
Featured below are the amazing spirits that secured the bronze medal at the 2013 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.
These standouts conclude fifty‘s coverage of this year’s American-made winners.
I sincerely hope that you have enjoyed seeing how well your favorites performed among the over 1400 entrants; discovering new winning options to try; and, in general, reviewing the breadth, depth and quality of the spirits landscape in the US.
(If you have missed any of the previous posts, you can check them out here: The double, The gold, The silver (#1) and The silver (#2).)
Celebrate the spirit and spirits of this great country with one of the gems below.
AMERICAN CRAFT WHISKEY

Bully Boy American Straight Whiskey
Made in Boston, Massachusetts
Tasting Notes: Made primarily of corn, rye, and malted barley – the corn makes for subtle sweetness, and the high rye content creates a dry spiciness; the flavors are further refined through the barrel-aging process, which imparts both a prominent caramel note and a nutty finish. An excellent sipping whiskey.
Distillery: Bully Boy Distillers
Price: $36
Clyde May Whiskey
Made in Kentucky
Tasting Notes: On the palate, the flavor profile bursts open with dried fruits, sage and black pepper. Silky finish. (UBC)
Distillery: Conecuh Ridge Distillery
Price: $30

Dry Fly Wheat Whiskey
Made in Spokane, Washington
Tasting Notes: On the palate, neat, this whiskey was very soft, almost like a baby’s blanket caressing (the) tongue, with freshly baked orange scones, cinnamon toast, white pepper and peppermint notes. (OCI)
Distillery: Dry Fly Distilling
Price: $40

Cody Road Rye Whiskey
Made in Le Claire, Iowa
Tasting Notes: Very much a spiced rye-bread or bagel aroma. Almost no honey/vanilla, which makes us guess a younger whiskey. Drinking, this is absolutely buttery smooth—flawless execution—but all grain and little oak. (P66)
Distillery: Mississippi River Distilling Company
Price: $35

Hickory Smoked Whiskey
Made in Little Rock, Arkansas
Tasting Notes: Aromas of suede, saddle soap, cashew nougat, and toasted fig bread with a silky, dry-yet-fruity medium body and a long elegant finish with notes of praline, spice, and minerals. Very well balanced and classy.
Distillery: Rock Town Distillery
Price: $30

Hudson Manhattan Rye
Made in Gardiner, New York
Tasting Notes: Vibrantly bold, spicy and backwoods rustic, with a smidgen of honey and coconut.
Distillery: Tuthilltown Spirits
Price: $43
CORN WHISKEY

Colorado Gold Corn Whiskey
Made in Cedaredge, Colorado
Tasting Notes: The base grain of high mountain Colorado corn is evident in its slightly sweet taste and an amazingly smooth finish.
Distillery: Colorado Gold Distillers
Price: $23
DARK/GOLD RUM

Full Moon Dark Rum
Made in Thibodaux, Louisiana
Tasting Notes: Laid back, oaky, and mysterious.
Distillery: Donner-Peltier Distillers
Price: $29
FLAVORED GIN

Spruce Gin
Made in Newport, Oregon
Tasting Notes: Opens with aroma of fresh juniper blossoms and subtle citrus notes. With light-to-medium body, the fruity-yet-dry flavors of cucumber and tangerine transform into a distinct spruce finish.
Distillery: Rogue Spirits
Price: $35
FLAVORED RUM

Dark Rum
Made in Newport, Oregon
Tasting Notes: Starts off with crisp aromas of toffee and brown sugar. Medium-bodied, the nose immediately transitions to distinct flavors roasted nuts, spice and sweet oak.
Distillery: Rogue Spirits
Price: $40
FLAVORED VODKA

Hophead Hop Vodka
Made in San Francisco, California
Tasting Notes: Delivers all the delicate fragrance of the hops without the bitterness. 90 proof and unfiltered to maximize the flavor delivery and strength. Highly versatile and performs like a gin when sipped chilled or in a martini.
Distillery: Anchor Distilling
Price: $30
FRUIT LIQUEUR

Blood Orange Liqueur
Made in Salem, New Hampshire
Tasting Notes: Blood orange rind provides most of the flavor and color with a touch of juice added for a deeper color and more flavor.
Distillery: Fabrizia Spirits
Price: $19

Rocky Mountain Blackberry Liqueur
Made in Denver, Colorado
Tasting Notes: Very pure and rich and complex. Will make stupendous berry cocktails or enjoy as a dessert or digestif after meals. (BTI)
Distillery: Leopold Bros. Distillery
Price: $33

Maraschino Cherry Liqueur
Made in Denver, Colorado
Tasting Notes: The entry is light, soft, and very floral. Although sweet, it still manages to maintain a nice balance with the cherry blossom and dark cherry flavors resulting in something that is floral, sweet, sour, and dry all at once. The finish is extremely long with the light cherry blossom notes lingering on the palate along with an undercurrent of honey. It ultimately comes off more dry than sweet. (DS)
Distillery: Leopold Bros. Distillery
Price: $33

Ventura Limoncello
Made in Ventura, California
Tasting Notes: Full fresh lemon aroma on the nose and front of the palate. This is followed by a mid-sweet middle and a smooth, warming alcohol finish. The viscous mouth feel leaves a fresh lemon overall taste.
Distillery: Ventura Limoncello Company
Price: $27
GIN

Sunset Hills Gin
Made in Fredericksburg, Virginia
Tasting Notes: An amazingly light and smooth taste. A fresh aromatic flavor and smooth taste that’s not overpowering.
Distillery: A. Smith Bowman Distillery
Price: $29

Farmer’s Organic Gin
Made in Minnesota
Tasting Notes: Infused with classy herbs like elderflower, lemon grass and angelica…[F]ragrant, a bit floral and not as bone-dry and piney as a typical London gin. (NYT)
Distillery: Crop Harvest Earth Co.
Price: $30

Aviation Gin
Made in Portland, Oregon
Tasting Notes: Entry is very soft and elegant, delivering a beautiful wide botanical medley of flavors – with the pine you also get cardamom, caraway, anise and just a hint of pepper - finish is soft and easy without much heat. (DS)
Distillery: House Spirits Distillery
Price: $30
Original fifty post: The spirits (#1).

Oola Gin
Made in Seattle, Washington
Tasting Notes: On the palate the citrus and floral notes come through the juniper first, followed by coriander and cardamom on the mid-palate. The lengthy finish shows hints of caramel and vanilla, reminding us that this gin was made with a base of Oola Vodka.
Distillery: Oola Distillery
Price: $45

Re:Find Gin
Made in Paso Robles, California
Tasting Notes: Due to the unique character of the grape base, the gin has a soft, sweet, lingering finish.
Distillery: Re:Find Distillery
Price: $38

Greenbrier Gin
Made in Maxwelton, West Virginia
Tasting Notes: Designed to have a rich and luxurious mouth-feel, without being overly “piney” like a lot of typical, by-the-book Dry, British gins.
Distillery: Smooth Ambler Spirits Co.
Price: $30

Organic Ginever
Made in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania
Tasting Notes: Rounder and fuller than modern gins. Juniper berries remain forefront but are joined by a number of other botanicals including earthy cardamom, peppery cubeb and fragrant lavender to create a layered flavor experience. Inspired by a 19th century Pennsylvania Genever-style Gin recipe.
Distillery: Pittsburgh Distilling Company
Price: $35
HERBAL/BOTANICAL LIQUEUR

Three Pins Alpine Liqueur
Made in Denver, Colorado
Tasting Notes: Cardamom, piney juniper berry, and spicy apple cider aromas follow though to a supple, satiny, and moderately sweet medium-full body with strong piney herb, cinnamon, and pepper spice flavors. Finishes with a long cardamom and orange spice tea-like fade. (BTI)
Distillery: Leopold Bros. Distillery
Price: $33
RYE

Roundstone Rye
Made in Purcellville, Virginia
Tasting Notes: It has a delicious woody taste, with notes of caramel, rich butter toffee, and just a hint of lemon in the nose.
Distillery: Catoctin Creek Distilling
Price: $39
STRAIGHT BOURBON

4 Spirits Bourbon Whiskey
Made in Adair Village, Oregon
Tasting Notes: Smooth and subtle, palatable for any whiskey drinker or first timer. The bold flavors of vanilla, caramel and spice give it that perfect combination of rich flavor and smoothness.
Distillery: 4 Spirits Distillery
Price: $27
UN-AGED WHISKEY

Bully Boy White Whiskey
Made in Boston, Massachusetts
Tasting Notes: Attractive aromas of vanilla and banana salt water taffies and pralines with a satiny, dryish medium-to-full body and super smooth and warming, coconut custard pie, raw nut, and peppery spice accented finish. An elegant and stylish aperitif or after-dinner-drink white whisky. (BTI)
Distillery: Bully Boy Distillers
Price: $28
VODKA

Bully Boy Vodka
Made in Boston, Massachusetts
Tasting Notes: Silky textured and dry with a nicely buoyant medium body and a very clean, chiseled finish with hints of dried fruits, powdered sugar, wet granite and pepper spices. Very classy and lively. (BTI)
Distillery: Bully Boy Distillers
Price: $28

Colorado Gold Vodka
Made in Cedaredge, Colorado
Tasting Notes: A hint of of caramel on the nose; fantastically smooth going down. (Snow Magazine)
Distillery: Colorado Gold Distillers
Price: $23
Corbin Vodka
Made in Atwater, California
Tasting Notes: A mildly sweet, subtle nose is accompanied by a creamy richness on the entry. Mid palate it shows its colors and really opens up with hints of sweet potato and caramel. The buttery smooth finish melts away with an enduring warm, mellow nuttiness.
Distillery: Sweet Potato Spirits
Price: $38

Door County Vodka
Made in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin
Tasting Notes: A seamless blend of subtle citrus, mineral and herb aromatics that’s airy, complex — and undeniably smooth.
Distillery: Door County Distillery
Price: $30

UV 80 Vodka
Made in Princeton, Minnesota
Tasting Notes: Clean & refined.
Distillery: Phillips Distilling Co.
Price: $13
Willa Organic Vodka
Made in Nantucket, Massachusetts
Tasting Notes: Lower in proof and calories than other super premium vodkas without sacrificing flavor and quality. Smooth, creamy and complex with a beautifully clean finish with optimum viscosity.
Distillery: Free Spirits Brand
Price: $30
WHITE RUM

Taildragger White Rum
Made in Plainfield, Illinois
Tasting Notes: You smell a molasses sweetness but there is floral under pinning. A taste releases vanilla, a touch of cinnamon, a bit of sugar but not a caramel. (RRR)
Distillery: Tailwinds Distilling Company
Price: $28
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