Jack Daniels Filled Chocolates Review

Today we have something simple, yet elegant. As I was beginning to check out at Mega Foods on Business 53, I was inundated with the presence of, what could be, a wonderful delight! I noticed a small black, envelope-like package that had the Jack Daniels label on it. After further reading, I discovered that this envelope was filled with Jack Daniel's Filled Chocolates. I could not resist the urge to buy them and took them home for further examination.

When you first open the chocolates, they are wrapped in a shiny black wrapper that must have taken someone a long time to design. Once you have removed that wrapper, there is a second wrapper that is all gold in color. It is made of the same material that Hershey Kisses are made out of. Anyways, the presentation of these chocolates is exquisite.

The taste is scrumptious as well. They really do have whiskey in these chocolates (along with other custards and flavors). They taste very much like a chocolate that you would get in one of those boxes that has 1.2 million chocolates in it, and you hope you don't get the one that tastes like tarter sauce? You know what I mean.

Overall, these chocolate are great. Again, found at Mega Foods on Business 53, they are placed exactly where they should be for impulse buyers like me. They were $3.29 for 8 chocolates. Not a bad price for something that you could just enjoy yourself or use as a stocking stuffer this holiday season, but a maybe a little high. If you get a chance to try these, let us know what you think! We would love to hear your impressions!

Overall Score: 8/10

Mothers Original Holiday Nog Review

If some of you are at all excited about the holiday season that we are now in, you know that it is a joyous time, for the most part. Of course, here in Wisconsin, we get 16 inches of snow at one time and then endure highs of 9 degrees (F), during walks to school and drives to work.

Anyways, to soothe the pains of this holiday season, there are many cocktails that can make us feel great. Whether you want to just have hot chocolate in the quiet of your own home or have egg nog at a social gathering of your friends, it is all fun in the end. This entry begins our segment into Drinks for the Holidays. The next month will feature only cocktails, drinks, and shots/shooters for this holiday season. Wouldn't it be nice to go home to your family and surprise them with a wonderful cocktail to help them celebrate your holiday together? I know it would be!

To begin this segment, we start of with Mothers Original Holiday Nog. There are many different "nog" style liqueurs on the market this holiday season and this is one of them. Hopefully, we will be able to compare a second brand to help ease the stress of buying decisions. This holiday nog is bottled by United States Distilled Products Co. in Princeton, Minnesota. That might be one of the reasons why the price is what it is here in Wisconsin.

First, the presentation is very holiday-esque. You can opt to buy the bottle all by itself, or you can buy it in a gift box to give to a friend or put on display at your residence (See picture above). There is a nice little gift tag printed on the box so you don't even have to wrap it! Could life get better? I believe that it cannot. The liqueur is a pale white, not quite as yellow as egg nog that you buy in the store that is milk based. It comes in a clear bottle, so as you begin to use it up, the level of liqueur left is noticed. Overall, good design, I would have liked the bottle to be white and non-see-though, as most creme-style liqueurs are to decrease chances of spoiling. You will want to refrigerate the bottle after opening.

Second, the scent is much that of egg nog. It actually almost smells exactly like egg nog. The ingredients, as stated on the side of the box, include but are not limited to rum, custard creme liqueur, and egg nog flavors. This goes to show that the liqueur is flavored like egg nog and already has the alcohol in it. I cannot smell any of the other alcohols that are in this liqueur, so that is a good sign. It is smells just like traditional egg nog you buy in the store and doesn't offer a whole lot of individuality from original egg nog (other than the fact that it is alcoholic).

The taste of this liqueur is good. It is something that would go well with dinner, either during or after your meal. It taste like egg nog right away, as soon as it hits the palate. After you begin the exit, it goes away and tastes relatively artificial. The taste that I get left with at the end is that of Peaches and Cream oatmeal. That sounds super weird, but so are humans. It also wasn't as thick as I was expecting. It has a consistency very similar to that of milk. It isn't as think as an Irish Cream liqueur. This can be both good and bad, depending on your tastes. It is full of custard, egg nog, creme and nutmeg-type flavors, which is good for something that is just thrown in a bottle and meant to imitate real, fresh egg nog.

This liqueur is a very good value and tastes extremely good when enjoyed on ice. I could see that this could be very tasty when combined with ice cream and milk in a blender. It would be a very wonderful egg nog shake. As for this liqueur, I would probably buy it again. The reason being that it is sold at $6.49-$6.99 for a 750mL bottle in 12.5% ALC/VOL, which is a steal. For being as high as 12.5%, I would have thought that I would have been able to taste somewhat of a burn on the exit. Nope, none. I like this liqueur and it would probably be best enjoyed in moderation. It is sweet and could probably cause a stomach ache sometime down the line when consumed in enormous amounts. This liqueur would be great for holiday parties and would be something special to your family's holiday party. Chances are they have not had this before and you can be the hero this holiday! Overall, this is a good liqueur, but it doesn't offer anything out of the ordinary to set it apart from traditional egg nog and your own liqueur.

If anyone gets a chance to try this, post a comment, either on here or on Facebook. We would like to hear what you think of this liqueur!

Appearance: 8/10

Scent: 6/10

Chilled Taste: 6/10

Overall Score: 6.6/10

Alaskan Duck Fart Shooter Review

Today is the debut of our first shooter. Some would classify this as a shot but for clarification purposes, the difference between a shooter and a shot is that a shot is normally constructed as a single serving of straight spirits, usually in the size of 25mL or 1 fl oz. A "shooter" is classified as straight liqueurs, cordials or mixed drinks served in a shot glass, sometimes poured so there is some kind of la

yered effect. Today, we have a shooter. It is known as the Alaskan Duck Fart. It has three spirits and is constructed in a layered fashion for the purpose of presentation. The ingredients list is as follows:

• 1/2 oz Kahlua coffee liqueur
• 1/2 oz Irish Cream liqueur
• 1/2 oz Canadian Whiskey

The shooter needs to be layered in the order above, starting with the Kahlua. After the Kahlua is in the shot glass, pour the second liquor, in our case O' Mara's Irish Cream, over the bottom of a spoon to slow down the rate at which it falls on top of the first layer. After the Irish Cream is in place, perform the same operation with the Canadian Whiskey on top of the second layer. After this is done, the preparation for the shooter is complete! Now to enjoy it!

We won't critique shots/shooters as critically, but as far as this shooter goes, its presentation is splendid! The layers form perfectly across each plane, causing the liquors to remain separated in the shot glass. This may take some time and some skill for beginners, but over time it will pay dividends during the get-togethers you will hold!

The smells is, well, take a guess. Some people prefer to not smell the shots/shooters before they take them, and the Young Connoisseur agrees. Smelling the shot before tasting it can ruin the whole experience! Combinations of different liqueurs can dramatically change the way a cocktail or shooter taste and smell is significantly linked to taste. Plus, this shooter probably just smells like whiskey anyway...

Now for the taste. At first, it tastes very much of chocolate, but then the end is much that of whiskey and Kahlua. The Irish Cream brings down the strength of the whiskey and Kahlua combined, but still has a solid body to it. This is a great shooter and I recommend it to all to try at least once. It is fairly popular amongst local bartenders, so just go ask them for an Alaskan Duck Fart!

Mr. Einstein Really Was a Genius!

"Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds."

-Albert Einstein

Whether or not Mr. Einstein means "spirits" as as a cocktail ingredient or as the inanimate being that resides inside of us, we all know that this statement holds validity and reliability. To him, Cheers!

Whiskey Sour Review

After being away for a while, we have returned with an basic, yet elegant review of one of the cocktails we all love (or most of us at least :)...), the Whiskey Sour. Sometimes when you go to a local bar, for us Eau Claire folk, The Pioneer Tavern, The Court N' House, and even your buddy's homemade bar, the Whiskey Sour that you will have made for you will include whiskey, Sprite and if your LUCKY, some sort of sweet and sour mix. These are fine and dandy when you want to go out and just "drive 'em home" but when you really want to enjoy this cocktail, those recipes don't always suffice. The Whiskey Sour we have here is made with the finest of ingredients available, without actually driving to the distilleries and orchards around the continent. The ingredients used are as follows:

• 2 1/2 ounces whiskey
• 1/2 ounce fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2 Maraschino cherries/1 Lemon wedge for garnish
• (We used 2x the amount of ingredients to fill the glass for this cocktail)

First, get out the fresh lemon and cut it in half. Juice the lemon with a hand-press-style juicer to create the 1/2 ounce of fresh lemon juice. Pour that juice into your lowball glass. Next, take 1 teaspoon of sugar and add it to the lemon juice in the lowball glass. Stir the sugar until it dissolves in the fresh lemon juice. Add ice to the mixture that you now have and add the 2 1/2 ounces of whiskey over the ice. We used Wiser's Blended Canadian Whiskey specifically for this cocktail. Now, for some cocktails, you are supposed to shake them in a Boston shaker but with this drink, we will stir instead of shake. Now that you have all of the ingredients in the glass and have stirred the drink, it is now time to enjoy.

To begin, the presentation of this cocktail is very nice. The dark golden color of the liquid clashes well with a lemon or maraschino cherry garnish. It looks great in a rocks glass, either short and stubby or tall and slender. Feel free to choose.

Second, the smell is very much that of whiskey. Because we used a blended whiskey, the flavor is very sweet and mixes well with the "sour mixture" we used.

The taste is very flavorful. The sour taste is very natural and fits well with the whiskey. Wiser's seems to fit very well in this drink and is among the best I have ever used. The drink does have that certain sour taste that brings out a small bitterness to it. Even though the drink smells sweet, it certainly doesn't have a very sweet taste. The Whiskey "SOUR" is meant not to be a sugary drink and it follows that concept very well.

If you like the Whiskey Sour that you get at your local tavern, then you may like this cocktail. It is not as sweet as one that has Sprite or sweet and sour mix but it definitely has more flavor. Wiser's De Luxe Blended Canadian Whiskey can be found ranging from $20.99-$28.99/1.75L/ in 40%ALC/VOL. This is probably the best whiskey sour I have had and with good reason. The fresh, natural ingredients really bring out the characteristics that a Whiskey Sour is supposed to have.

Appearance: 8/10

Scent: 7/10

Taste: 9/10

Overall Score: 8/10

If you have had a Whiskey Sour at your home, what whiskey do you use? What ingredients do you use in your Whiskey Sour? Let us know what you think with a comment either on this post or on Facebook. One person who commented will be picked at random for a free 750mL bottle of whiskey to use in their Whiskey Sours at home! Happy commenting!

New Glarus Raspberry Tart Review

Today we have a special treat from New Glarus Brewing Company, their Raspberry Tart Ale. The bottle has a very catchy logo on the front, two raspberries entangled in vines and leaves. The bottle, before opened, has been dipped in a dark, maroon wax on top of the seal already in place. When poured, the color of his beer is just astounding. The dark cranberry-red color makes it look like you just poured carbonated cranberry juice into a glass. The smell of this beer is just amazing. The front of the bottle says "Raspberry" but you get luscious amounts of strawberry/cranberry/blackberry from the start. It just makes you want to start drinking it immediately! When poured into a glass, it was a carbonation party to kick off. It formed a small, thin frothy top that dissipated quickly after pouring, but maintained its zing for a little while. The flavor of this beer is absolutely incredible. At first, you get what seems to be a tart taste, followed by rich, sour notes of raspberry. This has so much flavor but it does not require sugar to do so. There is a clean finish after a very solid body of flavor. This is probably one of the most full-flavored beers so far and it seems like you could just have one right after another. New Glarus's Raspberry Tart can be found ranging from $6.99-$7.99 for a 1 Pint/9 fl. oz. bottle in 5.0% ALC/VOL. Again, not too syrupy and not sugary sweet, but brewed with an immense amount of flavor. Highly recommended to the beer veterans, but also to people who are not too fond of beer. Great stuff!

Appearance: 10/10

Scent: 10/10

Chilled Taste: 10/10

Overall Score: 10/10

Harvest Moon Pumpkin Ale Review

Today we bring to you our first beer, one from Blue Moon's Seasonal Collection. It goes by the quiet name of Harvest Moon. It is a pumpkin ale that, according to Blue Moon Brewing Company, is brewed in early September through late November. It is flavored with the very unique taste of vine-ripened pumpkin. They also say that it goes great with turkey, sweet potatoes and beef (BlueMoonBrewingCompany.com, 2009). Already a huge fan of Blue Moon's other seasonal brews, The Young Connoisseur is excited about this one. First, the bottle is designed similarly to the other seasonal brews that Blue Moon creates. The nice burnt orange label is a very nice touch to the blue and white that are always present on its forefront. Next, the color of the beer is wonderful. Blue Moon calls it a "copper orange" but I think it is more of a dark amber, merged with orange. When poured into a glass, the flavor and scents explode. The rich smell of pumpkin and spice emerge with every last drop coming out of the bottle. The pumpkin is present but it takes a lot of sniffing to get that smell. It smells just more like malt and barley over the pumpkin at first. It foams subtly at the end, only a 2 centimeters or so, but that is great for the taste at first. For the taste, it is that of a very nice, well grown pumpkin. There is not a lot of sugar here so this is not a particularly sweet beer. The spice shines as if they were to be pulled from a pumpkin pie. It is a very full bodied beer with a somewhat light finish at the end. It does have a mild bitterness to it but that is going to come from mostly the base of what beer is and also the pumpkin flavor. This beer was served cold, straight from the refrigerator, poured into a tall glass. The price ranges from $11.99-$14.99 for a 12-pack and $6.99-$8.99 for a 6-pack. This beer packs a 5.7%ALC/VOL and can be found at almost all local beer retailers. Some carry only the 12-packs, and some carry only the 6-packs. Overall, this is a great beer. It may be a little difficult to drink in the spring and summer months and the time when it is brewed and delivered to the store for us to purchase is perfect. Grab this while you can and try it, even if it is only a 6-pack. Just take a try and you may end up liking it and be sad when it is gone, like me.

Appearance: 9/10

Scent: 8/10

Chilled Taste: 9/10

Overall Score: 8.6/10

Toasted Head Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 Review

Toasted Head has a small group of wines that are elegant, yet affordable. The wine featured here is Toasted Head's Cabernet Sauvignon 2006. According to Toasted Head's website, the grapes for this wine are sourced from the Lake County region of California and from Mendocino, including the Redwood Valley. These grapes thrive in the loamy and gravel-like soil of these vineyards. They also mention that the aging process can continue for up to five years in the bottle. The bottle has a pretty unique label as it has a picture of a bear blowing fire! That is just plain awesome in itself. The dark black bottle and the deep red label complement each other spectacularly. In regards to smell, when the bottle was first opened, it smelled very strong of cherries and toasty smells from oak barrels. When poured into a wine glass, the dark reddish plum color looked very luscious. It looked as if you would grab a whole bunch of grapes and dark cherries and juiced them right into the glass. When smelled while in the wine glass, the same scents were present except there were more chocolate notes present. Not the sweet milk chocolate smell but more the dark, cocoa smell. When tasted, this wine was good. The cherry and oak notes were very present and there were small hints of the chocolate. The wine seemed somewhat dry and to not have as much fruit flavors. This wine would probably taste perfect with a hamburger, a nice steak or even a chocolate dessert. The wine was good by itself and could work at a social gathering but it's flavor would shine much more if you had cheese/red meat at that same social. This wine was tasted with Colby cheese and that tended to bring out the cherry and oak flavors much more. This wine can be found ranging from $9.99-$14.99/750mL/ in 13.5%ALC/VOL. This wine has a wonderful value for the price. This wine was purchased on sale for $9.99, after a $3.90 discount. This wine is a great entry level Cabernet Sauvignon for someone who wants to "get their feet wet" in the wine world and try the different types of wine. Soon there will be a featured review on another wine in the less-than-$10 price range so keep reading and checking back! In closing, this is a good wine for the value and works best with a food complement.

Appearance: 9/10

Scent: 8/10

Single Taste: 7/10

W/ Food Taste: 9/10

Overall Score: 8.25/10

Jack Daniels Single Barrel Review

I present to you today the newest member of our family, Jack Daniel's Single Barrel. This spirit is very prestigious in the whiskey community and carries a very big stick. The bottle is designed with simple in mind. The glass has a Jack Daniel signature below the label to add to its one-of-a-kind nature. It also has a small label on the front, only about 2"x2". The neck of the bottle as a great vintage design with a sturdy corked top to finish it off. The label around the neck has the inscription of what the barrel number is and the date. The spirit is a dark sort of amber/gold color with deep brown tendencies. When compared to the traditional Jack Daniel's, it is much more rich in color. When the cork is popped off, it smells of rich oak and honey. It smells significantly sweeter than the traditional Jack Daniel's. There are hints of smoke and oak that overpower the sweeter smells, so you get a "taste" of how long it has been in the maturation process. When tasted neat, it is a very smooth ride, more than I was expecting. At the exit, there is a little bit of a nice sting in the nostrils that adds to the flavor recognition. I was expecting some sort of small sting, as this whiskey is 94 proof instead of the traditional 80 proof. I really liked this whiskey neat as I think it offers a lot of flavor and a really nice level of intensity. Next, this whiskey was tried on ice, swirled around in the rocks glass to melt the ice just a little bit. I found that the whiskey became much smoother, but you lost a lot of the sweet flavors that were present when it was neat. The smoke and oak tastes were still prevalent but not as pungent. Lastly, this whiskey was tried with cola. Just kidding. I'm sure that this Jack Daniel's Single Barrel would taste wonderful in cola but I will not be the one to commit that petty crime. For a whiskey that is as prestigious as this, I would prefer to keep it by itself. Feel free to mix it with cola, if you get a chance, and post a comment in regards to what you think. If you are like me and do not want to do such a thing, then we will never know what that combination offers. Overall, this is a very good whiskey. It is one of the better American whiskeys I have had and it has a lot to offer, in both flavor and presentation. Jack Daniel's Single Barrel can be found ranging from $37.49-$47.99/750mL/ in 47%ALC/VOL. The value of Jack Daniel's is great when put up against other options for a small amount of difference in cost. If you are a whiskey fan and feel like treating yourself to something special for that once occasion, Jack Daniel's Single Barrel would sure be a good choice.

Appearance: 9/10

Scent: 9/10

Neat Taste: 10/10

Chilled Taste: 8/10

Overall Score: 9/10

Schwartzhog Review

Today, I bring you a wild herbal liqueur called Schwartzhog! Schwartzhog is a German Krauter (herbal) liqueur, carefully crafted and finally approved in the US in 2008 ( LocalWineEvents.com, 2009). This spirit is contained in a dark green bottle with gold-trimmed labels. The design is elegant and catches the eye. The black wild boar (Schwartzhog) icon on the front draws significant attention along with the unique font. First, the liqueur has strong hints of ginger and root. It also has small hints of orange and lemon as well. It smells similar to its well-marketed competitor, Jagermeister. Schwartzhog smells sweeter, with more hints of fruit. We will taste this herbal liqueur in three ways. The first way will be what Schwartzhog calls Shoot the Hog. This is just a straight shot, ice-cold. Wow! What a rush! This liqueur is very full and rich with flavor! It is very smooth across the tongue and on the way down the hatch. As it first hits the tongue, you get a strong taste of the root and ginger. As you begin to ingest the spirit further, you taste a large group of fruit. As compared to its competitor Jagermeister, there is not as much black-licorice (anise) taste; Schwartzhog seems to have more fruitiness to it. Second, we will try Schwartzhog mixed with cola, as if it were a cocktail. When combined in a 1:3 ratio, Schwartzhog to cola, the root and ginger of the liqueur keep their presence. The fruits, both orange and lemon, still exist on the exit. Either way, this is a good combination. The last way we will try this wonderful Schwartzhog is.....drumroll please.....a "bomb!" Schwartzhog calls it a Hog Bomb but they create it in the form of a cocktail in a highball glass. We will use a power-bomb cup. This is the most tasty, energy drink-based liqueur bomb I have ever had. The flavor is just as wonderful as when the liqueur is enjoyed straight but when combined with the energy drink, it offers a large burst of flavor for the taste buds. The ginger and root flavors somewhat disappear but the fruit flavors are very rich. This liqueur can be used in different cocktails, ranging from energy drink cocktails, to shots, to a wonderful modification of a popular cocktail that Schwartzhog calls a Hogarita (Schwartzhog.com, 2009). In conclusion, this liqueur has a lot to offer. The presentation, overall flavor and options for recipes give this German herbal liqueur a large bang-for-your-buck. Schwartzhog can be found ranging from $15.49--$19.99/750mL/ in 36.7%ALC/VOL. When this was purchased, Schwartzhog was offering a $10 Mail-In Rebate after your purchase, one per household. The value of this liqueur is outstanding and it offers wonderful flavors. The best way this could be enjoyed is with an energy drink in the form of a power-bomb. The only disadvantage is that this is not how the liqueur was intended to be enjoyed (straight, ice-cold). Choose what works best for you! Schwartzhog is a strong opponent to Jagermeister and offers many different qualities that make it a wonderful liqueur for any occasion!

Appearance: 9/10

Scent: 9/10

Chilled Taste: 9/10

Mixed Taste: 8/10

"Bomb" Taste: 10/10

Overall Score: 9/10

Satan's Whiskers Cocktail Review

Today I bring to you a vintage cocktail known as Satan's Whiskers. This cocktail was obtained from Suzi Parker's "1000 Best Bartender's Recipes" book, published in 2005. This cocktail has a wonderful ingredients list that will sure bring you back a few years. The recipe calls for:

1 ounce gin

½ ounce sweet vermouth

½ ounce dry vermouth

½ ounce Grand Marnier

1 ounce orange juice

1 Dash Angostura Bitters

The directions call for the ingredients to be shaken with ice in a cocktail shaker and then poured into a chilled martini glass. After following these steps, you can garnish the cocktail with an orange peel or what I found went well, a small slice of lemon. To begin, this cocktail has a wild presentation. It shows off with a bright, luscious orange color with a very wholesome depth. It doesn’t smell a whole lot like gin, which is very nice. You can smell the vermouth characters the most. The orange juice is a very nice complement to the other ingredients. The cocktail has a big burst of flavor. At first you taste the orange juice and Grand Marnier together, which is a very sensational taste. You then have the vermouth and gin taste exit at the end. This cocktail has little to no burn at all. It has more of a “zing” to the taste than an alcohol burn. This cocktail has a lot going for it and has very “classy” ingredients. Whether you are outside on a warm day or sitting inside with your friends playing cards, this cocktail will fit most any occasion. I would highly recommend this cocktail to both a beginning taster as well as any veterans that would like an exquisite rush of flavor!

Appearance: 9/10

Scent: 9/10

Taste: 10/10

Overall Score: 9.3/10

Gusano Rojo Tequila Review

Today we will look at a man's best friend...tequila. The tequila we will examine today will be Gusano Rojo (which translates to "red worm"), a 100% Agave
tequila with an Agave Worm! The worm is in the bottom of the large bottle and in the small bottle that is roped to the top of the neck of the bottle as well! Two bottles of tequila with two worms? Could life be better?! Well, the presentation seems to be significantly above par with a very well designed label and and double-bottle value, but we will have to see if the taste holds up to it's physical impressions. First, the smell first smells like tequila and pimento (the little red thing in the middle of green olives). It smells sweet, contrary to the characteristics of a hot chili (pimento). It smells strong of agave, which is a good thing for any 100% Agave tequila. Next, when tried neat, it doesn't taste like the traditional tequila! It doesn't have as much of the sweet taste as it did the scent but is more spicy. It has more of the green-olive taste, which leads to a more bitter taste. It is not so bitter as to be unbearable but in a 1-1/2 oz. shot, it would be very tasty. It doesn't leave much of a burn but more of a warm tequila sensation. Second, when tried on ice, the flavor diminished a little, but seemed to have a more oak-like taste to it. This wasn't as much present when tried neat because the overwhelming flavors of spice, tequila and agave were so present. The last way to try this tequila is in a tequila sunrise, described below:

2 oz tequila

4 oz orange juice

1 oz grenadine

Garnish w/ Lime wedge (optional)

First, the smell was wonderful, presenting clashes of what seemed like fresh oranges and tasty agave. The grenadine chilled at the bottom (no pun intended) with no contribution to scent. The tequila, when in a cocktail as such, can still be significantly tasted. That oak-type presence is still there but the spice/pimento-type taste goes away. The orange juice complements those characteristics and makes this a wonderful tequila-based cocktail for anyone. After all of these methods, it is clear that this tequila is probably best enjoyed in a tequila-based cocktail with fruit juices or maybe as a shot. The tequila tasted more flavorful when it was not chilled and even more-so when it was in a juice-based cocktail. This tequila ranges from $18.99-$20.99/750mL/ in 40%ALC/VOL. In summary, this tequila is a wonderful addition to anyones spirit collection. The value is great as the tequila's taste is good and you get a second small bottle (mini) and an agave worm in each bottle! The value is outstanding, the bottles look awesome and the tequila tastes good! Sounds like a winner to me.

Appearance: 10/10

Scent: 8/10

Neat Taste: 8/10

Chilled Taste: 7/10

Mixed Taste: 9/10

Overall Score: 8.4/10

Superheroes

As we venture out into the impenetrable night

The night that covers us like a dark, black wave,

To enjoy ourselves as the evening commences,

We look to be entertained by the nightlife around us.

The places we choose make us who we are

The drinks we choose make us who we are

Both can change our lives in one way or another

To create so-called "superheroes,"

Ones we call ourselves.

Absolut Peppar Review

Another spirit comes to you today with a very unique design. Absolut Peppar was introduced in 1986, about seven years after the introduction of Absolut Vodka. It uses all natural flavors with no sugar added. It was the first flavored vodka introduced by Absolut (Absolut.com, 2000-2008). The bottle has a wonderful design with a very attractive red text. The word "Peppar" stands out with a very distinct red touch and the cursive touch to the rest of the text adds to the bottle's elegance. The look of the spirit is very clear with no inclusions what-so-ever. The scent of the vodka is very peppery. At first, it is a smell that you may have smelled before but cannot describe. It smells like a pepper rind or something very spicy. It smells as if pepper seeds were ground together. Now for the taste of the vodka. When tasted neat, it had a very large pepper taste! It was not the taste of a pepper that you would have in your refrigerator that you bought from the grocery store but more of a wild, strange pepper. Next, when tasted on ice, chilled, it had the same amount of flavor as when tried neat. The bitter pepper was still prominent and did not subside. Last, Absolut Peppar was tried with Mr. and Mrs. T's Bold and Spicy Bloody Mary Mix. When measured at a ratio of 2:5, it seemed like it couldn't have been mixed better! The pepper flavor was still present but wasn't as bitter and "rind-y" when mixed with bloody mary mix. It complemented the mix very well and added to the flavor of the mix. Of all of the methods that this spirit could be served, mixed with tomato juice or something with significant flavor would work best. Even mixing this vodka with tonic water would be a stretch for the pepper-intolerant. Absolut Peppar can be purchased from $19.99-$24.99/750mL/ in 40%ALC/VOL. In summary, this vodka has a lot of flavor and is probably best enjoyed in the traditional bloody mary!

Appearance: 8/10

Scent: 6/10

Neat Taste: 4/10

Chilled Taste: 4/10

Mixed Taste: 9/10

Overall Score: 6.2/10

Stellar Gin with Citrus Crush Infusion Review

I come to you with our first spirit review! Stellar brings this citrus infused gin to the market with some unique characteristics. To begin we will start with the simple, yet important part: the bottle. The bottle looks very attractive when compared to other bottles of gin. It boasts a tall, clouded appearance with a surfeit amount of blue. Next is the look of the spirit. It is clear in color and looks very similar to water (although those liquids both differ in their effects after consumption). The scent of this gin has a lot of lemon to it. There is very little to no indicators of juniper at the start (the pine needle smell). It also has a very small hint of lime to its aroma as well. Now on to the taste. First, it was tried neat, with no ice or refrigeration. It has a large lemon saturation and surprisingly very little to no juniper as well! It also leaves a hint of peach in the back of the tongue. It leaves a slight burn at the tip and back of the tongue but nothing serious. The second way this spirit was tested was on two to three ice cubes, chilled. The scent stayed the same but the flavor changed a lot. About half of the lemon and lime taste went away but the peach stayed after tasting it. On the bright side, the burn became significantly less than when not chilled. The last way this gin was tested was in the traditional measurement under the Gin and Tonic. This method was by far the best. The flavors came rushing back to create a clash of fruit on the taste buds. Hints of lemon, lime, peach and orange were all present in this battle for flavor. This gin is a wonderful starter gin for folks who are not so fond of the juniper taste, as it is barely present in this spirit. This is also a wonderful piece for veterans alike who would want to experience a different style of gin. It can be purchased from $17.99-$24.99/750mL/ in 40%ALC/VOL. In summary, this gin is very flavorful and Stellar does a wonderful job bringing it to market.

Appearance: 8/10

Scent: 8/10

Neat Taste: 7/10

Chilled Taste: 9/10

Overall Score: 8/10