Skyy Vodka is produced by Skyy Spirits – a San Francisco, California based spirits brand founded in 1992 and currently owned by Gruppo Campari. They produce a small lineup of vodka and flavored vodka products, the production of which moved to one of Campari’s Illinois facilities after acquisition in 2009. Their flagship vodka is made with a grain base, distilled 4 times, and filtered 3 times through California limestone. The water used to adjust the proof is enriched with minerals which mirror the minerals found in the Pacific coastal waters of the area, including sodium, calcium, magnesium, and potassium. It is bottled at 80 proof. Bottle […]
Tito’s Handmade Vodka is produced by Tito’s – an Austin, Texas based spirits brand first launched in the mid 1990’s. The company claims that their Mockingbird Distillery was the first legal post-prohibition distillery in the state of Texas, and founder Tito Beveridge taught himself how to distill. This bottle of Handmade Vodka is corn-based and pot-stilled, though the truthfulness about other advertised details of their production process are frequently called into question. As a result, I was not able to confirm further details with any level of confidence based on my research. It is bottled at 80 proof. Bottle Specs ❖ ABV: 40% ❖ Distillery: […]
Rancho Escondido Agave Liqueur is produced by Rancho Escondido – a Jalisco, Mexico based brand that produces a small range of agave based spirit products. Although I found a lot of conflicting information about how long the brand has been producing their agave liquors, they are hugely popular in Mexico, advertised as one of the top-selling alcohol products. This particular bottle of Agave Liqueur is made with sugar cane alcohol and agave aguardiente, which is essentially a basic distilled spirit from agave. It is distilled twice, and then rested in white oak barrels for at least 3 months. Bottle Specs ❖ ABV: 28% ❖ Distillery: Rancho […]
Navigator Reserve 5 Year Rum is produced by Navigator Wine Collection – a St. Helena, California based company best known for their wide range of wine products. Although not much information is offered about the spirits under the Navigator label, they do release some liquor products such as bourbon and rum. This particular bottle of Reserve 5 Year Rum is produced in Panama. Although not much of the production process is disclosed, they do say the rum is aged for 5 years in American Oak bourbon barrels. Bottle Specs ❖ ABV: 40% ❖ Distillery: undisclosed ❖ Aging: 5 years ❖ Price Point: low price My Tasting notes The aroma of this rum had clear […]
Velho Barreiro Cachaça is produced by Indústrias Reunidas de Bebidas Tatuzinho – a São Paulo based spirits company. Originally founded in 1950, Velho Barreiro remains one of the most well known cachaça brands in Brazil. Surprisingly, this is the first cachaça that I’ve reviewed on the blog, although it’s certainly not the first time I’ve tried the spirit. If you’re not familiar with cachaça, it’s a Brazilian liquor similar to rum, but made with fresh sugar cane juice instead of molasses. This particular bottle is also made with sugar cane juice, which is fermented, double distilled, and then rested in oak vats before bottling. Bottle Specs […]