What did you buy at the liquor store today? (2013–)

[Hassouni]

I'm not well versed in rhums agricoles, but I just want some cheapo ti punches. I haven't tried it yet, but it smells caney and funky. Very cachaca-esque.

[FrogPrincesse]

"Caney and funky" sounds promising. My favorite examples have a multi-layered taste that reminds me of fresh cane juice with grassy notes and fruit, plus a ton of funk.

Edited May 2, 2013 by FrogPrincesse (log)

[Rafa]

"Caney and funky" sounds promising. My favorite examples have a multi-layered taste that reminds me of fresh cane juice with grassy notes and fruit, plus a ton of funk.

Do you mind mentioning/discussing a few of your favorites? I'm just starting to get into rhum agricole and I'm wondering what the grassiest/funkiest/most complex and delicious examples are, as well as whether it's worth the price increase from similarly funky and grassy cachaca.

(I understand that prices are much lower in France, so I'll have to buy a bottle or two next time I'm there.)

[FrogPrincesse]

"Caney and funky" sounds promising. My favorite examples have a multi-layered taste that reminds me of fresh cane juice with grassy notes and fruit, plus a ton of funk.

Do you mind mentioning/discussing a few of your favorites? I'm just starting to get into rhum agricole and I'm wondering what the grassiest/funkiest/most complex and delicious examples are, as well as whether it's worth the price increase from similarly funky and grassy cachaca.

(I understand that prices are much lower in France, so I'll have to buy a bottle or two next time I'm there.)

Well, I've learned that some of the best ones are sourced directly from the producer and are not available outside of Martinique/Guadeloupe... Excluding these, for rhum agricole blanc (white) I really like La Favorite (see rumdood/Matt Robold's review here) and JM which are both available in the US. They both cost somewhere between $30 and $35.

[Hassouni]

I have a huge problem paying that kind of money for unaged (or more or less unaged) spirit. Hence no more Plymouth gin for me

[FrogPrincesse]

For sure, prices for rhum agricole are higher in the US compared to France or Martinique & Guadeloupe. Everyone's different of course, but for me these are exceptional products unlike any other unaged rums. A daiquiri made with one of these may very well be my favorite cocktail (depending on the day! ). So I have no problem spending $30 for a bottle (and keep in mind - these rhums are heavily subsidized by the French government so we are actually enjoying a nice little discount on a product that I believe is relatively costly to produce compared to other types of rums). $30 is the price of a good bottle of wine. On the other hand, I think twice about spending $50 and up for an aged rhum. To each his/her own of course...

Edited May 2, 2013 by FrogPrincesse (log)

[Rafa]

Well, I've learned that some of the best ones are sourced directly from the producer and are not available outside of Martinique/Guadeloupe... Excluding these, for rhum agricole blanc (white) I really like La Favorite (see rumdood/Matt Robold's review here) and JM which are both available in the US. They both cost somewhere between $30 and $35.

Thanks. I've had and enjoyed Rhum JM blanc and it sounds like La Favorite is the next to try.

I have a huge problem paying that kind of money for unaged (or more or less unaged) spirit. Hence no more Plymouth gin for me

I take it you're not a mezcal fan then?

Edit: In New York at least La Favorite blanc is $32 for a whole liter, which isn't bad at all. And it's 100 proof. That makes it around the same price per ounce as Rittenhouse bonded (which is $23 for 750ml here).

Edited May 2, 2013 by Rafa (log)

[Hassouni]

I LOVE mezcal but yeah I don't own any bottles....must...find...discounted...Mezcal Ilegal...

[Rafa]

Don't know whether there are Cinco de Mayo sales where you live, but if so, now's the time. Ilegal Joven is $40 right now around here, though even that's out of my current range. :-/

[Hassouni]

holy shit, I'd buy it for that....There are sales at the bigger stores, but they don't have good mezcal

[Ttogull]

Best selection of mezcal I've found outside of some TX restaurants. Pricey, but the good stuff is there. I've had good experiences with the company.

http://www.drinkupny.com/mezcal_online_s/185.htm

[devillighter]

Gosh, nobody's been shopping? I discovered that Total Wine in non-Montgomery County parts of Maryland has a full liquor selection with great stock and good prices, and some stuff that's impossible to find elsewhere, namely Seale's products:

I would love to read your tasting notes on the Dillon rhum agricole. $12 a bottle? Even in France it retails for 20 euros or so, so that's a steal for sure. Amazing find.

I've done some shopping too, although not at the liquor store. I bought amaro at a winemaker dinner hosted at the Wine Vault. The winemaker in question was Margerum. He had this really cool story about how the Manhattan was his dad's drink of choice and that it was a special way for them to share time together. So he decided to create an amaro for him. We tried it both neat and in a Maker's Mark Manhattan and it was great, so I bought a couple of bottles.

That Dillon is really great stuff considering the price and proof - I love it. Haven't had a chance to directly compare it against other more expensive agricoles (Neisson & La Favorite), but hopefully soon. I picked up the same bottle in MD almost a year ago - and it may have been even cheaper. And its especially a steal since it is a 1L bottle. May need to stock away a few bottles before the deal disappears. Its got all the grassy funk that you would want. May need to make some Ti Punches now that the weather is turning.

Edited May 3, 2013 by devillighter (log)

[sbumgarner]

Los Amantes Joven Mezcal

Amaro Sibilla

I'm contemplating starting a campfire in my mouth to round it all off.

[Rafa]

Astor still has 15% off all tequila and mezcal for the rest of the day. They deliver to most states. They've got Ilegal joven for $40!

Right now I'm enjoying Calle 23's very good and well priced blanco with some cucumber juice and Angostura in soda. I hear their reposado is even better but I haven't found it for sale around here.

[Hassouni]

They don't deliver to my state

[sbumgarner]

Astor still has 15% off all tequila and mezcal for the rest of the day. They deliver to most states. They've got Ilegal joven for $40!

That definitely helped take the sting off a $50 bottle of mezcal, wish I could have stocked up on more.

[Hassouni]

Seale's! I've been meaning to try that for ages. Please do share your thoughts once you've tried it.

I haven't done any shopping lately, but I'm going to take advantage of the Cinco de Mayo sales this weekend to restock up on tequila and mezcal.

Sooo opened the bottle about 10 minutes ago. Perhaps it wasn't the best idea to do a rum tasting while my mouth is healing from super hot pizza last night....cos it stings a bit! But with that aside, this is very dry and refined stuff. No apparent caramel (it's actually rather pale) and no apparent added sweetness. There is some butterscotch on the nose, some bitter orange/lemon going on, and almost a sweetish coconut on the finish. It almost has a savory, umami character to it and a slight peppery quality (I'm not fluent in tasting analysis). It has a lot in common with some Scotch whiskies.

I'll try this again when my palate has healed, but it seems pretty good so far.

Edited May 12, 2013 by Hassouni (log)

[Rafa]

Cocchi Americano Rosa (x2), Cocchi Vermouth di Torino, Broker's Gin, Cuvée Laurent Brut Rosé, Salers, and Weller 12. Plus the nifty Astor tote for $1. All of which got soaked in the sudden violent downpour that struck me two minutes from home. Later some friends dropped off Ridgemont Reserve 1792 and a St. George Spirits-blended bourbon I'd never heard of (it's sourced from Kentucky, but not sure which distillery), plus some Mexican Coke. Overall a good weekend haul.

Edited May 13, 2013 by Rafa (log)

[FrogPrincesse]

St. George Spirits-blended bourbon I'd never heard of (it's sourced from Kentucky, but not sure which distillery)

It's called Breaking and Entering. It's a blend from a large number of distilleries. I have a bottle and it's delicious.

[Rafa]

Yeah I just tried a little and it's great. More barley (I think? Barley nuttiness anyway) than I was expecting.

[KD1191]

I picked up a 750 of 32% ABV Averna, which was on the shelf next to a liter of the recently reformulated 29% ABV version. When I reached for the 750, the shopkeeper effusively explained I could have 1/3 more for only a dollar. When I replied, yes, but that's lower in alcohol, he gave me a sly wink and moved on to another customer.

[Yajna Patni]

Any one try st Elder yet? I used to really like st. Germaine, until it seemed to be in every single thing i was offered, rendering it bland and over sweet. But a st germaine cocktail with lemon and "champagne" and soda water and lemon, remains the most refreshing summer drink bar campari and soda to me. There is also a campari and st germaine cocktail i like. But its rising price... around forty bucks a bottle where i live have rendered it obsolete in my bar... (also it really does not last well... chartreuse may cost a bomb, but makes my favorite cocktail (last word) and still tastes perfect after a year or sitting in my kitchen. St Germaine.... not so much.

BUT

a few weeks ago, i noticed a local (somerville MA) knock off called st. elder. I am in general terrified of alcohol that comes from somerville (Rubinoff vodka) but this seemed interesting. I have seen it priced from thirteen dollars, at Atlas in medford to as high as twenty five dollars in liquor world in porter. Curiosity got me and i purchased a bottle. The bottle is not at all fancy and obviously does not add to the price. It is fairly clearly a st germaine knock off. To my palette it tasted a little sharper, stronger and the alcohol was more obvious (all good things in my book) I only had the end of a bottle of st germaine to compare it too, and the st germaine i had gotten some time at the beginning of last summer and was discolored and not very tasty.

Happy to have got the bottle. St germaine is a crowd pleaser, and i spend a lot of the summer batching up cocktails for parties and such, so i think it will be a hit at half the price. It is also tasty in a gin and tonic. Now i just need some super sweaty hot weather to get into the long cold refreshing drinks.

[curls]

Apry and the Bittermen's Amere Nouvelle a few eGulleters have been talking about.

[Adam George]

In response to the recent increase in tax and duty onAngostura, I decided to stock up.

So I got some Old Bitters, some new Bitters and some faux-old Bitters

[KD1191]

I've discovered one advantage of having to spend too much time on the "wrong" side of the Hudson...some of the liquor stores aren't sold out of this: