Spirits

***We ship Spirits in California Only ***

May Spirits
by Forrest Cokely

EL DON PLATA $36.99 [#166621]
El Don is a gem to behold- a relatively new offering we are glad to introduce. The nose is fruit filled, containing lemon zest and greengage plum hinting also at honeysuckle-- all seemingly dipped into agave nectar. Initially, the taste is overshadowed by an amazingly viscous mouth-feel. The flavors do come, and they are rich with coconut oil and Macadamia nuts twisting into fruit and light spice. This lengthy finish is replete with splendid agave subtlety, and mild capulin that is quite delicious.

HACIENDA DEL CRISTERO [#163122] Our Price:$39.99, ORIGINAL PRICE $46.99
Hacienda del Cristero is dreamy and complex at first smell-- green reed, fresh ground dry herbs (Elettaria, coriander), also with some white quartz and clean minerals, held together in aromas of slow baked agave. The creamy texture is luxurious allowing the citrus notes to shine. On the palate the cooked agave is more intricately married to the spices; their movement is briskly exhilarating with saporous delicacy. All of these nuances evolve to a finish that is novel, green, clean and delicious; all that remains is the desire for another.

EL TEQUILENO ESPECIAL GRAN RESERVA REPOSADO $35.99 [#166780]
El Tequileno has been around for a long time and has finally made it to the US. The Gran Reserva is an 11-month reposado. Here creamy and inviting aromas filled with soft baked agave and rich oak sweetness, including subtle hints of spice-cake, invite us to partake. The palate weight is light, displaying recherche agave and oak in intricate balance. The flavors range from honey and vanilla to dried oregano, or sage. At the finish, the tones converge abruptly in a burst of round bitterness that quickly dissipates leaving only silky vanilla. This is fabulous.

DOS LUNAS REPOSADO $44.99 [#166984]
Released in California just in March, all of the Dos Lunas tequilas are great. This reposado is aged for 9 months in used and new oak.You easily pick up the oak at first nosing, with savory dried fruits, and minimal spice. This tequila is surprisingly oily for such a light body, which is very nice. The flavors simmer to unfold gracefully; there is vanilla and numerous floral tones, with green-peppercorn, fresh cut cedar, newly tanned leather, and salt bush. It ends with a continuing sweet peppery creaminess, coconut oil, and dry earth.

ABANDONADO SILVER $32.99 [#166288]
This gorgeous hand-made bottle does not even begin to prepare us for the prize inside. On the nose we find oleander, cardamom, Salvia elegans and lemon or orange blossom water. Opulent and supple on the palate, Abandonado is filled with rich flavors of agave, vanilla bean, Anjou pear pulp and white tea; also hinting at white cake batter or light meringue. These tastes are very clean with amazing balance. The finish layers softly displaying rice milk, slow baked agave, and harmonious spice- it is rarefied elegance.

EL CHARRO SILVER [#162544] Our Price: $14.99, ORIGINAL PRICE $37.99
The aromas are complex, floral, and fruity, packed with grapefruit zest, chrysanthemums- and even green olives. El Charro has a medium body that is crisp and tangy. The brightly herbaceous and fresh citrus pith flavors merge to resolve with softly turned earth notes. The tastes of spice, flowers, and hard tropical fruit do not last long. The finish is lemony, clean, bright and warm. This tequila is excellent to sip, for a shot, or in a margarita. Here is another terrific deal from us, your friends at Hi Time!

EL LLANO REPOSADO $43.99 [#165797]
Pale spun white gold, Hacienda Mexicano El Llano, is clear and visually brilliant. With aromas of baked Agave, citrus and flowers, it reminds of lemon cake sprinkled with fresh ground cardamom and poppy seeds. The palate is light and warm. It shows bright spice, mellow agave, lingering minerals, and bold citrus zest. To finish, it gathers all of its fruit and spice to flare-up into a sapid display that spreads with intricate finesse. Here is an inviting, and invigorating tequila.

QUERIDO VIEJO BLANCO $59.99 [#166835]
Each bottle of Querido Viejo is hand-numbered, and comes in a rustic wooden box ready to display. This blanco starts with intense, agave driven, floral aromas that are fruity, herbal and spicy, and include a touch of fresh soil.On the palate is a medium bodied mouth-feel that is invigoratingly succulent. The saporous taste balances complex flavors such as coriander, roasted sweet pepper, and earthy agave with dominant floral tones. It finishes slow, showing lush minerals and corroborant spice.

April Spirits
by Forrest Cokely

April is Earth Month and here at Hi-Time we thought, "What could be better than environmentally friendly adult beverages to celebrate taking care of our planet." So this month we are going to show off some Eco-Conscious goodness.

TRU LEMON ORGANIC VODKA $29.99 [#166889] (Regularly $34.99)    
Responsibly, TRU limits their ecological impact. They buy organic spirits from the U.S. to reduce transportation pollution. They use: 25% less glass in bottles, labels from corn paper and soy inks, recyclable shrink tops and corks and boxes made with 35% post-consumer recycled materials. TRU Lemon is a magnificent organic wheat vodka infused with the zest of organic California lemons and is stunning. The scent abounds with fresh lemon. The sapidity is awash with clean, sassy lemon. Finish, you guessed it— astounding lemon relish! On top of all that they plant a tree for every bottle sold. During the month of April, they will plant two trees for every bottle sold at Hi-Time. We suggest you buy all three flavors (Straight, Lemon, Vanilla - on sale at $29.99 each, regularly $34.99!) to both titillate your palate and increase the forests.

LIQUID ICE VODKA $30.99 [#163653]  
Liquid Ice is distilled four times from five grains (Wheat, Corn, Barley, Rye & Oat), all certified to be organic. The water is from one of the cleanest and healthiest natural aquifers in the world. The nose is surpassingly fresh-- marble with unclouded clean grain. The palate registers clear minerals and a touch of bittersweet at mid-palate where the terrific weight and nice viscousness reveal insignificant traces of sage. The finish is crisp yet tarrying with bright minerals. Liquid Ice is well- structured, astonishingly pure and completely unique.

OCEAN VODKA $33.99 [#166346]  
Ocean Vodka is made in small batches by combining MaHalo Hawaii Deep Sea water and spirits made from organic American Corn and Rye. Cereal grass hides deeply in the back of the nose along with an even subtler nettle. The mouth-feel is invigoratingly delicate—diffuse soft minerals and creaminess. Ocean's finish is elusive with refined nettle, freeze dried basil and sea salt. A portion of the profits from the sale of Ocean Vodka is donated to organizations working to conserve the world’s ocean resources. So have a vodka and save the ocean

RAIN ORGANIC VODKA $12.99 [#121220]  
Rain is distilled from organic white corn in small batches. The vodka undergoes an extensive 20-day production technique that includes cold-water sweet mash fermentation and seven distinct distillations. Smells of easy, fair grass deepen to appealing wet soil—full of luxurious minerals. Flavor entry is sweet reed grass with fruit, mineral and earthly flavors; the mid-palate shows a firm sleek taste of sweet grain that is only enhanced by Rain's great mouth-feel. The aftertaste is crisp ending with notes of candied grain— pleasant, finespun and inviting.

SQUARE ONE ORGANIC VODKA $33.99 [#166197]   
Distilled from organic American Rye that was fermented with a certified organic process developed especially for Square One. This is a terrific spirit—from the soft grains in the nose and the fugacious clarity on the palate to the slight vegetal limpidity in the lingering finish. This company sets a great example: bamboo and soy ink label, they’ve implemented wind-power initiatives, carbon-offset programs and even the rye left over from making vodka is sold as feed to an organic dairy farm. Great ideas that show off a great vodka.

BLUECOAT AMERICAN GIN $21.99 [#166455]   
Bluecoat American Dry Gin is flavored with a combination of organic juniper berries and other handpicked organic botanicals that are distilled in a true batch process which produces a spirit of superior quality and taste. The aromatic quality of the juniper is amazing, bound up with lingering citrus and hinting at very soft coriander. On the palate, fresh pine needles and spruce appear, settling to lemon— maintaining the roundness of clean juniper throughout. The finish shines crisp grain, bright spices with citrus animating pellucidity—a gem of a gin.

BENROMACH ORGANIC SCOTCH $76.99 [#166819]   
Handmade by two men at Speyside’s smallest working distillery, Benromach Organic is the first Single Malt to be fully endorsed – raw ingredients, distillation, maturation and bottling – and certified organic to the rigorous standards set by the Soil Association. This is a fresh, vivacious whisky. The nose reveals sweet oak scents and rich soft fruit (plantain, sultana, and pome). The palate exposes nougat and toffee flavors and earthy crisped hazelnuts. The finish broadens to indistinct spices, more structured fruit and resinous oak complexity. This is a luscious young malt with serious oak influence.

4 COPAS REPOSADO TEQUILA $59.99 [#166348]  
4 Copas makes the only certified organic Tequila in the world and each expression is delectable. I’m going to focus on the Reposado. The nose leads with full agave honey, Valencia oranges and Macadamia with toasted oak accents. The flavors start with sweet citrus—bright and mild, that melds into agave. It has a medium body that shows spice and wood at mid-palate. A soft floral redolence (hints of cinnamon, clove and light white pepper) smoothly lingers to a lovely finish. Holding creamy agave from end-to-end, this is an exceptional Tequila.

March Madness
by Forrest Cokely

Well St. Patrick’s Day is coming up. From us here at Hi-Time a review of some lovely Irish Spirits to aid your celebrations:

BUSHMILLS 1608 400TH ANNIVERSARY $85.99 [#166802]    
To lionize the 400th anniversary of being ‘licensed to distill’ by King James I, Bushmills has released the fine, and eminently drinkable, 1608. This whiskey is a delight-- approachable, remarkably soft, yet still possessing depth and character. The ample nose is delicate, filled with sherry tones, crisped almond slivers drizzled with honey, fresh turned soil, sun dried raspberry, and currants with toasted grains in an old wood cookie jar. This is a luscious mouthful, starting soft, big, and juicy- toffee notes and neat grains with crisp fruit until the finish when it dries up to clean malted cereal.

KILBEGGAN $14.99 [#116260]   
Kilbeggan is a delectably suave, and delightfully inviting whiskey. This is what most people think of when they think of Irish Whiskey: Light body, with some spiciness, some sweetness, and a clean finish. If we search a bit from the nose, we find traces of sweet malt, just hinting at sherry, covering fresh grains. Delving past the scents to taste, we find that the tempting aromas have evolved into teeming malt, flexing itself briskly (with glory) all over the palate, gaining in sweetness as it progresses. The finish dries up with light oak vanilla creaminess, that seems to invite us to have another. Quite nice.

REDBREAST $38.99 [#162655]   
We don’ know what you will be doing this St. Patrick’s day, but we here at Hi-Time will be sipping on a fine Irish whiskey like Red Breast. This triple-distilled Irish Whiskey is done in pot stills and is aged a minimum of 12 years in oak casks. We absolutely adore this whiskey and believe it is of the utmost quality. The nose has scents of gingersnaps and pear. Some of the flavors that come through are maple, tobacco and dried fruit. The finish just lasts for what seems
forever and shows anise and fudges and fades to green fruit. This is amazingly complex Irish whiskey in a sea of bland counterparts.

IRISH MIST LIQUEUR $23.99 [#114310]    
Based on an ancient recipe dating back more than 1000 years, Irish Mist blends aged Irish whiskey with honey, herbs and other spirits to achieve a refined, aromatic, and warming flavor. The redolent nose is elusive-- of course there is malt and honey, but there is also a vegetal nuance that I could detect but couldn’t pin down (like alfalfa). The taste is elegant, robust and plenteous with more malt, honey and vegetal nuance (though now it seems like Irish Moss). The finish is meditative and ends with a simple sugar aftertaste. Serve chilled as an aperitif, paired with fruits, as an excellent mixer for cocktails or in warm drinks.

MICHAEL COLLINS SINGLE MALT $42.99 [#165752]   
Michael Collins Single Malt is different than most Irish Whiskey; it is double distilled (most Irish is triple) in pot stills from 100% malted barley (most Irish Whiskeys are blends), some of which is dried over peat fires (MOST Irish Whiskeys are COMPLETELY Un-Peated). This is a very different Irish Whiskey. At first sniff you are greeted with aromas of dark chocolate, fresh cut lumber- sandalwood, and hibiscus. To taste it is intricate maltiness - light, even, and fresh- very friendly. The finish is where it shines: hints of chocolate are back and a light smokiness with clean malt flavors that linger showing light spiciness, and oak notes that gracefully fade.

POWERS IRISH WHISKEY $16.99 [#165781]    
Powers Gold Label is made with a high percentage of Irish pure pot still whiskey from the Midleton distillery (about 80%); Plentiful, multifaceted and full of flavor, it is also considered to be Ireland’s favorite whiskey-- which is saying something! To smell Powers you find a few canned apricots or peaches in the back buried under large malty barley with lite caramel, followed by soft spices and a hint of dry pepper. Sharp flavors lead, fully seasoned with pure pot still spices, with some damp wood, and more black pepper. It seems light on the malted grains (from the nosing), and shows more of the un-malted grains. The finish is long, round, and sour with lingering warmth. Perfect on ice.

Back by popular demand!
Tequila Tasting at Taleo Grill!
Sunday, April 27, 2008
More details will be announced in our April
newsletter as well as on our website.

ASOMBROSO VINTAGE ANEJO TEQUILA $989.99 [#166708]
Aged 11 years in French Oak casks, this is the oldest rested Tequila in the world.  It is, simply, exquisite.  We invite you to read the story about this incredible Tequila.
Ricardo, from AsomBroso:
"The history of this outstanding tequila is that years ago, Enrique Fonseca Sr., a renown agave grower and tequila maker, sealed a cache of his freshly distilled tequila into a few small French Oak casks as an experiment in making a longer-aged Anejo, mainly for his own enjoyment. Now, eleven years later, I have convinced his son and my partner, Enrique Fonseca Jr., to let me bottle and distribute some of this unique family legacy."
While there is no vintage nomenclature for tequila as regulated by the Mexican CRT, for all intents and purposes, this Classic Vintage tequila would be worthy of an "outstanding" or "great" rating if this were a wine. This eleven-year-old tequila is certified by the CRT and its offering will be the first of its kind outside of a select "inner circle" in Mexico.

Asom Broso!

Incredible Tequila!  Asom Broso, "The World's Most Exclusive Tequila."  Tequila aficionados, bottle collectors, appreciators of fine spirits everywhere, take note:  this is the real deal. Currently available in 50ml and 750ml bottles, with or without humidor.

Click on Asom Broso (above) to see the full lineup of these extraordinary Tequilas!

 Visit their website at CaliforniaTequila.com