K&L Wine Merchants - Nicole Osmanski Reviews

Review Date: 02-05-2016

Wow, this gin appears to be taking K&L by storm. I'm not sure I've ever seen all of us react so quickly with such unanimous love for a gin before. Gin Mare - distilled with Arbequina olives, basil, rosemary, and thyme - transported me to a garrigue covered hilltop overlooking the Mediterranean on a warm, breezy day. The palate is fresh, soft, and elegant with sweet citrus, briny olive, and herb de Provence. That essence of the Mediterranean Sea that Mare's named for will certainly add a Je Ne Sais Quoi depth to your next cocktail. If you're feeling like a full seaside immersion experience, try a Martini with equal parts Mare Gin and Manzanilla Sherry with a splash or two of orange bitters.

Price: $39.99

Copper & Kings "Butchertown" Reserve Casks Brandy (750ml)

Review Date: 11-21-2015

If you're looking for a bottle to impress your friends (or even make new ones), look no further. The "Butchertown" will appeal to spirit, wine, and beer nerds alike - it's like nothing else you've ever tried and everyone who tries it likes it. It's an AMERICAN brandy in every sense of the word - a big, flavor-packed, 124 proof spirit that's a hybrid of techniques and styles. It's a wonderfully versatile spirit for cocktails and with a little water, a truly delicious sipper.

Price: $54.99

El Tesoro de Don Felipe Reposado Tequila (750ml)

Review Date: 10-16-2015

Wow, this is easily one of the best tequilas I've ever tried and no wonder: Tesoro Tequila is hand-fermented and distilled with agave pulp and fibers, which allows for maximum flavor retention from the agave's essential oils. It is then bottled 48 hours after distillation to further preserve flavor and aroma. Aged for 11! months in 4+ fill ex-bourbon barrels, the subtle oak influence delicately intermixes with the agave-forward flavors. Highlands-grown agave is also known for its sweetness. The result of all of this? A rich, creamy, elegant reposado, very light in color, with butterscotch, chili, sea salt, and lovely floral aromatics. This truly is a phenomenal bottle of reposado.

Price: $59.99

WE: 90 - 91

El Tesoro de Don Felipe Blanco Tequila (750ml)

Review Date: 10-16-2015

As soon as you taste Tesoro's platinum, you'll understand why it's the only tequila to have been awarded "Best White Spirit" in the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. Tesoro also won "Distiller of the Year" award - having learned how much care and precision goes into crafting their tequilas, I get it. Tesoro hand-ferments and distills with agave pulp and fibers, which allows for maximum flavor retention from the agave's essential oils. It is then bottled 48 hours after distillation to further preserve flavors and aroma. The Platinum boasts a gorgeous full and creamy texture with an especially floral and fruity bouquet. Hints of pepper lend intrigue and freshness. This is an incredibly "feminine" and complex tequila - like a Botticelli painting in a bottle. An exaggeration, you say? Taste it. You'll join the cult.

Price: $46.99

WE: 91

St. George Green Chile Vodka (750ml)

Review Date: 09-08-2015

Though I’m not a huge vodka drinker, St. George’s Green Chile vodka is like nothing else I’ve ever tasted. It's now an essential bottle in my home bartending repertoire. It smells so incredibly good and the flavors are so fresh – the perfect aromatic blend of chile, bell pepper, and cilantro. The palate is nice and weighty and the flavor profile reminds me of a green chile tamale with notes of salt and olives, and a hint of sweetness. My only gripe is that it doesn’t pack any heat. I suppose the lack of spice does make it more versatile for cocktails, though, and this Green Chile Vodka will add such incredible dimension to your cocktails – even if you just use a splash. Try it. You'll be hooked.

Price: $24.99

St. George NOLA Coffee Liqueur (750ml)

Review Date: 09-08-2015

Named for the New Orleans-style coffee that inspired it, St. George’s Nola is one of the best coffee liqueurs that I’ve had. It’s not overly sweet and the flavors of chicory and vanilla are very gracefully interwoven with the coffee. If you’re into White Russians, I’d highly recommend St. George’s Vodka too - it has a really luscious mouthfeel and tastes a little bit like toasted marshmallows.

Price: $32.99

WE: 90

Ventura Spirits "Wilder" Gin (750ml)

Review Date: 09-04-2015

A true livin' off the land project, Ventura's gin is made with foraged wild herbs and roots growing near the distillery. A few of the herbs I actually had to look up. Chuchupate? Known as "Wild Bear Root" because bears eat it after hibernation or if they're wounded. Yerba Santa? "Holy Weed" to Spanish Missionaries who used it for medicinal purposes. Some of the more familiar additions like juniper and orange peel pop up in there too. The result? A savory, citrusy, refreshing (and possibly curative?) expression of Cali chaparral terroir.

Price: $29.99

Stranahan's Colorado Small Batch Whiskey (750ml)

Review Date: 08-26-2015

I love drinking the Stranahan’s because it smells like vacation to me – coconut, vanilla bean, banana, and gardenia. All those rich, fruity notes are balanced by lots of savory flavor on the palate too – like brown bread and light roast coffee. The coolest part for me was the crazy palate-coating texture. It sent me on a geek out search into the chill-filtering debate. Does it strip the whiskey of flavor? If the Stranahan’s complex flavor profile is any indication, I’d say yes! Keep those flavorful fatty molecules in my whiskey, please!

Price: $52.99

WE: 92

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