Forest, pine, tropical fruit (pineapple, guava), fruity bubble gum, on the nose and something that reminded us of Christmas flavors. Complex with tropical and candy notes. Many found it puckery, but not overly sour, and the texture was full, smooth, and slippery, making the mouth water.

A lovely, slightly sweet spiced tropical character, with notes of pineapple and coconut. We liked it straight over ice or with tonic and a pineapple garnish.

Herby, almost minty with almost no juniper notes. Most of the panelists felt it didn’t taste like gin.

A panel favorite. An authentic bourbon experience reminiscent of its alcoholic counterpart. The fumes on the nose reminded us of alcohol. We noted marshmallow, oak, leather, smoke, pepper, and something like aerosol or alcohol. A pleasant burn, authentic flavor, and astringency with hints of cinnamon and oak. We thought this would be at home in any recipe calling for whiskey.

A unique cocktail that we found grew on us. Camphor, eucalyptus, and briquets (smoke) on the nose. When mixed with tonic. Not at all sweet. An herby, somewhat minty, lingering flavor and an astringent texture. We thought it might mix well in a spiced cocktail that can stand up to the smoke.

A unique dark spirit that isn’t trying to be anything but itself. Made in Scotland from locally sourced ingredients, we found notes of black tea and herbs. Suggested pairings include ginger beer and complex cocktails.

A unanimous panel favorite. Floral forward with strong geranium and rose notes which were balanced enough to appeal even to floral-averse panelists. A light tonic brought out a delicate complexity. We thought this would also be excellent in lemonade.

Tart and sweet with tropical notes of papaya, pineapple, and passion fruit. Sold as a gin alternative, but we felt it is in its own category. Delicious with tonic. A panel favorite.

Spicy, ginger nose. We tasted with (light) tonic as recommended and found the citrus and spice flavors very light and delicate, almost overpowered even by the light tonic. We thought this might be better suited to soda and simple syrup, possibly with a hint of citrus. We did find that the spice lingered and paired well with the texture of the bubbles from the tonic.