailing with a wide nylon covered piece of neoprene with some very thoughtful antislip bumpers/spots on the back for to hold the strap against your hand without slipping, fully adjustable with two strips of Velcro for a positive no slip adjustment .

Directions and Instructions: Good directions and relatively easy to install. Just make sure you do the little anchorpoints installation over a smooth surface that is free of anything else so you don’t lose any pieces, then place the parts of the case you do remove in a small bag or container and LABEL them in case you need them again – or at least you can identify them a year from now and decide whether to keep them – or not.

Testing: Dragged the iPad all over the Miami Rum Rennaisance festival and used the straps extensively to either sling the IPad over my shoulder and go everywhere ( including jumping and climbing) and long all day slogs. It fit comfortably and it never slipped off,let loose or failed in any way. The hand strap kept the iPad in place for one handed holds so I could type swipe, photo, video and otherwise use my other hand to work the iPad with nary a slip or even suggestion of one. Handstrap was comfortable even for extended periods

Bitch List: Minor observations or possible improvements really. One improvement/upgrade would be replacing the black cord with aircraft cable to make it harder to break or razor cut, same for the strap, a piece of aircraft cable of two in the strap would make it a lot harder for a thief to do a slash and run with your iPad – much like the straps on a pacsafe bag.Possibly a rubberized ( or coated ) or possibly vinyl/plastic smooth strap that could be cleaned or sterilized more easily. Maybe they could make this a optional, premium package ? At the other end of the spectrum maybe just a hand strap and attachment hardware package so we could use our own shoulder strap ( say one of your parents old camera straps from back in the day ( like the one Dennis Hoppers character has in Apocalypse Now) without having to buy theirs, which is good but hardly a fashion statement ?

Other: They have a lot of other equipment and options for the case such as a life ring for aquatic environments ( read boating and dropping it over the side), ruggedized solar chargers and battery packs and other items for both the iPad and also a slew of cases and accessories for iPhones.

Final Thoughts: While I find the straps to be first rate for most uses if   a bit pricey for what they are. They do however have free shipping so mentally adjust the price for that ( like knock off $6-$8 dollars). But on the other hand the fastener hardware is the only ones I would trust for that outstanding case, so just pony up the money and buy them, remembering what they are holding up from impact and would you want to worry by using a lesser set of gear. Maybe replace the shoulder strap for something else if you find something more to your taste and just as rugged, but keep the handstrap and go out bravely into the world.

Website: http://www.lifeproof.com

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Appearance: Nice tactile nonslip feel of rubber borders/edge,cut away skeletonized  look to the entire case. Clear optical glass cover over camera. A rather stylish minimalist look and feel rather than the chunky overkill of a Survivor series case. Buttons are easy to find and responsive, no plastic screen cover to degrade Retina Display so you can enjoy it in all its glory (Zagg produces a screen protector specific to this case and it can be ordered directly from Lifeproof  if you like ). I like the clear back to the case as it allows people to see the engraving I had done (If Found,Reward, etc.) or allows you to add stickers, logos, decorations etc to the back of your iPad and keep them protected.

First Impression: Decently made with a blue silicone gasketing similar to what you find in cars, airplane engines, and other mission critical applications. Cover/shield is a press on grey smoked flexible polypropelene plastic that will not show scratches easily,with notches/cutouts for controls.Microphones and speakers are not blocked by case and the headphone jack has a adapter that screws into the case to maintain waterproof integtrity

Directions and Instructions: While a bit of a challenge to install, I love their obsessive thoroughness to make sure you get it right. First they test EACH case at the factory for waterproofness,then they make you test yourself and the case to make sure you can do it right. They provide very detailed instructions on how to assemble the case (minus your iPad) than submerge it in your bathtub (or similar container of water at depth) to make sure you can snap it together without it leaking. Assuming you do this correctly, then you put your iPad in the case and you are ready to go ! One tip I will add is when you try to snap the two halves together  don’t try it with just your fingers – it doesn’t work well – lace your fingers together then use the heels of your hands to press the case together – much simpler !

Testing: While we haven’t tasted the case to failure point, we are quite impressed with it so far. We have dropped it into water, washed it with cheap gin when it got dirty and strolled around with it in the rain,mud and carried it into some fairly ugly environments with no ill effects to either the case or the iPad itself. This case is head and shoulders above any other case for durability, water and spill protection and overall durability and protection. Cover has built in stand with two settings, landscape picture frame type display and much lower typing stand which props up the iPad slightly for typing on screen. Both work well and more stable that other stands that came with cases we have tried. It puts the Survivor case  which is good for general, light duty use, completely in the shade in terms of overall protection and style. Slim design makes it easy to carry and store without sacrificing protection.

Bitch List: Only one fault really, the stand support on the inside of the cover could have a slightly more positive locking function to it. The stand tends to swing out at times and not stay put against the cover, but that is a very minor fault given the overall quality and design of the case.

Other: They have a lot of other equipment and options for the case such as a life ring for aquatic environments ( read boating and dropping it over the side), hand and shoulder straps (highly recommended) and other items.

Final Thoughts: If you want the best and most protective case out there that is still reasonably thin and lightweight this is IT. While expensive compared to other cases you get what you pay for and more. One of the problems with electronics such as the iPad is that they can get ruined so easily so you tend to leave them at home and not to use them nearly as much because you have to baby them. With this case you can carry your iPad almost anywhere you would go in any conditions – rain, snow dust, bars, parties, whatever. The protection this case provides gives you so much more use of your iPad you won’t regret it and the peace of mind and utility is well with the cost. Don’t even think about going outside into the real world without this case.

Website: http://www.lifeproof.com

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This particular rum has a somewhat complicated backstory which is worth retelling. While all the rums from the Ferrand Plantation series are made according to the usual methods dependent on country of origin (raw material and distillation techniques) they are then taken to Cognac and aged using very unusual and unique techniques that no one else uses for aging rum. Pierre Ferrand ( the brand not an individual – that would be Alexandre Gabriel) uses small cognac barrels to age all their rums while most of the industry uses old bourbon barrels to finish their rum.
This rum is a blend from 3 different countries and areas ( hence 3 stars).I’m going to quote directly from the webpage now for clarity; ” Plantation 3 Stars Silver Rum is a skillful blend of the best the Caribbean has to offer from Barbados, Jamaica and Trinidad.  Each Island has a distinct rum style developed over centuries and brings its own special character to Plantation 3 Stars Silver Rum:  matured Trinidad rum imparts its classic elegance, Barbados delivers sophistication with a balanced mouth feel and Jamaica conveys its unmistakable structure and rustic edge.” It is a combination of both geographic ands stylistic differences in fermentation, distillation, and aging techniques that are then married or blended by Alexandre Gabriel in small limousin oak cognac barrels

Appearance:  Faultlessly clear, almost silvery in appearance, On swirling it leaves a gracefully thin coat on the glass which then starts to form some legs, but mostly small tears which then form droplets and tears .

First Impression:,tropical fruits,vanilla, minerals, cardamom, lovely structure of sweet , minerality,

Taste: Luscious, fruity and raw in an untamed alive kind of way with lots of cane, spice,vanilla, grass and mineral notes in a very vibrant and fresh tasting way. Nice spice and mineral structure gives the lush and floral notes structure and counterpoint so it is NOT one of those deadly sweet and little else rums, the alkali, mineral and oak notes structure the sweetness and add their own complexity and balance.

Drinks: Lovely and assertive but plays well with others. Strikes just the right balance of presence and contribution to a drink without overwhelming it. Everything from a mojito to a Zombie seemed to benefit from the use of this rum where the rum was identifiable and contributed to the overall drink, but did not fade away or drown the other ingredients. Well Done!

Bottle: Clear glass with a light fishnet type wrapping of  fiber. Can’t comment much beyond that as we were not given a production bottle to comment on.

Cigars: A youngish spicy cigar such as a Padron or Joya de Nicaragua non vintage, torpedo or smaller works well.

Final Thoughts: I usually am not a big fan of older white rums ( rums that were aged and filtered to remove color) between their price and their taste I never really saw the point. it was kind of a reverse of someone obviously older dyeing their hair and getting a lot of work – just doesn’t usually work, costs a lot  and is embarrassing to watch…
This rum on the other hand wears its age well, shows a lot of depth and nuance from age, but exhibits a lot of young traits and carries it off well. Not to mention the price is outstanding not only compared to the other rums of its type but the overall quality of the rum itself.

Website: http://plantationrhum.com/en/

A nicely done website if a touch light on hard information in some respects. Well worth a visit to understand all their rums and the sister pages for their other spirits.

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This particular rum has a somewhat complicated backstory which is worth retelling. While all the rums from the Ferrand Plantation series are made according to the usual methods dependent on country of origin (raw material and distillation techniques) they are then taken to Cognac and aged using very unusual and unique techniques that no one else uses for aging rum. Pierre Ferrand ( the brand not an individual – that would be Alexandre Gabriel) uses small cognac barrels to age all their rums while most of the industry uses old bourbon barrels to finish their rum.
This Guadelope Rum  is a rhum auricle sugar cane juice based  base column distilled rum aged for 11 years in bourbon barrels then rebarreled in Cognac Limosin Oak barrels to finish its aging process

Appearance:  Faultlessly clear, dark red brown in color. On swirling it coats the glass nicely with an oily coat that quickly goes to long clinging legs.

First Impression: Heavy smokelike notes from the oak ,mixed in with anise,vanilla and sobranie tobacco, leather, cognac notes,with a touch of tropical fruits

Taste: Seriously charred like a creme brûlée topping with tobacco notes reminiscent of the old blue pack non filter Gauloises, as strong as death, and as sweet as love, lovely lingering anise,tobacco,char and molasses sweetness.
Almost like a sweet herbaceous Islay scotch, with a lovely smokey, sweet seductive taste and silken mouthfeel. It’s the rum version of Marlene Dietrich in Touch of Evil.

Drinks: This rum is best appreciated on its own in a decent tasting glass. While it has some great mixing potential ( think Islay Scotch crossed with a light pastis), I think it is a pity to waste it in the wrong drink, so keep it for that special creation or special occasion.

Bottle: Clear glass with a light fishnet type wrapping of  fiber. Can’t comment much beyond that as we were not given a production bottle to comment on.

Cigars: Opux X Fuenta or a real Cohiba, or a unfiltered Gauloise .

Final Thoughts: An extreme example of an aged agricole style rum tempered by the influence of Pierre Ferrand Cognac,. You will either love or hate this rum.If you love chary,smokey,sweet with a touch of cognac and anise go for it. Like death best savored in small doses…

Website: http://plantationrhum.com/en/

A nicely done website if a touch light on hard information in some respects. Well worth a visit to understand all their rums and the sister pages for their other spirits.

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This particular rum has a somewhat complicated backstory which is worth retelling. While all the rums from the Ferrand Plantation series are made according to the usual methods dependent on country of origin (raw material and distillation techniques) they are then taken to Cognac and aged using very unusual and unique techniques that no one else uses for aging rum. Pierre Ferrand ( the brand not an individual – that would be Alexandre Gabriel) uses small cognac barrels to age all their rums while most of the industry uses old bourbon barrels to finish their rum.
This Barbados rum is a molasses base pot distilled rum aged for 5 years in bourbon barrels then rebarreled in Cognac Limosin Oak barrels to finish its aging process

Appearance: Faultlessly clear Baltic amber in color. On swirling it coats the glass nicely

First Impression: Dark,rich plush smells of vanilla, coconut, dark chocolate ,molasses and tropical fruits

Taste: Toasted coconut, vanilla with oak,leather, and saddle soap notes, chocolate fudge, luscious full bodied taste with a sweet entry  that dries a bit and leaves you with a toasted vanilla, coconut and dark chocolate taste in the long finish that lingers pleasantly. Later on some drying black pepper notes come out to temper the sweetness while a pleasant oiliness holds the tastes  on your tongue and treats you to a complex melange of rum goodness. Smooth, seductive, and complex, especially for the money involved. Makes most rum at this price range taste like benzene by comparison.

Drinks: Certainly good enough to enjoy on its own, it is a lovely lush rum that works well in just about any drink calling for a dark or aged rum.

Bottle: Clear glass with a light fishnet type wrapping of  fiber. Can’t comment much beyond that as we were not given a production bottle to comment on.

Cigars: Try a La Unica or Flor de Ybor to compliment this cheap to buy but excellent rum

Final Thoughts: A great buy for a lovely dark rum with some age to it. Plush,complex and complicated.

Website: http://plantationrhum.com/en/

A nicely done website if a touch light on hard information in some respects. Well worth a visit to understand all their rums and the sisiter pages

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Notes: Based on a 19 century recipe this Curacao or Triple Sec is made with 14 spices, bitter orange peel , an unaged ( eau de vie)  version of one of  our favorite cognacs, Pierre Ferrand for a start, then married with brandy and cognac and left to age in a oak barrel for an unspecified time . This is part of a new venture for the Pierre Ferrand Cognac house, which has also produced the Mathilde Liqueurs such as the Peach which we reviewed earlier, along with a Peach, Pear, Black Currant, Raspberry, and Orange XO.Their products also include Citadelle Gin, Citadelle Reserve Gin, Citadelle Vodka, Magellan Gin, the Plantation Lines Of Rum  (Plantation 3 Stars,Plantation Grande Reserve Barbados 5 Year Old, and the Old Reserve 1998 Guadeloupe among others. Alexander Gabriel  the head of Pierre Ferrand is constantly blending and experimenting with new products as both an enthusiasm/hobby and also to develop new products. I highly recommend visiting the distillery  if you get a chance- it is a delight to both the eye and the palette.

Appearance: Sparkling clear, gold amber in the bottle and pale straw gold in the glass. On swirling it leaves a thick oily coat on the glass with legs and droplets forming.

First Impression: Heavy, almost sensuous bouquet of orange, vanilla,brandy, anise, almonds, spices, plums and dried fruits.

Taste: Very spicy orange with a lot of spice punch behind it. Nicely dry with a bitter twist to it gives it much more complexity, depth, and interest than your average sticky sweet orange curaçao. Notes of plums, marzipan,vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, anise, juniper,

Drinks: Please note that this is an older drier version of  Triple Sec, so it is best suited to classic cocktails of the 19th to early 20th century such as a Maidens Prayer, Pegu Club, Presidente . It worked very well in all of these and adds depth and complexity to any cocktail we mixed it with. That being said people who want a super sweet orange syrup should stick with Mr Boston or Hiram Walker – this is a qualitatively altogether different form of triple sec than the mainstream dross out there.

Bottle: Clear glass bottle shows of the color and clarity of the Triple Sec nicely. Lovely period type art work and graphics make for a very attractive bottle that feels very Belle Epoque and makes for a very nice addition to your bar that stands out easily. Screw cap closure detracts somewhat from the period look and feel but makes for easier opening liqueur bottles can get sticky ad hard to open in a hurry.

Other: Please note that this liqueur is much higher proof than many so you are getting a good bit for your money. Many others are diluted with water to as little as 30  proof – considerably less bang for you buck. Also refer to my Cocktail Math article to see how little it costs to use a premium ingredient over a much less good cheap curaçao ( of which there are far to many). This Dry Curacao falls into the same price area as Cointreau  and less than Gran Marnier making it a

Final Thoughts:  A somewhat specialized version of a Triple Sec. A must have for period or classic cocktails, but slightly less useful for more standard triple sec cocktails. High quality, lovely stuff, but maybe a bit specialized for the average home bar. Definitely recommended as a great product though.

Website: http://www.pierreferrandcuracao.com/en/

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Notes: While there are any number of celebrity ventures in the wine trade (such as the Coppola wines, Sopranos, David Matthews, etc.,), there seem to be much fewer in spirits (Ice T with OG Brandy, Dan Akroyd with Crystal Skull, etc.,). The only other Tequila that was a celebrity  sponsored (meaning they actually put money in it rather than just paid to endorse it) was Cabo Wabo Tequila, easily one of the most overpriced and vile tasting tequilas I have ever had. Thankfully this tequila breaks that  mold in several respects. This is the slightly older expression of Casamigos Tequila, the first being the Casamigos Blanco . A highland tequila made from agaves at least seven years old ( many cheaper or at least lower quality tequilas use much younger agaves around 3 years old). At 7 years old the agave develop a much more pronounced terrior from the volcanic and mineral rich soil of the highlands which makes a highland tequila such a wonderful and flavorful product easily distinguished from its lowland cousins. A few other points of note are the very long cooking of the pinas (more than 10 times the industry standard at 72 hours to fully cook and caramelize the sugars) in stone hornitos ovens rather than those steel boxes many use that look like wood drying kilns for lumber, a very slow and prolonged and quite cold fermentation  of 80 hours – double the industry standard, the use of the bagasse in part of the fermentation is also a unique process. Overall the entire process by the master distiller (who unlike some distillers only makes this one product) is a very slow, painstaking, and unique distillation process that yields and excellent tequila.

The main difference in this the Reposado, from the Blanco is the aging for 7 months in reconditioned (used) charred oak American whiskey barrels. Unfortunately they do not specify which type or company these barrels came from.

Appearance: Beautiful light straw in the bottle a very pale ginger in the glass. Swirling leads to a quick formation of a delicate edgeline with multiple tears forming followed by small tears at short intervals along the edge line forming legs after a short bit.

First Impression: Honeyed wood notes, with dried tropical and citrus fruits backed by a pleasing minerality .

Taste: Fruity notes with a good dose of woody oak notes and char with some agave,vegetal notes  without the waxy notes you get from lesser  tequilas. The char,tobacco and leather notes combine with the  mineral notes to give a robust structure of smoke and bones. Reminds me of a highland scotch in some ways with a lot more mineral and alkali notes. Throw in some dried tropical fruits into the mix and you start to get the picture.

Drinks: While like its younger sibling we like to sip the Casamigos Reposado, it makes for a very seductive mixer, with a nicely assertive complexity which makes it even a better mixer than the blanco if you want to add the complexity of the wood and smokiness to add addtional nuance to a tequila cocktail.

Bottle: A fairly no nonsense,minimalist type of bottle. Clear glass, fairly standard whiskey or spirit bottle with a label that draws the eye for what is not there – this looks like a lab sample label more than a brand label, with a type that looks like it was typed on a typewriter and signed by George Clooney and Rande Gerber ( facsimiles of their signatures actually), with a bottle number on the label also. Package is topped with a natural cork closure with a wooden top that is slightly darker than the one on the blanco bottle and a paper seal.A slightly charming retro minimalist approach to labeling and bottling that is in a way refreshing from the packaging arms race all the other producers seem to be engaging in.

Cigars: Rocky Patel vintage series, corona or smaller or a torpedo will compliment the spiciness of this tequila wonderfully.

Final Thoughts: Altogether a very nicely done and very well made tequila if a touch pricey.Lovely,complex, and multilayered.

Website: http://casamigostequila.com
Website starts off with a somewhat tongue in cheek movie/video of what could happen if you over indulged, but little beyond that. Seriously lacks much information about the distillation process details that many tequila aficionados crave.
While stylishly done it needs more real content to make it interesting.

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Appearance: Clear, bright almost sparkling in the glass.On swirling it leaves a delicate coating on the glass with tears along the edgeline forming slowly followed by legs forming at almost precise intervals.

First Impression: Fruity with some agave,vegetal notes  without the waxy notes you get from lesser  tequilas.Casamigos also has a lovely subset of mineral notes which give the luscious citrus, papaya, and mango  notes something to hang from provide a nicely structured and exceedingly clean distillation. A very lush and very much distinctive tequila that really lets you know its terrior as a highland tequila with an agave bouquet that lets you know it has reached maturity and ripeness and was slowly distilled rather than some immature rushed to market offering.

Taste:  Creamy silky mouth feel followed by lovely lingering notes of volcanic basalt,alkali and citrus provide a lingering slightly lemony finish that enrobes the tongue with a pleasantly drying sensation with no born but a thirst for more.

Drinks: Frankly this is more than good enough to sip in a decent nosing glass just by itself so you can fully appreciate the nuances, which is not the case with most tequilas. In our extensive testing we found its subtle but distinct character shined in almost any drink we made it in but please avoid wasting it in anything frozen or worse yet using it with any pre made mixes. Out of respect to yourself and this tequila use only fresh ingredients – your taste buds and head will thank you.

Bottle: A fairly no nonsense,minimalist type of bottle. Clear glass, fairly standard whiskey or spirit bottle with a label that draws the eye for what is not there – this looks like a lab sample label more than a brand label, with a type that looks like it was typed on a typewriter and signed by George Clooney and Rande Gerber ( facsimiles of their signatures actually), with a bottle number on the label also. Package is topped with a natural cork closure with a wooden top and a paper seal.A slightly charming retro minimalist approach to labeling and bottling that is in a way refreshing from the packaging arms race all the other producers seem to be engaging in.

Other: Slowly, possibly obsessively, made with quality sacrificing quantity, this tequila shows an integrity both in its making and the final product.

Final Thoughts: Highly recommended as a nicely done, delicate, and mature specimen of a tequila. A worthy addition to any tequila aficionados collection – just don’t keep it to yourself.

Website: http://casamigostequila.com
Website starts off with a somewhat tongue in cheek movie/video of what could happen if you over indulged, but little beyond that. Seriously lacks much information about the distillation process details that many tequila aficionados crave.
While stylishly done it needs more real content to make it interesting.

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Notes: This is an interesting liqueur brought to you by the same people who import Mickey Finn, and not coincidently in my opinion another chance to use a drug  reference or inference to sell a product. That observation aside, it is an interesting liqueur which uses decocanized Bolivian Coca leaves (similar to Coca Colas use)  as one of its ingredients ( among many others see website for limited list)

Appearance: Clear, bright green like some absinths (as in the Czech Varieties with no “e” on the end ). Colored with the usual suspects to bolster a uniform coloration that is shelf stable.

First Impression: Very aromatic, grassy, herbaceous, citrus, lime, coca alkaloids, mint, star anise, cinnamon, tea, lavender, cucumber. Complex, somewhat interesting.

Drinks: The drinks on their webpage are somewhat less than inspiring. I think it has some definite mixing possibilities as it has a rather complex flavor profile, but this is not reflected in their cocktail recipe section.

Bottle: Tall rectangular clear glass slightly reminiscent of a Johnny Walker or a gin bottle but with planed off edges to it. Silkscreened Red and gold label with antique style paper label make for an attractive and eye catching package.

Other: South American Jaegermeister

Final Thoughts: Interesting, slightly amusing, but too expensive for what it is. More of a novelty/niche product which might have some interesting mixing possibilities but the price, while cheaper than say Chartreuse, is high enough to discourage a lot of experimentation or use. A less sweetened version might make for a very interesting gin.

Website: http://www.agwauk.com/
Overall not a very impressive site. Limited and rather uninspired cocktail menu. Same people seem to be commenting the same comments under each one. Very Frat boy feel to the site detracts from any attempt at this liqueur being taken seriously by anyone other than the young and stupid types.

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Notes: This a a ruggedized case to prevent damage from shock (drops) sand,dust infiltration,vibration, and wind and rain damage. The case is tested to Mil-STD-810F  the basic military torture/durability tests for acceptance to the United States Military .

Appearance: Appears to be well made of durable material , combination of plastic hard shell with internal bumpers and a silicone outer shell with flexible bits that allow access to ports. Good gripping characteristics and plenty of silicone rubber bumpers around the edges. Fit and finish is OK to good on the way the two separate components mate and match and the fit of the port covers.  It also comes with a plastic stand that clips to the case that allows you stand the iPad up for easier viewing. The stand however both seems small and not very robust, bordering on cheesy at first glance.

First Impression: Ease of use to install: moderate, with no direction ( except those sealed inside the case and inaccessible) I had to go online to figure it out and no, Griffin did not have any hints on their website – I think they need to correct that !  Instructions after I got the case open were a bit cursory and no easy way to tell how the pieces went together after struggling them apart.After a bit of struggle I got the  case on and snapped together.

Testing:  All the controls are easily accessible and touch screen works well. Bumps,drops and splash tests worked as iPad was undamaged. Easy to grip and feels good in the hand. Seems reasonably rugged for the casual user and does protect iPad well enough. Much more protection than cheaper cases and seems to protect iPad well for most circumstances. Recommended as a good to excellent case by itself. The stand however seems to be an afterthought to an otherwise well thought out design.The stand is flimsy,poorly angled for steady use ( other than watching a video and not touching the iPad at all. Also depending on how you use the case it will in some instances turn down the volume controls to zero. I would highly recommend getting another stand if you plan on needing one as this one is thoroughly inadequate, which is a pity given the otherwise great design of the case.

Packaging and Instructions: Cardboard and plastic blister packaging that is attractive easy to open. Instructions are minimal but somewhat adequate once you reach them.

Other: Directions are sealed inside the case when you buy it with no directions whatsoever on how to open said case. Color selection is somewhat limited.

Final Thoughts: It may seem a bit expensive at first glance but good protection doesn’t come cheap. Worth the money to protect your iPad from most misadventures but still allow you to easily access all it’s functions. There are more protective cases out there but you sacrifice accessibility  and convenience for more protection than most people need.

Website: http://www.griffintechnology.com
More cases and accessories to protect and enjoy your electronics than you can imagine. All their gear is decent and works – which is a lot more than you can say about a lot of knockoffs out there. Spend some money and get some quality not frustration.

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Appearance: Clear, slightly amber straw,gold on swirling leaves a heavy coat on the glass and almost immediately forms some long oily legs

First Impression: Rather strong notes of green apples along with a slightly with cinnamon, grains, vanilla, almost an apple pie and whiskey smell.

Taste: Better than I would have thought, a somewhat gingery apple and whiskey blend with the oils from an apple skin combining with the subtle graininess of the Irish whiskey form a pleasant tipple. The apple juice provides a fair amount of sweetnes and rounds off the edges of the whiskey without making it overly sweet. The apple and whiskey mix form a surprisingly drinkable blend

Drinks: Seems to work in the recipes on their page. Fairly flavorful, I think it could have a good potential as something to mix with.

Bottle: A fairly standard looking cylindrical clear green glass bottle that seems to be the standard bottle Irish Whiskey comes in. Paper Labels which again echo a number of other Irish Whiskeys in color scheme, and a black screw cap closure complete the package.

Other: Made in the Netherlands by an unspecified company.

Final Thoughts: A decently made flavored whiskey with an unusual flavoring. Well done for what it is but I would prefer to mix the ingredients myself – it’s called a cocktail.

Website: http://mickeyfinnwhiskey.com
Almost but not quite just a placeholder website, it has some limited recipes and places where you can find it, but no real information beyond that really.

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Notes: The Neat (TM) Glass  is an interesting idea or concept – stripping away the alcohol vapors ( sometime they can really get in the way of a sensory evaluation) while allowing you to taste the other component of s particular spirit.

Appearance: Rather short, almost squat glass – looks a bit like a flattened out spittoon really or a small flower vase. Nice, brilliant crystal with a decent but not overly big base/bottom to it.

First Impression: Fits the hand well, hard to tip over, reasonably robust feel to it.

Testing: Really does remove the alcohol vapors quite a bit when nosing and tasting, allowing you to concentrate on all the other aspects of a particular spirit and lets you enjoy and or evaluate all the other facets without the alcohol overlaying or interfering with your nosing – quite remarkable!

Other: Be sure to follow the filling directions or you may put too little spirit in and shortchange yourself in terms of nosing. Also glass is somewhat fragile but less fragile than a Riedel tasting glass or even a standard Martini glass – In short it has a rim so respect it by not banging it against something else. I also found that you could upend a copita glass into the NEAT glass to seal it if you had to walk away for a few minutes from a tasting and it sealed both glasses better than a watch crystal ( the usual cover for a tasting glass. Also the back and forth use of both glasses means nothing escaped our notice about a spirit . The nosing experience between the two was both amazing and complimentary. It is important to read the directions – especially about the filling of enough spirits to get a proper nosing.

Final Thoughts: A very odd but ultimately useful glass for any professional spirits evaluation. While no glass seems to be perfect, and all have relative merits, this glass  is a must have as part of your armamentarium of sensory tools.

Website: http://www.theneatglass.com
Quite an extensive website on glasses, nosing and tasting science, technique, and a number of related subjects – well worth a visit !

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This whiskey is somewhat of an odd one or anomaly .While there has been a lot of white whiskey released in the last few years, especially by micro distillers and to a lesser degree by the larger distillers, this whiskey is much closer to the white but aged rums that also seem to be on the rise, in form and technique if not taste. In both cases a distiller barrel ages a product then filters out any trace of color and bottles it as a white but aged spirit. The idea they put forward on their website is that it follows or is somewhat of an homage to Jacob Beam and what his whiskey was like ( this was before the benefits of charred barrel aging was widely appreciated ( or indeed that whiskey ever lasted long enough for such things to be noticed)
I’m not entirely sure of what they are trying to accomplish sometimes, but it does seem to produce a mellowed spirit with a much less aged taste as that is also filtered out with the color to some degree. So as such this is NOT your usual white dog “moonshine”, white lightning,what have you.

Appearance: Clear, with the slightest tinge of color, almost like a very light high grade lubricating oil. A whiter shade of pale I guess. On swirling it leaves a thin coat on the glass with tears then thin legs forming along the swirl line, which finally become droplets that cling to the glass.

First Impression: Surprising amount of oak char, tobacco , dark fruits, apricots,vanilla, in short a lot of aged bourbon flavors in a white spirit. It’s downright odd ( in a funny and not bad way) to smell those scents coming from something this light in color

Taste: Somewhat odd mix of tastes that seem a lot lighter than the bouquet would lead you to believe. A very light whiskey taste with a very light body/mouthfeel to it.It almost seems more like a tequila in some (somewhat odd) ways with the bourbon grain flavors intermixed with the oak char and what I presume to be some charcoal filtering also.

Drinks: It seems to work in most drinks but rather light and maybe too tasteless. Reminds me in some ways of some Starka ( aged vodka) that I have had in the past, and as such could be used in the same ways.

Bottle: Pretty much the standard rectangular Jim Beam bottle with the usual wrap around ( three sided) paper label and Jim Beam graphics with the addition of a holographic type portrait of Jacob beam that will follow you with its eyes if you look through the back of the bottle. Black screw cap closure completes the package

Other: First aged white whiskey we have seen. Will there be others?

Final Thoughts: Not really sure what to make of this whiskey. It’s interesting but not compelling.

Website: http://www.jimbeam.com/jacobs-ghost
A one page fact sheet and a few recipes, it is part of the larger Jim Beam webpage – none of which contains a great deal of information.

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Appearance: Bright,clear a touch oily body.On swirling it forms a distinct edgeline then goes to legs followed by droplets on the sampling glass walls.

First Impression: Nice rich almost creamy/buttery smell of heirloom corn, unmistakable smell of a well distilled corn whiskey.

Taste: Nice oily entry with a sweetness that then goes to drying finish of creamed corn and spice.Pleasant medium length finish is almost cornbread like, corn and vanilla slight hint of citrus. Overall rather pleasant, spicy and interesting.

Drinks: No one has really come up with compelling recipes for White Whiskey yet )IMHO)

Bottle: Clear glass short cylindrical with jug ring on handle ( looks like a jug or beer growler). Black paper labels with a silver color for the lettering and designs. Rather hard to read because of the lack of contrast. Topped with a synthetic cork closure with wooden topper

Other: Works well with a Connecticut shade wrapper .

Final Thoughts: While not my personal favorite for a corn whiskey, it is very well done and a worthwhile product.

Website: http://philadelphiadistilling.com
the main website but very much just a placeholder with no real information

http://shinewhiskey.com is the website dedicated to their unaged whiskey products with some information and recipes

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The other distilleries products are not drunk by the locals for the most part, but is consumed by the tourists ( who don’t seem to know better ) and is also heavily exported. This the new Caliche  Puerto Rican Rum which is a collaboration between Roberto Serralles , the latest of a long line of distillers and a man very concerned about rum and the environment ( in sharp contrast to the other distillery whose environmental record reads more like a rap sheet)along with Rande Gerber who is well-known in the nightlife industry and founder of numerous successful nightclubs and destination bars.

Notes: Caliche is one of the newest form/expression of rum in the growing market for rum in general. Using a blend of rums barrel aged up to 5 years in a solera system of progressive aging barrels which is carbon filtered prior to bottling. The object of this exercise  is to produce an aged product that is colorless, has the appearance and some of the flavor forward characteristics of a young rum but also has some of the subtleties and flavors of an older one. Why? well, it is complicated, but the easiest way to explain it is that an Anejo ( a rum over 1 year old and in some cases much older) can be a lovely thing – but not necessarily in a cocktail due to the flavors of both the rum and the other ingredients. Sometimes they just don’t work – most rum cocktails were designed for young rum , much the same way most tequila cocktails are. Anejo rums are lovely but  it’s hard to balance them in a cocktail designed for a young rum, either the oak aging tastes unbalance the other ingredients or the other ingredients smother the subtleties, and in some cases almost the entire rum is pushed into the deep background. Aged white rums are tailored to redress these problems by stripping the color and advanced aging tastes and characteristics out to provide the more subtle aging characteristics  and  some younger rum character ( brought forward through the filtration process) to shine in a cocktail.

Appearance: Bright, clear,On swirling shows a nice body with a thin coating on the glass, then rapidly going from thin legs to droplets

First Impression: Nicely aromatic cane and molasses smells, slightly citrus notes with pleasant oak,leather , black fig  and tea notes.

Taste: Smooth entry, starting very slightly sweet then drying nicely to leave a the and tropical fruits finish.

Drinks: Works very nicely in a lot of rum drinks calling for a white rum. Adds many more layers of complexity in a drink than a non aged white rum. Stands up to mixers and plays well with most ingredients.

Bottle:  Interesting and distinctive design, large pebbled finish makes it look like it was hand hammered. The clear recycled glass bottle  has raised letters picked out in orange,and a punt bottom. Tactile feel is nice and gives a good grip.Other attractive points are the twine wrap around the neck to give it a nautical,Caribbean feel along with the synthetic corks wooden topper with the distinctive crest embossed on top.

Cigar: Something relatively light but spicy, probably an Ashton Corona

Final Thoughts: decently made and fairly cheap for the aged white catagory and an excellent mixing rum. Also good enough to be enjoyed by itself on a hot afternoon somewhere .

Website: http://www.calicherum.com

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Notes: A lot of what I am about to write can be found on the obsessively detailed fact sheet. Short form ? A slow fermented vodka from white winter wheat distilled but NOT carbon filtered so it still has some character to it.

Appearance: Sparkling clean, silvery looking, on swirling it leaves an even coat on the glass and then retreats leaving droplets

First Impression: Cereal grains spirits with hints of longans or rambutans and slightly minty and alkali notes.

Taste: Nicely wheat and cereal grain, with oily/silky entry with grain,alkali/cocoa notes, with light spiciness and a cellulose type of mouth feel. Drying in a pleasant way, medium to heavy body for a vodka. Delicious in an understated way in which is has quiet presence rather than a burn or fade ( a lot of vodkas seem to do one or the other)

Drinks: A very mixable vodka that actually ADDS to a drink  and improves in terms of nice,understated whispers of taste,  body and depth to a drink rather than simply acting as an ethanol delivery vehicle or adding spirituous/rubbing alcohol notes

Bottle: Clear glass with easy to open foil type screw cap closure. Attractive old style graphics on paper labels make the bottle easy to spot by both customers and bartenders. Interesting graphics on reverse of labels ( look through the gin) detailing old steam ship routes and fun graphics. Company trademark is embossed on the bottom of the bottle.  All the bottles are designed from the ground up  optimized for bartenders see http://www.the86co.com/pdf/the86co-Ergonomic-Bottle.pdf for an obsessively detailed guide on features. Feature they do not mention are that the bottle is nicely tall or long with an easy to grip neck making it the bottle to reach for in a bar fight also – or at least they don’t mention that point in the design specifications sheet.

Other: rad

Final Thoughts: While I am a bit of a vodka enthusiast (see my article In Praise of Vodka)  I would not drink this straight at room temperature for pleasure ( I do do this for some vodkas)    Aylesbury Duck Vodka beats the hell out of a lot of commonly available vodkas out there in taste, mouthfeel, body, and in many cases price for anything near its quality. Not to say it’s the best vodka I’ve ever had, but it makes the more expensive Grey Goose taste like rubbing alcohol cut with rainwater. When you add Aylesbury you add taste,some structural (and possibly moral – despite Simon Ford’s involvement – just kidding Simon) integrity to a drink, giving it some bones as it were to hang the other ingredients from – it is far more than just alcohol and water, and greater than the some of its parts.

Website: http://the86co.com

This is the company website which will lead you to the links for all their products along with background on the company.

Product Web Page: http://www.aylesburyduckvodka.com
Very informative with amusing graphics thrown in.

Fact Sheet Webpage : http://www.the86co.com/pdf/AylesburyDuckVodka-Fact-Sheet.pdf

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Notes: An interesting sort of a hybrid type of rum.There has been great demand of late for a clear but aged rum – one that combines the subtlety and complexity you find with good distillation and aging but with no color so as to not effect the color of a drink, but not filtered enough to remove the hard won characteristics and subtlety of age. A number of people have attempted this, a few have succeeded, but no one till now has achieved these goals at this kind of price, nor this quality. To Be able to do all of this in one bottle is a singular achievement by the blending not only of the rum but the talent involved. As I mentioned before the team that sourced these spirits are some of the best around, they also had the wisdom to chose one of the best rum experts in the world as their distiller,blender and possible alchemist. I speak of  Francisco “Don Pancho” J. Fernandez currently of Las Cabres Distillery of Panama. The Padron ( as I call him) has been the father of more rums than I can comfortably remember, and all of them were wonderful. He started at Havana Club in Cuba years ago putting in 35 years there before moving to Panama in the 1990′s. Since then he has been involved distilling and blending a number of brands, and probably knows about every barrel of rum in the world, what it tastes like, and how he could blend it with any other barrel to produce exactly what he wanted to create. It is because of this that a few years ago I recommended him to this guy by the name of Simon, who had a friend looking for some rum, and was wondering if I knew anybody that might have some rum, etc., this eventually led to this the Cana Brava Rum.
While I have no personal interest financially ,or otherwise ( I wish I did) in this project I have to say that the collaboration did extremely well and glad it all worked out. I enjoy being useful from time to time but this in no way effects my reviews. For a fullwrite up on many of the facets of this complex rum and all the players please go to: http://www.the86co.com/pdf/CanaBravaRum-Fact-Sheet.pdf .

I’ll try to do some Cliffs type notes here ;

The cane is a wild sugar cane (Caña Brava) from the region around the distillery in a volcanic area fed by equally mineral rich mountain springs in the central province of Herrera, Panama. Don Pancho uses the molasses from the cane and his own pineapple yeast to ferment the molasses which is then distilled through 4 copper lined column stills and then a 5th, solid copper still. The rum is aged in multiple woods, the first being uncharred American oak barrels for 18-24 months, proof is reduced, then it is rebarreled into used American Whiskey and Tennessee Whisky barrels for another 12-24 months. It is then blended with older rums to ensure a consistent profile and add depth and complexity. The rum is then filtered to create the Carta Blanca style rum that it is or as the Padron says “rum as that we drunk in Cuba when I was a young man”

Appearance: Faultlessly clear, with the merest whisper of color, very palest of yellow, almost a very light champagne coloration. Nice edgeline forming on the glass on swirling with multiple tears, then legs

First Impression: Cane/grassy with cane honey, cacoa alkali, volcanic mineral/stone notes with an overly of citrus and oily butter/coconut notes.

Taste: Very slightly sweet start, with a pleasing slightly oily entry and slightly weighty mouthfeel, lovely mineral and chocolate,vanilla bean and touches of citrus,with oak being present but not overwhelming the rum. Finish is drying and medium to long – as the Japanese say shiripin – it has a tail.

Drinks: We did some extensive field trials and found it was excellent in virtually all the classics using citrus as it played and balanced well without stepping on the citrus  - a delicate task. Only negative we found was it could not stand up to heavier dark  rums in blends but it was not designed to do that ( I think anyway) It couldn’t do that and have the subtlety it does – so more of a mixing note than a fault. Use other rums for those drinks and don’t waste this one.

Bottle: Clear glass with easy to open foil type screw cap closure. Attractive old style graphics on paper labels make the bottle easy to spot by both customers and bartenders. Interesting graphics on reverse of labels ( look through the run) showing reproductions a number of Panamanian postal stamps. Company trademark is embossed on the bottom of the bottle.  All the bottles are designed from the ground up  optimized for bartenders see http://www.the86co.com/pdf/the86co-Ergonomic-Bottle.pdf for an obsessively detailed guide on features. Feature they do not mention are that the bottle is nicely tall or long with an easy to grip neck making it the bottle to reach for in a bar fight also – or at least they don’t mention that point in the design specifications sheet.

Other: No added esters, aldehydes,macerations or other tricks to influence the taste or color profile, just unparalleled skill and experience to produce an honest and delicious rum.

Cigars : Use this rum to cleanse and refresh your palate after a good spicy and oily cigar like a Joya de Nicaragua, or a good Cuban if you can find one.

Final Thoughts: A glorious liquid history both past and present.

Website: http://the86co.com
The company website, straightforward and slightly amusing, easy to navigate.

Brand Website :http://www.canabravarum.com
Placeholder at the moment, real page when they get a chance.

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Notes:  I won’t go into extreme detail about the production of the tequila as that is admirably and obsessively covered in their fact sheet. However I will add some commentary ; First is this is a field to bottle single estate operation, not some private label from a large distillery, which makes a huge difference in quality ( not to mention sincerity) , every detail is well thought out and time tested, and a number of the steps, processes, and methods used are unique to this estate and their production of this singular tequila. The age of the Pinas are 7- 9 years old when handpicked and harvested by the Jimadores, which means the agave has developed a good highland terrior . Along with a number of prior steps (mentioned in the fact sheet) that are the hallmarks of a great tequila, the use of copper fermentation tanks and copper pot stills is unusual – most distilleries use stainless steel in the production which is much easier to maintain and less reactive saying that it affects the tequila less in a positive way – have to rethink that one after trying this tequila.  Further points for blanco enthusiasts are that the tequila was only filtered after the first distillation,not microoxygenated, and rested in stainless steel for 60 days – so no wood taint. It is as fresh and alive as you can get with all the resulting flavors

Appearance: Clear sap like appearance with nice legs and droplets on swirling. A nicely heavy look to the tequila itself.

First Impression: Volcanic minerals,vegetables slightly alkali aloe,agave, with a slightly pepper note

Taste: Smooth, oily entry with minerals,black pepper and citrus overlaying a lovely slightly honeyed agave taste. Finish is warming wit the sides of the tongue and midsection getting a hit of black pepper drying with a pleasing minerality. Citrus notes linger and dance on the tip of the tongue along with the grass and aloe notes of agave. You get a unmistakable terrior of highland tequila with the mineral, citrus, herbal grassy notes. A very much alive tequila that captures every nuance of good tequila in a bottle. Very vibrant , aromatic and generally wonderful stuff.

Drinks: Excellent enough to enjoy on its own sipped in a decent glass and cheap enough to mix with at least some measure of abandon. In margaritas, sunrises, and palomas it added a lot of nuance and balance, livening the drinks, adding flavors and complexity but not overwhelming the other ingredientsIn other drinks it added its complexity, subtlety and body to smooth edges,blend and make a drink much more than the sum of its parts.

Bottle: Clear glass with easy to open foil type screw cap closure. Attractive old style graphics on paper labels make the bottle easy to spot by both customers and bartenders. Interesting graphics on reverse of labels ( look through the tequila) detailing the Virgin Mary appearing in a Pina. Company trademark is embossed on the bottom of the bottle.  All the bottles are designed from the ground up  optimized for bartenders see http://www.the86co.com/pdf/the86co-Ergonomic-Bottle.pdf for an obsessively detailed guide on features. Feature they do not mention are that the bottle is nicely tall or long with an easy to grip neck making it the bottle to reach for in a bar fight also – or at least they don’t mention that point in the design specifications sheet.

Other: Designed by bartenders and spirits professionals as a bespoke tequila for the trade. People over 30 years old will need magnifying glass and good light to read the back labels.

Cigars : Ashton, Rocky Patel or Davidoff, Shade or Natural wrapper, probably a Churchill or maybe even just a Panatela size.

Final Thoughts: A nicely detailed, consummate blanco tequila that does not cost a lot of money. Of course given the expertise of the assembled talent of this company I would expect of them nothing less.

Website: http://the86co.com
The company website, straightforward and slightly amusing, easy to navigate.

http://www.tequilacabeza.com
Tequila Cabeza Website , where you can actually read what they printed on those labels and get even more information on this outstanding Tequila.

http://www.the86co.com/pdf/TequilaCabeza-Fact-Sheet.pdf
The delightfully obsessive fact sheet that explains why Cabeza Tequila tastes as good as it does.

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Notes: Perhaps the only gin I have ever come across that lists all their ingredients on the information sheet and especially the exact proportions ( fascinating read for gin freaks) other details ( found on the bottle itself ) are that the ingredients are steeped for 15 hours and then distilled for 5 hours in a 500  liter ( roughly 100 gallon) copper still using an English wheat base spirit.

Appearance: Clear as a bell with no faults or impurities. Leaves a thin clear coat o the glass that then goes to legs then droplets.

First Impression: More aromatic  and herbal with a nice floral and citrus background. This is very much NOT your typical London Dry Gin. While it does have juniper and coriander that are the hallmarks of any London Dry type of gin it is a bit more balanced than most with a nice subtlety to the blending giving you a very harmonious gin.

Taste: The gin flows in with an oily body, with spice and citrus juniper starting a parade with juniper and the other spices following on closely and leaving a pleasantly bitter drying long finish. A good solid gin profile, juniper, coriander, back stopped by lemon, bitter orange, grapefruit,  grounded by angelica, cassia and orris root, with a lightness imparted by scents of jasmine.

Drinks: Plays well with other ingredients. Unlike a lot of other new gins, this does not have some odd new ingredient or hook that makes it interesting for somethings and horrible for others – it’s extremely versatile and meant to blend not stick out like  a sore thumb. It’s solid,versatile, mixes with anything and will not go out of style, like a Barbour waxed coat, it has an understated dignity, utility, and style without screaming it, and those who know will recognize it as such right off the bat.

Bottle: Clear glass with easy to open foil type screw cap closure. Attractive old style graphics on paper labels make the bottle easy to spot by both customers and bartenders. Interesting graphics on reverse of labels ( look through the gin) detailing old steam ship routes and fun graphics. Company trademark is embossed on the bottom of the bottle.  All the bottles are designed from the ground up  optimized for bartenders see http://www.the86co.com/pdf/the86co-Ergonomic-Bottle.pdf for an obsessively detailed guide on features. Feature they do not mention are that the bottle is nicely tall or long with an easy to grip neck making it the bottle to reach for in a bar fight also – or at least they don’t mention that point in the design specifications sheet.

Other: Designed by bartenders and spirits professionals as a bespoke gin for the trade. People over 30 years old will need magnifying glass and good light to read the back labels

Final Thoughts: Overall a very no nonsense, non gimmicky, gin profile. No tricks, no games, just good gin. Excellent gin without a lot of flash, secret ingredients or other hocus pocus – they put the money into the gin, the bottle, and not the hype.

Website: http://the86co.com

This is the company website which will lead you to the links for all their products along with background on the company.
http://www.fordsgin.com placeholder at the moment for the actual gin page website ( coming soon)

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Notes: Handcrafted in a small ( 200 liter/52 gallon) copper pot still in a grain to clay flask operation at Stokerrij De Moor,the smallest active grain distillery in Belgium. Located in Aalst, Belgium and founded in 1910, the owner was killed in 1914 during the German invasion of WWI when the Germans came to strip out the genever distilleries of their copper. During this time almost all genever distillation stopped and the traditional genever almost became extinct. After the war the founder’s widow, Anna rebuilt the distillery and now 4 generations down the road, we are lucky enough to have this original family recipe genever here in the United States.

Unlike many distilleries these days this one still malts and ferments its own grains and makes its own wort/beer onsite – an expensive, labor, time and space intensive process. Many  distilleries, even the smaller ones now buy bulk alcohol and rectify ( redistill) the alcohol and then mix in their botanicals or essences. The Diep 9 Young Grain Genever is double distilled in a copper pot still using 19th century techniques to distill a mix of rye, wheat, malted barley and 9 botanicals some of which gin enthusiasts will recognize – some not so much. The botanicals are also used in very different proportions than in a London Dry Style Gin.The botanicals are added directly to the malt during distillation ( unlike a lot of compound gins which add the oils and essences to a neutral grain spirit – this type of manufacture gained notoriety during prohibition as   ‘Bathtub Gin’ as the same techniques were used. After distillation the spirit is then added to a neutral grain spirit and reduced to 70 proof to make a very flavorful, interesting, and dangerously easily to drink jonge genever.

Appearance: Wonderfully oily appearance, clear almost sap like, sparkling clarity. On Swirling it forms a nice edge line which  goes from tears to legs then droplets .

First Impression: Scents of caraway,vanilla, guinea pepper, cinnamon, with orange,citrus and flowery overtones. Just a touch spirity, but understated and no off notes in the spirit itself. Nice done distillation !

Taste: Spicy,oily entry like drinking a spice bread in a way with spices giving a nice kick to the oily entry followed by a mild warming and drying finish.

Drinks: Not really sure how to tease the best out of this one. Think of it as a spicy sort of aquavit or an herbal malty sort of gin for a start. Frankly I enjoy drinking it straight in a decent glass ( read non shot glass) somewhat but not heavily chilled.

Bottle: Bottle is undergoing transition. Currently tall cylindrical clear glass with sharp shoulder. Plans are to bottle it in an off white ceramic genever jug/bottle to distinquish it from its older sibling and the genever wannabes that are in glass bottles.

Other: Please note this is a Jonge (young) style genever and so quite different in style from the older style and is being judged/evaluated in a separate category. While I much prefer a Oude (old/aged) style genever this is an outstanding young one.

Final Thoughts: A nicely done genever in the jonge style but using careful distillation and blending to give a very flavorful expression of this very rare style. It makes for a nice stepping stone to the Oude Genevers and allows you to explore genevers giving you a nice introduction. Similar to a well done blended Scotch  gives people a gateway to single malts down the road as they learn the joys and nuances of a spirit.

Website: http://www.flemishlion.com
A nicely laid out if simple and straightforward website, with a wealth of information about that gin you may have never heard of or heard very little of before. Also some great links to articles and other resources such as the National Gin Museum in Hasselt, Belgium ( which we toured – see pictures in our adventure section) a place which during the gin festival they turn off the water to the public fountain and replace it with gin.

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Notes: Handcrafted in a small ( 52 gallon) copper pot still in a grain to clay flask operation at Stokerrij De Moor,the smallest active grain distillery in Belgium. Located in Aalst, Belgium and founded in 1910, the owner was killed in 1914 during the German invasion of WWI when the Germans came to strip out the genever distilleries of their copper. During this time almost all genever distillation stopped and the traditional genever almost became extinct. After the war the founder’s widow, Anna rebuilt the distillery and now 4 generations down the road, we are lucky enough to have this original family recipe genever here in the United States.

Unlike many distilleries these days this one still malts and ferments its own grains and makes it’s own wort/beer onsite -an expensive, labor,time and space intensive process. Many  distilleries, even the smaller ones now buy bulk alcohol and rectify ( redistill) the alcohol and then mix in their botanicals or essences. The Diep Old Genever is double distilled in a copper pot still using 19th century techniques to distill a mix of rye, wheat, malted barley and 9 botanicals some of which gin enthusiasts will recognize – some not so much. The botanicals are also used in very different proportions than in a London Dry Style Gin.The botanicals are added directly to the malt during distillation ( unlike a lot of compound gins which add the oils and essences to a neutral grain spirit – this type of manufacture gained notoriety during prohibition as   ‘Bathtub Gin’ as the same techniques were used. After distillation the spirit is then double barrel aged in two different woods, a toasted Limousin Oak barrel used to age Pomerol in the Bordeaux area for 18 months, then decanted into a Saint Emilion barrel from the same source for a further  12 – 15 months for a total of over 2 years approaching 3 years.

Appearance: Lovely clear heavy bodied stuff, on swirling it leaves a thick edgeline with lots of long oily legs forming which then form a constellation of droplets on the sides of your glass

First Impression: A delicious cereal malt, spices and slightly floral bouquet with hints of wine and oak notes thrown in for good measure. Very slight background notes of grain alcohol wrapping around an orchestra of wonderful aromatics. The malt grains perform a lovely backdrop to the more aromatic, but subtle spiciness that you can smell as soon as you open the bottle.

Taste: Thinks of this as a very malty, flavored rye aged in wine barrels as a start. Lovely smooth oily entry of a slightly sweet, spicy start with fruity notes and some nice wine,oak,leather,grape, malt and slight pepper notes with a moderately long slightly drying finish that somehow retains sweet sour rye grain notes. Wonderful complex parade of flavors that delights and challenges the senses in a nice way.

Drinks: Dust of those classic cocktail recipe books ( or reprints of same) that call for a Dutch, American, Hollands or any other gin that is not a London Dry. Also remember that the bulk of gin cocktails especially older American ones, originally called for this type of gin. Makes an astounding Tom Collins, Fancy Gin Cocktail or even an Old Fashioned gin cocktail.
The overall complexity and maltiness make this even a great stand in for a number of whiskey cocktails. A must have for your mixing cabinet or bar.

Bottle: Very traditional clay bottle with gold brown glaze and natural cork stopper with topper . Can’t mistake this bottle for anything else on a store or bar shelf. Attractive graphics on paper labels finish the package. The bottle can be easily recycled for other uses afterwards – unlike a lot of other liquor bottles.

Other: One of the few genevers imported to the US and by far one of the most flavorful. To use a Scotch analogy if all the others were Highlands or maybe Speyside, this would be an Islay.

Final Thoughts: While a bit different from Dutch Genever in some ways ( similar to Polish and Russian vodkas in that they are distinct from each other,  both claim the spirits as their own, and true aficionados can tell the difference, but most people can’t unless they have tried both side by side) this is a lovely Belgian Genever that knocks the socks off any other ‘genever’ that is currently imported into the United States the others being pale ( in many senses of the word) imitations or genever lite – they just don’t have the depth or complexity of a lot of genevers in general and this one in particular.  I am glad to see the importation of this genever will let people here in the United States get a glimpse of what they are missing. Diep 9 Old Genever redefines genever in the US and sets a new standard for others to try to match.

Website: http://www.flemishlion.com
A nicely laid out if simple and straightforward website, with a wealth of information about that gin you may have never heard of or heard very little of before. Also some great links to articles and other resources such as the National Gin Museum in Hasselt, Belgium ( which we toured – see pictures in our adventure section) a place which during the gin festival they turn off the water to the public fountain and replace it with gin.

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Notes: Works Sharp produces a number of sharpening items for various applications and have been  for over 30 years. An American company (some parts sourced from overseas but designed, assembled and quality checked in Oregon) They produce this , their Field Kit, for sharpening just about anything with an edge in any form. Using a flexible belt it allows you to get a good (read damn sharp !) edge on knives, peelers, scissors, etc., with a built in angle guide so you can choose the angle for different applications with very little trouble.

Appearance: Whats in the box; electric sharpener, knife guides, belts from coarse to fine,retractable honing rod to maintain an edge while working, storage bag, quick start guide, and an instructional DVD . It is all decent quality and well made pieces that are clearly marked and easy to use first time out.

First Impression: We sharpened all the blades in the house, kitchen knives, scissors, pocket knives, machetes, daggers, even a couple of swords in almost no time. What would have taken hours was done in minutes . The average time even when factoring changing belts ( 3 from coarse to fine) was  somewhere around 2 minutes tops. Very easy to use with very handy guides to make sure you got the right and consistent angle every time. We threw everything at this machine, straight, serrated, scissors, etc., and they all sharpened up quickly with no problems and a minimum of fuss. With a flexible belt and guide you have a hard time buggering a knife – unlike what you can do with a grinding wheel in mere seconds. While probably not completely idiotproof , it is about as close as it could come. The belts last a good amount of time and are easily replaceable . Retractable honing stone helps keep an edge till you can get back to the machine.

Construction: Nice 6 foot long power cord which is handy, solid felling on (spring loaded pressure)/off with and excellent  fit and finish with plenty of guides. Easy to change parts on and off – belts, guides etc.,. Storage bag is good size to put everything in and spillproof to keep the machine clean and dry.

Other: You can sharpen garden tools, lawnmowers blades, axes and any other edged instrument of mayhem with this grinder.

Final Thoughts: All around an excellent tool that changed my mind about belt grinders for knives. I used to be very old school with stones and doing them by hand. This machine has changed my mind, it won’t eat your blade like a lot of others and delivers and extremely sharp edge on anything in just about no time. Excellent value for the money and saves you a lot of money on a sharpening service ( not to mention downtime)

Website: www.worksharptools.com

Website is easy to navigate and well laid out. Many other products and replacement supplies are listed in easy to find menus.

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Appearance: Light gold caramel color,on swirling leaves a fairly heavy coat on the glass, and after a long interval a few legs start to appear. Overall a fairly thick and oily appearance.

First Impression: Heavy natural cherry aromas backstopped by othe cherry like notes, heavy doses of spice,cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla,honey, and possibly clove. Also barrel char/oak, tobacco and leather notes. Smells more like a spiced rum ( think Sailor Jerry) than a whiskey.

Taste: Rather sweet entry- definitely more a cordial than a whiskey- with lots of cherry,vanilla and spice along with a whiskey and the attendant notes of leather,vanilla, barrel char,and tobacco. I give them point for using real cherries, it doe not taste like the chemical cherry cough syrup flavoring  so many other people use, but better than that does not a great cordial make.

Drinks: I tried it with the Coke Zero they sent along supposed to be really good according to all the press releases.Not being a fan of Coca Cola in general, and cherry coke in particular it was lost on me. Again I was reminded of a spiced rum and coke rather than a whiskey based drink.I also tried it in a Manhattan ( about 1/2 bourbon to 1/2 Southern Comfort Cherry and it made it too sweet.Only dialing way back on the sweet vermouth and/or using dry vermouth could you rescue the drink.

Bottle: Clear glass with a large molded band to the bottom of the bottle,Concave sides ( easier to grip)  with Southern and Comfort embossed on either side and a ribbed teardrop or parasol pressed design at the shoulder. Quite a bit different from the old day- much more baroque. That being said rather similar to all the other new  Southern Comfort bottles and even more like their 100 proof version except for minor differences in the label coloring and of course the Cherry labeling. Also the neck wrap is kind of a retro looking cherry with rays type of graphic with a screw top closure.

Other: Uses real cherries ( at least two different varieties)

Final Thoughts: While not as foul as some other flavored whiskies I have had recently it still fairly undrinkable to me.

Website: http://www.southerncomfort.com

Fairly minimal information beyond basic facts and some recipes.

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Appearance: Light gold caramel color,on swirling leaves a fairly heavy coat on the glass, with a lot of  legs starting  to appear fairly quickly. Overall a fairly thick and oily appearance.

First Impression: Heavy candy like sweet lime and cleaning products. Smell almost gel like the bouquet is so thick. Minimal whiskey scents buried in the lime.

Taste: Rather sweet entry – definitely more a cordial than a whiskey – but really a very nasty sort of lime very reminiscent of Roses Lime Juice with some bad grain alcohol thrown in. The lime ( and I use the term loosely) really overwhelms any whiskey. It is a very candified gummi lifesaver kind of lime that goes bitter at the end and clings like napalm resulting in a nasty sort of finish.

Drinks: I can’t imagine using this in a drink. Hell, It’s too sticky to even use to take the bugs off my windshield – never mind drinking it.

Bottle: Clear glass with a large molded band to the bottom of the bottle,Concave sides ( easier to grip)  with Southern and Comfort embossed on either side and a ribbed teardrop or parasol pressed design at the shoulder. Quite a bit different from the old days – much more baroque. That being said rather similar to all the other new  Southern Comfort bottles and even more like their 100 proof version except for minor differences in the label coloring and of course the Lime labeling. Also the neck wrap is kind of a retro looking odd cut up /paste up of lime centric graphics with a screw top closure.

Other: Uses real limes( at least two different varieties)

Final Thoughts: Not really sure how to classify this one – bottle says liqueur but it seems like they were shooting for a flavored whiskey at least by association. Whatever the point of it was, it is a foul concoction. Use real lime juice in whatever drink it is, it’s called a cocktail when you mix it yourself.

Website: http://www.southerncomfort.com

Fairly minimal information beyond basic facts and some recipes.

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Appearance: Clear, leaves a thin coat on swirling with droplets forming after a short bit.

First Impression: Pretty straightforward corn spirit with spiritty somewhat thin alcohol notes to it.

Taste: Momentarily sweet then short and sharp with corn fattiness but also a thin body underneath leading to a quick burn and vapors on the tongue. Body is somewhat nondescript and water used to cut it is very light if not mineral free.

Drinks: Works well in most vodka drinks but add less than some with more weight and minerals. Slightly spirits, feints are noticeable.

Bottle: Deep blue triangular bottle with flat corners. Fairly flexible food grade plastic with Clear silkscreened plastic labels with silver lettering. Large Silver/pewter screw off cap with pour restrictor in neck of bottle. Upside is bottle is easy to grip, and will survive at least on drop to pavement in the alley.

Other: If you fill the cap all the way up it is just a hair shy of a 1 oz pour. Coincidence ?

Final Thoughts: While not terrible you are getting what you would expect for the price point – which is to say not a lot. But it is a lot better than a number of other vodkas that come in plastic bottles for an attractive price. That being said , spend a few more dollars for their infinitely better Rain Vodka which is made from organic corn and has gotten cheaper since we initially reviewed it.

Website: http://www.platinum7x.com

Fairly minimal website with basic information. But the $10 a bottle crowd probably aren’t looking a lot of information.

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Larceny Bourbon continues the Old Fitzgerald tradition of using wheat in place of rye as the third or “small” grain in the whiskey’s grain recipe, or mashbill as it is commonly known.  The use of winter wheat replaces the spicier, fruitier flavor notes that rye provides with a softer, rounder character that is the hallmark of Old Fitzgerald and other “wheated” Bourbons such as Maker’s Mark and the Van Winkle line.

It is actually the story of the Old Fitzgerald brand, made famous by the late Julian “Pappy” Van Winkle Sr., that forms the historical basis for Larceny Bourbon.  According to industry lore, John E. Fitzgerald had founded his distillery in Frankfort , KY shortly after the Civil War ended, making his Bourbon available only to steamship lines, rail lines and private clubs.  This story was furthered by S.C Herbst, who owned the “Old Fitz” brand from the 1880’s through Prohibition, and “Pappy” Van Winkle, who purchased the brand during Prohibition and made it his signature label.  However, it was revealed by Pappy’s granddaughter, Sally Van Winkle Campbell, in her 1999 book But Always Fine Bourbon—Pappy Van Winkle and the Story of Old Fitzgerald, that in fact John E. Fitzgerald was not a famous distiller at all.  He was in reality a treasury agent who used his keys to the warehouses to pilfer Bourbon from the finest barrels.  His discerning palate led those barrels to which he chose to help himself being referred to as “Fitzgerald barrels”.  ” As I said, amusing and interesting story, certainly a lot better than most we have heard over the years on how some brands got their names. The tagline “A taste made famous by an infamous act”

Notes: Finally someone has defined what they call a small batch – a previously very slippery and elastic term in the whiskey industry – in this case 100 barrels or less. They also  have specified that these barrels came from the high storage areas of the 4th, 5th and 6th floors and range in age from 6 to 12 years, with the profile striving to be that of a 6-year-old bourbon ( indeed the actual blend is 6 to 12 years old ) but a very mature 6-year-old.

Appearance: Lovely clear copper amber shade that show it is a nicely aged bourbon reaching a good age ( the shift in bourbon goes from yellow, gold to red). Lovely color displayed  that tells you you are probably in for a treat. On swirling leaves a lovely thick coat on the glass transitioning smoothly to lovely looking legs

First Impression: The wheat gives it more a bread (pain levian not wonder bread) note than a rye bread you normally encounter with leather,saddle soap, butter and toffee notes for a lovely, smooth, nose.

Taste: Lovely weighty mouth feel on entry,thick oily body with touches of sweetness,mint,caramel,corn and mildly spicy in a nicely understated way with leather, oak and hints of light tobacco. Nice long pleasant fade to finish.

Drinks: Makes a great Manhattan playing well with the other ingredients, also great Horses Neck, Old Fashioned, and a respectable Whiskey Sour

Bottle: Interesting and distinctive a pinched waist flask shaped clear glass bootle with a silkscreened plastic label with a large keyway as part of the design.Type style and color scheme  is slightly reminiscent of Knob Creek and a few others but a stand out and attractive bottle that draws the eye on either a commercial or home bar. Easy to spot and identify at a distance.

Cigars: Davidoff Puro d’Oro or a Joya de Nicaragua Dark Corojo

Final Thoughts: A very nicely done bourbon that makes for a great buy compared to many offerings in that price range. Cheap enough to mix with and good enough to be enjoyed on its own – rare combination.

Website: http://larcenybourbon.com

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Notes:  Produced by Philadelphia Distilling which produces a number of other products including Blue Coat Gin, Vieux Carre Absinthe,  XXX Shine Corn Whiskey, Penn 1681 Rye Vodka, and this, their XXX Shine Salted Caramel Corn Whiskey.

Appearance: Gold caramel colored like a Amaretto or other liqueur, somehow the caramel coloring people use for coloring kind of looks the same in terms of the type of color even if the depth of color is different. It just looks like a bad fake color no matter how dark or light you color something.

First Impression: Odd but not completely off putting as such. Caramel,toffee, tootsie roll and salty smells underlaid with sweet corn whiskey scents make for an odd combination but not nearly enough warning for what was to follow.

Taste: On its own it is almost unspeakably ghastly – Sweet “caramel”  ( read artificial plastic tootsie roll waxy caramel) with the sea slat makes it taste like a salty charcoal briquet with the underlying bite of the whiskey. It leaves a sickly sweet salty caramel finish that clings like grim death.

Drinks: Tried it in a Manhattan – couldn’t face any other experiments after that.

Bottle: Clear glass short cylindrical with jug ring on handle ( looks like a jug or beer growler). Black paper labels with a patinated copper color for the lettering and designs. Rather hard to read because of the lack of contrast.

Other: I’m sorry but I just don’t get the whole flavor idea for this one is putting it mildly. I had to convince the other person who tasted it I wasn’t intentionally trying to poison her – that I just needed a second opinion to make sure it was as bad as I thought.

Final Thoughts: I love some of their other products, and I am friends with  their distiller so it would be diplomatic of me to say I just don’t get this product – but I honestly can’t say that – I find it loathsome .

Website: http://philadelphiadistilling.com
the main website but very much just a placeholder with no real information

http://shinewhiskey.com is the website dedicated to their unaged whiskey products with some information and recipes

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Appearance: Gold amber yellow in color, appears to be a younger whiskey compared to a lot of bourbons, standard color for a Canadian whisky.

First Impression: Heavy caramel and toasted/caramelized maple scents with cinnamon, maple syrup, butterscotch overtones.

Taste: Sweet,thick entry with a very much toasted/caramelized caramel flavor with some cinnamon,whiskey,vanilla and oak char notes to it.

Drinks: There are a number of cocktails listed on their website. Actually the whisky was fairly easy to mix with and showed a surprising amount of versatility for something that you would expect to be less than easily mixable. Probably also good for cooking especially for pecan or pumpkin pies, glazes or desserts.

Bottle: Bit of an updated redesign from the standard Black Velvet bottle. CLear glass with a sharper shoulder angle,ever so slightly tapered body to a flared angled bottom. Labels are silkscreened clear plastic with reversed colors from the old paper labels with the banner “Toasted Caramel ” near the bottom of the label. Neck wrap and screw off cap are somewhat the same

Other: Almost qualifies as a whisky liqueur, think of it as a toasted caramel version of some other whisky liqueurs and you won’t be far wrong in terms of sweetness and basic style.

Final Thoughts: I didn’t want to start a review with “not as bad as I expected” or some such as I like to try to be impartial till I taste anything but given the experience of the vast majority of flavored whiskies which we have tried it’s hard not to have some involuntary preconceptions, happily it exceeded my minimal expectations. For a shall we say economy whisky it was OK and as a mixer for people who like the sweet stuff I can recommend it as one of the more drinkable flavored whiskies out there. While too sweet for my personal taste I am sure it will be popular with the younger crowd.

Website: http://www.blackvelvetwhisky.com

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Notes: Made by Microplane ( a division of Grace Manufacturing in Russellville, Arkansas) , This is a new multifunction tool for bartenders or anyone else that needs to zest, grate, or open a bottle.Only available at Williams and Sonoma ( so far anyway).

Appearance: Brushed stainless steel roughly 5 1/2 inches long by about 2 inches wide, more or less on piece of stamped steel (18 gauge?) with a rubber edging. Zest/garnish  tool at the top, grater in the middle, bottle opener at bottom with half moon hanger or lanyard hole.

First Impression: Fits hand nicely, big enough to find easily but small enough to carry easily.

Testing : Used it on all manner of fruits and a few vegetables  both carved and grated zests/garnishes, opened numerous bottles and ran through commercial dishwasher . Tested over 3 month period

Results: Works well, quite sharp and precise, hard steel does not dull easily and maintains a good edge, repeated use then washing in commercial dishwasher does not seem to effect it at all.Zests/grates quickly without digging into pith.Bottle opener function is good if not great.

Pros: Well made, good multipurpose tool.

Cons: Could use a slip off  or pop on cover for grater – otherwise do not put in pocket – especially with anything else you don’t won’t scarred up quickly.

Other: Model # 41950

Final Thoughts: Nicely made tool that will stand up to a lot of abuse. A little pricey for what it is but excellent quality tool that is vey satisfying to use.

Website: http://us.microplane.com
Straightforward website that shows all their tools,kitchen,woodworking, and personal along with those instructions that you threw out.

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