First Bottle Reviews (of Many) From Access Live 2026: From Tibet, Ireland, Japan, Patagonia and Bulgaria with Eve Bushman

First Bottle Reviews (of Many) From Access Live 2026: From Tibet, Ireland, Japan, Patagonia and Bulgaria

We covered our first Access Live in 2024, missed it in 2025 as it was held in Denver, now we are thrilled to have had the event back in here Las Vegas this past February 2026. It’s an event for members of the wine and spirits industry that my husband Eddie (our photographer) and I attend as press. Many of the brands are looking for distributors, so they are eager to get the word out about their products. All of these bottles, and in my articles to come, were given to me for review.

Today I want to focus on some unique new-to-me spirits for review, all from areas around the globe. I’m sharing information I have gathered on each followed by my tasting notes:

From Tibet’s TianYouDe Highland Barley Spirits

Tashi Baijiu: The striking top simulates a beloved golden topped temple. From the website, “TianYouDe Tashi Baijiu is crafted from the purest Tibetan glacier water and pristine highland barley. With more flavors than Vodka, and more smooth than Tequila, Tashi Baijiu features an extremely rich fragrance, a mellow and delicate taste, a sweet and clean flavor, and a long-lasting drinking experience upon savoring. Alcohol/Vol: 43%, Ingredients: Glacier water, highland barley, peas.”

EB: Surprised to learn that peas are used in both this Baijiu and Whiskey, a new ingredient for me. (I looked up why peas are used and found that dried peas mixed with barley create a natural yeast.) Baijiu is also new to me. So here goes! There is no color, the spirit is clear and clean. The nose reminded me of Sake just a bit, with a little more umami, mushroom, soy, slight Asian pear – and wet stones in what I picture in my mind to be a meticulously designed garden. But I digress…let me get back and describe the flavor which had lots of wood notes, dried fruit, plenty of heat and a spicy mouthfeel. This is another spirit that would wow people unfamiliar with it. I would love this with Asian food. 

Tibetu Whiskey: From the website, Tibetu Whisky is carefully blended from 3 – 5-year-old premium base liquor, combined with 2.5 – 3-year-old aged liquor with a unique aroma. This product features an extremely rich fragrance, a mellow and delicate taste, a sweet and clean flavor, and a long-lasting drinking experience upon savoring. Alcohol/Vol: 43%. Ingredients: Glacier water, highland barley, peas. Triple Cask: French, Sherry and American bourbon.

https://english.002646.com/home

EB: Medium gold color, clean and clear. Similar but stronger aromas as the Tibetan Baijiu, but there is also caramelized fruit, almond, and chocolate. When I tasted the whiskey I found a lot of spices, that same sweetened fruit, and the chocolate. Very interesting. Not like any whiskey I’ve had before. A long finish is complemented by a sweet balance. Be fun in a cocktail, after trying neat. 

From Ireland

Knappogue Castle 14 YO single malt Irish whiskey, twin wood: From the website, Knappogue Castle 14 year old is the result of a marriage of 14 year old single malts aged in two types of wood: bourbon barrels and Oloroso sherry casks. It is non-chill filtered and bottled at 92 proof in limited quantities. AROMA: Notes of apple and apricot. TASTE: Rich in flavor with fruity, nutty, and vanilla notes. FINISH: Medium-long going from fruity notes to a dry, but pleasant barley finish.

https://www.knappoguewhiskey.com/

EB: Pretty amber color, clean and clear. Rich toffee notes, followed by my recollections of fresh whipped cream, hazelnuts, walnuts, and banana chips all on a sweet nose. The taste was incredibly balanced: fruit, spice, roasted nuts, and lush ripened berries on the finish – which was incredibly long. I would have this neat or on the rock. Not in a cocktail.

From Japan

Ichido Junmai Daiginjo Sake: Ichido Junmai Daiginjo is a sake produced especially for sake lovers. Using the best Gohyakumangoku rice grain from the Tohoku Region, this sake combines ethereal aromatics with a crisp texture and light aftertaste. Its refined and smooth taste blends fruity accents with a clean finish, an absolutely stunning balance. Not only a perfect match with Japanese dishes, but also an elegant accent with western-style meat dishes such as chicken sauté. Notes: This sake combines ethereal aromatics with a crisp texture and light aftertaste. Its refined and smooth taste blends fruity accents with a clean finish, an absolutely stunning balance. Not only a perfect match with Japanese dishes, but also an elegant accent with western-style meat dishes such as chicken sauté. 15% alcohol.

https://ichido-global.com/ (Note Ichido also makes a fabulous Yuzo spirit with this Japanese fruit, reminded me of Mandarin orange: https://ichido-global.com/pages/yuzu)

EB: The color of pale hay, when poured a slight number of bubbles cling to the edge of the tasting glass. Lemongrass, peach, pear, crisp apple, and floral notes greet you on the nose; followed by flavors of apple, pineapple, and umami – all delivering a very fresh taste. I enjoyed this sake with a tuna poke bowl while Eddie enjoyed with fried chicken. I look forward to having this Junmai Daiginjo again. 

From Patagonia 

La Pionera cherry distillate: La Pionera is a cherry distillate originating from the Patagonia region. It is recognized as a specialty spirit within curated, international selections. This spirit is distinct from European-style Kirschwasser and other cherry-based liqueurs like those produced in Spain. 

https://www.kawesqarspirit.cl/en

EB: There is no color, the spirit is completely clear and clean. The nose reminded me of dried red cherries, raspberries, tree bark and sweet cream; while the flavor is warm and spicy, tingly on the palate, delivering the same red fruit in a very lengthy finish. This is not a sweet liquor, but there is a mild sweetness balanced with the heat of the spice. I had it neat, and that is how I would have it again. If you do want to try in a cocktail it would lend itself well as a replacement for vodka or gin, more notably in a gin-based drink in my opinion. 

From Bulgaria 

Rakia 7 YO Grape Brandy from Seven Generations: Created entirely from hand-picked red grapes, “Seven Generations” brandy combines the nobility of 3-5 years of aging in Bulgarian oak barrels. 40% ABV. https://7gwines.com/

EB: Pretty gold color with a light edge, clear and clean. The nose delivers notes of caramel, Bananas Foster, toasted marshmallow, butterscotch hard candy, and lightly toasted wood. On the mouth it’s between a brandy and a whisky to me, with lots of spice and caramel, and a very prolonged finish. I would have this neat, in a brandy or whiskey based cocktail. This spirit, like the cherry distillate, would be fun to serve to guests to see if they could guess at what it is. 

Find on social media

#WSWAAccess #WSWAMedia #CaesarsForum #WineAndSpirits #WSWAAwards @wswaaccess @wswamedia @caesarsforum @tianyoude.liquor @Kawesqar_Spirit @IchidoGlobal @KnappogueCastleIrishWhiskey

Eve Bushman has a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET), a “certification in the first globally-recognized course” as an American Wine Specialist ® from the North American Sommelier Association (NASA), Level 1 Sake Award from WSET, was the subject of a 60-minute Wine Immersion video (over 16k views), authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and has served as a judge for the Proof Awards, Cellarmasters, LA Wine Competition, Long Beach Grand Cru and the Global Wine Awards. You can email [email protected] to ask a question about wine or spirits. Follow on Instagram and Facebook.