Review: Honey & Co. Mas Miel Liqueur

Honey-flavored whiskeys are widely available, but honey and Cognac? That’s a new category altogether.

Honey & Co., aka “Mas Miel,” which means “more honey” in Spanish, is a partnership between Puerto Rican singer Rauw Alejandro and La Société des Vins et Eaux de Vie, a custom Cognac producer.

Inspired by Alejandro’s custom pre-show concoction of honey, tea, and ginger, the product was a response to Alejandro’s dissatisfaction with honey+whiskey liqueurs, which he found lacking on complexity.

Honey & Co. combines the depth of natural honey and freshness of a ginger distillate, blended with Very Special cognac (VS). Made with traditional methods, Honey & Co. showcases the aromatic richness of the iconic French grape spirit, with an innovative approach to liquor.

“I have been searching for a liquor that will completely satisfy my personal taste so when the opportunity to partner with a century-old French cognac company came up, I knew this was the chance to create something special,” says Rauw Alejandro. “Honey & Co. combines my love of honey with the legendary taste and style of Cognac. I also added just a hint of ginger, to give it a final kick. The result is mind-blowing, there is nothing like it under the sun.”

If you’re familiar with Drambuie, JD’s Tennessee Honey, or any number of other honey-whiskey combinations, you have a good base for understanding what Honey & Co. is all about. That said, this does spin itself in a slightly different direction.

That said, the nose is much more about honey than Cognac: Earthy, with a big black tea character evident. Layers of florals evoke some perfume, while a classically honeyed sweetness is present in the background. On the palate the sweetness of the honey comes more into the foreground, though it never threatens to dominate. The floral elements — alongside that rich earthiness — are enhanced just a touch by the presence of young Cognac, which adds a light note of linen and lavender to the mix. I don’t really catch any of the promised ginger character in this liqueur, which is a shame, because it could use it on the finish, which hits the palate as just a touch soapy. That’s common with both honey liqueurs and young Cognacs, however, which means “Mas Miel” is certainly nothing if not authentic.

60 proof.

B+ / $35

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