Review: Tequila Campo Azul 1940 Blanco
Campo Azul 1940 is named for the year their founder Don Ricardo Lopez was born. In the 1960’s the first generation of agave producers in the Casa Campo Azul family began planting blue agave in Jesus Maria Jalisco. In 1986 the second generation build the Casa Campo Azul Distillery, Productos Finos de Agave, at 6850 feet above sea level. The 100% Highland grown blue agave is cooked in masonry ovens for 30 hours of direct steam followed by 24 hours of rest and 18 hours of cooling. The extracted juice is slow open air fermented in a stainless steel tank with a proprietary yeast, then double distilled. Read more 
Review: Bache Gabrielsen Cognac VS Tre Kors
The Bache Gabrielsen Cognac story starts in 1877 when Josef Alexander Gabrielsen and Kamilla Bache open their own shop in Norway to sell spirits. In 1903 their son Thomas Bache-Gabrielsen at the age of 20 is sent to Cognac France to build the family business. While there he meets and marries Odette a young Charentaise girl whose parents are wine growers. In 1905 with the help of a friend they buy Maison A. Edmond Dupuy, a cognac house that was originally founded in1852. That house now known as Maison Bache Gabrielsen is run by the family’s 4th generation Herve Bache-Gabrielsen. Bache Gabrielsen Cognac VS Tre Kors is made from 100% Ugni Blanc grapes. 75% grown in the Fins Bois and 25% in Petite Champagne region. The cognac is aged for a minimum 2 years in French Limousin oak casks. Read more
Review: Cincoro Tequila Anejo Cristalino
Cincoro Tequila Anejo Cristalino was recently released. Cincoro Tequila was launched in 2019 by NBA GOAT and Owner of the Charlotte Hornets Michael Jordan, and 4 other NBA owners including LA Lakers Owner Jeanie Buss, Milwaukee Bucks Co-Owner Wes Edens and Boston Celtics Co-Owners Wyc Grousbeck and Emilia Fazzalari. They recently took on additional celebrity owner investors including Derek Jeter, Serena Williams, Dustin Johnson, and Keegan Bradley. Cincoro starts with hand selected agave grown on private farms in the San Miquel el Alto region in the Highlands, and the El Arenal region in the Lowlands. The agave is slow cooked separately in small batches in traditional clay ovens for 35 hours. The extracted juice is fermented with a proprietary yeast, double distilled, blended, then aged for over 20 months in Tennessee Whiskey Barrels. They meticulously filter the anejo to extract the amber colors before bottling. Read more
Review: Ridge Runner Vodka
Ridge Runner Vodka is six times distilled from 100% corn grown on nearby family farms and pure water from Fayette Springs. Christian Klay opened Ridge Runner Distillery July 2015 in Chalk Hill Pennsylvania. After growing up a second generation wine maker at Christian W Klay Winery, a winery named for him by the winery’s founders and his parents Sharon and John Klay, Christian went away to college and then worked in the tech industry. Upon returning home Christian found he had more of a passion for crafting spirits than wine. He opened his distillery across from his parent’s winery where he also craft distills rum, moonshine, and whiskey. His Ridge Runner Vodka and the distillery itself is named for the bootleggers/moonshiners ridge running illegal spirits throughout the Laurel Highlands during Prohibition. Read more
Review: Tuyo No. 1 Tequila Blanco Cristalino
Tuyo is the world’s first complete line of only Cristalino tequilas. Each is sold in a beautiful 375ml Swarovski crystal bottle. Tuyo translates to “yours”. Celia Maestri developed Tuyo at Casa Maestri. It is made from 100% agave grown in both the highland and lowland regions. Each of their four expressions are aged in 10 year old bourbon barrels. Tuyo No.1 Blanco for 30 days, Tuyo No. 2 Reposado 6 months, Tuyo No. 3 Anejo 16 months, and Tuyo No. 4 Extra Anejo 3 years. They are carbon filtered and refined before bottling. Today we are reviewing Tuyo No. 1 Tequila Blanco Cristalino. Read more
Review: High Ground Vodka
High Ground Vodka was released April 2024. It is crafted at Minden Mill Distilling in Minden Neveda. The distillery was built in a 114 year old former flour mill, and 104 year old creamery which was once the largest butter producer on the West Coast. Christopher Bently spent $130 million and 5 years on renovation and construction before opening Bentley Heritage Distillery in 2019. He closed the distillery in 2022 and it was sold to Bill Foley, owner of Foley Family Wines and the Las Vegas Golden Knights NHL Hockey Team in 2023. Bill hired Josheph O’Sullivan as Master Distiller. Bill had served as Master Distiller at both Clear Creek Distillery and Hood River Distillers previously. High Ground Vodka is made from estate rye grown near the distillery and pure Sierra Nevada water. It is distilled in custom Carl stills at the distillery sitting 4725 feet above sea level. Read more
Review: Tequila Don Ramon Platinum Plata
Tequila Don Ramon Platinum Plata is one of three tequila expressions released by Don Ramon March 2021 in the Don Ramon Platinum Collection. All three are distilled from 100% blue agave grown for 8 years in the Highland region. Mexican singer Luis Miguel acquired a significant portion of the brand in 2023. Maestro Tequilero Jesus Reza cooks the agave in an autoclave and the extracted juice is open air fermented while classical music plays to help control the movement of the yeast. A double distillation follows before bottling unaged. Read more
Review: Fireball Yule Nog
Fireball Yule Nog was just released. This is different from Fireball’s non-alcoholic Holiday Nogs sold in your grocer’s dairy aisle each holiday season. If you haven’t tried Fireball Whisky where have you been? Fireball Whisky is the fifth best-selling spirit in the US, trailing only High Noon, Tito’s, Smirnoff, and Crown Royal. Originally launched in 1985 as Dr. McGillicuddy’s Fireball Whisky by Seagram, Sazerac later acquired the brand and in 2006 they shortened the name to Fireball Whisky. Fireball Whisky is made with Canadian Whiskey, cinnamon flavoring, and sweeteners. While no ingredient list is available, Fireball Yule Nog, is made with real cream. It is bottled at half the octane as the Original Fireball 33 proof, compared to 66 proof. Read more
Review: Black Bear Rye Vodka
Black Bear Rye Vodka was launched August 2019 by Victor Matthews. The 1889 on the bottles label refers to the 130 year old family recipe used to craft the vodka. Black Bear Distillery is a family owned distillery built at 7800 feet in Green Mountain Hills. Victor is a fifth generation Master Distiller. The first legal distiller. Victor is also a Master Chef. Black Bear also makes a bourbon and a golden rum. Black Bear Vodka is made from a majority rye in a mash that includes malted rye, raw rye, corn, and wheat. After a long fermentation it is double distilled in a 20 foot tall single pot still. Read more
Review: The Lost Explorer Tequila Blanco
The Lost Explorer Tequila was launched April 2024. It follows the successful release of The Lost Explorer Mezcal. David de Rothschild and Thor Bjorgolfsson founded the brand. They started their jouney making mezcal on the ancestral Miztec land in Valles Centrales Oxnard with Maestro Mezcalero Don Fortino Ramos, March 2020. They currently produce Espadin, Tobala, and Salmiana Mezcal. They partnered with Maestro Tequilero Enrique de Colsa and Destileria el Magnifico to craft their tequila. Enrique previously worked at Don Julio where he was their Master Distiller. The Lost Explorer Tequila Blanco is made from 100% agave grown in the Lowland region. The agave is cooked in stone brick ovens. The extracted juice is fermented with Champagne yeast in stainless steel tanks, double distilled and bottled additive free. Read more