1 | Spirits | Tequila, $50 to $100

"A delicate, non-woody bouquet with notes of fennel, pickle brine, cucumber, green pepper, and escarole. The palate entry is medium-dry, and peppery; at midpalate tastes of semisweet oak, agave sugars and herbs are added. Ends up more dry than sweet and keenly earthy/vegetal as the oak element vanishes." 85-89 pts.

"Vanilla taffy, dried pineapple-like agave, nutmeg, and mildly earthy aromas. A round, supple entry leads to a dryish light-to medium bodied palate of roasted citrus, dried flowers, dusty mineral, salt, and a touch of cream. Finishes with a white pepper and plum custard-like fade."

"Golden amber color. Warm caramel, orange peel, clove, and white pepper aroma. A supple entry leads to a very smooth, dryish medium-to full-bodied palate with toffee, brown spices, and roasted pepper flavors. Finishes with a long, sweet fade of spicy orange cake, exotic peppercorns, and bourbon barrel wood notes. Elegant and stylish, but perhaps a touch too much wood."

"The opening whiffs detect the buttery, resiny and lightly baked presence of oak barrels; following further air contact, more vegetal aromas appear, including green pepper, green olive, candle wax and garden flowers. The palate entry accentuates the oak-barrel sweetness while the midpalate adds succulent notes of cream, caramel and light honey. Concludes sweet, silky in texture, and classy." 90-95 pts.