ALCOHOLS I'VE TASTED | Miksologia.fi

A mixologist has to know the flavors of the ingredients (s)he uses in order to be able to create original cocktails at some point. It’s also good to know the flavors when you have to substitute one ingredient for another. The only way to find out the flavors is obviously by tasting. However, flavor isn’t the only criteria I’ve used in rating the alcohols. I also use smell, bottle appearance and liquid appearance as criteria.

I’m not going to rate beers, ciders, wines or home made liqueurs. I only rate store bought alcohols I use in cocktails that I have in my booze cabinet. There are some non-alcoholic options as well. I do all ratings by tasting the product straight and in small portions. It’s important to note, however, that even if a product tastes good or bad straight, it’s influence in a cocktail might be quite the opposite. I’ll just put this out there: No booze tastes good straight.

The way I give an overall rating to products is based on stressing different criteria in a different manner as follows: flavor 60%, smell 20%, bottle appearance 15% ja liquid appearance 5%. You can see a picture of each bottle by clicking the product name. If the rating of a product shows 0% it doesn’t mean that the product sucks. It only means that I’ve not gotten around to tasting it yet. The alcohols are listed alphabetically by default but you can skip to desired row by clicking the first letter of the product name below.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

BRAND	CATEGORY	ABV % (US PROOF)	OVERALL RATING	FLAVOR	SMELL	BOTTLE APPEARANCE	LIQUID APPEARANCE
Absinth Tabu Classic	absinth	55 (110)	31% 31	20% 20	40% 40	40% 40	100% 100
Angostura Aromatic Bitters	bitter	44,7 (89,4)	34% 34	20% 20	60% 60	30% 30	100% 100
Angostura Orange Bitters	bitter	28 (56)	27% 27	20% 20	40% 40	30% 30	50% 50
Antica Formula Vermouth	vermouth (sweet)	16,5 (33)	93% 93	90% 90	95% 95	100% 100	100% 100
Aperol	bitter	11 (22)	70% 70	60% 60	100% 100	60% 60	100% 100
Appleton Estate Signature Blend	rum (gold)	40 (80)	54% 54	30% 30	80% 80	100% 100	100% 100
Averna Amaro Siciliano	bitter (amaro)	29 (58)	0% 0	0% 0	0% 0	0% 0	0% 0
Bacardi Carta Blanca	rum (light)	37,5 (75)	47% 47	30% 30	70% 70	80% 80	50% 50
Bacardi Limon	rum (flavored)	32 (64)	67% 67	70% 70	60% 60	70% 70	50% 50
Bacardi Reserva 8 Years	rum (gold)	40 (80)	55% 55	40% 40	60% 60	95% 95	100% 100
Berneroy XO Calvados	brandy (fruit)	40 (80)	63% 63	50% 50	80% 80	80% 80	90% 90
Bols Banana	liqueur (banana)	17 (34)	53% 53	40% 40	70% 70	70% 70	80% 80
Bols Peach	liqueur (peach)	17 (34)	63% 63	60% 60	70% 70	70% 70	50% 50
Cachaça 51	cachaça (silver)	40 (80)	41% 41	20% 20	70% 70	80% 80	50% 50
Café Kahvilikööri	liqueur (coffee)	20 (40)	56% 56	50% 50	70% 70	50% 50	80% 80
Campari	bitter	25 (50)	64% 64	60% 60	70% 70	60% 60	90% 90
Chambord	liqueur (raspberry)	16,5 (33)	0% 0	0% 0	0% 0	0% 0	0% 0
Cinzano Vermouth Extra Dry	vermouth (dry)	18 (36)	77% 77	80% 80	80% 80	70% 70	50% 50
Cointreau Triple Sec	triple sec / curaçao	40 (80)	37% 37	30% 30	20% 20	80% 80	50% 50
Cynar Ricetta Originale	bitter (amaro)	16,5 (33)	0% 0	0% 0	0% 0	0% 0	0% 0
D.O.M Bénédictine	liqueur (herb)	40 (80)	65% 65	60% 60	50% 50	100% 100	80% 80
De Kuyper Apricot Brandy	liqueur (apricot)	20 (40)	72% 72	70% 70	70% 70	80% 80	70% 70
De Kuyper Blue Curaçao	triple sec / curaçao	20 (40)	63% 63	45% 45	100% 100	75% 75	100% 100
De Kuyper Creme de Cacao white	liqueur (cacao)	24 (48)	0% 0	0% 0	0% 0	0% 0	0% 0
De Kuyper Melon	liqueur (melon)	15 (30)	84% 84	75% 75	100% 100	90% 90	100% 100
Dead Rabbit	whiskey (irish)	44 (88)	40% 40	20% 20	40% 40	100% 100	100% 100
Discarded Banana Peel	rum (flavored)	37,5 (75)	79% 79	70% 70	90% 90	90% 90	100% 100
Dolin Vermouth de Chambéry Dry	vermouth (dry)	17,5 (35)	44% 44	30% 30	60% 60	70% 70	70% 70
Don Q 151	rum (overproof)	75,5 (151)	50% 50	30% 30	70% 70	90% 90	90% 90
El Dorado 5 Year	rum (gold)	40 (80)	79% 79	70% 70	90% 90	90% 90	100% 100
El Dorado 12 Year	rum (dark)	40 (80)	45% 45	20% 20	70% 70	90% 90	100% 100
Espolon Tequila Reposado	tequila (reposado)	40 (80)	66% 66	60% 60	60% 60	100% 100	60% 60
Fee Brothers Grapefruit Bitters	bitter	17 (34)	57% 57	40% 40	90% 90	70% 70	80% 80
Flor de Caña 4 Years	rum (light)	40 (80)	28% 28	10% 10	30% 30	90% 90	50% 50
Grand Marnier Cordon Rouge	triple sec / curaçao	40 (80)	82% 82	75% 75	85% 85	100% 100	95% 95
Havana Club Añejo 7 Años	rum (dark)	40 (80)	0% 0	0% 0	0% 0	0% 0	0% 0
Hayman’s Sloe Gin	gin (sloe)	26 (52)	76% 76	75% 75	70% 70	80% 80	100% 100
Heering Cherry Liqueur	liqueur (cherry)	24 (48)	86% 86	80% 80	90% 90	100% 100	90% 90
Jack Daniels Old No. 7	whiskey (bourbon)	40 (80)	39% 39	20% 20	40% 40	90% 90	100% 100
Jack Daniels Tennessee Honey	liqueur (honey)	35 (70)	71% 71	60% 60	80% 80	90% 90	100% 100
Jose Cuervo Especial	tequila (silver)	38 (76)	33% 33	20% 20	30% 30	80% 80	50% 50
Ketel One Vodka	vodka	40 (80)	36% 36	20% 20	50% 50	75% 75	50% 50
Kyrö Napue Gin	gin (london dry)	46,3 (92,6)	59% 59	50% 50	80% 80	70% 70	50% 50
Laird’s Applejack	brandy (fruit)	40 (80)	60% 60	40% 40	90% 90	85% 85	95% 95
Licor 43	liqueur (vanilla)	31 (62)	72% 72	70% 70	70% 70	80% 80	80% 80
Lustau Sherry Los Arcos Amontillado	sherry	18,5 (37)	81% 81	75% 75	90% 90	85% 85	100% 100
Lustau Sherry Papirusa Manzanilla	sherry	18,5 (37)	0% 0	0% 0	0% 0	0% 0	0% 0
Lustau Sherry San Emilio PX	sherry	18,5 (37)	0% 0	0% 0	0% 0	0% 0	0% 0
Luxardo Maraschino Originale	liqueur (cherry)	32 (64)	72% 72	70% 70	60% 60	100% 100	50% 50
Malibu Original	liqueur (coconut)	21 (42)	56% 56	40% 40	80% 80	90% 90	50% 50
Malmio Cocoa Liqueur	liqueur (cacao)	20 (40)	67% 67	70% 70	60% 60	50% 50	100% 100
Mandarine Napoléon	triple sec / curaçao	38 (76)	89% 89	85% 85	95% 95	90% 90	100% 100
Martini Bianco	vermouth (blanc)	14,4 (28,8)	0% 0	0% 0	0% 0	0% 0	0% 0
Meukow VS	brandy (cognac)	40 (80)	64% 64	50% 50	70% 70	100% 100	100% 100
Monkey Shoulder Blended Malt Scotch Whisky	whisky (scotch)	40 (80)	64% 64	50% 50	70% 70	100% 100	100% 100
Montanaro Vermouth di Torino Bianco	vermouth (sweet)	16 (32)	82% 82	80% 80	80% 80	90% 90	80% 80
Mount Gay Rum Eclipse	rum (gold)	40 (80)	71% 71	60% 60	90% 90	80% 80	100% 100
Noilly Prat Rouge	vermouth (sweet)	16 (32)	88% 88	90% 90	80% 80	90% 90	80% 80
Nonino Amaro Quintessentia	bitter (amaro)	35 (70)	79% 79	70% 70	90% 90	90% 90	100% 100
Novo Fogo Chameleon	cachaça (gold)	43 (86)	70% 70	60% 60	70% 70	100% 100	90% 90
Old Forester Kentucky Straight Bourbon	whiskey (bourbon)	43 (86)	69% 69	60% 60	80% 80	80% 80	100% 100
Patron Silver	tequila (silver)	40 (80)	68% 68	60% 60	70% 70	100% 100	50% 50
Peychaud’s Aromatic Coctail Bitters	bitter	35 (70)	69% 69	60% 60	70% 70	90% 90	100% 100
Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao	triple sec / curaçao	40 (80)	83% 83	80% 80	80% 80	90% 90	100% 100
Plantation 3 Stars	rum (light)	41,2 (82,4)	77% 77	70% 70	100% 100	80% 80	50% 50
Plantation Isle of Fiji	rum (gold)	40 (80)	88% 88	80% 80	100% 100	100% 100	90% 90
Plantation O.F.T.D.	rum (overproof)	69 (138)	62% 62	40% 40	90% 90	100% 100	100% 100
Plantation Original Dark Double Aged	rum (dark)	40 (80)	62% 62	40% 40	90% 90	100% 100	100% 100
Plymouth Gin Original Strenght Dry Gin	gin (plymouth)	41,2 (82,4)	63% 63	50% 50	90% 90	80% 80	50% 50
Ramazzotti Amaro	bitter (amaro)	30 (60)	0% 0	0% 0	0% 0	0% 0	0% 0
Rhum Clement Blanc	rum (agricole)	40 (80)	54% 54	50% 50	60% 60	60% 60	50% 50
Rittenhouse Straight Rye Whiskey	whiskey (rye)	50 (100)	57% 57	40% 40	80% 80	80% 80	100% 100
Smirnoff Vodka	vodka	40 (80)	21% 21	10% 10	10% 10	70% 70	50% 50
Smith & Cross Jamaica Navy Stength	rum (gold)	57 (114)	42% 42	20% 20	80% 80	60% 60	100% 100
Sourz Apple	liqueur (apple)	15 (30)	0% 0	0% 0	0% 0	0% 0	0% 0
Tanqueray Flor de Sevilla	gin (flavored)	41,3 (82,6)	0% 0	0% 0	0% 0	0% 0	0% 0
Tanqueray London Dry Gin	gin (london dry)	43,1 (86,2)	50% 50	30% 30	70% 70	100% 100	50% 50
Tanqueray No. Ten	gin (london dry)	47,3 (94,6)	0% 0	0% 0	0% 0	0% 0	0% 0
Tanqueray Rangpur	gin (flavored)	41,3 (82,6)	0% 0	0% 0	0% 0	0% 0	0% 0
Vecchio Amaro del Capo	bitter (amaro)	35 (70)	0% 0	0% 0	0% 0	0% 0	0% 0
Worthy Park Jamaica Single Cane Estate Rum	rum (gold)	40 (80)	60% 60	50% 50	70% 70	70% 70	100% 100
Wray and Nephew White	rum (overproof)	63 (126)	52% 52	40% 40	90% 90	50% 50	50% 50

Believe it or not, I’ve also tasted non-alcoholic booze or imitations of booze. Here are my ratings of those.

BRAND	CATEGORY	ABV (%)	OVERALL RATING	FLAVOR	SMELL	BOTTLE APPEARANCE	LIQUID APPEARANCE
Lyre's American Malt	whiskey (bourbon)	< 0,5	77% 77	65% 65	90% 90	100% 100	100% 100
Lyre's Dry London Spirit	gin (london dry)	< 0,5	67% 67	50% 50	95% 95	100% 100	50% 50
			0% 0	0% 0	0% 0	0% 0	0% 0