1 | Spirits | Page 7

"There’s a reason this is the one that started it all. Made from premium Blue Agave Silver Tequila (yes please), lightly sweetened with agave nectar, with a refreshingly light taste, the original Skinnygirl Margarita is STILL delicious and low-calorie (really?). Yes – really. Serve in a fun glass rimmed with salt, and you and your girlfriends are good go to!"

"Citron’s bouquet sings with fresh, vibrant, lemon zest right from the opening bell; the prototypical citrus-flavored vodka bouquet. Palate entry is so clean and effortless that you just want to consume more immediately; at midpalate, there’s a rush of lemon zest and oil. The distillers reached the ideal degree of flavor balance, without submerging the vodka presence." 90-95 pts.

"The aroma is a sweet/sour, tangerine/Mandarin orange perfume that never stops enchanting. At the palate entry the orange zest’s acidity mingles gracefully with the Cognac’s alcohol, making for delicious drinking. Satiny finish." 90-95 pts.

"Clear as rainwater. The bouquet doesn’t reach up and grab you as much as it seduces you with gentle waves of mild spirit and grainy richness. The palate entry offers mild spiciness and cereal sweetness. Finishes marvelously long, doughy, round, subtly citrusy and moderately sweet. Classy, complex and multilayered." 90-95 pts.

"A bright nose suggestive of ripe lemon zest. The palate is clean with fresh lemon notes and subtle fruitiness, indicative of the floral zestiness of the fruit"

"Aroma includes honey, sherry, dried fruit, spearmint and nougat, black tea, cocoa butter and tropical fruit. Palate offers bittersweet chocolate, brown sugar, honey-coated peanuts, melon, Sherry and nougat. A modern-day classic. Best Buy." 96-100 pts.

"First aromas make me think peaches and blood oranges; later sniffings detect cotton candy and fabric. The gently fruity entry taste pleases the taste buds; at midpalate the peach component becomes more apparent as the orange element recedes. Finishes herbal, slightly honeyed, and more bittersweet than flat out sweet. Best Buy." 85-89 pts.

Using only the best winter wheat from Moldovia’s rolling hills adjacent to the Black Sea, Firestarter Vodka comes west bringing tradition and world class smoothness born from a brilliant 19th century recipe.

"Opening nose hints of pine tar, dark caramel and maple syrup with subtle notes of brown sugar and honey. Palate entry has a silk texture; at midpalate there’s a minor explosion of dried fruit and chocolate cherry flavor. Concludes quiet and mild. Best Buy." 85-89 pts.