Pinnacle Vodka : Pumpkin Pie

I know, we just finished up Pinnacle Appreciation Month a few weeks ago, but this flavor is a seasonal selection that is only going to be available for a limited time.

Review :

 I said it before and I’ll say it again, Pinnacle vodka is awesome. This flavor is being marketed as tasting like real deal pumpkin pie with whipped cream. They have come through once more. This is possibly my new favorite flavor from Pinnacle. I did my traditional first shot once I got my bottle, and it was smooth, great pumpkin spice flavor, and a cool finish. I didn’t know what else to mix it with because I normally don’t mix drinks, and I doubted that this would taste any good with a bottle of coke. I started making shooters with just some chocolate milk. Must say, freaking awesome. It is the standard 35% (70 proof) for flavored vodka, and I killed an entire bottle. I got my bottle from Bevmo of course, but have seen it sold on other online liquor stores. I actually had a hard time getting my bottle when it was first launched, because it is apparently flying off the shelves faster than they can be stocked. So if you are able to find it, definitely try it, and if you like it and are able to, then stock up on it because it wont be around for long. In fact, send me a bottle.


Breakdown :

The Bottle : Pinnacle has a standard bottle for all of their vodkas, so I have to take some points away. I do like that it is easily identifiable because it is the clear blue bottle sitting on the shelf.

Score : 5

The Taste : This stuff tastes awesome. I seriously wanted to grab some coffee so that I could pumpkin up a latte. It’s not too sweet, not syrupy at all, and has a dead on flavor.

Score : 25

The Buzz : Being able to polish off an entire bottle makes getting a buzz easy. I have never had a harsh buzz from drinking any of the pinnacle products, so this comes highly recommended.

Score : 25

The Cost : Still only $12. The thing that makes this brand so great is that for the flavor, and all the possibilities and potential that these products have, the price makes it a steal.

Score : 25

Total Score : 80

Definitely worth the price, and was worth waiting for BevMo to get some more in stock. I have to imagine that if you go through the Pinnacle site and contact some of the distributors that it may be much easier to find.

Cheers.

La Pinta Infused Tequila

Was looking for something different, and my cousin suggested this.

Review :

Firstly, when it comes to tequila, I never chill it. I find that it ruins the flavor. It should be at room temperature, even if you plan on serving it on the rocks. However, this is an infused tequila, which basically makes it almost a wine. So go ahead and stick this stuff in the freezer for a bit. Now, I must say that it tastes great. Great flavor, and you hardly taste any alcohol. I chugged the bottle. Probably has something to do with the fact that it is only 19% alcohol, or at least the one that I had was. Apparently there is some stronger versions out there, but I probably can’t get them here because of certain regulations on alcohol content in types of beverages. I am not sure why anyone would want to mix this with something else, but it would probably be good with some sprite, or even in a batch of sangria. I have only found this stuff online and at BevMo. The average price is around $40 a bottle. At the time of writing this, the company’s website is under construction, so I couldn’t find any other info on it other that it’s infused with Pomegranate .


Breakdown :

The Bottle : This stuff actually has a pretty awesome bottle. It’s a unique shape, a fancy label, and even has an agave plant engraved on the cap. It was a bit of a pain to try and open, but I think that may have to do with how the bottle I bought was being stored.

Score : 20

The Taste : Tastes great. I thought the flavor was right one, of course I love pomegranate. The tequila portion was very smooth, in fact, you could barely tell that there was any alcohol in it.

Score : 25

The Buzz : I didn’t get one. If someday I am able to find this stronger version that supposedly exists, I might be able to. Sadly though, this was only 19% alcohol, so I had to swill some other stuff I had on hand to get a buzz.

Score : 0

The Cost : I got my bottle for $40, and that’s the BevMo price. Honestly, for the money, I would have preferred something stronger. Keeping in mind that I could have bought 3 bottles of Pinnacle for the same price, and drank for 2 nights. I would say that if you have the money and are looking for something different, you might want to try this.

Score : 5

Total Score : 50

Yes this is technically a low score, but you have to keep the categories in mind. This stuff tastes great, and looks cool, but it is a bit expensive for the alcohol content, and if you aren’t a light weight you probably wont get a buzz.

Cheers.

Malibu Red

Getting back in the swing of things, here is something that I guess is pretty new.

Review :

I guess Malibu released this some time in March this year. I didn’t hear about it, but I tend to follow vodka and whiskey more than rums. Anyways, this is supposed to be a blend of a smooth Caribbean rum, coconut liqueur, and clear tequila. I must say, bravo. I wasn’t able to finish a whole bottle because my roommate bought it and I didn’t want to down all his booze. We did have a chance to try it with both lemonade and orange juice. The lemonade was very good, we even added a splash of the Pinnacle Cherry flavored Vodka and made it into a killer cocktail. I think it paired even better with the orange juice though, simple yet elegant. The coconut isn’t very overpowering, so it made mixing much better. The tequila is almost nil, I couldn’t have told you that it was there if I didn’t read the label. Since this is technically a flavored Rum, it only rings in at 35% alcohol, but with all the possibilities for mixes, you shouldn’t have trouble getting a buzz. My roommate got his bottle from Bevmo, so I know for sure that it is there. Normally it is about $19 for a bottle, but if you have your ClubBev card it should run about $16. Unfortunately, the Malibu Rum website doesn’t seem to have a store locator, so you may want to try to find another way to see if someone near you has it. Or go to BevMo.


Breakdown :

The Bottle : Very cool bottle. Given the name and the big red ring on the label, I honestly though this stuff was going to be red in color, but it’s completely clear. Not being a very big Malibu fan, I probably wouldn’t have thought of trying this stuff before, but the bottle alone is very attractive.

Score : 20

The Taste : This stuff tastes great. A little syrupy if you try to take shots of it, but pairs excellent with both lemonade and orange juice, so I have to imagine it would pair well with various other fruit juices.

Score : 20

The Buzz : I did get a buzz. However, I have to equally contribute it to the things that I was mixing it with. If flavored vodkas are any indicators, I would probably need to polish off about a bottle and a half of this by itself to get the same buzz I had.

Score : 15

The Cost : Pretty reasonably priced considering it’s versatility, and because I get the BevMo discount. Although, for the price you could probably find something stronger, but probably wouldn’t taste as good.

Score : 15

Total Score : 70

If you are looking for something that looks good sitting in your freezer when you have company over that tastes good, you’ll probably love this. If you are just looking to get hammered on a Friday night, I’d go with the UV 103.

Cheers.

Pinnacle Vodka Appreciation Month : Week 5 : Tropical Punch

Closing out our first “Themed” set of reviews this month, will be one of the flavors I was a little surprised with, Tropical Punch Pinnacle Vodka.

Review :

So, the reason that I have to say that I was surprised by this one was because of the drink ability. Some of the other flavors like the cookie dough and the whipped cream flavors of Pinnacle were not very good to me when I drank them on the rocks. This one however is a different story. It has the usual smooth flavor I had come to expect from the Pinnacle brand, was very sweet, and had a variety of fruit flavors. I could have easily sipped the whole bottle, but would have probably never gotten a buzz. So, I tried some mixes, and found them equally enjoyable. This flavor works extremely well with Sprite, and with Hawaiian Punch. Needless to say, the bottle was gone in about an hour. This along with the cherry were easily my two favorites that I have been able to get. In fact, try mixing a shot of the tropical punch and a shot of the cherry in a glass with ice, and fill the rest of the glass with Hawaiian Punch. It is awesome. Same as before, this flavor comes in at 35% alcohol, and is available at BevMo, or you can find who has it in your area on their website.


Breakdown :

The Bottle : Standard bottle for all Pinnacle products.

Score : 5

The Taste : Like I said, probably my favorite flavor along with the cherry. I think that these two should definitely be on the top of your list of flavors to try if you have never had Pinnacle before.

Score : 25

The Buzz : If I had just stuck to sipping this flavor, I probably wouldn’t have gotten a buzz at all. However, switching and drinking it with Hawaiian Punch allowed me to polish off the bottle before the credits rolled on the show I was watching. Very Mellow buzz.

Score : 25

The Cost : Once again, $12 for ClubBev members. Honestly, considering the possible uses for this particular flavor, that is a steal.

Score : 25

Total Score : 80

So concludes the first ever “Pinnacle Appreciation Month”. Maybe next year we will highlight a different product, or if more flavors become available to me, just make this an annual thing.

Cheers.

Pinnacle Vodka Appreciation Month : Week 4 : Gummy

Haha, bet you didn’t know that this flavor was out there. Unless you checked the website out and saw all the flavors that Pinnacle has. In which case I’ll call you a cheater. Nonetheless, I present you with the Gummi review.

Review :

I am a huge fan of Swedish Fish. For some reason, every time that I mentioned this flavor to friends, they thought I was talking about a vodka that literally tasted like fish. I am sure that exists too, but was a little disappointed that nobody knew anything about the damned candy.  Needless to say, I had to try it. I took a shot fresh out the bottle, and wow. It tasted dead on a hand full of the freaking candies. I decided to keep the drinks simple because I don’t know that the flavor would go well with anything else, so I spent the rest of the night drinking this stuff with Sprite. Again, this flavor comes in at 35% alcohol. I have been able to find it on the shelf at one of the BevMos in my city, but it is available to ship and you can also buy it on the Bevmo site and have it ready to be picked up from the store.


Breakdown :

The Bottle : Standard Pinnacle Botlle.

Score : 10

The Taste : Unless you are a fan of the Swedish Fish candy, you probably aren’t going to like this one. I enjoyed it with Sprite, but am going to have to try some of the recipes I have found online.

Score : 25

The Buzz : Once again, able to finish a whole bottle, and a very mellow buzz.

Score : 25

The Cost : Still, just $12. It pays to be a Club Bev member.

Score : 25

Total Score : 85

Like I said, this one isn’t going to be for everyone, but if you like the candy, you will probably like this one. I did find a drink recipe online that is supposed to make a drink that tastes like the watermelon flavored Sour Patch Kids, so I’ll have to try that out and report back.

Cheers.

Pinnacle Vodka Appreciation Month : Week 3 : Cherry

This week, we are highlighting my favorite of the flavors that Pinnacle has released.

Review :

I love cherry flavored stuff. Candy, soda, ice cream, etc. So, I was completely down to try this one. In fact, I made sure to get about 6 or 7 things to mix this stuff with. Needless to say, I loved it. It went excellent with coke, because it tasted like a cherry coke. It went great with sprite, because it tasted like a cherry sprite. It even went freaking great with Gatorade. Having had other cherry flavored vodkas, most of which wound up tasting like cherry cough syrup, I can say that this is probably the best of the bunch. It is readily available at Bevmo locations and Bevmo.com, and like with the other flavors you can always check out the Pinnacle site for a store locator.

Breakdown :

The Bottle : Standard Pinnacle bottle.

Score : 10

The Taste : Freaking Awesome. My favorite drink is simply with sprite on ice. Definitely try it with anything that could use a cherry kick.

Score : 25

The Buzz : Once again, being able to finish a whole bottle has an advantage. I have had nothing but mellow buzzes from this line of products, so you can probably expect one as well.

Score : 25

The Cost : Still around $11 to $13 per bottle, so make sure that if you are buying from Bevmo to sign up for a ClubBev card, because if you like these products as much as I do, you are going to be racking up reward points.

Score : 25

Total Score : 85

Again, if you have any great drink ideas let me know, I’d definitely like to try them.

Cheers.

Pinnacle Vodka Appreciation Month : Week 2 : Cookie Dough

In the second installment, we take a look at one of the more out there flavors that most probably wouldn’t have expected to exist.

Review :

I Actually had high hopes for this one after trying the Glazed Donut vodka a few weeks back. Needless to say, I was not disappointed. Whether having a straight shot, or mixing with something else, this flavor is dead on the taste of cookie dough. I would even wager to say that I prefer it over the Donut flavor. So far, my favorite pairings have been with dairy based products like Nesquik, or the Starbucks pre-made drinks. It was even great with some Kahlua mixed in, as well as mixed and matched with some of the other Pinnacle flavors. Definitely try it with the whipped cream and a little bit of milk, it is amazing. Like the other flavors, this one was also only 35% alcohol, and I have seen it at every Bevmo in my city, and on their website. Again, if you are still not sure where it might be available, check out the Pinnacle website. They have a useful store locator.


Breakdown :

The Bottle : Same standard Pinnacle bottle, which initially got points, but I have to knock a few off in future reviews because it is a “Standard Bottle”.

Score : 10

The Taste : This stuff tastes amazing. Try it in some of the mixes I listed, or find a few of your own, and let me know what you think, because I am always looking for new recipes.

Score : 25

The Buzz : Another mellow buzz. I personally am able to finish off a whole bottle by myself, but that might be too much for some people. If you find a drink recipe that you love, then you will probably not have an issue getting drunk.

Score : 25

The Cost : Just for the record, I have complaints about standard bottles, but not standard prices. Depending on where you are able to find it, or if you have a Bevmo club card, you are looking to pay between $11-$13 per bottle. In my opinion, still very reasonable.

Score : 25

Total Score : 85

Like I said, if you have any ideas of what else would be great, let me know. Or if you think I am wrong, email me as well.

Cheers.