[kmac]

But oddball flavors exist beyond the sweet liqueur world. Pechuga is actually a very rare form of mezcal that’s distilled with seasonal fruits and a raw chicken breast. (The chicken breast is cooked by the distillation heat, and is thought to soften some of mezcal’s raw smokiness.) Peat-dried barley malt, of course, famously imparts smokiness to certain Scotch whiskies, with Islay whiskies especially showing not just a range of smoky, oily flavors but notes of briny, sea salt air. And then there are spirits like gin, which can be infused with a range of botanicals and citrus but are always defined by a distinctive Christmas tree juniper flavor. [links]

[MarianelaHuf8544]

But that covers the basic, classic spirits spectrum. Ever since we first figured out we could distill alcohol into even higher strength alcohol, we haven’t stopped experimenting with the body, ABV, and yes even the flavors of our hooch. Which means there’s a whole world of other, and unlikely, flavors at work in your local liquor store—some of them the product of recent innovation, some of them as old school it gets. more

[storm]

Some of the most interesting old school unexpected flavors are found in liqueur. And that’s no surprise—liqueurs are sweetened liquor products that are generally infused with other flavoring agents, anything from herbs and spices to tree bark, roots, and fruit. Here are a few of the most interesting liqueurs, with flavors ranging from herbs and flowers to mint, artichoke, and licorice candy: here

[Xobbit]

Believe it or not, these are the more traditional liqueurs (some with centuries of history, some with decades). More liqueurs have popped up with flavors ranging from Godiva chocolate to pumpkin to cinnamon candy (ever heard of Fireball?).

[lobo235]

The flavor spectrum of spirits has to do with a few essential elements. There’s the base ingredient—say, agave (tequila), molasses (most rums), barley (Scotch), etc. There’s the distilling process—a pot distilled spirit will have more congeners impacting the final flavor, while column distillation generally produces a cleaner, more neutral base spirit. And then there’s optional aging—maybe in a charred new oak barrel (bourbon) or a barrel once used to age Port or Sherry (certain Scotches). more

[fluffy]

And, lest we forget, vodka. Yes, the spirit that’s specifically column distilled to be as neutral and unflavored as possible has become like a blank canvas onto which liquor companies paint a variety of flavors, from birthday cake to buttered popcorn. To honor that unexpected, but apparently successful, enterprise, a small sampling of the wide array of flavored vodkas out there: more

[franklions99]

We talked to distillers across Tennessee to settle this age-old bar debate and the conclusion may surprise you.

[Vasiliev]

I can confirm that effect. About 20 years ago, former Dickel distiller John Lunn sampled me on three stages of new make: right off the beer still, after the doubler and after the charcoal leaching. The final stage was clean, focused and singing a pure note compared to the muddled first stage and still rough second. here

[Kristen8Fuller]

“You’d be surprised, but people are mean on the Internet,” remarked Nicole Austin when we recently chatted. Austin knows this controversy all too well. She is the master distiller and general manager at the Cascade Hollow Distillery in Tullahoma, Tennessee, which is home to George Dickel. And she’s got a sharp sense of humor. You might suspect that she was slyly poking fun at this bar debate by deciding to release George Dickel Bourbon Whisky, but she’s completely serious about the category.

[leonas7n3417]

Then the question becomes whether the filtering, the mellowing, takes some essential “bourbonness” out of the whiskey; if it somehow “unbourbons” it. here

[TaiGel]

“The barrels I was choosing for the bourbon dialed those [characteristics] back, or even down all the way,” she noted. “These barrels express vanilla, fruit, the light oak notes you’d want from a bourbon. We had a lot of them; to blend them away to make Tennessee whisky would have been a shame. What’s the best thing you could do with them? This.” more

[atomic_age]

Have you ever polished off an excellent bottle of bourbon but felt like it was too beautiful to throw away? You’re not alone. When you drink as much bourbon as we do, you’re sitting on more than a few empties. But if you don’t want to wait until you’ve finished a bottle, pour the bourbon into a decanter so you can put the bottle to use right away! Here are nine ways to show off your empty bottles after all the bourbon is gone (without using a glass cutter)!

[frott]

If you have kids or don’t feel so hot about fire, then use these handy LED cork lights to string down into your favorite empty bourbon bottles to use as lights! They also would look great as a table centerpiece or for festive decor for a wedding or party. here

[propertyconditionassessme]

Use bourbon bottles as water decanters. They’re handy to keep in the refrigerator and pull out during dinner to keep on the table next time you have a dinner party. I like using old Woodford Reserve bottles because the glass is nice and thick, and height wise they fit on my refrigerator shelves.

[kenjo]

This 100 percent New York-grown corn bourbon holds the distinction of being the first (legal) whiskey produced in the state since Prohibition and the first bourbon made in NY ever. Aged for less than 4 years, it carries a less tannic flavor than some long-aged bourbons and shows of the warm, nutty sweetness of its pure corn mash. more

[mark4]

The 2020 iteration of Old Forester's coveted Birthday Bourbon—an annual limited edition celebrating founder George Garvin Brown’s birthday—marks the brand 150th anniversay and the 20th iteration of the birthday bourbon. This year's bottle is drawn from 10 year old barrels with notes of toffee and tropical fruits accented with a whiff of slat that make it a decadent treat all on it's own, no dessert course required.

[Svick]

This full-flavored whiskey packs a punch. Unlike many bourbons which aim for around 90 proof, Knob Creek hits shelves at 100 proof for a full flavor that won't get dulled down in your favorite cocktail (though it's equally delicious sipped neat, especially for those who want to test the waters of the cask-strength trend). more

[adulau]

From cocktail-friendly spirits to splurges worth savoring, we've got the perfect bourbons to add to your collection.