cadmixes

I think it's a good start, though I'm skeptical of the part about sweetness. There are quite a few tiki-style drinks that basically consist of sweet juices, a little lime for sour, and some rum. They are more than just a little sweet, not particularly complex, and not containing unusual combinations. Are they getting excluded?

I really dig this! Definitely reminiscent of white grapefruit with the fresh citrus followed by a strong bitter tail. It's a little jarring, but I think that's part of the appeal.

It appears that Tiki+ can now be found under "Beachbum Berry's Tiki+" And it appears that Cocktails+ is gone completely--their website is still up but the link into the app store doesn't work, so it's definitely not there. Too bad, it had a nice clean interface and decent recipes.

Well I'll just do whisk(e)y--can always go through other spirits later. Scotch, sipping category Balvenie DoubleWood - On sale for a non-murderous price at one of my local stores. Ultra-mellow, honeyed pour. Glenfarclas 12 - Scored a bottle at the New Hampshire state liquor store for 15 bucks less than I see it in MA. Supposedly made in the classic Highland style (my scotch knowledge is poor!); in any event I like it and I'm a sucker for an attractive label. Ardbeg Nam Beist - A holiday bonus present to self. Barely cracked this bottle. Scotch, mixing McLelland Islay - Nice for smoky scotch accents and rinses; also use in the Improved Scotch Sling from the betacocktails.com site. Cheap enough that I don't really worry about it, but I need to get a blend for mixing as well at some point. Bourbon, sipping Four Roses Single Barrel - a Julio's Liquors handpicked bottling. Four Roses has long been my go-to because they put out a top-notch product at a fair price. I like dry, spicy bourbons and they do a great job making them. Jefferson's 18 Year - See Ardbeg. One of the last opportunities to get my hands on Stitzel-Weller bourbon, even if it costs an arm and a leg. Had maybe two glasses and it really is wonderful stuff. Bourbon, mixing Old Grand-Dad BIB - I don't mix bourbon much, but if I do I want something high-proof and cheap. This more than fits the bill. Rye Rittenhouse BIB - The gold standard. I have about 3 backup bottles because the availability around here really comes and goes. Sazerac 5 Year - Possibly rarer than Rittenhouse at this point. I don't like it as much but it's a quality product. Sazerac 18 Year - 2009's holiday bonus gift to self. I make the occasional Sazerac cocktail with it. Rich and complex. That's everything that's open now. The Rittenhouse is possibly the only constant as there's such a world of whisk(e)y to explore!

Thanks for the replies! Making some headway with the bottle--I'm currently enjoying a 2:1 Punt e Mes/Small's Martinez. The strong cardamom works pretty well here as a secondary flavor. Also made a few G&Ts with it and they weren't nearly as bad as I thought they might be. I have a lemon I need to use; maybe I'll try a sour with it tonight too.

haresfur, the Very Old Genever, according to that link you provided, comes in at 35% alcohol. The stuff in the clear bottle is 42%. So there's at least one difference.

Another mixing bourbon I really like is Old Grand Dad BIB. 22 bucks for a liter of 100 proof, high-rye bourbon.

Hi folks, longtime reader, first time poster. I finally overcame laziness re: writing an eGullet personal statement because I need your expertise with this. Possibly inspired by the new generation gins thread, I recently picked up a bottle of Small's Gin. Since it's made by the same people who produce the well-regarded Ransom Old Tom, I figured it was a safe bet for a new, American gin to mess around with. While I'm not ready to give up, I feel like this product must demonstrate the wild variability in re: what's being marketed as "gin" these days. It smells like no other gin I have ever owned, and I was able to do a straightforward compare with Beefeater, Tanqueray, Plymouth, and Bluecoat. All of these, even the last one, are at least in the same neighborhood. Small's is on another continent. From the little that's out on the web, I guess the nose is predominantly made up of cardamom? I don't have any on hand to confirm/deny. No matter what, it was pretty much a disaster in a Martini, and it also dominated a gin/dry vermouth/Benedictine mixture (I was hoping the Benedictine's strong herbal notes would be a good complement). So--has anyone worked with this product? Any ideas on how I might be able to do something constructive with this bottle and not be out 29 bucks? Appreciate the help.