Looking for a new flavor? Need a little help making your next choice at your local bar or bottle shop? Dining and drinks writer and judge Virginia Miller combs through new craft spirits releases to taste, review, and recommend. Here are her top 12 picks of the month, rated on a scale of one to five.
My bottle review column (last month’s edition here) is about what is unique, standout, new and/or trending in spirits with my review ratings on a 1-5 rating scale. My 10 bottle reviews of the month:
APERITIF
atōst California Spritz
https://atost.co
atōst (18% ABV; $35 SRP) is a welcome new farm-to-bottle California aperitif from Cindy Pressman and husband Kyle. atōst is a grape-based low-ABV sipper of California ingredients sourced partly from CA’s Central Coast where Cindy grew up in the coastal farming community of Ventura. As a Mexican-American, Cindy’s family worked in CA citrus fields since her agave farmer grandparents immigrated from Guadalajara. Perfected from a family recipe, the California fruits and botanicals in this grape-based spirit (a grappa-esque brandy base) impart gentle bitterness with notes of rose, orange, strawberry and subtle herbs. It works well on its own or as a Spritz with soda or sparkling wine.
Taste Rating: 4.5
RUM
Santa Teresa 1796 Triple Aged Solera Rum
www.santateresarum.com/santa-teresa-1796
Santa Teresa 1796 Triple Aged Solera Rum was just released with brand new packaging from the revered Venezuelan rum brand. Their refreshed bottling celebrates 225 years with their distinctive drip seal, new logo and new canister. Mimicking the process of Spanish sherry producers, their rum is solera aged with three types of alcohol: light, heavy and pot-still, aged separately 4 to a lush 35 years. The profile runs woody and spiced with notes of leather, apple, pear, honey, dark chocolate, tobacco. While I’m more of a Martinique/agricole and funky rum lover, this remains a classic example of Venezuelan rum with its new packaging elevating the rum.
Taste Rating: 4
MASTIHA
KLEOS Mastiha Spirit
https://drinkkleos.com
Effie Panagopoulos is the first Greek woman to found a liquor brand, KLEOS Mastiha Spirit (30% ABV; $37.99 SRP). In 2018, KLEOS kicked off in Boston where Effie was born to Greek immigrants, then rolled out to 16 states and 7 countries. KLEOS just became available online to 48 states, a low ABV botanical spirit made from an ancient Greek superfood called mastiha, the resin of the Skinos tree which grows in 24 villages on the Greek island of Chios. Mastiha is known for healing and digestive properties, double distilled with two forms of mastiha: mastiha resin and essential oil. KLEOS goes down easy and silky-sweet, a touch too sweet for me, but with some welcome vegetal notes of eucalyptus, sage, cucumber and mint. For those who want something different, it’s a fun newcomer in the mastiha category, even as it will be tougher for bartenders and those who want to control the sweetness level in a cocktail.
Taste Rating: 4
GIN
Hendricks Oasium Gin
https://hendricksgin.com/our-gins/hendricks-oasium
Big-name Hendrick’s Gin just released its sixth limited-edition, Cabinet of Curiosities gin from master distiller Lesley Gracie: OASIUM. Hendrick’s signature rose and cucumber botanicals are present, but per usual, they’re vague about botanicals added, just saying this release was inspired by Gracie’s recent desert travels. Bright citrus and tropical juicy notes hit on this one, while floral rose lingers in the background with grapefruit and juniper. It’s more tropical fruit than anything (papaya, guava and pineapple), in terms of what sets it apart from other Hendricks Gins.
Taste Rating: 4
RTDs (Ready-to-Drink/Canned Cocktails or Wine)
Drink Ramona
www.drinkramona.com
Women-owned and founded by sommelier Jordan Salcito, Drink RAMONA is a new Italian spritz line with an organic Italian wine base and Italian citrus in zippy, bright packaging/cans. While I like some flavors better than others (the vibrant Ruby Grapefruit Wine Spritz is the best of the line), this flavorful lineup sports a welcome crispness and restrained sweetness, letting the wine shine in the Dry Sparkling Rosé, for example. It’s a better-than-average RTD line that provides value and quality, with the grapefruit being the 5 rating.
Taste Rating: 3.5 to 5
LIQUEURS
Evil Bean Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur
www.evilbeanspirits.com
Minden Mill Distilling’s Joe O’Sullivan collaborated with Alpen Sierra Coffee Roasting roaster Christian Waskiewicz to create this brand new Evil Bean Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur from Foley Family Wines & Spirits. The base is estate-distilled in Nevada’s high desert, while the coffee base is a five-origin blend of high-altitude coffee beans. It’s a balanced coffee liqueur that walks a fine line of delicate sweetness and robust coffee, exuding cherry, dark chocolate and rich earthiness. Obviously it capitalizes on the espresso martini craze, but is a standout coffee liqueur for a range of cocktails or sipping on the rocks with cream.
Taste Rating: 4.5
SOJU
Yobo Soju Kish Aperitif
https://yobospirits.com/products/shine-yobo-kish
I love the elegant, lean bottle and label from new, female-founded Yobo Soju Lux, a classic Korean soju with a unique base of rice, organic corn and 70% Northern California white grapes. Kristen Kish’s low ABV sojus are a bit too subtle for me, though I only tried the Kumquat, Rose, Ginger soju (21% ABV, $42.50 SRP), with other infusions including Sour Cherry, Pink Peppercorn, Licorice or Smoked Mushroom-Umami. I longed for more ginger and kumquat tartness, but did appreciate the lack of sweetness and round silkiness the grapes and corn imparted to the rice spirit.
Taste Rating: 3.5
IRISH WHISKEY
Drumshanbo Marsala Cask Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey
www.palmbay.com/spirits/drumshanbo-single-pot-still-irish-whiskey/single-pot-still-irish
Drumshanbo Marsala Cask Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey (43% ABV; $78 SRP) is the latest from The Shed Distillery in Ireland and head distiller Brian Taft. Distilled in a single pot still from a mashbill of malted Irish barley, un-malted Irish barley and Irish Barra Oats, the unique twist is finishing the whiskey in Marsala wine casks from Sicily. This imparts honey sweetness, nutty oak, figs and clove spice. Despite the honeyed whispers, it’s blessedly dry and balanced.
Taste Rating: 4.5
WHISKY
Stauning Rye Whisky Sherry Cask Finish
https://us.stauningwhisky.com/products/stauning-rye-whisky-sherry-cask-finish
Danish distillery Stauning Whisky recently released an exclusive-to-the-U.S. bottling: Stauning Rye Whisky Sherry Cask Finish ($74.99 SRP). Producing only 800 bottles, this rare whisky is just what I love in a sherry cask-aged whisky: subtle, meaty elegance. This particular whisky exhibits notes of tobacco, orange, fennel and toffee from its finish in Pedro Ximenez (PX) and Palo Cortado Sherry casks.
Taste Rating: 4.5
AMERICAN WHISKEY: BOURBON
Echo Spirits Batch 25A – Trail Mix Bourbon
https://echospirits.com
Ohio-based Echo Spirits released their first whiskey in 2019 and also produces rum. I have not tried any other spirits in their line except Batch 25A of their Engineer Series blended bourbon. Focused on blending liquids from U.S. distilleries, each blend is unique. Batch 25A — Trail Mix (113 proof; $59.99 SRP) is only 357 bottles of 58% Bardstown Bourbon Company’s 5 year and 8 months-aged bourbon, which is then double-oak aged for 13 months (from a mashbill of 60% corn, 36% rye, 4% Barley). The remaining 42% is Bardstown Bourbon of the same mashbill without the extra double-oak age. The result imparts saline, salted peanuts vibes, contrasted by sweet, earthy, dark chocolate.
Taste Rating: 4
Ready for another round? Visit Virginia’s website http://www.theperfectspotsf.com/wp02/for last month’s edition, plus personal recommendations on the best spots in cities around the world.
