Tito's Handmade Vodka

I was at my local beverage store talking to the owner. I asked if he had something I've never tried before and he turned around and placed in front of me this old-fashioned looking bottle with this rustic looking label on it. So knowing that he has never steered me wrong before, I bought the bottle and took it home. It's 100% corn, distilled six-times, and filtered through activated carbon. So to say the least i was intrigued by this vodka.

The nose of this vodka is medicinal like most of the vodka on the market. The first sip exposes the true nature of this vodka, smooth...very smooth. A tangerine, crisp citrus comes through with a slight pepper. It has a very clean taste that finishes with a herbal, melon character. A little ice and a touch of lemon makes this incredibly smooth vodka go down with ease. If you are a vodka drinker, Tito's deserves a serious looking into.

A+/$17.99 per 750 ml/www.titos-vodka.com

Sam Adams Boston Lager

This is the beer some credit for the revitalization of the American small brewery a.k.a. the microbrewery movement. If you have a television, you know the story of this beer and The Boston Beer Company. It has almost a cult following among people who want something more out of an American beer then the clean-tasting beer from the Mega-brewers. Here's the review.

The beer is amber in color with a creamy head. On the nose, this beer comes off toasty and has a rounded hoppiness to it. The first sip introduces you to a taste of roasted malt, a mild but flavorful hop, and an overall well developed balance of flavors. The finish is smooth and bitter, but a pleasant bitterness. Not an overwhelming brew, it compliments most foods especially rich flavored foods. Worth a try to shake up the palette.

A/$7.39 per six-pack/www.samadams.com

Sailor Jerry's Spiced Rum

Sailor Jerry was a naval man and a tattoo artist who helped establish tattooing as a valid form of expression and mainstreamed the art by way of other sailors in Hawaii. The bottle features some of Sailor Jerry's tattoos a swallow and a Hulu dancer. Interesting container but not as interesting as what's inside of this bottle

Sailor Jerry’s is a very flavorful spiced rum with a note of cherry ringing above the rest. Do not take it as Captain Morgan’s bland spice mix bombarded with vanilla, it has flavor depth. Some of the flavor notes that come through are sugar, clove, cinnamon, vanilla, a hint of chocolate, and maybe a hint of nutmeg. It does mix well with coke which is how 90% of spiced rum is consumed. The higher alcohol content, 92 proof, brings this superb rum to the next level. It’s around the same price as Captain Morgan’s, so give it a try next time the urge of spiced rum calls.

A/$15 per 750 ml/www.sailorjerry.com

Rogue Dead Guy Ale

According to the website, Dead Guy Ale was produced as a private brewing for a place in Portland for the Day of the Dead. Also, the guy on the label is a favorite of the dead-heads (extreme fans of the Grateful Dead). Here's the review.

This beer is of the Maierbock style which is not a common style in the states and by any indication of this beer it’s a very hoppy style of beer. At the first sip, the very hoppiness of the beer can be a little off putting but after a few sips the flavor comes through. The nose is a little heavy but that’s because of the hops. The head of course is bitter but the true nature of the beer starts to come through. Honey, a hint of brown sugar and chocolate and slight smoke cuts through the bitterness. Quite the experience for the avid beer enthusiast, but in my humble opinion this isn’t a beer for novice beer drinkers.

B+/$7.49 per six-pack/www.rogue.com

Pabst Blue Ribbon

This is my defense of the American beer. The classic American beer has been charged with being tasteless, watery, bland...i don't think that is accurate at all. The classic American beer is meant to be a clean beer and making a totally clean beer without any skunky or off flavors is a very difficult task. In this light, traditional American beers do have subtle flavors. Clean beers, in my opinion, can appeal to the masses and that's why the number one and two beers in the world are American.

PBR is a typical American-styled beer, in that it is a very clean beer with no stand out flavor notes. On the nose is nothing to write home about. The taste of course is clean and the feel is very light. It ends a little bit more bitter and watery than expected. I know we here at the Gusto of Drink are fools for balance and PBR delivers. Not a bad beer overall.

B-/$6.50 per six-pack/www.pabstblueribbon.com

Maker's Mark

This is one of the oldest bourbons and one of the best selling, for good reason. It's perfectly aged in oak barrels for 6 to 7 years. This bourbon is a very unique one from its square bottle to the unique way it's sealed...wax. If you can not tell I really like this bourbon, here's the review.

This is bourbon in every sense of the word with its slightly oaky nose rounded off by sugar and a hint of vanilla. The vanilla shows up in the spirit its self with the right balance of rye and sugar (not that there is any added sugar). It is fantastically balanced; no one flavor note rings out over the rest. The balance of the bourbon makes the 90 proof not as noticeable as other whiskeys. A splash of water will open up this bourbon to really expose it. For the price, it is one of the best bourbons you can buy.

A+/$22 per 750 ml/www.makersmark.com

Land Shark Lager

Excuse the gap in postings but I was attending urgent business so I'm going to drop five reviews today.

To the best of my efforts, I tried to find some background on this beer to share. All I found were sites about partying and music which is to be expected of anything connected with Jimmy Buffett or his Margaritaville franchise. By no means is this beer a celebrity trying to break in the beverage market because they believe they are famous and should have one.

Land Shark is a similar style to the more famous Corona, but land shark does something Corona does not do...a bolder flavor with a good balance. The head is average and very representative of the beer to come. The balance of the overall brew is good with a very slight bitterness on the finish. Although the feel of the beer is light it keeps its weight through to end and doesn't finish with a watery feel like lighter beers. Much like Corona, a little lime and salt adds a different dimension to this beer. All in all, this beer would be good to sit on the beach and waste away...possibly in Margaritaville.

B/$7.49 per six-pack/www.landsharklager.com

Woodchuck Amber Draft Cider

While at my local watering hole, I spot this strange tap board shaped like an apple. To say the least, I was intrigued. According to the website, Woodchuck gets it's named from the nickname given to the "Vermontiest of Vermonters". A Marmota Monax Monax (a groundhog a.k.a. a woodchuck) graces the label while holding an apple...cute, if you into that.

The nose of this cider has a big apple nose with a hint of nutmeg and cinnamon rounding it off. It has an average white head which is a little bittersweet. The taste is sweet, almost too sweet to be considered a beer. A big, crisp apple flavor comes through on the first sip and stays to the bottom of the glass with a little bitterness on the finish. All in all, Woodchuck has produced a very well balanced cider. I can not wait to try more bottlings from this company. This is a good "beer" for non or beginning beer-drinkers. Also, a good beer for people with celiac...I know you guys love the drink too.

B/$7.49 Per six-pack/www.woodchuck.com

The Official First Post

Hello all and welcome to The Gusto of Drink. I created this blog as a journey for me and anyone who wanted to come along for the ride into the world of drink. My friends say that I'm a "connoisseur" and should share my "expertise" with other people. Refining, shocking, surprising, awakening, enlivening, and exploring the palette is what The Gusto of Drink is about. I want to give people more than an "expert's" point of view, my mission is to educate and expand the love of the drink. We will focus our attention more to drinks of the alcoholic type, but all types of drinks are welcome for review.

This blog is a critical review of drinks and as such is protected speech. I will give a review of each drink and give a rating between A+ to D-. Price and other information will be given if it is available. We will be accepting submissions for review soon. All submissions will be reviewed in a timely, fair manner.

Thank you for your reading this blog and come back regularly. The first review will be coming within the week.