Review: Absolut Lime Vodka
Absolut Lime Vodka was just released. If you don’t count their limited edition Chicago Vodka made with Olive and Rosemary flavor, or Absolut Texas made with cucumber and Serrano chili flavor, this is their first new vodka flavor since they launched Absolut Cilantro in 2013. Lime is one of 18 flavored vodka’s currently featured on the Absolut Vodka website. Later this year that number will shrink to 10, as Absolut plans to focus on its core flavors. Absolut Citron and Absolut Mandrin are the industries number one selling citrus and orange flavored vodkas, so it makes sense to add a flavor that plays to their strength. A Vodka tonic with a squeeze of lime is said to be the worlds second most popular cocktail, so look for Absolut Lime to be an instant hit. Absolut Lime starts with a vodka base made from Swedish winter wheat sourced from 450 local farms, with one kilo of wheat needed to create one liter of vodka. The wheat is milled on site and blended with water and a proprietary yeast and fermented for 2 days. A continuous distillation process is used with steel column stills and copper plates. The vodka is filtered once through a mesh filter. Pure deep well water that comes from naturally filtered aquifers is softened through reverse osmosis and then blended with the vodka to reduce to proof. All natural flavors are then infused with no sugar added before bottling at 80 proof. Read more 
Review: Enchanted Rock Peach Vodka
Enchanted Rock Peach Vodka was introduced in 2014. It is made at the Rebecca Creek Distillery that was founded in 2009 by Steve Ison. Enchanted Rock is named for the large pink granite rock that shares its name, and is a National Landmark that covers 640 acres in Fredericksburg Texas. ER Peach is crafted from 100% corn and distilled in a Christian Carl copper pot still. From there the spirits enter in vapor form under pressure into a modern 6 plate copper column still where the spirit is distilled 10 times. The flavor is then rounded out using a proprietary 28 degree frost filtration process. The temperature is first reduced to 28 degrees and then the chilled vodka is passed under pressure through 25 microfiber paper filters. Pure limestone filtered water is blended to reduce to proof. Fresh peach juice from Fredericksburg Texas grown peaches is infused with the vodka base before bottling at 70 proof. Read more
Review: Snow Leopard Vodka
Snow Leopard Vodka was created by Stephen Sparrow and launched in 2006. It is crafted with spelt grain which is five times more expensive than wheat or rye. Snow Leopard is small batch distilled six times and filtered through active charcoal at the Polmos Lublin Distillery in Poland. Natural spring water from an onsite well is blended to reduce to 80 proof. 15% of all profits are given directly to conservation projects through the Snow Leopard Trust. Read more
Review: Muddy River Coconut Carolina Rum
Muddy River Coconut Carolina Rum was released June 2015. It is one of four rums crafted at a distillery that is located 50 yards from the Catawba River. Hence the name. They also produce two Moonshine varieties. The husband and wife team of Robbie and Caroline Delaney moved into 500 feet of warehouse space they found on Craigslist in 2011. Their first product Muddy Water Silver Rum was introduced September 2012. They soon quit their full time jobs and needed more space to keep up with demand. Today they operate in a 6100 square feet warehouse in the same old textile mill. Their other rums include a Spiced, and Queen Charlotte Reserve, their oak barrel aged rum. Each rum starts with high quality molasses sourced from Louisiana and Florida sugarcane. Two new custom hybrid reflux column stills are used. After distilling, natural flavors are blended with the rum base, before hand bottling and labeling at 70 proof. Read more
Review: Boardroom Vodka
Boardroom Vodka was launched with the opening of the Boardroom Distillery in Lawnsdale Pennsylvania. The distillery is in a warehouse that once housed the Tyco Fire Production Products CO. They also current craft a Fresh Cranberry, and Fresh Citrus Vodka, a rum, gin, and a 100% Real Beet distilled 90 proof spirit. The company was founded by three former road warriors, brothers Marat and Vlad Mamedov, and Marat’s wife Zsuzsa. Boardroom Vodka is made from locally grown 100% Non GMO corn. The corn is fermented with yeast in temperature controlled closed top tanks and distilled in a custom built Hagyo Distilling Company still made in Miskole Hungary. The vodka is filtered and blended with water before it is hand bottled at the distillery. After receiving a Double Gold Medal from The Fifty Best, in the domestic vodka category, I thought I would give Boardroom Vodka a try.. Read more
Review: Republic Organic Plata Tequila
Republic Organic Plata Tequila was introduced July 2009. Unlike most spirits, Republic Tequila was developed after the bottle was designed. Texas businessman Tom Nall partnered with tequila imported Ken Mackenzie to create the Republic brand. They selected Cia Tequilera La Quemada and their master distiller Sebastian Melendrez to create the tequila. The 100% blue agave is organic and sourced from an estate owned by Melendrez and his sister. The agave is slow cooked in traditional stone ovens and then mechanically shredded to extract the juice. The juice is fermented with a proprietary yeast and distilled in small batches. Once distilled the tequila rests for 3-5 days before bottling in a State of Texas shaped bottle. Read more
Review: Crater Lake Hazelnut Espresso Vodka
Crater Lake Hazelnut Espresso Vodka is one of three flavor infused vodkas made at the Bendistillery in Tumalo Oregon from their original Crater Lake vodka base. The other flavors include Sweet Ginger and Pepper. The Bendistillery has been crafting spirits since 1998 and besides their own spirits they craft over 40 private label spirits including Fuzzys Ultra Premium and Venom Vodka. The Crater Lake vodka base is made from 100% corn, distilled five times, and filtered ten times before resting in oak. Pure Cascade water is blended to reduce to proof . Fresh brewed espresso and hazelnuts are then infused. A touch of pure cane brown sugar is blended before bottling at 50 proof. Read more
Review: Ceres Vodka
Ceres Vodka is one of two spirits launched with the opening of Chicago Distilling Company January 2014. Chicago Distilling Company is a female owned family operated craft distillery led by the wife and husband team of Noelle and Jay DiPrizio, and Jay’s brother Vic. The inspiration for opening the distillery came in the form of moonshining ancestors in the backwoods of Wisconsin. Chicago Distilling Company is located in the Logan Park neighborhood of Chicago Illinois. Ceres Vodka is named for the Roman Goddess of Grain and it is made from 100% Illinois Yellow corn and double distilled. The distillery currently also crafts Finns Gin, Finns Barrel Aged Gin, Several Single Malt Whiskeys, Blind Tiger Rye, Blind Tiger Bourbon, and Lanfrays Trigger Absinthe. Our initial post of Ceres Vodka mysteriously disappeared but I was able to save our reviewing notes which we have reposted below. Since our initial post they have added 2 lines of canned cocktails including Club 88 Vodka Spritzers and a line of 10% craft cocktails using Ceres Vodka and Finns Gin. Read more
Review: Western Son Hill Country Apricot Vodka
Western Son Hill Country Apricot Vodka is one of six handcrafted flavor infused vodka’s made at a former panty factory in Pilot Point Texas. The other flavors include Hill Country Peach, Ruby Red Grapefruit, Piney Woods Blueberry, South Texas Prickly Pear, and South Plains Cucumber. They also produce Red River Whiskey, Bravos Gin and Blue Lacy Texas Whiskey. Hill Country Apricot starts with their 10X Distilled Texas Vodka base that is made from yellow corn and water filtered through reverse osmosis. The vodka is distilled 10 times through a 20 foot column still and quadruple filtered. Natural apricot essence from apricots grown in the Hill Country of Texas are blended with the original vodka base before bottling at 60 proof. Read more
Review: Blue Head Blanco Tequila
Blue Head Tequila is produced by Tequilera Las Juntas. This distillery makes several brands including Condigo 1530, Tequila 5150, and El Jefe. Blue Head is named for the Purepecha Highland Tribes of Mexico. The Purepecha Tribe was one of the major empires of the Pre-Columbian Era. They were never defeated by the Aztecs due to their knowledge of metallurgy and superior weaponry. Blue Head is fermented in stainless steel tanks and double distilled in stainless steel stills. Read more