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welcome to the fifty best spirits of 2005 |
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 Presents
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Page 5 - VODKA & GIN
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Skyy 90
Vodka
(USA; SKYY Spirits, San Francisco, CA)
45% abv, $36.  
CLASSIC / Highest Recommendation
An irresistible powerhouse of a vodka bouquet, assertive, concentrated, dry and grainy. The palate entry has plenty of grainy/spirity giddy-up with a note of sweetness; at midpalate the spirit warmth fades, leaving behind the biscuity/ wheat cracker taste of the grain and a velvety texture. Ends up as assertively as it began.
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Stolichnaya elit
Vodka
(Russia; Allied Domecq Spirits, USA, Westport, CT)
40% abv, $60.
CLASSIC / Highest Recommendation
Aroma is dry, clean, and grainy, with background notes of parchment and lychee; later passes offer semisweet, mildly smoky/ashy scents of charcoal and smoldering embers. Palate entry is firm, moderately oily, bittersweet; at midpalate concentrated and spicy grain flavors mingle adroitly with the smoky, sap- and resin-sweet birch-charcoal filtering influence. Concludes sweetly and almost candy-like.
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Xellent
Swiss Vodka
(Switzerland; The Spirit of Hartford, Avon, CT)
40% abv, $34.
CLASSIC / Highest Recommendation
The initial whiffs find herbal aromas with faint hints of jasmine and moss; additional scents of tea leaves, minerals and wet stone appear in the later passes. The palate entry is semisweet and biscuity; midpalate is nutty, concentrated and remarkably mineral-like. Concludes dynamically. One of only three or four over-$30 superpremium vodkas actually worth the price tag. Wow.
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Hangar
One
Fraser River
Raspberry Infused Vodka
(USA; Craft Distillers
Portfolio, Ukiah, CA)
40% abv, $36.
CLASSIC / Highest Recommendation
The bouquet offers
concentrated notes of fresh-picked raspberries; with time, the bouquet
takes on a densely preserves-like personality. The entry flavor is lean,
astringent and fruity; at midpalate the flavor turns vinous, leafy,
off-dry to bitter, just as raspberries off the vine can be. Ends on a
bittersweet note.
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Vermont Gold
100% Maple Sap Vodka
(USA; Vermont Spirits Co., St. Johnsbury, VT)
40% abv, $44.
CLASSIC / Highest Recommendation
A surprising and charming bouquet of fresh sugar maple candy. The palate entry is toasty, maple sweet, and full-bodied; at midpalate the toastiness evolves to include delicious tastes of sugar maple candy, dark honey, sap, resin and malt. Finishes divinely sweet and sap-like. Worth every cent.
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Vincent Van Gogh
Espresso Vodka
(Holland; Luctor International, Reno, NV)
35% abv, $30.
CLASSIC / Highest Recommendation
A wonderful espresso coffee aroma with back notes of cocoa and charred almond. The palate entry is like top-quality espresso in its bearing; at midpalate the taste profile displays ideal amounts of bitterness, pod-like genuineness and real espresso bite and elegance. Finishes with just the right balance of bitterness, beaniness and coffee jolt. Wow.
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Wokka Saki
Vodka with Sake Added
(United Kingdom; Pasternak Wine Imports, Harrison, NY)
40% abv, $40.
CLASSIC / Highest Recommendation
A stunningly elegant bouquet with alluring scents of peaches and nectarines. The palate entry is sweet, ripe, oily, and textured; at midpalate the taste profile turns equally grainy and fruity, with the 80-proof alcohol serving well as a base for the nimble flavorings. Ends well in a satiny, oily manner, showing just a trace of peach/nectarine flavor.
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Citadelle
Gin
(France; W.J. Deutsch & Sons, New York, NY)
44% abv, $25.
CLASSIC / Highest Recommendation
The first nosing passes find scents of fresh flowers, jasmine, honeysuckle and cardamom; further aeration stimulates deeper, more herbal notes including anise, grains of paradise, and cinnamon. At the palate entry, the off-dry juniper presence is clearly evident; at midpalate the taste profile turns creamy, rich, and flowery once again. Ends up off-dry, high on juniper essence, and elegant.
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Miller’s
Westbourne Strength Reformed London
Dry Gin
(England/Iceland; Skyy Spirits, New York, NY)
45.2% abv, $35.  
SUPERB / Highly Recommended
The initial bouquet has scents of lime peel and cassia bark; aeration adds traces of juniper, angelica and coriander. The palate entry features snappy tastes of off-dry licorice and orris root flavors; at midpalate there is a mellow creaminess accented by juniper, tropical fruit and a hint of nutmeg. Finishes gracefully off-dry, textured, moderately creamy and savory.
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South Premium
Gin
(New Zealand; Pearl Beverages LLP, Denver, CO)
48.2% abv, $33.
SUPERB / Highly Recommended
Alluring opening scent is stunningly baked and pod-like; further air contact releases aromas of moss, slate, charcoal and mint. Palate entry is bittersweet and grainy; at midpalate the juniper peeks out from the behind the luxurious curtain of wet earth, angelica, orris and green vegetation. Concludes on a sweet, juniper note and with a touch of warmth.
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