First Taste: Ardmore Traditional Cask Highland Single Malt Scotch

Just as whisky neophytes have gotten their minds around things like the Scotch tasting map, where Islay and other whiskies are on the smoky and maritime side and Highland whiskies are soft, smooth and sweet, Ardmore comes along to remind us that production methods trump all other distinctions. Ardmore claims to be the only Highland distiller fully peating their malt, and so of course, this non chill-filtered whisky starts out with an aromatic experience familiar to Islay lovers – a burst of smoke resembling a leaf fire on a windy day. But behind that is a pretty caramel and cream softness and richness, not the sinewy leaness of an Islay. On the palate, smoke again and a bit of saltiness to accompany a bourbony vanilla and oak sweetness - salted caramels, even. Ripe apples and pears emerge near the finish of this full bodied but not overpowering Scotch, and it climaxes with the brisk tang of fruitwood smokiness. While the edges could use some rounding and the vanilla and smoke can somehow seem a bit at odds, I'm looking forward to trying the other expressions from Ardmore. 46% abv (Beam Global)

My score: 7
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First Taste: Square One Botanical

Used to be, the brown spirits had all the character and flavors, derived mostly from wood. Now, it's the tinkering of the vodka distillers, primarily, and the various flavoring methods they employ that seem to set the standard. Unfortunately, many of those spirits are poorly wrought, cheaply flavored and downright lip-curling.

Not this one. Its botanical mix (pear, rose, chamomile, lemon verbena, lavender, rosemary coriander and citrus peel) evokes aromatic images of a gin-sipping grandma herbalist, but there's something really fun going on here. In the nose, Square One Botanical offers green pear and fresh lavender right off, along with bits of dried rose, crushed coriander and orange peel. It tastes light and, well, green - perhaps green gage plums or D'Anjou pears, but with something extra - white flowers and lemon blossom, with a hint of jasmine at the finish. The finish is crisp and a bit sweet, but not sweetened, something like mixed fruit gum, but overall fresh and gentle for a 45% alcohol by volume product. Square One Botanical promises to be a super cocktail ingredient, and has the added cachet that organic certification brings.

My score: 7
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Go Van Gogh

I'm not a vodka guy, though neither am I a vodkaphobe - as far as I'm concerned, whatever gets you through the night... I keep a few bottles around the house, whatever I consider really good, and pass the rest on to friends, neighbors and delivery men. I don't often hold onto flavored vodkas at all...except for Van Gogh, which, as flavored spirits go, are generally unparalleled in terms of pure, essential flavors. In fact, as the international cordial suppliers continue to miss out on the opportunity created by the cocktail revolution - that is, they continue to sell generally artificial tasting, overly sweet and just plain unpleasant liqueurs - bartenders are starting to opt for the 35% abv Van Goghs as flavoring agents. All hail master distiller Tim Voss.

I sat down last week with Norman Bonchick, head of Van Gogh Imports, and tasted all their wares. The good news - the Dutch Chocolate is back and as good as ever, a hot chocolately treat with a slight bitterness, a drying finish with spice and a balanced sweetness. A mistaken change in the formula has been righted, and this is the benchmark chocolate spirit, as far as I'm concerned.

But it's not Van Gogh's best - that nod goes to the Double Espresso, a magnificently crafted spirit that explodes with aromas of freshly ground dark roast coffee bean and tastes like finely filtered and concentrated pure espresso with a shot of spirit. The art of flavoring doesn't get any better, and with the possible exception of Illy Coffee Liqueur, there's nothing close to this Van Gogh.

I was also impressed with the Van Gogh Coconut vodka, quite against my will - "No way I'll like this," I thought and then wham! an aromatic explosion of toasted coconut and coconut cream erupted from the glass, and not a hint of the usual coconut sunscreen notes so often found in such spirits. It's compelling and seductive, and all coconut lushness - a real winner.

Given that these products depend on fresh and seasonal ingredients for their flavors, it's not surprising that some change slightly - the Pineapple was more like pineapple upside down cake than fresh grilled pineapples, which was my overwhelming impression when Van Gogh first sent samples around. I'm told the pineapple can be made twice yearly, which would explain how a particular harvest would change things. Nonetheless, it, too, is outstanding.

Oh, and the new Dutch Caramel Vodka? All I can say is I waved the open bottle under the noses of five unsuspecting friends, and they all said the same thing - "Wow."

My scores: Dutch Caramel: 7
Dutch Chocolate: 8
Double espresso: 9
Coconut: 8
Pineapple: 7
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First Taste: Rittenhouse Rye 25 Year Old Single Barrel Whiskey

The release of the third and final bottling of Rittenhouse Very Rare Single Barrel Rye has arrived, following the release of the 21-year-old bottling in 2006 and the 23-year-old  in 2007 (reviewed here). The new 25-year-old expression is drawn from the final barrels of the same lot as the first two though questions about how it has benefited are almost irrelevant, as all bottles - even at $190 a bottle - will be scooped up instantly. About those bottles - there are only one thousand 3-bottle cases, a total of 3,000 bottles, to be shared between the US, the United Kingdom, France, Australia, New Zealand and Japan.  

So what do I think of the 100 proof, single barrel designated, non-chill filtered, straight rye? On the nose, there's maple syrup, dates, shellac, baking spices, old chair leather, some ashiness and a bit of a charred quality that I don't recall from the last bottling. On the palate, there are all of the above, plus some better defined spice notes of clove, cinnamon, nutmeg and even a bit of Red Hot candy, a brisk, drying finish at first and then, wham - some potency starts to show. There is a bit of woodiness starting to peek through as well, which makes me think somewhere between 23 and 25 years was the peak age for this rye. But it almost doesn't matter - is Payton Manning a better quarterback today than three years ago? Is the current Broadway production of "South Pacific" better than the last revival? Was this year's "Mad Men" better than last? Who cares? Buy this if you can find it. (Distributed by Heaven Hill)


My score: 9.5

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First Taste: Pueblo Viejo Blanco Tequila

The efforts by the tequila business to shed the bad old image the spirit earned in the 1960s have largely succeeded, but one result is that tequila prices have gone through the roof. As good as some of today's blancos are (and believe me, the improvement in quality at the blanco level is clear; now, if only barrel management in Jalisco got as much attention as agave quality).

But there are always bargains to be had, and here's one some savvy mixologists already know about; Pueblo Viejo Blanco from Tepatitlan. It has a light cocoa powder, even baby powder, aroma at first, followed by anise seed, orange rind and a touch of bitter herbs. In the mouth, it has a great balance between minerally citrus, mostly lemon and lime, and a moderate agave sweetness. There's a notably rich texture, and the blanco finishes with another dusting of cocoa powder along with a clean lime and apple crispness, a lovely tequila all around. Prices vary, but last month in San Diego, I saw it going for under $16 at a chain store, a steal as far as I'm concerned. (Imported by Gemini Spirits and Wine.)

My score: 6.5
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First Taste: Hibiki 12 Year Old Japanese Blended Whisky

There's a small subset of whisky lovers who treasure Japanese malts and blends, but for too long, little of the good stuff has been widely available here. True, the overall subtlety of most tend to remind one more of Canadian whiskys than most single malt Scotches, but still, they can be exquisitely refined and sippable. In Hibiki 12 Year Old Japanese Blended Whisky, distiller Suntory finishes aged malt whisky in plum wine casks and blends it with other malts and some grain whiskies, then filters it through bamboo charcoal. The result? A light grainy nose, with a hint of white flowers, rising bread dough and an evocative note of raspberries ripening on the vine in the summer sun. In the mouth, it’s crisp, exceedingly drying, with lots of mouth-watering acids, and a candied lemon peel tang backing up the malt expression. Hibiki finishes extremely long, with an airy and fresh lightness and crisp raspberry tang. It's a lovely and expressive whisky. 43% abv (Skyy Spirits).

My score: 7


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First taste: Glenmorangie Sonalta

Glenmorangie has always been miles ahead in terms of wood finishes compared to most other single malts. Dr. Bill Lumsden, the man in charge, even orders his barrels from a particular part of Ozark oak forests, and arranges for the wood to be aged a bit longer before it is turned into barrels.

While other Scotches are known for their rich sherried quality, that has not been the ethereal Glenmorangie's position, though sherry has made an appearance, especially in the now-gone but not forgotten Fino Sherry Finish and the currently available Lasanta, finished in oloroso casks. But Pedro Ximenez? The source of the most dense and syrupy sweet Sherries made? Surely finishing this floral and evocative single malt in PX wood would smother the better qualities, I thought, but nope. The Sonalta, the result of a recent experiment (not Lumsden's only - he's got some finished in Manzanilla casks, but samples were stuck in customs when we met recently) will soon be available in the US after only being sold in duty-free, and lucky us.

On the nose, there's almost a blackened banana quality along with raisins and prunes cooked in dark brown sugar layered onto almond shortbread - rich and lush, with a touch of pear liqueur lurking as well. It's almost unctuous in the mouth, filled with dried fruits and a rummy sweetness backed by a spicy tingle as it finishes. As usual, it's worth the time and trouble to find the latest result of a Glenmorangie wood experiment, which you'll be able to get next January for about $80. (46% alcohol by volume, imported by Moet Hennessey)

My score: 8
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First Taste: Woodford Reserve Master's Collection Seasoned Oak

The three (or four, depending on a production quirk one year) in the series of one-offs that have come from the old Labrot & Graham distillery under the name Woodford Reserve Master's Collection have won lots of fans. But I've generally preferred the standard issue Woodford, probably because the experiments didn't improve for me what is a very winning formula.

This time, though, master distiller Chris Morris and company are onto something. Finished in barrels made from wood aged up to five years, far older than American whiskey usually sees, the Seasoned Oak is massively spicy on the nose, smelling like bittersweet chocolate-coated dark cherries dusted with cinnamon and clove. The aromatic notes keep on coming: vanilla, raspberries, Red Hot candies, applewood smoke. In the mouth, it's remarkably smooth, given the explosive aromatics, but still, it's peppery and intense, a bit Port-like in its richness, mouth-filling and robust, with that cooked cherry and bittersweet chocolate flavor swirling in and out among a country kitchen's worth of baking spices. It's got sweetness and the vanilla-coconut quality of the standard Woodford, but moves far beyond into an unusually intense realm. I could sip this all afternoon; come to think of it, I did.

(Available November 1, 50.2% abv, limited release, Brown-Forman.)

My score: 9
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First Taste: Orangerie

Purists may shun flavored or infused whiskies, but it is usually because the products are often artificial tasting, seemingly a result of too much whisky in the warehouse and a marketer's wacky inspiration. Not Compass Box's Orangerie, and Scotch enthusiasts are likely to be almost as enthusiastic about John Glazer's latest offering as they are about Peat Monster or the other results of his modern whisky attitude.

Orangerie is a blend of Highland single malt Scotch whisky, single grain whisky, infused with orange, cinnamon and clove, and that's exactly what you'll find in the glass. A bit reminiscent of old style whisky liqueurs on the nose, but lighter and more reserved, Orangerie smells like a Christmas sachet of dried orange peel and spices. It's sprightly and lightly sweet on the palate, not cloying at all, and has a clean, fresh quality. Seems perfect for cocktail experimentation, cold-weather sipping or just a change of Scotch pace. 40% abv.

My score: 7
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First Taste: Tuthilltown Manhattan Rye

Everyone has a friend who thinks he's good at something...and isn't. Or prides himself on his secret recipe for barbecue sauce, or kimchi, or the way he smokes his own 18 pound turkey, yet always has so much food leftover.

I think of those folks sometimes when tasting spirits sent to me as part of the wave of new products coming from small distillers and entrepreneurs. (There's no space here to distinguish between those who really own and operate their own stills and those whose spirits are made to order by large distilleries; perhaps some other time.) So many I try are oddly out of balance, with one note or another so dominant that I think they must be created to satisfy no one but the maker. Gin isn't supposed to smell like Provence during the lavender harvest, ya feel me? So I've become skeptical when spirits new to market appear in my tasting lair (actually, the kitchen counter.)

It took Tuthilltown Manhattan Rye Hudson Whiskey to shut my mouth and open my nose. There are a lot of oaky aromas at first, but they are clean and crisp, not the puff of plywood or sawdust that often comes from poor barrel management. There are also fresh crushed apple notes, with a hint of vanilla and a fully grainy, almost cooked breakfast cereal quality. On the palate, there's little of the expected rye roughness; instead, the edges have been smoothed, perhaps by Tuthilltown's use of small barrels, but this is still a lively, peppery rye, and there's even some anise and caraway popping through. It finishes with a bit of char, but clean, brisk and quite smooth, and not the slightest bit hot, even at 46% alcohol. It is both robust and charming, Hugh Jackman, but not Wolverine.

I offered some as an after dinner treat to a couple of neighbors recently, guys who I don't think of as boozehounds. Suffice it to say that it was a good thing I did my tasting before passing the 375 ml bottle around. Currently limited availability, 45% alcohol by volume.

My score: 8

(Photo of bottle: Matt Calardo)
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First Taste: Beefeater 24

Gin is blossoming among the cocktail cognoscenti, as bartenders turn to old favorites for drink inspiration or experiment with newly created gins crafted with a mix of botanicals previously unknown. Some I've tried are difficult to imagine in a drink; others have good qualities, but don't differ enough from the established brands to make a mark.

The standard Beefeater, I found years ago in a blind tasting, is my favorite G and T gin, its robust juniper punch and 47 abv exactly what I'm looking for at the end of a sweltering day. It's also a fine Martini gin, and for me the benchmark Negroni gin. But its prominent flavor profile may be keeping it from more drink experimentation.

Recently, Desmond Payne, Beefeater's master distiller, found inspiration in tea during an Asian trip, and has tinkered with the classic formula by adding sencha and green tea and grapefruit peel to the steeping mix for 24 hours. The result: Beefeater 24, a smooth, assertive, but rounder and less angular gin, with a slightly muted juniper quality. The tea brings in a slightly tannic pucker but with a paradoxically softer mouthfeel tied together by the zip of grapefruit. The characteristic anisey-orrisy Beefeater finish is mellowed but lengthened; in fact, this finishes longer than the original. If the mellow Payne was looking to give bartenders a new version of an old favorite, with fewer sharp edges and more adaptability - juniper, after all, dominates every conversation in which it takes part - then he has succeeded. Currently limited U.S. availability, 45% alcohol by volume. (Imported by Pernod-Ricard USA)

My score: 7
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First Taste: Citadelle Reserve Vintage Gin

The gin resurgence has brought us many new iterations that result from the tinkering with the number and balance of the different botanicals, but aging gin doesn't seem to have caught on much. Odd, since, like virtually all other spirits, gin once spent as much time in a barrel as it took to ship and serve the full complement of spirit inside. But now there is Citadelle Reserve vintage, in which the 19-botanical standard Citadelle is given six months in used casks, “in the heart of the Cognac region,” as the company says. Wonder what sort of casks they use? Hmmm.... Anyway, the Reserve 2008 gains a golden hue from its time spent resting and on the nose, the oak aging mutes the juniper, orange and cinnamon notes that are prominent in the standard Citadelle. But it has also rounded them out and integrated some vanilla and a bit of earthiness. On the palate, this is gentler than gin - less snap and more spicy subtlety, but still the juniper bite works its way through. Subtlety, as I say, is the byword in this gin-wood experiment, making it a candidate not for cocktails but for sipping on the rocks, or in a very particular Martini, perhaps. With limited annual production, that's okay. For the gin completist, a must-try. Currently the 2008 is available. 44% abv. (W.J. Deutsch & Sons, Ltd.)
My score: 7
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First Taste: Karlsson's Gold

The vodka backlash, at least in the cocktail-mad speak bars, is in full force, so strong that a reverse backlash has started, as even those uninterested in the generally neutral spirit are taking a second look at what's good and not so good out there.

Include me as one of those reevaluating vodka's place. Good vodka, consumed the way drinkers once did in Poland, Russia, Scandinavia or other original sources, has qualities worth considering: crisp and clean, earthy and rustic, simple but refreshing, great with smoked or pickled fish, sliced meats, vinegary cooked root vegetables, cucumbers and pickles.

Karlsson's Gold, made from seven varieties of new potatoes, is one of the few vodkas I would select as a chilled sipper. There's a rich sweetness on the palate, but it's not overbearing or excessively glycerine-like. Clean and crisp apple and lemon flavors ensue, with an herbal bite - anise, perhaps rosemary - and some earthiness, to be expected from a potato vodka. In the mouth, it is creamy and rich, and finishes bright, charming and clean, with a note of cocoa and coffee bean. Like a lean albariño, Karlsson's offers qualities that make it a natural for food, and it's a smart choice for culinary cocktails. My usual order of preference in terms of vodka sources is rye and then potato, but in this case, I'm thinking Karlsson's Gold is easily among the best two or three I've tasted in the past year.
My score: 7
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First (and Last) Taste: The Last Drop

This week, two of the self-proclaimed "Three Old Farts" were in town, sharing a taste from the remains of their extremely unusual blended Scotch whisky, The Last Drop. The two - James Espey and Tom Jago - are best known for their development of Baileys Irish Cream, though they were also instrumental in developing Johnnie Walker Blue Label among other Scotch whisky concepts, and if The Last Drop is any indication, whisky is where their hearts reside. The Last Drop is unmistakably unusual in its price - $2,000 per bottle - but its pedigree is equally odd. A variety - 70 malts and 12 grains - of whiskies, distilled in 1960 and aged 12 years, were re-barreled in Sherry casks in 1972...and then, apparently, forgotten. The decade of the 1970s wasn't the best time for the Scotch whisky business, which might explain how the three casks were left in a dark corner of a warehouse at Auchentoshan in the Scottish Lowlands, like umbrellas overlooked at a restaurant door at the end of a spring shower. The contents of the barrels reduced by two-thirds - not only the angels but the devils seem to have taken their share - and about 1,350 bottles-worth are left.

The Old Farts were willing to share a dram with me, and here are my notes: The color of endlessly polished walnut with a dim green light at the edges, the first sniffs of the spirit confuse - is this Cognac? Armagnac? What? Lots of rancio - nutty and umami-ish - and moderate spiciness (mace rather than cinnamon, nutmeg rather than clove) then emerge, though after about five minutes, the aromas shift to pecan pie and maple syrup, part of an constantly altering array of smells - chocolate, leather, figs, rum-soaked raisins. It tastes surprisingly fresh and alive, hard to figure for one so old. Sherry (oloroso? palo cortado?) shows everywhere, but modestly and sprightly, not in the way some single malts are overwhlemed by the sweetness of Pedro Ximenez Sherries. The whisky dances across the palate, with new flavors of passion fruit, kumquat and old leather joining the aromas mentioned above. It's light but long on the finish, insanely refined and a new benchmark for old Scotch.

Only 350 bottles were sent to the U.S., and few are left, if you've got a spare two grand lying around. The Farts are looking for more, though, so keep alert if money's no object. (Imported by Infinium Spirits.)

My score: 10

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First Taste: Rittenhouse Rye 23 Year Old Single Barrel Whiskey

Rye is the latest bartender's delight, but the very small category also commands attention from old and new whiskey sippers with a taste for more tang than they usually find in their corn likker. But this one...well, I've seen it listed as a cocktail ingredient, to me just an appeal to the conspicuous consumers whose habits are now passé. No, Rittenhouse Rye 23 Year Old Single Barrel Straight Whiskey is, at 50% alcohol by volume, for thoughtful lapping with a splash of water or a small cube, as you like. The label calls rye “the most flavorful of American whiskey styles,” and if this old Rittenhouse is the new measuring stick, then the rest of the American whiskey business has a strong act to follow. Bold and spicy, with notes of lanolin, neatsfoot oil, dulce de leche, cloves and cinnamon on the nose, it tastes surprisingly youthful at first – I’d never say 23 if asked to guess its age, an achievement to say the least. The whiskey blossoms on the tongue with flavors of cinnamon, caramelized sugar, fresh cut grass and vanilla. The finish is penetrating and lean, but doesn’t show its potency at all, moving silky smooth all the way across the palate. This one’s all leather and lace, country elegant and dressed up for the dance. They've got no more stored away down in Kentucky, so if you find it, buy it. (Distributed by Heaven Hill.)
My score: 10
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First Taste: Gran Centenario Rosangel Tequila

Where are the great flavored tequilas? Ever since I first tried a few infused tequila recipes from Lucinda Hutson's great tequila cookbook, "¡Tequila!" (now out of print) in the mid-1990s and realized how well quality tequila took on fruit aromas and flavors, I've been waiting for producers to do something really interesting. But this surpasses all my expectations. Gran Centenario Rosangel is a fascinating reposado that spends an additional two months in Port pipes and then is infused with hibiscus flowers. The result is a rosé-hued tequila with a nose of rich porty-sweetness, white flowers, agave and vanilla. At first on the palate it’s crisp and citrusy and then there's a brisk return of port notes, followed by bright floral qualities that zip across the palate. Rosangel finishes clean and crisp, a lip-smacker by any definition; it's an all-around lovely spirit that benefits from its completely unexpected direction, and opens the tequila cocktail spectrum considerably. There's considerable prejudice among spirit know-it-alls against flavored booze, but Rosangel may change your mind - Bravo for a great idea that works better than anyone could have imagined. (Imported by Proximo Spirits.)
My score: 7
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First Taste: Glenmorangie Signet

The upgrading of Glenmorangie continues with the magnificent Signet, a blend of the house's oldest and rarest malt whisky. It's the latest genius move from Dr. Bill Lumsden and Rachel Barrie, the distilling/blending team that has long overseen the development of the fascinating wood experiments and iterations the brand is known for. Non-chill filtered, Signet carries the classic house-style oak and fruit nose, opening with mashed peaches and butter-sautéed pears, roasted pineapple and a touch of passion fruit sprinkled with cinnamon, clove and coffee. On the palate, tropical fruit dominates, along with mocha and coffee and once again, that notable aged malt passion fruit. This dazzler finishes dry and very spicy with a touch of wintergreen, a surprisingly brisk quality here. Made with highly roasted chocolate malt, Signet is a deep, intense and sophisticated single malt Scotch expression, and a sterling success. (Moet Hennessy USA)
My score: 9
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First taste: Ron Millonario

Peru is hardly known as a hotbed of rum-making, but if word about Ron Millonario ever gets out, the stellar lush and candied rums like Zacapa and Diplomatico will have some serious competition.

Millonario Solera 15 Reserva Especial is dark walnut, almost furniture polish brown in hue, rich and lush on the nose, giving off aromas of reduced caramel sauce and freshly baked hot cross buns with its combination of cloves, cinnamon, raisins, currants and yeastiness. It's not as thick as its aromas suggest, but on the palate, there's an explosion of cooked tropical and dried fruits - sherry-stewed raisins, butter sizzled brown bananas, black figs in custard. This is not your Caribbean aged rum, all sinew, leather and tobacco, and no one would ever use it to suggest that aged rums are like Cognac. It finishes rich, with great acid but mostly mouth-watering richness and sublime balance. My notes from last week at the Polished Palate competition - "Is this the perfect rum?"

I am a bit confused, though, by the co-existence of an age statement and the producer's stated use of a solera system - soleras, a creation of the Sherry world, is a complicated system that essentially means that there's something from the oldest and youngest component in each bottle. Whatever. Millonario is definitely one worth seeking out if you like your rums rich, lush and bodacious.

My score: 8
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First Taste: Noilly Prat

"In the magical universe there are no coincidences and there are no accidents. Nothing happens unless someone wills it to happen." William S. Burroughs.

Well, maybe so; then who has willed within a couple months this year the return of both Bols Genever and the other main ingredient in the Holland House cocktail, Noilly Prat, back to the U.S. in the original formula?

Tasting the old Noilly (or should that be the old new? Either way, the one that you'll still find on many bar and retail shelves, at least until inventory turns over) and the new (that's the old and now new, which we will call classic for clarity, to be discerned by its sleek, streamlined bottle) together reveals a key difference: the returning classic formula is aged longer, showing so in its pale golden hue. Its aromas and flavors are more robust; instead of just oregano and marjoram, which dominate the style that until recently was sold only in America, Noilly smells of lemon and orange peels, bramble bushes and chamomile. That's what two years in wood, one outside exposed to the Mediterranean sun and sea breezes, and 20 botanicals will do for you. Suitable as a solo sipper, this is also the vermouth a Martini was meant for, and not insignificantly to me, is still a great cooking wine. Remember to refrigerate and if you use a wine preservation system, to apply here as well, unless you go through a bottle every week or so. (Imported by Noilly Prat USA)

My score: 6
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First Taste: Bols Genever

Bartenders demanded it, and Bols listened; before London and Plymouth style gins dominated the American gin scene, it was the malty and savory Genever style gin that was the essential ingredient in cocktails of the early era (like the Holland House, a lip-smacker made with Noilly Prat, maraschino and lemon juice - you figure out the formula).

Spruced up and back in the U.S. market in a modern package, today’s Bols Genever, made from corn, rye and wheat distilled in copper pot stills, is musty and malty, smelling like a rising batch of hearty northern European bread dough. In the mouth it’s creamy and smooth, with a touch of fresh biscuits and anise. To me, genever works in cocktails as a knitter, binding the other ingredients into a harmonious whole, much the way orris root does in English gins. Modern palates may not recognize the original gin but the cocktail crazed are already hard at work incorporating the Bols version in their latest creations. If you're running a serious cocktail program, you need a genever. But you know that already. And please, ladies and gents of the stick, go easy; it seems to me that whenever a quality spirit makes it way into the cocktail group conciousness, the next dozen or so "new" cocktails I'm served have way too much of the newest thing in them. (Bols Genever, by the way, is also worth trying as a simple sipper.) (Cattani Imports - no link available.)
My score: 7
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