Review: Ron Matusalem Platino Rum
Ron Matusalem Platino rum was re-launched in 2002. Their rum was first produced in Santiago de Cuba in 1872 by a family that brought from Spain a secret formula for distilling and blending rum. In the period from the 1930’s-1950’s Ron Matusalem had over a 50% market share in Cuba. Following the Cuban revolution in 1959 the government took over the distillery and the rum was not made until it was re-launched in 2002 in the Dominican Republic using the original recipe. Ron Matusalem rum is triple distilled and aged in oak barrels where they use a Solera 3 blending process, where their rum transitions from younger to older barrels in a three step aging process. Read more 
Review: Hanson of Sonoma Mandarin Organic Vodka
Hanson of Sonoma Mandarin Organic vodka was introduced in 2013. It is one of six vodka’s the Hanson family crafts in Sonoma California. The other flavors include, original, ginger, cucumber, espresso, and boysenberry. The vodka is small batch distilled with grapes and pure Artisan well water using a pot and column still that uses 50 distillation plates. The vodka undergoes a proprietary seven stage filtration before all natural flavors are infused before bottling at 80 proof. Read more
Review: Partida Blanco Tequila
Partida Blanco tequila was introduced in 2001. It is made with 7-10 year old 100% blue agave grown on the Partida Family Estate. The pinas are slow roasted for 20 hours in stainless steel ovens and after the agave juice is extracted it ferments for 36-40 hours before it is double distilled. Read more
Review: Forbidden Secret Dark Mocha American Cream
Forbidden Secret Dark Mocha American Cream was launched January 2012 by the Tennessee Spirits Company. It is one of three products they contract produced in Pewaukee Wisconsin at Midwest Custom Bottling. The original plan was to move production in house once their distillery in Pulaski Tennessee, near the Alabama border was built. The other spirits include Jailers Premium Tennessee Whiskey, and Breakout Premium 8 year old American Rye Whiskey. By the end of 2013 The Tennessee Spirit Company discontinued production and with it their plans to open the new distillery. Forbidden Secret Dark Mocha is made with Jailers Premium Tennessee Whiskey, pure Wisconsin dairy cream, dark chocolate, and espresso coffee and it is bottled at 30 proof. While no information is provided as to the current owners of the Forbidden Secret brand, this is the same distillery that produces Rum Chata. Read more
Review: Chopin Potato Vodka
Chopin Potato vodka was introduced to the US market in 1997. Chopin is produced Mid-September into early December with potatoes grown in the Podlasie countryside of Poland. The potatoes are harvested late in the season because of the higher starch content, 22% compared to 12%. Seven pounds of potatoes are needed to make one 750ml bottle. The potatoes are cleaned and pressure cooked and then fermented for three days. It is distilled four times in a traditional copper column still. Pure Artesian well water is blended with the vodka before it is filtered five times and then bottled at 80 proof. Read more
Review: Bacardi Tangerine Rum
Bacardi Tangerine rum will be introduced later this month. I was able to get my hands on a bottle a little early. It is one of 16 flavored rums they create with rum distilled in Puerto Rico. They start with molasses and a single strain of yeast, Le Levadura Bacardi that is fermented for 30 hours in closed fermentation tanks. The fermented molasses is split with some column distilled and some beer distilled. Each is aged separately in charred American white oak barrels previously used to age bourbon. Once mature the rums are blended and filtered through a mix of charcoal made from tropical woods and coconut shells. Natural flavors are then infused before bottling in Jacksonville Florida at 70 proof. Read more
Review: Gioia Luisa Limoncello Creme
Gioia Luisa Limoncello Crème is made with lemons grown on their family orchard in the Sorrentine Peninsula of Italy. Within seconds of the fruit being peeled the skins are immersed into tanks containing pure grain alcohol. The infusion process takes four days. Once complete water and sugar is blended in. After multiple filtrations Holland cream is added before bottling at 34 proof. Read more
Review: Mount Gay Silver Rum
Mount Gay Silver rum is made in Barbados at the oldest rum distillery. Rum has been distilled at this site since 1703. Mount Gay Silver is made with molasses from sugar cane grown in Barbados, a proprietary strain of yeast and pure natural filtered spring water sourced from deep ground water beneath the island. This water is filtered an additional three times before it is blended in. A double distillation in traditional double copper pot stills follows with the rum filtered four times and aged in charred white oak barrels previously used to mature American whiskey. Read more
Review: Monkey Toasted Coconut Rum
Monkey Toasted Coconut rum was created by Zane Lamprey, the host of Three Sheets, Drinking Made Easy, and Chug. The name comes from a stuffed monkey he would hide somewhere in each episode of his TV shows. The first person to spot the monkey could make everyone in their viewing party take a drink. Not only did Zane use his own money creating the brand, he selected the rum, and the natural flavors. He even designed the bottle which reminds me of a little of the old Barrel of Monkeys container from my youth. Monkey Toasted Coconut is made with Caribbean molasses and it is distilled in column stills in Angostura Trinidad. The rum is aged in American oak barrels that were first used to age bourbon. The rum is then infused with natural toasted coconut and Caribbean spices before bottling at 70 proof. Read more
Review: Don Pilar Blanco Tequila
Don Pilar Blanco tequila was introduced in 2011, three years after they released their first tequila, Don Pilar Anejo. The tequila is named after Don Pilar, who arrived in the US in 1966 as a migrant worker. In 1986 with two partners they opened their first Tres Amigos Taqueria. In 2001 Don Pilar opened La Trasquila Distillery in San Ignacio Cerro Gordo Jalisco. Don Pilar Blanco is crafted with 100% Blue agave grown on five private ranches. The mature agave is gently removed, then steam cleaned, before it is steam cooked for 24 hours in autoclaves. After the agave juice is extracted, a Proprietary yeast is added and the must is fermented for 200 hours with music from Mozart, and music from the earlier Baroque period played to coax the conversion from sugar to alcohol. The tequila is then double distilled in stainless steel pot stills and filtered before it is rested and then bottled at 80 proof. Don Pilar Blanco features a picture of a younger unaged Don Pilar on the bottle, with their Anejo, and Extra Anejo tequila featuring older more aged photos of him. Read more