A Flowery Song

Background: “Flavored Vodka with a Southern Accent,” according to the bottle. Infused with local tea (well, local-ish; production seems to have been moved from Wadmalaw Island, North Carolina, which was very close to the Charleston Tea Plantation, to Frankfort, Kentucky) and sweetened to resemble (what else?) sweet tea.

Nose: Alcohol and tea, with some fruity esters.

Taste: Shockingly, it’s not syrupy sweet, but almost drinkable. Fruity black tea with hints of blueberry and bramble. Light dusty tannins help balance the sugar.

Overall: Nicely done; it’s almost palatable straight, but if their serving suggestion of half Firefly/half water is too wussy for you, you might try mixing it 50/50 with regular vodka instead.

Background: This debut offering from Cooper Spirits made quite a splash in the spirits and cocktail world, with enterprising bartenders eager to take advantage of its unique flavour profile. Made from fresh, hand-picked elderflowers which are macerated in a proprietary process, the extract of which is then mixed into a base of grape eau de vie and sweetened with cane sugar.

Nose: Pink grapefruit, peach, and floral hints of lilac.

Taste: Sweet, but not overwhelmingly so. Mingled notes of lychee, guava, citrus, stone fruit, and pear.

Overall: Delicate yet complex, and somewhat suitable for sipping solo. Despite not being as sweet as many liqueurs, there’s still a sugary edge so it really comes into its own when mixed, even just with soda water. Plus, check out that cool bottle.

Background: This unique liqueur is crafted by T.A. Breaux at the Combier distillery in France. The base spirit is a grape eau de vie, which is combined with a distillation of Perique tobacco and then sweetened with sugar. Perique comes from a small area of Saint James Parish in Louisiana. Once picked, the leaves are partially dried, cleaned, rolled into small bundles, and packed into whiskey barrels. The tobacco is then placed under pressure and fermented for at least a year, at which point it is ready for consumption.

Nose: Earthy and spicy, with touches of iodine, sea air, wood, cognac, and pipe tobacco.

Taste: Lightly sweet. Very smooth, lots of spiciness and dry earthy flavours, finishing with wood and leather.

(“You're a nice guy, but I'm going to drown you anyway”)

Nose: An odd wax note surfaces, along with a tangy hint of fermentation.

Taste: The sugar comes a bit more into the foreground, throwing off the balance. In addition, there's an added sharp edginess to the spice that obscures some of the more delicate flavours.

Overall: I've always loved the smell of good tobacco, but never felt like smoking or chewing it. This unusual liqueur does an excellent job of capturing the aroma of tobacco in a complex and interesting drink.

Background: This French triple sec uses cognac  as the base spirit.  “Cordon Rouge” means “Red Ribbon” and is the standard version; there are a couple of types made with older brandies, as well as a cheaper Cordon Jaune made with neutral grain spirits.

Nose: Sweet and fruity, showing vanilla and a hint of pith over a background of floral orange.

Taste: Well-balanced blend of orange zest, fruity notes from the brandy, and a bit of oak influence mainly showing up as vanilla.  Lingering oily orange finish.  A bit spirity.

(The water, she likes me.  I can tell.)

Nose: Not much new.  A bit of caramel.

Taste: A lot of the brandy character coming through, though still mainly generic fruit and vanilla.  Some caramel on the front end, accompanied  by the more floral aspects of the orange flavour.  The slightest portion of pith starts to come through in the middle.

Overall: Sipping a glass of this while nibbling on a bar of good chocolate is bliss.  Stands well on its own.

Background: It's like triple sec, but with lemons and artificial colouring.

Nose: Sweet lemon (shock gasp) with hot alcohol notes.

Taste: Tastes like candied lemon peel.

(Everything's better with a bit of…water?)

Nose: Still no oodles of complexity. What did you expect from neutral alcohol and lemons?

Taste: Tastes like candied lemon peel with water.

Overall: A decent limoncello, but it's easily made at home so why bother? Lacks the complexity of a good triple sec, but still makes a decent apéritif.

Background: This honey and whisky liqueur is made from twelve-year-old blended scotch and claims to be “less sweet”.

Nose: Very interesting. Sweet honey, hints of orange and aged scotch.

Taste: Light honey taste with a heavy dose of dried orange peel and maybe a hint of cocoa. A fair bit of oak in the middle and a vague whisky taste throughout. As promised, only lightly sweet.

(Water? Huh? What is it good for?)

Nose: A lot more fruit on the nose, both the citrus noted earlier as well as some lighter apple-like scents.

Taste: The whisky itself is more forward, showing a heavily vanilla-leaning oak influence and the barest hint of vegetal-ness.

Overall: Much more drinkable by itself than the more sticky-sweet liqueurs, but still doesn't really come into its own until mixed.

Background: Artisinal liqueur made in Austria from fresh-picked Arolla Stone Pine fruits. Distiller's notes for each batch used to be available from Zirbenz.com, but that functionality appears to be temporarily unavailable. Regardless, my bottle is numbered 12-06-A03-911.

Nose: Peppery pine with some floral notes.

Taste: Lightly sweet, rich pine flavour with spice and herbal notes. Long, spicy finish.

(Drip, drip, drip.)

Nose: Still pine.

Taste: Fruitier, with cinnamon notes.

Overall: Like drinking a Christmas tree. I like it, but it's probably not for everyone. Basically, if that sounds like something you would like you'll probably enjoy it.

Background: Produced by Suntory, a Japanese company that also produces Midori and a range of malt whiskies. Neutral spirits infused with green tea and herbs.

Nose: Slightly earthy; sweet melon and green tea, with some lemongrass notes.

Taste: Quite sweet; rich green tea flavour with herbal undertones. Medium finish is exactly what you would get from extremely sweet green tea.

(Raindrops keep falling in my drink…)

Nose: Still green tea and lemongrass.

Taste: The sweetness seems a bit cloying, and the flavour doesn't come through very clearly.

Overall: Well, it's different. I think you could whip up something similar with a cup of green tea and some vodka, and that way you could tone down the sugar to a reasonable level. Drinkable.

Background: A blend of aged brandy, fruits, spices, wildflower honey, and cedar-smoked Lapsang Souchong tea. Produced by Qi Spirits, who recently introduced their second product, a white tea liqueur.

Nose: Orange blossom, vanilla, smoke, and honey.

Taste: Only lightly sweet, a background of smoke and honey, with floral and spice notes fronting, leading into a fruity middle followed by a long, somewhat oaky orange finish.

(Dilution is a girl's best friend)

Nose: Cedar and cherries.

Taste: The smoke becomes much more prominent.

Overall: Extremely nice, and a uniquely flavoured liqueur. Adding a splash of water really brings out the character of the tea; undiluted the fruit and spice components dominate a bit too much. I like it straight, but it also has a lot of potential as a mixer.

Background: Ouzo is an anise-flavoured Greek liqueur. Metaxa Ouzo appears to be fairly well regarded, and is very widely available.

Nose: Strongly anise, with a nutty background.

Taste: Smooth, medium sweetness, with a strong anise flavour. Long, oily finish.

(After dilution)

Nose: Still anise. Maybe a bit of lemon.

Taste: The same. Bitterness in the background.

Overall: Fairly nice. Very smooth drinking, not a lot of depth. Only get this if you like the taste of anise.