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Continue reading →: SHORT REVIEW: Ron Zacapa Centenario Sistema No. 23 Solera RumDistilled in Guatemala from the first pressing of sugar cane juice (virgin sugar cane) at over 7,500 feet above sea level, and bottled at 80 proof (40% ABV) is a blend of rums aged between six and 23 years using a “Sistema Solera” aging process where the rum is aged…
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Continue reading →: COCKTAIL SERIES: NATO Blackberry Gin Gimlets: Comparing Different GinsBlackberry Gin Gimlet(s) (1) Combine everything in a shaker & shake until well chilled with ice. (2) Strain/pour over ice in a glass. I made two back-to-back cocktails to compare and contrast how gins with different flavor profiles would affect the cocktail. I’m not a big home cocktail guy because…
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Continue reading →: Milestone Bottles: A PortraitThese are some of my “milestone spirits” – spirits that changed how I think about a particular spirits type/category. *Mijenta Blanco (NOM 1499) was the bottle that got me truly into craft tequila. *1792 Bottled in Bond, a Virginia ABC single barrel pick, was the first bourbon I enjoyed and…
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Continue reading →: Tomorrow’s Whisky Lineup for a Faculty-Graduate Student SocialTomorrow’s whisky lineup for a faculty/graduate student social + a few tequilas TBD *Angel’s Envy – Bourbon finished in ruby port barrels *Angel’s Envy Bottled in Bond Cask Strength *Penelope Valencia (2025 batch – Batch 4) ___________________
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Continue reading →: NEW BOTTLE HIGHLIGHT SERIES: Exploring Rums with Alambique Serrano from OaxacaI don’t know much about rums and even less about well-made rums. Over the recent holidays, I picked up three new bottles of rum, taking my total number of rum bottles from one to four. The three new bottles are all from artisanal rum distillery Alambique Serrano in Oaxaca, Mexico,…
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Continue reading →: 1st Blanton’s Single Barrel Bourbon BottleHere we go – 1st time having this despite having 2 bottles for nearly 2 years. Contrary to some other bourbon folks, I find it (initially, at least) to be more complex than I was expecting with a nice variety of aromas and flavors including prominent fruity and citrusy (orange…
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Continue reading →: SHORT REVIEW: Leyenda del Milagro Tequila ReposadoProduced at distillery Tequilera Milagro (NOM 1559) in Tepatitlán de Morelos, Jalisco, this reposado is made from Highlands (Los Altos) Blue Weber agave cooked in stone/brick ovens (hornos) for 36 hours. The aguamiel (sugars) is then extracted using a roller mill to shred and macerate the cooked agave and it’s…
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Continue reading →: SHORT REVIEW: Templeton 4-Year Straight Rye WhiskeyThis was my first “high rye, 95/5” rye whisky and one of my first rye whiskies. Sourced from MGP with a mash bill of 95% rye and 5% malted barley, it’s aged for four years in Iowa by Templeton Distillery in charred 1st-fill American White Oak barrels and bottled at…
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Continue reading →: Adding More Share Cabinet BottlesThe graduate student & faculty social selection grows – separated into “whiskies & other spirits” & an “agave spirits” cabinets – Expanded the agave spirits cabinet. ________________
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Continue reading →: RIP – Bottle Downnfortunately lost a bottle – it fell a very short distance on a soft surface but at an angle where the bottle was weaker & it broke. ArteNOM 1123 is one of my favorite blancos & the brand is one of my favorite tequila brands. Fortunately, I have a reserve bottle…
Documenting my journey into agave spirits along with a smattering of other spirits after many, many years away – This blog is meant to take note of this journey including tasting notes, bottle photography, and other related topics.
Agave Spirits+ Journey 