First impression on taking out the stopper (an artificial cork set in a wooden enlargement): saline black olive. There's a green note under the olive that I assume on further exploration will resolve into the grassy notes this style of rum is known for. There is of course alcohol in here too, but it doesn't blow the back of your head off.
Spirit is perfectly clear in the bottle. The bottle is also perfectly clear glass, styled like some sort of apothecary container, and a little more squat than the average liquor bottle. Label looks like old currency or certificates, and states 43% ABV.
Poured a couple teaspoons of the spirit into an open-form glass. After a few minutes, the same black olive note is still predominant, with the earlier green note slightly subdued. The beginnings of a sweet smell peek out from underneath. On swirling, a few tiny legs peek out; more swirling brings out lots of very thin legs. The spirit wants to stick to the walls of the glass more than I would have expected.
On first taste, the alcohol and black olive are still there, but the olive is less present than I would have thought. It's an unaged spirit, but with not quite so much burn as I was expecting. Maybe my small sips help. :) A hint of brown sugar may have just been my mind playing tricks on me. But some sweetness does come forth, along with a little pepper that I'm having trouble making sure isn't the alcohol burn.
Adding a little cold, filtered water, diluting my remainder down about half-way or a little more: More sweetness comes out, and mouth-filling... well, something pleasantly oleaginous (without any actual fat or oil being present, of course). Letting it roll around in my mouth, I get more of a drying sensation at the top of my mouth that I noticed before and now realize I was ignoring. There's a new, pleasant mineral note to go with the drying sensation. As I finish the last few drops, I realize I'm really looking forward to having a decent amount of this in a real drink. :)
Edit: For the North Carolina folks, I unfortunately have not seen this company's spirits at all in local ABC stores (the bottle I have is a gift brought from out of state). The State ABC site shows three other St. George products, but all of them are gins.
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