Bacardi Torched Cherry

So now I am trying out flavored Rums. Just because there isn’t very much other new stuff out there.

Review :

I pretty much only picked this up because it was suggested to me by a coworker. The name sounded like this was going to be a rum that tasted cherries that were scorched, like Cherries Jubilee. For some reason, I didn’t like it much. There was distinct cherry flavor, but I couldn’t get over the burnt taste in the back of my throat every time I took a shot. It made it almost like cough medicine for me. It does pair well with coke though. I would almost say that it is the ideal way to drink it. I got the bottle I used for this review at BevMo, but have seen it in some grocery stores, so it should be readily available if you want to try it out. It rings in at 70 proof or 35% alcohol by volume,  and costs about $14.


Breakdown :

The Bottle : This one seems to be a bit different from the other standard Bacardi bottles. It still had a screw top, and was kind of a rounded oval shape, so that hadn’t changed. This one seemed taller for some reason. Either way, it wasn’t anything special.

Score : 10

The Taste : When mixed with coke, it tastes great. On it’s own, I didn’t like it very much. It’s probably more of an acquired taste.

Score : 15

The Buzz : I actually finished the entire bottle, and it didn’t give me much of a buzz. And this was after a 40 of Bud. I don’t know if it is an issue of Rum sneaking up on me, so by the time I went to bed it was starting to take effect, but I didn’t feel much.

Score : 15

The Cost : It’s pretty cheap, so that is a plus. However, with the lack of a buzz, and not being a big fan of the way it tasted, I would probably take the Cherry Pinnacle over this one, again.

Score : 20

Total Score : 60

Like I said, it’s probably an acquired taste, so if you try it and disagree, go ahead and let me know.

Cheers.

Bushmills Black Bush Whiskey

I’ve always preferred Jameson over Bushmills, but this one caught my eye.

Review :

First and foremost, this is not a whiskey that you want to drink in shot form. I would classify this strictly as a sipping whiskey. I had mine on the rocks, and thoroughly enjoyed it. The smell was very pleasant, and the drink itself was very smooth, and had a great mouth feel. There weren’t very many distinctive flavors like some whiskey is known to have, but the finish was fairly sweet. This bottle comes in at 80 proof or 40% alcohol by volume, so it is pretty standard in that arena. I got my bottle for $30 at BevMo, but it was on sale, so expect to pay around $35 if you want to pick up a bottle for yourself.


The Breakdown :

The Bottle : The Bushmills products have a standard bottle for all their products. It is a pretty simplistic look, but the label is fairly eye catching.

Score : 10

The Taste : I liked the way that this tasted. Since it was more of a sipping whiskey, I didn’t fly through it like I probably would have with Jameson, or even Jack Daniels. Like I said, very smooth, and great finish, with a hint of sweetness at the end. Definitely good for entertaining.

Score : 20

The Buzz : The downside of a sipping whiskey, virtually no buzz. It’s supposed to be something you drink slowly and enjoy, so knock back shots. So of course I didn’t get much of a buzz. I do have to imagine though, if I were to white trash it up and mix it with a bunch of Dr. Pepper, I could probably get pretty smashed.

Score : 10

The Cost : This is another example of whether you prefer quality over quantity. For the price I paid for this I could have bought an equivalent sized bottle of Jack, or depending on where I went, I probably could have gotten 2. However, given the occasions in which I might be drinking this stuff or serving it to others, it would probably go over better than something cheaper.

Score : 15

Total Score : 55

Granted it’s a fairly low score for a product that I actually enjoyed, but keep in min the factors that go into the rating. The bottle itself is not too visually appealing, and you wouldn’t play any drinking games with it. It tasted great, but given the price and the limited occasions that I would probably have it, I had to lower the rating. I would try it if you are into the idea of sipping a whiskey, but for your average binge drinkers, you probably wont bother.

Cheers.

Korbel Brandy XS

So I didn’t know that Korbel made Brandy as well as sparkling white wine. And yes, I will be an ass about the distinction between Champagne and Sparkling White Wine because I can. Anyways, it’s a bit of a step outside of my comfort zone, but I tried it.

Review :

I am not a huge fan of Brandy, the drink, not the singer. I hate the singer. I was mainly drawn to this stuff because of the brand. I’m sure damn near everyone has tried Korbel Sparkling White Wine is some celebratory facet or another. If not, I’m not going to bother reviewing it. As for the Brandy, I have to say that I was utterly surprised. Being subjected to Hennessey and E&J for years now, I have not developed a taste for Brandy. This was a whole new monster for me. There are subtle hints of vanilla, but it’s not too sweet. Has a great mouth feel, and is extremely smooth, with no real after taste. I could easily see myself sipping this stuff, but in all fairness, it was so good that I just knocked back shots. No chaser needed, in fact I was eating some M&Ms at the time and the two paired amazingly. This stuff rings in at 40% alcohol by volume, or 80 proof. I have only seen it so far at BevMo, but I’m sure with a little research, you can find it elsewhere. My bottle only cost around $11, which for the quality, was well worth it.


Breakdown :

The Bottle : The bottle is pretty lackluster. Aside from the label itself, I did like that this stuff had a cork instead of being a screw on cap. The major plus about the bottle being clear though is that it showcases the color of the Brandy very well, and that in itself was fairly appealing.

Score : 15

The Taste : The flavor is amazing. Easily one of, if not my only favorite Brandy. Sweet, smooth, and pairs well with candy? What more do you need?

Score : 25

The Buzz : I actually did not finish off my bottle in one sitting. It’s alcohol content paired with it’s taste made it easy to polish off a lot fairly quick, which wound up hitting me like a bus, and I knocked out. The buzz I got was mellow, but I was only awake for about an hour before crashing.

Score : 20

The Cost : $11 per bottle for a product of this quality is a steal. I even managed to get it on sale the other day for only $9. I haven’t paid so little for a product I like so much since I thought Smirnoff Ice was the greatest thing ever.

Score : 25

Total Score : 85

I kind of lucked out and managed to get a Brandy I thoroughly enjoyed my first step out my comfort zone, but I don’t expect everything to knock my socks off. So we’ll see what the future holds in this area of the liquor store.

Cheers.

Jagermeister

So, I realize that it doesn’t make much sense to review such a common product, but I have seriously come across people in the last few days that have not tried it. Not to mention, with New Years coming up, there are a crap ton of drink recipes that you can look up.

Review :

If you aren’t familiar with Jager, basically it started out as a kind of cough remedy. It’s a distilled blend of like 50 some odd herbs and spices, It has a very distinct flavor and viscosity, and is technically considered a liqueur like Baily’s Irish Cream. One of the more popular ways to drink it is in a shot being dropped into a Red Bull as a “Jager Bomb”, or the way that I prefer it, in a glass with ice. My only issue is that drinking too much of it makes me extremely truthful, like getting shot in the knee ala Uma Thurman at the end of Kill Bill Volume 2. It is fairly sweet, and has a kind of licorice flavor to it. Unfortunately, it only comes in at 35% alcohol content, so it might take a lot for my fellow alcoholics to get buzzed. It’s sold at practically every liquor and grocery store with a liquor aisle that I have ever been too, so it should be easy to find.


Breakdown :

The Bottle : Jager has a very distinct bottle. It’s a very deep green, mostly because the liquor itself is very dark. The label itself features the head of a buck, mostly because “Jager” in German apparently means “Hunter”.

Score : 20

The Taste : Jager has kind of a cough syrup taste to it, probably because it was created as a cough remedy. It is fairly sweet, but mixes well with the before mentioned Red Bull, as well as coke, and my personal favorite mixer Root Beer. I recommend keeping it in the freezer until you have a nice frost on the bottle, then just pouring a glass and throwing in a few ice cubes. It’s a great drink to sip.

Score : 20

The Buzz : The only downside to the buzz is two things. First, that I usually wind up spilling my guts about anything I am asked about. The Second, is that because of the low alcohol content, it takes a whole bottle to give me any kind of buzz, much like the flavored vodkas.

Score : 15

The Cost : My major drawback about Jager is the varying cost, depending on where you go. I have had different sized bottles all come in different price ranges. If you check out a few websites, you can probably find a good idea of what sized bottle you want to get will run you. I usually go for the 1 liter bottle, which will usually be about $30.

Score : 5

Total Score : 60

Jager isn’t for everyone, but I do recommend giving it a try if you have never had it.

Cheers.

No Review Today

Being that the Holidays are further approaching, I haven't had the funds to really try anything too new this week. Let alone anything that could be mixed with something that could be considered Holiday themed. So instead of just reviewing something I drank about 6 months ago and can barely remember some of the specific details on. So stay tuned for a new review next week for certain, because there will be something you might like for your "End of the World" party when the world ends on 12/21, and the week after for your New Years Eve Party. Until then, check out some of the older entries for stuff you might like for this weekend, and I'll be back soon.

Cheers.

Pinnacle Chocolate Whipped Vodka

So being that it’s just about Christmas time, don’t be surprised if I start reviewing a lot of products that will mix well with flavors associated with said Holiday.

Review :

So, granted, I have reviewed a lot of Pinnacle products. I promise, this is not going to be a strictly Pinnacle review blog, but we all have to admit that flavored vodka is possibly the most popular product on the shelves at the moment. In regards to this particular flavor, I tried it because some of the recipes I have seen involving hot chocolate, peppermint, and even eggnog. So if you want to try it with any of those, the recipes are all online. I drank mine straight up mostly because the sweetness was enough to not require a mixer or even a chaser. Although that may just be in my case, if you don’t think so then try it with some chocolate milk, goes great. Like all the Pinnacle products, this one comes in at 35% alcohol (70 proof). At the time I bought it, there was a pretty good sale on the Pinnacle line, so I got it for $9, but it usually retails for about $12. I usually get all my Pinnacle at BevMo, but they have a site locator on their website to help you out if can’t seem to find it anywhere.


Breakdown :

The Bottle : Standard Pinnacle bottle. Still looks pretty cool when compared to certain other brands.

Score : 15

The Taste : Great chocolate flavor, very sweet, and probably not something that most people would like to drink a lot of straight up. Definitely try it in a mix, I have to imagine it pairs well with hot chocolate, but know that it definitely pairs great with the Pinnacle Cherry flavor. Seriously, it tastes like a Cherry Cordial.

Score : 25

The Buzz : Being that I finish whole bottles of this brand in a single sitting, I always get a buzz. One thing I am noticing is that with the fruit or less sweet flavors, I have a great buzz, and get one fairly quick because of how fast I drink it. With this flavor though I notice a sort of sugar crash about an hour or so after finishing it. I wound up chugging a bottle of water to try and keep from getting a headache. Just a warning.

Score : 15

The Cost : I have to say, given the quality and smoothness of the Pinnacle products, I am surprised they aren’t more expensive. They average $12 a bottle, which is a major steal.

Score : 20

Total Score : 75

All in all, another win for Pinnacle, and I am going to need to find some more Holiday related products for future reviews.

Cheers.

Jose Cuervo Tradicional Silver

Took a small break for Thanksgiving. I’m back though, and here’s a new review.

Review :

More recently, I have found that I am beginning to have a problem with tequila blanco. I think it may stem from a time that I was dared to snort some. Anyways, Cuervo came out with these “Tradicional” types of tequila not too long ago. The bottle was initially what caught my eye. I think that the BevMo I was at may have still been trying to get rid of their Halloween shelf items, because it was designed to celebrate “The Day of the Dead”. Aside from that, this bottle had a cork instead of the standard twist cap, which is always a plus when it comes to preserving flavor. Only problem is that this stuff doesn’t have a very good one. Keep in mind that I am someone who thoroughly enjoys Cuervo gold, but this stuff was a forest fire in a bottle. The descriptions describe this stuff as being “Sweet, with a Spice” and use words like “Herbaceous”, but it burned the hell out of me as soon as it hit my tongue. I usually like my tequila blanco slightly chilled, but not freezing, so that I can sip it from a glass. There is no way in hell I was going to do it with this. Like I said, I got my bottle at BevMO, but I have to imagine you can find this at Rite-Aid or other grocery stores.


Breakdown :

The Bottle : This bottle was actually pretty cool. The decoration was kinda gnarly, and I always do prefer a cork top to a twist cap. It was a completely round bottle as opposed to the usually squared Cuervo bottle with rounded edges.

Score : 20

The Taste : I didn’t enjoy this stuff too much. I was able to finish the bottle, but had a pretty bad stomach ache the next day.

Score : 5

The Buzz : It was hard to get a buzz because the taste kept me from drinking shots frequently, but one was achieved, and it was fairly sketchy. Not my favorite from a tequila so far.

Score : 10

The Cost : My bottle cost $18 at BevMo, which was about $5 more than I think I should have paid for it. I didn’t think it was worth it at all.

Score : 5

Total Score : 40

I think this came in at the lowest rated thing I have had on here. I wouldn’t recommend it, if anything, I would probably spend the money on the Gold and just make some margaritas.

Cheers.