Faretti Biscotti Famosi

Bill Dowd photo

Faretti, the Italian maker of numerous liqueurs, prides itself on making the liquid version of iconic pastries taste eerily similar to those of the solid versions.

• Faretti Biscotti Famosi

If I didn't know better, I'd swear that the craftsmen at Faretti had simply crushed a batch of biscotti into a slightly syrupy form and bottled it.

Of course, that's not the method for making this liqueur, but the result is like having the rustic, iconic Italian baked treat in drinkable form. The signature flavors of almond, honey and even the biscuit itself are immediately obvious in both the nose and on the palate.

The more you sip the more the flavor profile opens, revealing hints of citrus, fennel, caramel and vanilla.

This is an excellent liqueur, equally serviceable as a standalone sip or in mixed drinks. Its layered flavors make it work in such diverse combinations as a "Liquid Cannoli" (1 part Faretti with 2 parts milk or cream) and "Tuscan Sidecar" (1 part Faretti, 2 parts cognac, 1 part lemon juice, dash of orange bitters).

As for me, I'd recommend it in place of dessert. It is that good, and that satisfying.

Suggested retail price: $25.99.

Go back to Dowd On Drinks

Tenampa Azul Tequila

Gran Centenario is one of the major tequila brand names, and the company has a lengthy line of products.

• Tenampa Azul Tequila

This expression of 100% blue agave tequila ("azul" is Spanish for "blue") may be rested for two months in charred American oak barrels, but it retains the heat and edge of a new spirit. That's a good thing for those who prefer a bitier tequila compared to the more aged expressions taking an ever-larger chunk of the market.

The roasted agave notes come through immediately on the nose, joined by hints of green apple, oak and roses.

An ever-so-slight element of sweetness -- banana and vanilla -- is evident in the complex flavor profile, yet the heat and slight bite prevail.

This is an excellent reposado, ideal for cocktails because the taste will hold up, and because it's a good value for the price. And, just in time for Cinco de Mayo festivities.

Suggested retail price: $21.99.

Go back to Dowd On Drinks

Villa Antinori Bianco

Villa Antinori is one of my regular house Italian reds, and perhaps the color for which the ancient label is best known. However, the 600-year-old Tuscan winemaker also produces some very nice whites. This is one such.

• Villa Antinori Bianco, Toscana IGT 2008

This is an example of summer in a bottle. A very reasonably priced, spritely, crisp summer.

The Toscana IGY is a blend of four estate-grown grapes -- 70% Trebbiano & Malvasia, and 30% Chardonay Toscano, Pinot Bianco and Pinot Grigio.

The result is a lightly golden color, a floral nose hinting mostly of rose petals and clover blossoms, and a taste of rich grapes and mild melon, apple and pear, with a clean acidity on the finish.

This will pair nicely with grilled chicken or fish, a cheese-and-fruit platter, or even a bold panini.

Suggested retail price: $14.

Go back to Dowd On Drinks

Tequila Ocho Plata

Bill Dowd photo

A vintage-dated tequila? The second such has just hit the markets in time for the Cinco de Mayo celebration, and it's from the same Corona Del Mar, CA, company that introduced dated Mexican-made tequilas with its 2008 line. For 2009, 12,695 bottles were produced, according to the label information on my sample, compared to about 11,000 bottles of the 2008.

• Tequila Ocho Plata

Tequila is, by its very nature, essentially a young spirit. Yes, there are reposados, añejos, even extra añejos, but the quality of the fire and passion of the younger spirit are the hallmarks to be assessed.

Both the plata and reposado varieties are available now, but the 2009 añejo, aged for a full year, will not be released until July.

Tequila Ocho is the product of collaboration between third-generation tequila maker Felipe Camarena and Tomas Estes, ambassador of Tequila to Europe. The blue agaves are harvested from various Camarena ranches, but care is made not to mix fruits from different areas, thus preserving the "terroir" so prized in the wine industry and just now being noticed in the tequila world.

Tequila Ocho Plata has taken on a bolder character this year.

The original Rancho Carrizal Estate expression was a creamy, soft spirit with touches of banana, mango and sweetness. This year's plata, from Rancho Las Pomez Estate, has more of the agave base in the nose, along with hints of lime and mint. On the palate, a pleasant oiliness carries with it elements of jalapeño, carambola, pimiento and pepper.

Suggested retail price: An ultra-premium pricing, with the plata and reposado at $60 and $70, respectively, for the 750ml bottle. When the añejo -- from El Carrizal -- comes out, it will be priced at $80.

Go back to Dowd On Drinks

Tanteo Flavored Tequilas

Bill Dowd photo

Tequila goes beautifully with so many things -- limes, fruits, even jalapeño peppers. The latter is the key to the flavors in a trio of infused Tanteo tequilas, even if the major flavorings are from other sources.

• Tanteo Flavored Tequilas

Tequilas, at least 100% blue agave-based expressions, have enough variables in their flavor profile to satisfy most people. But infusions are the order of the day -- take a look at the vodka shelves in your local spirits shop -- so some entrepreneurs see tequila as ripe to join that contemporary market niche.

Tanteo's infused blanco tequilas do not disappoint. Although jalapeño is the base infusion for the three flavors I tried, it gets top billing in only one. The others are chocolate and tropical. They were launched just a few months ago, the result of a plan by company CEO and co-founder Jonathan Rojewski who had to get the tequila regulating body of Mexico to waive its restriction against infusions.

The tequilas are distilled, infused and bottled in Tequila, the Mexican city that is the heart of the tequila industry.

The tropical flavor offers many fruit notes from extractions of mango, pineapple and guanabana. It reminded me of a semi-sweet piña-style tropical drink all on its own, with a slight peppery touch of the jalapeño for balance.

The chocolate smells like the kind of rich malted fountain drink we used to get many years ago, easy evidence of the roasted, malted and raw cocoa used in its creation. Again, a touch of pepper from the jalapeño is a perfect Mexican balance of unsweetened chocolate and heat found in some of its cuisine such as molés.

The jalapeño flavor itself has a fresh, clean, peppery nose from four separate infusions of organic peppers. There is a lush heat to this creation that demands restrained sipping, thus allowing the imbiber to experience the full range of the agave nectar and bitey pepper notes.

The bottle was designed by company co-founder Lincoln Mayne, a graphic artist with roots in Manhattan's SoHo neighborhood. It is made of handcrafted rustic glass with naturally occuring bubbles, a cork enclosure and a vintage-style wax seal, all much nicer than the small sampling bottles pictured above.

Suggested retail price: $45 for the 750ml bottle.

Go back to Dowd On Drinks

Tres Generaciones Plata Tequila

Bill Dowd photo

Tres Generaciones traces its roots to 1873 when Don Cenobio Sauza created his first tequila. The brand name covers his tenure as well as those of his son Eladio and his son Javier -- three generations. The company history says Don Cenobio was the first to export tequila to the U.S.

• Tres Generaciones Plata Tequila

This expression is a delight from the first sniff to the last nuance on the palate. I don't recall having such a positive response to a Tres Generaciones blanco before this re-launch.

A pleasantly buttery, peppery nose immediately made me realize this was a tequila to be savored. The more it is inhaled, the more the faint nuances of banana, jalapeño and tequila nectar emerge.

This is an unaged 100% Weber blue agave estate-grown product, created from agave piñas harvested on the Sauza ranch in Jalisco state.

It is triple distilled, but that is a term open to interpretation; in the distillation process a spirit can be "distilled" numerous times, but that doesn't necessarily guarantee smoothness. However, in this case it has resulted in a tequila with a silken mouthfeel, a full-bodied expression with lush middle notes, and a long, slow finish that gives rise to the desire to quickly take the whole trip again.

I mentioned this is a re-launch. Tres Geraciones' 80-proof tequilas are packaged in plata, reposado and añejos expressions in its familar bottle with a barrel-shaped bottom but the bottles now feature a front label with medallions of the three founding Dons, the family crest on the neck, and a textured, beaten medal collar -- silver for the plata, gold for the reposado, bronze for the añejo -- and the bottle is topped with a wood and cork stopper.

Suggested retail price: $45.99 for the Plata in a 750ml bottle, $47.99 for the reposado and $49.99 for the añejo.

Go back to Dowd On Drinks