Review: Middle West Spirits Bourbon Cream
Middle West Spirits Bourbon Cream was released October 2020. It is crafted from a blend of OYO Michelone Reserve Bourbon and sweet cream. Michelone Reserve Bourbon is made from a blend of yellow corn, soft red winter wheat, dark pumpernickel rye, and two row barley. It is distilled in a 55 foot custom Vendome Copper & Brass Works Still and aged in new charred white oak barrels that are made in Speyside Scotland. Read more 
Review: Skatter Brain Peanut Butter Cream Liqueur
Skatter Brain Peanut Butter Cream Liqueur was recently released. It is one of five Skatter Brain spirits made from a Canadian whisky base. All are sold at Total Wine and More locations throughout the US. The other whiskey varieties include Skatter Brain Peanut Butter, PB&J, Dark Cherry Vanilla, & Dark Chocolate Banana. Each is made by Universal Brands in Princeton Minnesota. As peanut butter flavored whiskey sales continue to grow we have seen several brands add a secondary flavor to their peanut butter whiskey. In this case cream is the secondary flavor added. Skatter Brain Peanut Butter Cream Liqueur is not the first to add cream to their peanut butter flavored whiskey, and they will not be the last. Read more
Review: Black Irish White Chocolate Irish Cream
Today September 1, marks the start of Irish Cream season. It seemed like a great time to take a sip or ten of Mariah Careys new Black Irish White Chocolate Irish Cream. Irish Cream is no longer just a seasonal drink, but there is something special about Irish Cream in the fall and holiday season. While Mariah Carey enjoys sipping a good Irish Cream liqueur, she always felt there was something missing. After years of development and product sampling she selected her three favorite blends to launch the Black Irish brand. We have already reviewed Black Irish Original and Black Irish Salted Caramel Irish Cream. We enjoyed both, but our previous experience with white chocolate flavored Irish Creams has been a little disappointing. Black Irish White Chocolate is made with Belgian White Chocolate, a special blend of aged Irish Whiskey and fresh dairy cream. So we are optimistic this will be different. Before tasting I did a little research with the questions, what exactly is white chocolate? and what makes Belgian white chocolate different from the rest? In the world of chocolate there is white, milk and dark chocolate. All three start with roasted cocoa beans. The beans are stripped revealing cocoa nibs. The nibs are ground separating the cocoa butter from the cocoa solids. Dark Chocolate contains between 50-90% cocoa solids. Milk Chocolate 10-50% cocoa solids. White Chocolate only contains cocoa butter. White Chocolate must be made from a minimum 20% cocoa butter. Most white chocolates add milk powders, palm oils, or other fillers. Belgian White Chocolate is made from 100% cocoa butter. Read more
Review: Black Irish Salted Caramel Irish Cream
Black Irish Salted Caramel Irish Cream is one of three premium Irish Cream liqueurs in Mariah Careys new spirit line. Two years in the making Mariah Carey was involved from product development, to the package design that includes three butterfly images. A not so subtle nod to her Butterfly album. The other flavors include Black Irish Original Irish Cream and Black Irish White Chocolate Irish Cream. Credit for creating the first salted caramel product goes to Frenchman Henri Le Roux. He was a chocolatier who opened a store in Quibron Brittani. He wanted to develop a unique product that would help him stand out. In 1980 it was named to best confectionery in France. I’d say mission accomplished. Starbucks receives most of the credit for extending the popularity of salted caramel to the masses when they introduced their salted caramel hot chocolate in 2008. Try finding an unsalted caramel product now. With a retail price of $29.99 Black Irish was not created to be as good as the market leader at a lower price. Black Irish was crafted to be better than the market leader, and the premium price reflects the Songbird Supreme’s confidence it is. Read more
Review: Black Irish Cream
Black Irish Cream was just released. Black Irish Salted Caramel, and Black Irish White Chocolate complete the Black Irish Cream product line. The Black Irish Cream brand is owned by Mariah Carey. Unlike some celebrity owned spirit brands who attach their name to a finished product, Mariah Carey was involved in creating the brand from product sampling at ingredient houses, to the finished product. Over 30 finished Irish Creams were crafted and sampled before selecting the three that make up the Black Irish Cream product line. Through the years the term Black Irish has taken on several meanings. In Ireland it is a term used to describe Irish people with dark hair, dark eyes, and a dark complexion. Some claim these are descendants of the survivors from the Spanish Armada of the Mid 1500’s. In the US it is a term often describing people of mixed race, Irish and African American. Mariah Carey herself is Irish from her mother and African American from her fathers family. Black Irish Cream is made from a special blend of aged Irish whiskey, Irish spirits, fresh dairy cream and natural flavors. Read more
Review: Lockwood Distilling Bourbon Cream Liqueur
Lockwood Distilling Bourbon Cream Liqueur is one of nine spirits currently crafted at Lockwood Distilling Company in Richardson Texas. The other spirits include Lockwood Straight Bourbon, Straight Rye, Texas Style Gin, Vodka, Hibiscus Vodka, Silver Rum, Pineapple Rum, and Vanilla Rum. The distillery and the adjoining restaurant opened October 2019 by co-owners Evan and Sally Batt. Evan also co-founded Western Son Distillery in 2012. All of the spirits are created inhouse using a 100 gallon still. Lockwood Distilling Bourbon Cream starts with their bourbon base made from a high corn mash with Oklahoma rye. Real Wisconsin dairy cream, vanilla, almond, and Texas pecan are blended before hand bottling at 34 proof. The same alcohol content as Baileys Irish Cream. Read more
Review: Bumbu Creme
Bumbu Creme was recently released. It is made from the Original Bumbu Rum base that is distilled in small batches in Barbados and blended by hand from select sugarcane grown in eight countries including Barbados, Belize, Brazil, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guyana, and Honduras. Once extracted the cane juice is fermented with a yeast strain that dates back to 1840. Bumbu is distilled using continuous stills and aged for up to 15 years in Grade A once used bourbon barrels. Native Caribbean Spices are blended with the rum. In crafting Bumbu Creme rich dairy cream is blended with the Bumbu Rum base before bottling at 30 proof. Read more
Review: Baileys Colada
Baileys Colada is the latest flavor variant offered by Baileys. It is a Limited Edition summer flavor. Strawberries and Cream, Red Velvet, and Apple Pie all started as Limited Edition flavors and they are still available. Pumpkin was a Limited Edition Flavor that returned each fall until it didn’t. Colada is one of eleven Baileys varieties still available including Baileys Original, Strawberries and Cream, Salted Caramel, Apple Pie, Vanilla Cinnamon, Red Velvet, Chocolate Cherry, Espresso Creme, Almande, and Deliciously Light. Read more
Review: Connellys Original Country Cream
Connellys Original Country Cream is currently available as the store brand at over 2000 Aldi’s stores in 36 states across America. It is made by R.A. Merry in Tipperary Ireland, from a grape wine, and neutral spirits alcohol base. No other creamery producers more brands of Irish Cream and Country Cream than R.A. Merry. Natural flavors, dairy cream, and caramel color are blended with the spirit base before bottling at 13.9% Alcohol. Read more
Review: Baileys Deliciously Light
Baileys Deliciously Light was just released. As the name would suggest this is a reduced calorie version of Original Baileys Irish Cream. A 2.5 oz. serving of Baileys Deliciously Light weighs in at 16.1% alcohol with 139 calories .8 grams of fat, 7.8 sugar grams, and 9.3 carbs. By comparison Original Baileys Irish Cream weighs in at 17% alcohol with 233 calories, 10.1 fat grams, 13.3 sugar grams, and 16.1 carbs. Both are made with Irish dairy cream, rich chocolate and vanilla flavors. Baileys Deliciously Light does not contain Irish Whiskey. Read more