Corzo Reposado
100% Agave Tequila
NOM-1487 CRT
(Mexico)
40% abv, $50.
SUPERB / Highly Recommended
The bouquet features zesty aromas of green chili peppers and asparagus with touches of vanilla/oak, palm oil and almonds. The palate entry is sweetish and oaky; at midpalate a delicious buttery taste underpins flavors of oak, light spice and sautéed almond. Finish is elegant, long and satiny.

El Diamante del Cielo
Blanco
100% Agave Tequila
NOM-1472-CRT
(Mexico)
40% abv, $45.
SUPERB / Highly Recommended
The opening bouquet is vegetal and peppery; following aeration the aroma smells of fiber and cotton, with traces of parchment and palm oil. The initial dry tastes at palate entry remind me of fiber; at midpalate the flavor turns sweeter and more peppery. The finish shows touches of smoke and oil, with a sweet tail end.

Frida Kahlo
Blanco
100% Agave Tequila
NOM-1479 CRT
(Mexico)
40% abv, $50.

SUPERB / Highly Recommended
The bouquet emits irresistible scents of tar, tobacco leaf and sea salt. At the palate entry a wave of road tar washes across the tip of the tongue, followed by a smoky taste of ash; the midpalate highlights a sweeter side of agave juice that rides atop the tar/smoke/tobacco. Finishes semisweet and a bit industrial-tasting.

Imperia
Unflavored Vodka
(Russia)
40% abv, $35.

SUPERB / Highly Recommended
The first sniffings find dry cereal-like aromas; the later sniffings detect aromas reminiscent of old-fashioned egg cream soda. The palate entry shows bittersweet notes of vanilla extract, unsalted butter and grain mash; at midpalate the astringency of the graininess is pleasingly refreshing. The finish is more semisweet than bittersweet.

Millennium
Unflavored Vodka
(Poland)
40% abv, $20.
SUPERB / Highly Recommended
Sports a clean, off-dry, nicely grainy opening scent; following aeration, the bouquet turns pleasantly expressive as the sweet spiciness of the grain kicks in. The palate entry is very sweet and medium-bodied; the midpalate flavor is intensely grainy sweet. The aftertaste is slightly honeyed and Graham cracker-like. Use as a mixing, not a sipping, vodka.

Reyka
Unflavored Vodka
(Iceland)
40% abv, $23.
SUPERB / Highly Recommended
A sooty initial aroma; following aeration, enticing, dry notes of palm oil, unsalted butter, grain mash and slate emerge. The palate entry is bone-dry as soot and slate tastes meld, then turn delightfully oily and textured.

Svensk Lake Vattern
Unflavored Vodka
(Sweden)
40% abv, $23.
SUPERB / Highly Recommended
The smoky, bean-like aroma is vivid, beautifully bitter and bark-like. The palate entry is root- and bark-like, herbal, and moderately oily; at midpalate the flavor profile turns towards refreshing bitterness and a minerally quality. Ends dry yet oily and smooth. A great value.

Modern Spirits
Grapefruit Honey Flavored Vodka
(USA)
35% abv, $24/375 ml; $40/750 ml
CLASSIC / Highest Recommendation
The bouquet is deftly crafted and true to its sources, beginning tart and juicy and then turning milder and less acidic. The palate entry features the ripeness of the grapefruit and then evolves at midpalate into a delicately sweet/sour taste in which both flavor infusions complement each other. Finishes with more of the grapefruit influence showing.

Charbay
Green Tea Flavored Vodka
(USA)
35% abv, $35.
SUPERB / Highly Recommended
The overall bouquet impression includes seductive fragrances of ripe green melon, sage and lightly honeyed green tea with later whiffs of jasmine and honeysuckle. The palate entry is gently tea-like and a touch honeyed; the midpalate profile borders on being spicy with a delicate sweetness and herbaceousness. Long and luxurious finish.

Vincent Van Gogh
Double Espresso Double Caffeine
Coffee Flavored Vodka
(Holland)
35% abv, $30.
SUPERB / Highly Recommended
The supple bouquet has a strong coffee bean-like quality with additional scents of cocoa, road tar, roasted chestnut and wood smoke. The palate entry and midpalate are nicely mellow with plenty of rich espresso character. Finishes smoked and tar-like, with the coffee taking a back seat.