Woodford Reserve recently announced the newest addition to its lineup – Woodford Reserve Double Oaked. Available in March, Woodford Reserve Double Oaked isn’t a limited time release or part of the brand’s Master’s Collection; it’s a permanent line extension. The new whiskey gets its name from its double aging process. Woodford Reserve Double Oaked is first aged in toasted, charred barrels created at Woodford’s cooperage. This initial maturation provides much of the color and flavor, but the second step is what makes the spirit unique. It’s moved to another custom barrel – one that’s been toasted twice as long as the...

The Macallan has become one of the most popular and recognized single malt Scotch whisky brands in the world, enjoying particularly good success in the United States. The Macallan range starts with the entry level 10-Year and includes the pricey 30-year, plus a variety of rare, older expressions and drams aged in different types of oak. The Macallan makes two 18-year-old Scotch whiskies – the Sherry Oak, which is aged exclusively in Sherry oak casks, and the Fine Oak, which is aged in three different types of wood. The Macallan 18-year-old Sherry Oak is mahogany in color and has pleasant aromas...

It’s no secret that we’re fans of Espolon Blanco Tequila, as it’s one of the best value buys in the 100% agave tequila market. But how fares the Reposado? Espolon Reposado Tequila is crafted at the San Nicolas Distillery in the Highlands region of Jalisco, Mexico. After distillation, it’s aged six months in American oak barrels. The result is a golden-hued spirit that’s full of roasted agave, spice and caramel on the nose. Drink up to taste flavors ranging from brown sugar and vanilla to tropical fruits. It’s less agave-forward than the blanco, and those six months in barrel give...

Ron Abuelo makes a line of fine rums, including the Ron Abuelo Anejo and the Ron Abuelo 7 Anos. The latter is a blend of Panamanian rums produced entirely from estate-grown sugar cane and then aged seven years in small oak barrels. Ron Abuelo 7 Anos is a rich, amber-colored rum with aromas of vanilla, caramel and fresh sugar cane. Flavors range from more vanilla and caramel to cocoa, toffee and honey. That sweetness fades in the finish, with lingering notes of dry leather and citrus. It’s exceedingly easy to sip, and even rum novices will be hard-pressed to find...

Camus is a prolific maker of Cognacs, registering as the fifth largest Cognac house in the world. But until recently, Camus Cognacs weren’t available to the U.S. market, and it’s still a mostly unknown brand inside the states. Camus produces a handful of product ranges including Excellence, Rarissimes, Borderies and the Masterpiece Collection. Sitting near the top of the Excellence range is Camus XO, the focus of this review. XO or ‘extra old,’ designates a blend in which the youngest brandy is aged for no less than six years, but often is aged upwards of 15...

Mackinlay’s Rare Old Highland Malt Whisky traces its roots back to 1907, when explorer Ernest Shackleton fortified his Antarctic expedition with several cases of his favorite whiskey from the Glen Mhor distillery in Inverness, Scotland. Shackleton and his men ultimately failed to reach the South Pole, and they sailed for home in 1909, leaving behind three crates of the precious whiskey buried in ice. It stayed this way until 2007, when fortuitous members of the New Zealand Antarctic Heritage Trust happened upon the hundred-year-old hooch. Whyte & Mackay – owners of the Mackinlay brand – analyzed the remaining stock, and master...

Denizen Rum is a new white rum that harkens back to the days of yore, when white rums were full-flavored spirits to be both sipped and enjoyed in complex cocktails. To achieve its desired flavor profile, Denizen enlisted rums from Trinidad and Jamaica and expert rum blenders from Holland. Denizen Rum starts with column-distilled rums from the Angostura Distillery that are charcoal-filtered and aged up to five years in small bourbon barrels. From there, 15 types of Jamaican pot-distilled rums are added to the mix and blended in Amsterdam (a city that’s been blending rums since the 1700s, when the...

The Glenrothes makes a range of fine whiskies, including the Select Reserve. This bottling is a rarity for the Speyside distillery, as The Glenrothes typically releases vintage-dated whiskies, like the 1985 and 1998. Bottled at 80 proof and lacking some of the character seen in its older brothers, the Select Reserve is like an entry-level introduction to the brand. But a good one, at that. The Glenrothes Select Reserve pours light gold and gives aromas of vanilla, malt, ripe fruits and a touch of briny sea air. Take a sip and find lots of malty sweetness, vanilla, zesty orange and...

El Tesoro de Don Felipe makes a range of quality tequilas, including the Añejo, which is aged between two and three years in oak barrels before bottling. All El Tesoro tequilas are hand-crafted in the highlands of Jalisco, Mexico, where the estate-grown agave plants are cooked the old-fashioned way – in large brick and stone ovens called hornos. After the agave hearts are crushed and the juices are extracted, the tequila is double distilled straight to 80 proof. For comparison, most tequilas – and spirits in general – are distilled to a higher proof and then diluted with water to...

Excellia Tequila is a relatively new player in the tequila category, and it’s making some noise due to its unique maturation process. The 100% agave Excellia Tequilas begin their life in the highlands of Jalisco, Mexico, where the estate grown blue agave plants are cut by hand and cooked slowly in traditional brick and stone ovens. From there, the cooked agave is shredded and crushed to extract the aromatic agave juice and then fermented in wooden vats and twice distilled in copper stills. Most aged tequilas then sit in used whiskey barrels until maturity. But in producing Excellia Tequilas, the...