Balcones Baby Blue Corn Whisky

Producer: Balcones Distillery

Name: Baby Blue

Type: Corn Whiskey

Mash: Blue Corn (Atole)
Region: Texas, USA

ABV: 46%

Serving: In a standard whiskey glass, neat

My aunt lives in Dixon, New Mexico. It is a small town sloped gently along some foothills of the Rockies, abutting the eastern bank of the Río Grande between Taos and Santa Fe. Dixon has one road, two wineries, a cafe, open walking trails that rank among the most scenic in the country, and that rare simultaneity of frequent hospitality with zero crowds. It is, without a doubt, a New Yorker's perfect getaway.

Another of Dixon's rightful boasts is its locally grown produce. "Large" farms and individual gardens alike are absolutely everywhere, and the people there lack for nothing when it comes to fresh fruits and vegetables. One delight to which my aunt introduced me on my first visit there was a grain that she called atole. I could not help but remark, amusedly, that the hot cereal she was making from it was blue. "Isn't oatmeal supposed to be tan or something, tía?"

Shame on my younger self! Shame on me now, for ever having been such a foolish child! First and foremost, it was not oatmeal at all; it was cornmeal. It is common in the Southwest to prepare ground blue corn, or atole, into a hot cereal for breakfast, and one mouthful will make quite clear why. To describe its unique flavor is a bit difficult, like describing what turkey tastes like, or what a strawberry tastes like; how can just using words possibly meet such a task? But I can tell you that it is a rich, energetic, giving grain. It is not sweet, but to eat it satisfies a demand for sweetness. It is savory, and fulfilling, like a hot piece of chicken or a crisp, lush apple. Atole was far and away the best hot cereal I had ever tasted, and remains so to this day. Whenever I visit, I ask for it daily; and whenever my dear aunt comes to New York, I beg her to bring me a couple of bags of the Dixon-fresh delicacy (which she is, of course, kind and loving enough to do).

While we are at it, there is another "shame on me" item over here: shame on me for never having considered that atole would make a dynamite whiskey. I say dynamite not only because it tastes great, which it does, but also because it is a vibrant spirit, with the flavors ebbing and flowing about, and a spiciness adding its own degree of kinetics. At least, that seems to be the case with Baby Blue from Balcones Distilling.

First, a note about Maysville, the whiskey bar in Manhattan at which I sampled the spirit. It is only fair to mention this, but I do so eagerly: the servers there are both knowledgeable and patient, to great degrees. They were out of one or two other items that I had wanted to try, and the poor young lady offering me suggestions was met with more than a couple of interruptions and refusals, not at all due to the inadequacy of the whiskey being offered, but simply because I was being more picky and fickle than any mere mortal has the right to be. (A fourth "shame on me," and by far the most shameful.) Still, her confidence and fluency with whiskey won me over, and soon enough I was coaxed to try the Balcones Baby Blue, made in Texas. And I am very glad indeed that it worked out that way.

The whiskey has a deep, rich amber color to it. It looks syrupy to the eye, though it is actually of a standard viscosity. It shimmers in the glass cleanly, smoothly, calmly, as though it enjoys the movement but is no hurry about it at all. Of course, this glimpse of inner tranquility shares a trait with many other sights: it is deceiving.

The nose is piquant; not overbearing, but powerful. The notes are a grand conglomeration of toasted confections and related aromas: toffee, toasted caramel, maple, molasses, black tea, and vanilla. The piquancy and the sweetness are opposites that attract quite nicely, though after a little while, the nose does mellow out some, which is just as well.

The palate contains some varied hints of smoke, but not such that deliver a burned quality to the whiskey; it is more, naturally enough, like a toasted type of thing. I noticed right away that it is spicy. Some of the toasted caramel notes remain, as do the black tea and vanilla; added is popcorn. Halfway through, the sweetness emerges as the principle theme, and distinct notes of toasted caramel and toffee also appear.

However, the spice has by no means subsided. The sweetness may grow to define the body of the whiskey, but the spice is its spirit. It is not spice in the sense of picante cuisine, and it is not an herbal spice. It is, rather, a piquancy of both the alcohol and what I am comfortable assuming to be the local terroir, resulting in a play of the drink about the mouth. Quite as in the nose, the spice and sweetness get along real well on the palate; they float and shimmer and undulate around and through each other simply, basically, easily - and they do so right through the finish, which lingers for a long two seconds.

The result is a delicious, dynamic whiskey that is sophisticated without being complicated; rugged without being harsh; and sweet without sacrificing spice. Quite like the state from which it hails. Have a dram or two this evening, and enjoy.

UvaViva Italiana di Poli Immature Grape Brandy

Producer: Poli Distillerie
Name: UvaViva Italiana

Type: Immature Grape Brandy

Mash: Moscato Fior d'Arancio & Malvasia Bianca di Candia grapes
Region: Colli Euganei, Veneto (Moscato) & Rauscedo, Friuli-Venezia Giulia (Malvasia), Italy

ABV: 40%

Serving 1: In a snifter

Serving 2: On the rocks

I tell myself that it has probably happened to everybody. Maybe I am playing mind tricks on myself to rationalize a silliness of youth; but maybe, on the contrary, this really is a normal growing pain. Perhaps my kind readers can tell me if they identify with this: when I first began drinking spirits, and for as long as I continued not paying attention to what was in my glass, all clear brandies tasted just about the same to me. I mean all of them: kirschwasser, slivovica, grappa, everything. The utter strength and pungency of the alcohol, coupled with an uneducated, oblivious palate, brought the distinctions to nearly zero as far as I was concerned.

It has therefore been especially gratifying, as I started to pay attention to, and learn about, the nice drinks in life over the past couple of years, to discover how complex and fascinating brandies are, and what makes them unique. The UvaViva Italiana by Poli is a great case study in such sophisticated grape spirits. It is made with Moscato Fior d'Arancio and Malvasia Bianca di Candia grapes from the Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia (two of the Tre Venezie) respectively, and one gets to know the lands there quite intimately, as the terroir of these regions really comes to the forefront. It was a great choice, this blend.

In a snifter, the UvaViva Italiana has light, fruity, and fun aroma. The pungent scents are, interestingly, those generally associated with red wine: plums and red berries. There is also a strong pear presence. On the palate, it goes down easily, nicely. There are some white wine tasting notes here - lychee, almonds, vague citrus, and emphatic pear notes - that meld together seamlessly with the red wine notes, which remain from the aroma. The brandy is thick and viscous, but it turns to vapor quite easily in the mouth. The finish is mild - it could do a bit better in terms of vigor - but comes off a lot like grappa, which is nice, especially with these ingredients.

On the rocks, the UvaViva Italiana has pears all over the place, in all phases of the experience. The aroma is almost exclusively pear, although it is a bit on the light side. The brandy makes for very easy sipping, with pleasantly middling intensity and viscosity, and a certain crispiness to it. It is quite wonderful. The pear continues its hegemony, though it does here deign to admit other notes into the mix: plums on the periphery and an undercurrent of nuts. One cannot taste the citrus, but still knows it is there. The finish, still a bit too light, is mainly pear.

The brandy does not have any floral tasting notes, but in my mind's eye, while sipping it on the rocks, I am transported to a meadow with trees and brush and rolling hills that are just at the point when flowers are budding and the world is a light green. Obviously, then, this is an ideal springtime beverage, although one can hardly go wrong with it in the summertime. I encourage my readers to get Poli's UvaViva Italiana for themselves, and explore the great depths to which a craft-made, sophisticated brandy can take a willing passenger. Enjoy.

Clear Creek Kirschwasser

Producer: Clear Creek Distillery
Name: Kirschwasser

Type: Cherry Brandy

Mash: Oregon & Washington Cherries
Region: Oregon, USA

ABV: 40%

Serving 1: In a snifter

Serving 2: On the rocks

We are lucky in the United States to have a vibrant, thriving craft beverage market. Micro-brewed beer is as popular as ever, and it is only looking up. Not only are some of the finest wines made here, but artisanal wines also abound. (Quite often, of course, that is a distinction without a difference.) Craft coffee roasting is everywhere. Increasing numbers of people are doing increasingly wonderful things with whiskey. Even juices and ades are being made better.

Then we have brandy. Small though it may be, there is indeed a craft brandy presence here in the States. What really sets it apart from its sister movements with other beverages, more than just its size, is the fact that it is not juxtaposed against any major, mass-market domestic versions of the same. There are some European ones, but none from this side of the Pond. We make and consume a zillion gallons annually of cheap, industrial-scale beer, wine, coffee, whiskey, juice, and what have you, with varying degrees of quality. But brandy? The entirety of American brandy production is as pristine as can be. Anyone making it is doing so in no small part out of simple talent and passion.

Clear Creek Distillery in Oregon may trace its inspiration for brandy back to Europe, and its distillation techniques as well. But the importing ends right about there. The ingredients comprising the heart of this brandy are all grown Stateside; and the marriage of opportunity, talent, resourcefulness, and enthusiasm leading to Clear Creek's success, which comprises the brandy's soul, is itself a particularly American phenomenon.

The Kirschwasser is perfectly limpid and colorless; it could easily be confused for water. As is my wont with spirits, I tasted it in a snifter and then separately over ice cubes, so as to experience both its fiery passion and its calm collectedness, and glean all sides of its profile and personality. In the snifter, it emits a pungent aroma of deep cherry notes. There are vague hints of red berries, but they do not break up the nose; the aroma is even and consistent throughout. The palate is less pungent, but bold fruitiness certainly dominates. There are hints of black plum and dark berries. One oddity, of which I cannot make heads or tails: there is no note of nuts to my discernment, and yet I pick up an unshakable impression that if there were such a note, it would have to be of almonds. I have no clue what that is about; my dear readers may make of it what they will. The Kirschwasser's finish, which lingers for a moment or two, but not three, is of cherries. It has medium viscosity, and is smooth, mature, and fruity. It comes across professional with a touch of enthusiasm.

Served on the rocks, the Kirschwasser offers a bright red cherry aroma: fresh, crisp, refreshing. The palate is of cherry and red berries, sweet, with hints of plum and grappa overtones. The body is solid, and the intensity, while moderate, has major lasting power. Those fruity notes, when they hit the throat, do not change or diminish in the slightest; they waft right up to the back of the nostrils as pristine as ever, and even gently cool the sinuses along the way. The finish is of a cherry flavor with a grappa feel to it.

This Kirschwasser would be great any time of year. In the winter, served in a snifter, it can warm up even the iciest evenings with its smooth, viscous pungency; in the summer, served on the rocks, it can make for a great evening with its crisp, fresh fruitiness. Get some today, and experience American artisanal beverage making at its best. And, enjoy.