Chicago Reviews

Very sweet, high-toned, with savory underpinnings. Tangerine zest, cocoa nib, Bing cherry, amber, almond butter in aroma and cup. Tart-leaning but integrated structure with vibrant, juicy acidity; full, viscous mouthfeel. The finish is animated by notes of Bing cherry and amber.

Spice-toned, richly sweet. Baking spices, caramel, red apple, magnolia, oak in aroma and cup. Sweet structure with brisk acidity; full, satiny mouthfeel. Finish consolidates to notes of baking spices and caramel.

Cocoa-toned, crisply sweet. Baking chocolate, golden raisin, magnolia, almond, cedar in aroma and cup. Sweet-toned structure with brisk acidity; satiny-smooth mouthfeel. Quiet finish that leads with baking chocolate and magnolia in the short, raisin and almond in the long.

Rich-toned, sweetly savory, vibrant. Cocoa nib, black currant, myrrh, apricot, hop flowers in aroma and cup. Sweet, savory-edged structure with brisk acidity; plush, syrupy mouthfeel. The resonant finish centers around apricot and hop flowers in the short, cocoa nib and myrrh in the long.

Deeply sweet, richly nut-toned. Hazelnut butter, magnolia-like flowers, crisp pear, cedar, agave syrup in aroma and cup. Sweet in structure with gentle, round acidity; syrupy-smooth mouthfeel. The finish consolidates to deep nut and rich aromatic wood.

Sweetly tart, high-toned. Lime zest, almond, cherry, cedar, apple blossom in aroma and cup. Sweet-tart structure with pert acidity; full, satiny mouthfeel. The finish is crisp and citrusy, redolent of lime zest.

Crisp, delicate, richly sweet. Red plum, cocoa nib, jasmine, sandalwood, brown sugar in aroma and cup. Sweet-toned structure with vivacious acidity; plush, syrupy mouthfeel. Cocoa-toned plum and a hint of jasmine animate the quiet finish.

Floral-toned, richly sweet. Wisteria, toffee, lime zest, frankincense, apricot in aroma and cup. Bittersweet structure with confident, citrusy acidity; delicate, silky mouthfeel. The crisp finish consolidates to notes of toffee and lime zest with undertones of frankincense.

Bright, rich-toned, deeply sweet. Tangerine zest, almond paste, lemon verbena, honeysuckle, apricot in aroma and cup. Sweetly herbaceous in structure with juicy, bright acidity; crisp, satiny mouthfeel. The citrusy finish is carried by notes of tangerine zest and lemon verbena.

Richly fruit-toned, deeply sweet. Dried raspberry, dark chocolate, cedar, freesia, honey in aroma and cup. Sweet-tart in structure, with lively acidity; full, syrupy mouthfeel. The resonant finish consolidate to notes of dried berries and dark chocolate, with undercurrents of fresh-cut aromatic wood.

Sweet-toned, with attractive savory undercurrents. Tangerine zest, magnolia, tamari, black cherry, roasted cacao nib in aroma and cup. Sweetly savory structure with lightly juicy acidity; full, syrupy mouthfeel. The finish is characterized by cocoa-toned citrus notes, with magnolia-like flowers underneath.

Elegant, bright, very sweetly pungent. Starfruit, frankincense, lime zest, roasted cacao nib, narcissus in aroma and cup. Richly sweet in structure with balanced, vivacious acidity. Delicate, silky mouthfeel. The floral-toned finish starts and ends with notes of narcissus, punctuated by starfruit, cacao nib and bittersweet citrus suggesting lime zest, all enveloped in perfumy aromatic wood redolent of frankincense.

Intricately layered, deeply and sweetly pungent. Roasted cacao nib, lemon zest, lilac, candied ginger, frankincense in aroma and cup. Sweet-tart structure with bright, juicy acidity; full, syrupy mouthfeel. The complex finish sustains all of the flavor notes from the cup, sweet flowers in particular.

Zesty but deeply and resonantly nut-toned. Roasted cashew, oak, apricot, orange zest, magnolia-like flowers in aroma and cup. Zesty yet sweet, almost sugary, in structure, with a savory hint. Plush, lightly syrupy mouthfeel. Fruit notes in particular persist in a round, resonant, quietly flavor-saturated finish.

Delicate, richly sweet. Peach, hazelnut, pink peppercorn, cedar, a hint of thyme in aroma and cup. Crisply sweet acidity; satiny mouthfeel. The richly drying finish leads with notes of peach and pink peppercorn in the short, consolidating to hazelnut in the long, with a continued hint of thyme.

Richly pungent, sweet-savory. Coconut, violet, baker’s chocolate, musky hops, oak in aroma and cup. Vibrant, sweet acidity; delicate, velvety-smooth mouthfeel. The sweet-toned finish consolidates to floral and chocolate notes enveloped in a savory edge that suggests hops.

Delicate, sweet, subtly structured. The alcohol reads more as brandy or cabernet than rum, but pleasingly so. Also cocoa powder, sweet wood, vanilla, dried strawberry in aroma and cup. Light-footed, sweet-toned acidity; very light but distinctly satiny mouthfeel. Rich, sweet, quietly flavor-saturated finish.

Evaluated as espresso. Big, balanced, deeply sweet. Narcissus, caramel, tangerine zest, vanilla, cedar in aroma and small cup. Plush, syrupy mouthfeel; resonant, caramel-toned finish. In three parts milk, fruit tones are magnified, in particular bittersweet tangerine zest, while hints of narcissus persist underneath.

Intense, floral- and cocoa-toned. Honeysuckle, pineapple guava, orange zest, roasted cacao-nib, sandalwood. Deep, complexly expressed acidity; syrupy mouthfeel. The resonant finish consolidates around guava and zesty orange notes.

Brisk, cidery. Apple cider, fresh-cut fir, caramel, mint, a hint of hop flowers in aroma and cup. Round, brisk acidity; full, syrupy mouthfeel. Remains crisp but sweetens and brightens in an apple- and fir-dominated finish.