Cockspur Bajan Crafted 12 Year Old Rum is 40% abv. / 80 proof and made in Barbados. It is made from a select blend of the oldest rums reserved at the Cockspur distillery. The color is a pronounced coppery gold that grabs your attention immediately.

Just like the color, the aroma grabs your attention forcefully. Not overwhelmingly strong, but deep and aromatic. it starts dry and then develops a dash of sweeter notes. Complex as I have ever experienced in an aged, molasses based rum, and like it's baby brother the Cockspur Five Star, unique and unusual in the nose. This is one of those spirits which I had to keep thrusting my nose into the glass and smell deep and say to myself, "What the hell are those spices? What's happening here!" So much is going on that I was completely confused at first. Mace, banana, cinnamon (not cassia), dark toasted brad, sweet purple plums, fine molasses, bourbon, hints of vanilla that became stronger over time, and a woody oakiness that balanced it all.

The taste is light, dry, and fine. This is definitely a sipping rum meant for a snifter or on the rocks. Mixing this with anything would be a shame, no a crime. The flavors are those of the aroma but muted, a dash of water or on the rocks brings them out more, but it still stays nicely dry with just enough sweetness in the background to keep it from being too dry. this is a rum for when you want something elegant, without it being too overwhelming. A perfect after dinner dram to wind down a long day.

Santa Teresa Orange Rhum Liqueur is 40% abv. / 80 proof and is made in Venezuela. Santa Teresa makes some of the finest rum in the world. Their Santa Teresa 1796, a fifteen year aged rum, is one of the best rums I have ever tasted. I first tried it a few years ago when I was spending some time in Los Rouqes. A group of islands off the coast of Venezuela that is known as one of the best scuds diving spots in the world. The sea there is an intense turquoise color that has to be experienced to be believed and after a day there spent out on the water I would have a sundowner of Santa Teresa 1896 on the rocks to unwind.

So it was with great pleasure to see a bottle of their orange liqueur on one of my favorite liquor stores shelves. Santa Teresa rum AND Oranges in a liqueur? I couldn't wait to try it. A little research showed that the liqueur is made with two year old rum that then has orange peel added to the casks and macerated for an additional length of time to infuse the flavors.

The color is a deep amber with almost a burnt orange tinge. The aroma starts off with the unmistakable smell of Santa Teresa rum. A rich, bold, sweet and smooth rum scent, overlain with complex orange notes. Then hints of sweet, ripe fruit and spices; with a salty tang that reminds me of a fresh ocean breeze. An absolutely wonderful aroma.

The taste I rich and smooth as well. A big hit of that delicious aged rum mixed with orange zest rolls across your tongue. You can taste hints of the oaken casks it was aged in as well as vanilla notes and complex spices abound. There are some nice pepper tones and a touch of bitter orange pith in the long finish that leave a pleasant, delicate, warm burn at the back of your throat that slowly fades away until you have just a memory of the taste lingering on the tip of your tongue.

Walk into the cheese section of any market, especially at an upscale gourmet-type store, and you are going to see a tremendous variety of cheeses available. And that selection doesn't even come close to scratching the surface of the number of cheeses that are out there. It can be difficult to figure out the differences between each product until you've tried all of them, but here is a quick guide to cheese terminology that might help you sort through the basic types of cheese.

Fresh - High moisture cheeses that have not been aged, like cottage cheese, cream cheese, feta, mascarpone and ricotta.

Soft-Ripened - These have hard rinds and soft interiors, like brie and camembert. They often have edible rinds made by "spraying the cheese with Penicillium candidum mold before a brief aging period."

Semi-Soft - Cheeses that are neither hard, nor runny, but that are high in moisture and creamy in texture, like Monterey Jack, fontina or havarti. They are often easy to grate and slice.

Firm/Hard - Less creamy than soft cheeses, but ranging in texture from slightly elastic to brittle. These are also good grating cheeses and tend to melt well. The category includes Asiago, cheddar, Gruyere, Swiss and Parmesan.