Found an old dusty bottle in Oakland for 30. The aroma is funk, alcohol, butterscotch, mocha, sour milk, and vinegar. The taste is potent oak, citrus, licorice ,barrel spices, a metallic note, alcohol ,artificial sweetener and mustiness. The finish is a creeping, suddenly abrasive, medicinal coating that is best expressed with the interjection word “blech”. Overall: it beat out others for the Rating #69 spot.
This repo was on the top dusty shelf of a small tequila bar. I ordered it because the only rating was very high! I have to say I am pleasantly surprised. Would buy to drink any day. Flavorful but it does have a very powerful aftertaste that stays with you, I dunno, until you eat your next bite of queso perhaps. Well worth a try if you run across it.
Nose: Caramel and vanilla up front, backed by assertive oak and a noticeable hit of ethanol. There’s a dusting of cinnamon that teeters between warm spice and dry sharpness. Palate & Mouthfeel: Dominated by oak and anise, with a wave of barrel spice that pushes everything else to the background. Caramel and vanilla are there, but they feel heavy handed. The bitterness on the back end is jarring, lingering long after the sip in a way that distracts more than it adds. Finish: Imagine the “cinnamon challenge” as a drink - dry, abrasive, and hard to forget. It clings like a dare gone wrong. Final Thoughts: There’s not much in the way of overt artificial sweetness, but the oak profile feels exaggerated and possibly manipulated. The balance is off, and the bitterness doesn’t do it any favors. This one’s an easy pass.