If you like to drink, you couldn't be living in a better time. Everything from a barrel-aged Negroni to a peanut butter-and-jelly sandwich in cocktail form is out there for the drinking, provided you've got the money and the inclination. The fever pitch to whip up new and unique cocktails has had a trickle-down effect as distillers, new and old, rush to create new and noteworthy spirits for inventive bartenders and amateur mixologists to experiment with. Sometimes what hits the shelves is just plain silly, but once you read about these five intoxicatingly delicious newcomers you'll be drunk... with anticipation.
What's News In Booze: 5 New Spirits To Tempt Your Taste Buds
Bulleit Rye Whiskey(01 of05)
Bulleit Rye Whiskey (aged at least 4 years, 45% alcohol by volume, suggested retail price $30) Bulleit Bourbon is one of the finest I've tried -- a rich, robust whiskey that's quite spicy for a bourbon, owing to its very high (about 30%) rye content. So it makes sense that the rye-savvy folks at Bulleit would create their own rye whiskey. And it's no surprise that Bulleit Rye does the brand justice and then some. What did surprise me is how smooth it is. Given that Bulleit's bourbon is a pretty spicy number, you'd expect that their rye (which contains a whopping 95% rye in the mashbill, a high content even for a rye whiskey) would set the alarm bells ringing on your tongue. But go figure -- while it does pack plenty of peppery bite, it also gets a lot of flavor from the oak barrels in which it's aged. A little vanilla, a little dark chocolate, a little citrus (more than a little if you add water or an ice cube), a little caramel... all blending seamlessly and harmoniously. If you love rye as much as I do, it may well make your eyes roll back in your head and a sigh of delight involuntarily spring from your lips. To really appreciate Bulleit Rye, try sipping it neat or on the rocks. As for cocktails, it's brilliant in a Manhattan or a Sazerac, and I'm looking forward to playing around with it more.
The Vodka By Ransom(02 of05)
The Vodka By Ransom (40% ABV, suggested retail price $25)I don't go out of my way to drink vodka. If anything, I go out of my way to not drink it. I mean, how exciting is a spirit that's intended to have no color, flavor or smell? "Hey, this vodka looks and tastes like nothing! Whoopee!" That said, there are some vodkas which scratch that particular itch beautifully. And now, another brand has come to join their ranks. The Vodka By Ransom, so named because it's produced by Oregon's own Ransom Spirits, is... well, how about I let distiller Tad Seestedt describe it:"I know vodka is supposed to be 'colorless,' 'odorless,' 'flavorless,' by textbook definition, but I have a problem with that. So after we get done with all of the filtering through charcoal and limestone, we add back a percentage of triple distilled white dog [unaged corn liquor] to give it a bit of malty character. I think it will work well in some cocktails, and probably not so well in others, but it is different."And different it most definitely is. The malty, grainy flavor is subtle but distinct, and I think it's delicious. Neat or with an ice cube, this is a vodka with character -- oodles of it. And served in a martini with just a touch of dry vermouth, it's spectacular. I still don't condone drinking vodka if there's a bottle of gin within several square miles, but The Vodka By Ransom is one of the best I've tried.
Ron Abuelo Centuria Rum(03 of05)
Ron Abuelo Centuria Rum (40% ABV, aged up to 30 years, $125 suggested retail price)Ron Abuelo -- salsa musician? Up-and-coming second baseman? Actually, it's a very fine Panamanian rum. It's not a household name in the States, but every so often, after a few glasses of the stuff, I get the urge to start knocking on doors in an attempt to make it one. To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the company, they've produced Centuria, a very limited edition (only 3,000 bottles), premium-priced bottling. Employing specially selected rums, some of which have been aging in white oak barrels for up to 30 years, Centuria is a very dry, elegant and ridiculously smooth rum, with predominant notes of wood and tobacco and a long, lingering finish. Think aged Scotch or cognac instead of Bacardi, and you're in the ballpark. If you're a rum connoisseur, get it while you can. If you're a novice in the market for something a little lighter and more vibrant (not to mention cheaper), check out Ron Abuelo's sensational 7-year-old bottling.
No. 3 London Dry Gin(04 of05)
No. 3 London Dry Gin (46% ABV, $40 suggested retail price)Ever since Tanqueray brought the light, citrus flavor of Tanqueray No. Ten to the world a decade ago, gins that don't taste predominantly of juniper have been all the rage in the spirits and cocktail world. Unofficially, light-on-the-juniper gins (such as Hendrick's, New Amsterdam and Beefeater 24, to name a few) are called "New Western Dry." I call them "gins for people who don't like gin." An equally valid name could be "flavored vodka masquerading as gin." After all, if a gin's dominant flavor isn't juniper, then why are you calling it gin?Stepping into the juniper breach is No. 3 London Dry Gin, produced by Berry Bros. & Rudd, London's oldest wine and spirits merchant and the maker of Cutty Sark blended Scotch. The gorgeous bottle is the same green color as Tanqueray's, and given its emphasis on juniper, I expected -- and feared, a little -- that it would share Tanqueray's intense, almost medicinal juniper flavor. But while there's no mistaking No. 3 for anything but gin, the dominant juniper notes are balanced out by the dryness of coriander and cardamom, and livened by hints of orange and grapefruit. While you can taste the non-juniper elements, they don't elbow the juniper out of the way. Will it replace Beefeater and Plymouth as my gin of choice? Probably not. Is it worthy of mentioning in the same breath as my favorites? Absolutely.
The Bitter Truth E**X**R Amaro Herbal Liqueur(05 of05)
The Bitter Truth E**X**R Amaro Herbal Liqueur (30% ABV, suggested retail price $32)Amaro, the herbal liqueur long used as a post-meal digestive aid in Europe, is currently all the rage among the cocktail cognescenti; if bartenders aren't creating new drinks in which to include them, they're sharing an after-work snort of Fernet Branca or Cynar with their fellow in-the-know imbibers. I'll be the first to admit that amaros, with their thick consistency and strong herbaceous flavors, are an acquired taste which I've never really acquired. But when the geniuses at The Bitter Truth launch a new product, whether it's rye whiskey or celery bitters, you know it's going to be good. What better opportunity to get acquainted with this odd subspecies of likker?I wasn't quite sure how to drink E**X**R (yes, that's how it's spelled in the States, for legal reasons), so I did a little research, where I found it can be used as a substitute for vermouth in Manhattans. Say no more. Before my eyes even got to the end of the word "Manhattan" I had whiskey, ice and chilled cocktail glass at the ready. Indeed, the initial rush of dark fruit-and-chocolate flavors are reminiscent of sweet vermouth, but then the spice and bitter herbal notes kick in, mixing in an unusual and lovely way with both bourbon and rye. Having gained a little liquid courage, I proceeded to try it straight. Yes, it's bitter, a little syrupy, sorta spicy, and slightly medicinal. But in spite of all that, it's still pretty tasty. And it definitely soothed my stomach after a greasy cheeseburger-and-fries repast. I wouldn't recommend an amaro to amateur drinkers over a nice aged whiskey or rum on a regular basis, but E**X**R makes for a great change of pace.
The five new spirits mentioned here are just the tip of the iceberg; if you've got a new favorite of your own, don't be shy! Mention it in the "Comments" section. The distillers will no doubt be grateful for the publicity.
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