Alcademics.com

The New Remy V: Unaged Cognac or French Pisco?

I finally got the press release for Remy V, the new product debuting in September in two trial markets- the San Francisco Bay Area and Atlanta. I'd heard the word on the street about this and posted a couple hints to my Twitter feed and Facebook page last and this week, but this was the first I got an actual press release on it. 

 

Remy V is not a cognac because it is unaged- just double-distilled on the lees like cognac, chill-filtered, and rested before bottling. They're releasing the product with cocktail recipes from mixologist Charles Hardwick. 

I guess the proper name for this product would be a grape eau de vie or grape brandy. It's not a cognac since it's not aged long enough. It's not a marc (which is French grappa) because that is made from the leftovers of wine production rather than with the whole grape. 

It might be close to Peruvian pisco in that it is distilled from grapes in pot stills. Pisco comes from Peru or Chile, though (in Chile pisco can be column-distilled and slightly aged), so obviously this product won't be billing itself as a pisco. Furthermore, pisco is distilled only one time in a pot still and it is distilled to proof, meaning no water is added before bottling. Cognac is distilled twice and usually watered to bottling proof. One would expect Remy V to be more neutral and less grapey than pisco, but it's impossible to say at this point. 

So the big question is how the product tastes. I don't know yet, but I can't wait to find out. 

 

Frisco Pisco: Locally-owned Encanto Pisco Launches in San Francisco

The new Encanto pisco, released in San Francsisco this past weekend, is the collaboration between  a distiller, a bartender, and a sommelier: Peruvian distiller Carlos Romero, Cantina owner Duggan McDonnell, and sommelier/importer Walter Moore. 

This bottling is a blend of three aromatic and non-aromatic grape varieties that give it both body and grape-floral aromatics for maximum blendability. 

You'll already find it at 30 accounts (liquor stores, bars, and restaurants) in San Francisco.

For a little more information check out the Encanto Pisco website or read my write-up in today's Tasting Table San Francisco.  

Absolut Berri Acai Versus Absolut LA: What's the Difference?

Both the limited edition Absolut Los Angeles and the new permanent flavor Absolut Berri Acai contain pomegranate, blueberry, and acai flavors. Are they the same flavor or different?

I asked PR representative Alison McGlone of Ketchum PR. She responded:

ABSOLUT Berri Acai is a blend of Pomegranate, Blueberry and Acai whereas ABSOLUT LA was Acai, Acerola, Pomegranate and Blueberry.

Thus, the difference is acerola, whatever that is.

I would suspect that this is just a labeling difference, but McGlone says no:

Despite the similar fruits, their aroma and taste are quite different and mix better with different ingredients as well.

Not New Booze: R. Jelinek Fernet

Fernet-Branca is not the only fernet in the world. I hadn't tried any others but recently I received a bottle of R. Jelinek Fernet. The bottle says, "Product of the Czech Republic. This digestive beverage was created during the period of the Hapsburg dynasty in the latter part of the 19th century in the region of central Europe near the famous health spa town of Luhacovice, Czech Republic."

The nose of it is clove-prune-mint (not in a bad way). In the mouth, the clove part dominates, with mint and raisin in the background. It's got a bitter finish but not a minty one. Meh.

New Booze: Ilegal Mezcal

This is a review of Ilegal Mezcal. The product is 100% agave, made in Oaxaca at Destileria Tlacolula. The drink is more widely distributed in New York but should be coming to California this spring.

They make a joven/blanco, a reposado, and an anejo. They sent me the reposado to taste. The nose on this stuff is all sweet olive-lemon brine with the smoky tire fire back typical to mezcal. It smells of the anticipation of biting into a juicy barbecue coal-smoked olive. In the mouth it's not as sweet or as salty as expected, though it is juicy, with a ton of wood char notes coming though. That char remains and on further sips I experience low char mouthfeel and high sweet notes with little middle ground. 

Overall, I like it and look forward to having it mixed into cocktails. Some of the mixing mezcals are too mild, while the great ones are so good I feel guilty covering them up. I don't know the price point on Ilegal Mezcal, but I hope it's somewhere between the two, as there is a lot of middle ground where this would be a good fit.  I look forward to seeing it more on bar shelves in California.

New Booze: Seagram's 7 Dark Honey

I received a bottle of Seagram's 7 Dark Honey for review, so here goes.

The product is described not as a liqueur but as "blended whiskey with real honey and natural flavors." On the nose it's dark honey. On the palate, too, but to me it tastes more like "honey flavor" than honey. The whiskey flavor I find elusive if not absent. I think this is meant to be mixed with Coke.

New Booze: Agwa De Bolivia Liqueur

Here's a review of Agwa De Bolivia Liqueur. The product has coca leaves from Bolivia, along with guarana and ginseng. From the press website:

AGWA DE Bolivia is a 30% ABV 60 proof Herbal liqueur made with Coca Leaf and 32 other herbs and botanicals that adheres fully to the rules and regulations of the authorities both within the EU and USA.

Agwa De Bolivia Coca Leaf Liquor is made from the finest Bolivian Coca Leaves. The coca leaves are shipped under armed guard from Bolivia and handcrafted in Amsterdam. Agwa is not just renowned for its unique and great taste but more for the secret energy that lies in all its drinks and cocktails.

So, it's an energy liqueur dyed bright green. But how does it taste? On the nose, it's an earthy menthol and not much else that I can detect. On the mouth there is some spiciness, like cinnamon, and with some fruit like pear and chocolate. The spiciness helps alleviate the sweetness of the liqueur and is the dominant flavor. 

I thought this product would be gross, so I'm pleasantly surprised. I'm not in love with it, but if someone handed me a shot at a club (the suggested way of drinking it, along with a lime wedge) I'd probably take it.

New Booze: Love Potion No. 9

I received a sample of Love Potion #9 to try. This is a liqueur (at least I think it's a liqueur; they've filed it in the "distilled spirit specialty" category, which is sort of like "none of the above") with a cane neutral spirit base, artificially flavored and bottled at 30% ABV.

On the nose it's mango, pear, chocolate, cherry, green melon, kiwi, and apple. On the mouth the chocolate pushes forward first, then orange or tangerine zest. It's sweet but not syrupy, and definitely not as thick as typical liqueurs. This isn't a product of the earth or anything, so it's best not to think too hard about it.

Overall, it might mix well with white spirits like rum and vodka, and make an interesting substitute for triple sec.