Pendleton
Director's Reserve 2005
20-Year-Old
Blended Canadian Whisky
(Canada)
40% abv, $75.
SUPERB / Highly Recommended
The understated bouquet features earthy scents of wet forest and pine with supplemental aromas of light caramel, honey, and milk coffee. The delicious palate entry is richly sweet; by midpalate the honey character turns more like cream Sherry and dates. The finish is toffee sweet and fudge-like.

Old Forester
2005 Birthday Bourbon
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
(USA)
48% abv, $35.
CLASSIC / Highest Recommendation
A lovely bouquet that is perfumed, gently woody and breakfast cereal-like. The palate entry offers melded tastes of toffee, buttered popcorn and marzipan; at midpalate flavors include butterscotch, brown sugar and dark honey. The aftertaste displays the oak influence and is long, off-dry to semisweet. Best Buy.

William Larue Weller
Limited Edition 12-Year-Old
Uncut/Unfiltered Barrel Proof
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
(USA)
60.95% abv, $55.
CLASSIC / Highest Recommendation
The fragrance is alive with scents of pepper, oak, caramel corn, new leather, plums, light toffee and pipe tobacco. The palate entry is astoundingly rich, deeply honey-like, and gently warming; the midpalate features tastes of marshmallow, caramel corn, sautéed almonds, nougat, figs and dates. Finishes composed and flavorfully sweet. Add mineral water. Delicious!

Bulleit Bourbon
Frontier Whiskey
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
(USA)
45% abv, $25.
SUPERB / Highly Recommended
An intensely grainy bouquet. The palate entry is corny sweet and nearly honey-like; at midpalate the core flavor of sweet corn mash remains while tastes of buttered popcorn, brown sugar and nougat expand. Finishes with a spurt of fire and lots of long, corny/grainy tastes. Should be part of every serious whiskey-lover's collection. Best Buy.

Chauffe Coeur
Brun Rhum Agricole
(Martinique)
47% abv, $34.
CLASSIC / Highest Recommendation
The opening bouquet brims with layers of toffee scents, dry oloroso sherry and fresh honey; aeration stimulates smells of dark caramel, grassy cane, winter holiday spices, and marzipan. The palate entry is silky, zesty, and spicy; by midpalate the flavor includes pipe tobacco, toffee, cocoa butter, and honey. Concludes bittersweet, cocoa-like, and sherried. A Martinique classic. Best Buy.

Murray McDavid Guyana Rum
1991
Distilled at Uitvlught-Port Morant
Syrah Wine Cask Finish
(Guyana)
46% abv, $71./Liter
CLASSIC / Highest Recommendation
A sophisticated rum perfume that shows clear influences of the Syrah. The palate entry is satiny, medium-sweet and pear-like; the midpalate displays flavors of baked pear, pineapple and grapes that meld to honey sweet tastes of cane spirit. Concludes medium-sweet, very smooth and cake-like.

Chantal Comte Distillerie
Depaz Plantation de la Montagne
Pelée X.O. Rhum Vieux Agricole
(Martinique)
45% abv, $120.
SUPERB / Highly Recommended
A wonderful bouquet full of enticing scents such as cigar box, paraffin, sautéed butter, cinnamon, honey, Sherry, and marshmallow. The palate entry is silky and intensely honeyed; the midpalate flavor displays tastes of vanilla extract, cinnamon, brown sugar and orange zest. The aftertaste is long, concentrated, semisweet, oaky and satiny. Delicious.

Flor de Caña
Centenario Gold
18 Years Old Rum
(Nicaragua)
40% abv, $30.
SUPERB / Highly Recommended
The bouquet offers appealing fragrances of oak, medium-sweet cane, escarole, pine cone and new leather. The palate entry is long and medium-sweet; at midpalate finely layered tastes of cocoa butter, palm oil, oaky vanilla, light honey and almond paste enthrall the taste buds. Concludes silky smooth, mildly sweet and honey-like.

Partida Reposado
100% Agave Tequila
NOM-1454-CRT
(Mexico)
40% abv, $55.
CLASSIC / Highest Recommendation
The wonderful bouquet combines elegant scents of sawdust, pine and vegetal agave with aromas of old leather, cigarette ash and pimento. The palate entry is delicate and peppery; midpalate has a honey-like core flavor with supplemental tastes of cocoa, milk chocolate and chili pepper. The finish is long and gently sweet. The new benchmark for reposados.

Cesar Monterrey
Anejo Reserva
100% Agave Tequila
NOM-1486 CRT
(Mexico)
40% abv, $75.
SUPERB / Highly Recommended
The aroma is zesty, acutely peppery and briny with scents of new oak, tobacco leaf and light honey. The palate entry is long, sweet, oaky and slightly honeyed; the midpalate stage boasts a sturdy agave sweetness. Finishes in a honeyed, almost Sherry-like manner that's highly charming.