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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.

New Booze: Paul-Marie & Fils Devant La Porte Cognac

I received a sample of Paul-Marie & Fils Cognac, a brand independently bottled by Nicolas Palazzi. Palazzi is buying single casks of cognac  and hand bottling them unfiltered and at full cask strength. He apparently has a few bottlings under different names and this is the first under the Paul-Marie & Fils label.

The one he sent me to try is the Devant La Porte barrel, meaning "the barrel in front of the door". Devant La Porte was distilled in 1951 and bottled in August of 2009. The cask produced 257 bottles at the full 51% alcohol and they retail for a suggested $600 each.

This cognac is a dark copper in color, with an aroma typical of well-aged grapes- a slightly gamey (rancio?) wet redwood with a fresh grape and raisin and slight chocolate backing. On the palate it bursts with dusty fruitcake flavors- dried apricots, pears in syrup, fruit leather, regular leather, bitter tobacco, hot car vinyl, dried oranges. It must be pretty acidic, because my mouth began salivating like crazy- I'm practically drooling. With each successive sip I'm getting more and more flavors and the aftertaste just lingers forever.

In short, this is really freaking delicious cognac.

I was a bit worried when Palazzi said this was bottled at cask strength- thinking that would be good for mixing but not sipping at that high proof- but I was way wrong. This cognac is too good for mixing (at its price point it sure ought to be) and there is nothing too hot about it even at 51% alcohol. I say drink it at full proof and just have fewer sips- it will last longer than way too.

New Booze: Macchu Pisco, Pisco Gran Sierpe, La Diablada Pisco

I have three new-to-me piscos to try. Pisco is grape brandy from Peru and Chile, though most people respect the stuff from Peru more. It can be made from aromatic grapes like Italia, non-aromatic grapes like Quebranta, or a mix of styles which is labeled acholado.

Gran Sierpe Pisco, according to the website, comes in Quebranta, Italia, and Acholado bottlings. I am not sure if these are all available in the United States or just the quebranta that they sent me to try.

Gran Sierpe Quebranta smells grapey, as you'd expect. It's not as musty as some other brands, and has a pretty typical savory orange-vanilla notes as well. Sampled at room temperature, it is quite robust in flavor and power (it is 42% ABV compared with other brands' 40%) of dry green grape skins, finishing hot and slightly tannic. The aftertaste that kicks in after the heat and spice finally dies off is of fresh grape juice.

Macchu Pisco is also a quebranta grape-based pisco. It has a milder and more savory/gamey nose than Gran Sierpe, with more vanilla and less grape skin. On the palate it is similar to its aromas, but with more lime and earthy/soil notes than Gran Sierpe.

Between the two, Gran Sierpe is brighter and more aggressive. Macchu Pisco is more earthy. I prefer the Macchu Pisco for sipping neat but give the slightly higher proof of Gran Sierpe that might possibly show better in cocktails. I'll have to test that later.

Also from Macchu Pisco is La Diablada, an acholado pisco with a more traditional label. Though acholado pisco is  a blend of aromatic and non-aromatic grapes, the floral notes pop out of this one- all sorts of white flowers like elderflower and jasmine, with a good deal of blueberry and below that the grape aroma. In the mouth the same floral flavors dominate but then the finish is quite tight and tannic, fading away to floral aromas in the front of the mouth and not much else on the palate. Again, this is one I'll have to test in cocktails to see if it is too floral without enough oomph.

Herbsaint Original Recipe

Herbsaint is an absinthe substitute introduced after Prohibition. It was important in the Sazerac and other cocktails until absinthe was re-legalized in the US in 2007.

Sazerac Co. reintroduces the original recipe for Herbsaint

By Todd A. Price
December 19, 2009, 3:00PM

A new bottle that looks antique will appear on liquor store shelves this week. In honor of the 75th anniversary of Herbsaint, the local Sazerac Company dug into its archives for the original recipe and recreated the absinthe substitute first sold in 1934.

The story says that the proof will be raised back to 50% ABV and that instead of using extracts in neutral alcohol, they will dip herbs into alcohol like a big tea bag.

Absinthe (good absinthe, anyway) is made by adding the flavoring herbs into the still and redistilling alcohol. Then most absinthes (verte, or the green ones) have additional herbs added after distillation, which gives them their green color. 

Some bartenders say that they still prefer Herbsaint to absinthe in a Sazerac,so we'll see what they think about the new bottle. Herbsaint does have one large advantage over absinthe- the price. It comes in at around $20/bottle as opposed to $50 or so for absinthe, but as you use only a dash or two that may not matter too much in the long run. The new Herbsaint Original is set to retail for $34.99 according to the story.

New Booze: Antiguo Tequila from Herradura

Herradura has launched a new line of 100% agave tequila, Antiguo. They already have the high-end Herradura line and the more price-friendly El Jimador line that is the top-selling tequila in Mexico. It looks like Antiguo falls in the middle, as the suggested retail price for the blanco tequilas are $19.99 for el Jimador, $29.99 for Antiguo and $39.99 for Herradura. 

I pestered their kind PR guy, David Page, about the differences in production and he replied with this very informative chart. I would love to know if there are any production differences in the selection/handling/baking of agave, but can't really complain about the level of information provided.

You'll notice that while Herradura and El Jimador are twice pot distilled, they're keeping quiet on the distillation of Antiguo. I'd guess that means a column still is involved. 

Some newer low-cost brands are using column distillation or a blend of pot and column-distilled tequila. Personally, I'd rather have column distilled 100% agave tequila than pot-distilled mixto tequila (mixto is a mix of fermented agave sugar and "other" sugars). If producers can get 100% agave prices down to near mixto level, I say we start seriously petitioning to phase out mixto entirely. You with me?

(Click the image to enlarge to a readable size.)

(Click the image to enlarge to a readable size.)

As far as the taste of Antiguo, I have tried the line and pronounce it good enough.The blanco is creamy and fruity like pear custard on the nose, followed by more pear fruitiness on the palate, but is less tropical than other brands- less of that mango pineapple aspect. Black pepper notes begin to come out in the reposado along with some of the tropical tree fruit like bananas and that mango. The anejo has a more baked aroma, like dried banana chips with a hint of brown butter, and this is consistent on the palate.

Overall, this tequila was designed to be lighter on the palate and it very much is. The flavors are pleasing but not terribly deep, and the texture seems much thinner than the Herradura line. There is nothing that I dislike about this tequila, but there is nothing that I love about it either. Frankly, I'd pay the extra $10-$20 per bottle to upgrade to Herradura for sipping. This will probably make for a very unobtrusive mixing tequila, though, and hopefully bring some tequila-shy drinkers into the fold. 

New Booze: Tequila Corrido

Last week at the Indy Spirits Expo in San Francisco, I had the chance to try the new Tequila Corrido. The initial launch of this brand is in a few states for now. They're launching with just a blanco and an extra-anejo bottling.

The tequila is made at the PRASA distillery in the highlands of Jalisco, where the agave is also harvested. After harvesting, it's cooked in stainless steel ovens, shredded, fermented using "all natural agave yeast", and double-distilled.

The blanco ("Christalino") is unaged and tastes of overripe fruit like mango with dry a black pepper finish. It reminds me a bit of Corralejo, but not as creamy/intense.

he blanco is good, but it's not about the blanco. It's about the extra-anejo, which is matured for over three years in three different types of oak barrels. They're annoyingly mum about what those barrels are, but from the number of times "cognac-style" is used in the press literature, I'm betting that cognac is at least one of them. The tequila has buttery, briney, minty top notes and (weird scent memory alert) burgundy shoe polish with those overripe fruit notes way in the back. On the palate it's hotter and really buttery but thin with a very slight tannic finish. I like the smell more than the taste but the taste is good too.

New Booze: The Kraken Spiced Rum

I don't think of the spiced rum category as anything too special- it's just rum flavored with things like caramel, vanilla, and chocolate. Todd Thrasher's recipe makes it sound more complex and actually spicy- his homemade version includes ginger, peppercorns, and nutmeg. But honestly I'd rather have additives mixed in the glass rather than the bottle.

Of brands on the market I've tried Captain Morgan's, Kilo Kai, and Sailor Jerry. I can't say I love any of them, but then again spiced rum is basically designed to be mixed with Coke and I rarely drink that (and never in a bar).

New to the market is The Kraken Black Spiced Rum. It has a more pronounced coffee and bitter coco flavor to it that I can appreciate so much more more than vanilla and orange. It doesn't feel like it's going to give me a toothache and it's okay for sipping. For the few spiced rums I've tried, it's my favorite by far. 

But the branding, I love. Sea monsters are awesome, a close second only to pirates (and above ninjas) for things that are cool to my internal 15-year-old. I even sent away for the free poster from the website. Not surprisingly, this brand comes from Proximo Spirits who also has the cool 1800 Tequila street art bottles.

New Booze: Combier Orange and Cherry Liqueurs

The other week I went out to lunch with Scott Goldman of Cadre Noir, the importers of Combier liqueurs. Goldman discovered Combier while he was  a professional hockey player in France. (Yes, you read the correctly.) The distillery makes many different liqueurs under it's own name, along with other products including Lucid absinthe. So these products aren't new, just new to the US market.

Lately Combier has been doing a big push with their L'Originale triple sec. This one has a sugar beet spirit base, and seems to taste just fine. Orange liqueurs are all in the use- I'd use it. Bartenders will likely try it and make their decision based on price.

Combier is a distillery founded nearly 175 years ago in France.The triple sec Goldman says was originaly a filling for chocolates but proved so popular they spun it off into its own drink. It's also an ingredient in Pimm's, according to Goldman. (It is said a Pimm's approximation can be made with triple sec, sweet vermouth, and gin.)

I was most interested in the other Combier products on the market. The Royal Combier is more like Grand Marnier or Cointreau Noir in that it adds cognac to the equation, and in this case, Delamain cognac. Also added to this product is an "elixir" of about 20 spices like aloe, nutmeg, cinnamon, and saffron. Goldman says Royal Combier is "softer than Grand Marnier, with a Yellow Chartreuse-like finish." They're likely to promote this one for sipping on its own, but as with GrandMa and Cointreau Noir I'd still mix with it.

The third product they've brought to market in the US in a cherry liqueur they're calling Roi Rene Rouge. It's got a nice bright cherry flavor akin to cherry pie filling. This one tastes lighter and less woody than Cherry Heering, and I'm excited to see how it acts in cocktails. Goldman suggests it mixed with Coke and I'm unlikely to try it like that, but I wonder how the Blood and Sand and Remember the Maine will taste with this stuff. We shall see. 

New Booze: Kahlua Coffee Cream

Yeah, I know. Cream liqueurs. You never want to drink them but when you do you realize they are *so* *damn* *tasty*. Then you store them in the back of the refrigerator and forget about them until your refrigerator is overflowing with cream liqueurs then you being to wonder about the shelf life of them but then say "Heck with this, it's an Amarula night!"

The last thing I need is another cream liqueur taking up the space in the refrigerator that in theory I'd use for fruits and vegetables, but yet, there is another cream liqueur on the market, and yes it's worth getting scurvy for.

Kahlua Coffee Cream is a limited edition (note: why? It's not like they have to age this stuff) cream liqueur made with Arabica coffee bean flavor. It reminds me of buttery caramel cream liqueur mixed with chocolate-covered espresso beans. And I like it very much.

So I will store it in my refrigerator and try to pretend it doesn't exist and then binge on it later. If your life isn't complicated with these issues, you may want to get a bottle.

New Booze: The Glenlivet Nadurra Triumph

My favorite of the Glenlivet single-malt scotch range is the Nadurra, the non-chill-filtered, natural cask strength, 16-year-old expression. It has a nose of Dole fruit cocktail spilled onto a bed a straw and on the palate tastes like tropical trail mix, complete with the dried coconut, apricot, and other fruits on top of honey and whatever grain granola is made out of. I fell in love with it at first sip.

The new booze is the limited-edition The Glenlivet Nadurra Triumph, which is 18 years old, distilled in 1991 from Triumph barley that is no longer used in the production of range. The nose of this is more buttery and apricots-in-sryup instead of the whole fruit cocktail (with an overall flavor reminiscent of peach cobbler with whipped cream), with a palate more woody (old hay) spicy (red pepper, pimento) and nutty (almonds, pecans) and less alive and fruity than the 16-year-old.  

While the Nadurra 16-year-old may falter on being a little too sweet-tasting (or young) on the palate, the Triumph to me is a little past its prime. (I mixed the two together as an experiment and let's just say that is not the right answer to the question.) Overall I enjoy the standard Nadurra 16-year more than the Triumph, but let's not consider this a bad review of the Triumph but a reminder of how tasty the standard Glenlivet Nadurra is.