Review: Crown Royal Reserve Whisky

Crown Royal Reserve - you know it's premium because it comes in a spiffy gold velvet bag, rather than the pedestrian royal purple of its little brother. Luckily, there's a lot more to it than a marketing gimmick - the reserve is blended from a selection of the top few percent of young whiskys at Crown Royal, and aged for longer than the original. Does it make a difference?

Well, in a word, yes. The color is a very deep amber, and the aroma is subdued and sweet - honey and molasses, with some fruit and floral notes. The flavor is also fairly mellow, but with a surprising and interesting rye kick immediately demanding notice. It's a little bit discordant with the rest of what's on the palate - honey, nougat, vanilla, and some spice - but still enjoyable.

I unfortunately don't have any regular Crown Royal around, so I can't do a side-by-side comparison, but if my memory is accurate, this is much better. Smooth and drinkable, with just enough complexity to keep things from getting too boring. Canadian whisky isn't really my bag, but I haven't found a better one than this.

Price: ~$40

Value: 17/20
Overall Quality: 16/20

Review: Gran Centenario Tenampa Azul Resposado Tequila

Gran Centenario is mostly known for their high-end tequilas, but they also make a line that's much more affordable - the Tenampa Azul tequilas. They have a silver and a resposado on this label - both are 100% blue agave, and taken from plants that are 10-12 years of age, supposedly the sweet spot for making tequila. In the resposado's case, it's then aged for a minimum of two months in oak barrels.

Tenampa Azul resposado is a golden straw color. Agave is rich on the nose, almost as raw and powerful as a blanco. The taste, however, is much more muted. Agave still dominates, but not in an overpowering way. The oak provides a lot of flavor too, and there's a hint of sweetness, particularly in the finish. Faint vanilla and citrus notes are also there. It's not too complex, but it's surprisingly sippable. Every bit as good, in my opinion, as Patron's resposado, and about a third as expensive.

This is a good tequila, and a phenomenal value. It's great in cocktails, good on its own, and only a couple bucks more than a bottle of Cuervo. Recommended for budget-conscious tequila lovers, and for anyone who's stocking a bar and wants a good tequila.

Price: ~$20

Value: 19/20
Overall Quality: 16/20

Review: Gosling's Black Seal Rum

Gosling's might be a bit of a regional thing. I had never even heard of it until I moved out to Boston, but it's everywhere here. And that's not a bad thing - it's a very respectable rum. It's one of the two ingredients in a perfect Dark and Stormy cocktail (the other being Barrett's - not Gosling's - ginger beer). If you haven't tried one, get on it! And it's not bad on its own either.

Gosling's bills itself as a black rum, but it pours out closer to a dark maroon. The aroma is, well, rummy, with molasses, spices, and quite a bit of alcohol bite. The alcohol, however, is thankfully much more muted on the palate. It's a very sweet rum, but with a reasonable degree of complexity - molasses, caramel, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and other spices. It's a bit thin on mouthfeel, but it's still not half bad to sip on neat.

It's nothing earth-shattering, but Gosling's is very solid. It works well on its own, and it's a must-have for making Dark and Stormies. And, for the price, it can't be beat.

Price: ~$15

Value: 19/20
Overall Quality: 16/20