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Archive for June, 2017

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Review: Captain Morgan Loconut (Flavoured Rum)

Posted by Arctic Wolf on June 30, 2017

Earlier this Spring I was sent a bottle of Captain Morgan’s newest flavoured rum, Captain Morgan Loconut. The product was described to me as a gluten-free blend of Caribbean Rum, Coconut Liqueur, Spice and Natural Flavours, and it arrived in a nifty scratch and sniff coconut shaped (and apparently scented) round rum bottle similar to the bottle used for the previously released Captain Morgan Jack-O’Blast Pumpkin Spiced and Captain Morgan Cannon Blast  Rums.A

According to the Captain Morgan Press Release:

After blasting into the shots category with CAPTAIN MORGAN Cannon Blast, CAPTAIN MORGAN LocoNut is shaking things up with its new coconut-flavored shot which comes in a coconut-shaped bottle, smells like a coconut and yeah, you guessed it, tastes like a coconut. It’s the perfect shot to enjoy responsibly with friends, co-workers, bro-conuts, fun in-laws, very friendly strangers and of course, coconut lovers …

The spirit is bottled at 20 % alcohol by volume and I was told to serve the spirit chilled in the form of a ‘Coconut Shot’.

Here is a link to my full review:

Review: Captain Morgan Loconut

“… I found the breezes above the glass pleasant and inviting, firm on the coconut with a pleasant sweetness.  This sweetness does not seem intense or overbearing, instead it seems to compliment the firm sense of coconut. I spent some time inspecting the breezes to see if I could discern any hints of spice. I noticed very light hints of baking spice (vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg) … “

Please enjoy my review, and the suggested cocktail, the Chocolate Covered Banana.

Chimo!

Posted in Flavouerd Rums, Rum, Rum Reviews | Tagged: , , , , , | Comments Off on Review: Captain Morgan Loconut (Flavoured Rum)

Review: The Irishman Founder’s Reserve

Posted by Arctic Wolf on June 28, 2017

Bernard and Rosemary Walsh began producing their own independent Irish Whiskey brands in 2007 with the introduction of The Irishman 70 (aka The Irishman Original Clan in the USA) and The Irishman – Single Malt. In 2009 they expanded the portfolio with the introduction Writers Tears, a boutique brand which was created to bring additional nuance to the Irish Whiskey Category. Although these brands are distilled and aged by a third-party distillery, Bernard and Rosemary recently opened the Walsh Whiskey Distillery and began to produce their own new-make spirit in 2016.

The subject of this review is Walsh Whiskey’s flagship brand The Irishman Founder’s Reserve. This is a direct descendant of The Irishman 70, made to the same recipe of 70 % Single Malt Irish Whiskey and 30 % Single Pot Still Whiskey (with no column distilled whiskey in the blend at all).

Here is the link to my full Review:

Review: The Irishman Founder’s Reserve

“… The immediate nose brings a nice combination of fine oak and grain spices forward with hints of ginger and orange peel in the breezes. This is quickly followed by nutty barley grain with aromas of hazelnut, almond, burlap and leather. A light sweep of vanilla with hints of baking spice (cinnamon and nutmeg) works its way into the air above the glass as do light impression of poplar and willow …”

I hope you enjoy the review, please stay tuned as next week I will take a look at the Writer’s Tears Copper Pot Irish Whiskey.

Chimo!

Posted in Irish Whskey, Whisk(e)y, Whisk(e)y Review | Tagged: , , , , , | Comments Off on Review: The Irishman Founder’s Reserve

Forty Creek Heritage

Posted by Arctic Wolf on June 26, 2017

Forty Creek Founder John Hall with some of his award winning Whiskies!

It’s that time of year again as each year in May or June, Forty Creek Whisky announces their annual special limited release whisky. This years release has been named Forty Creek Heritage, and it is an homage to their first ever, and most sought after release, Forth Creek Three Grain.

Once again the Forty Creek Distillery has invited the public to participate in this special release by offering to let you choose your own numbered bottle.

According to the press release I received yesterday, this special whisky was crafted from specially selected barrels of corn, rye, and barley whiskies.  The blended whiskies were finished in toasted American Oak barrels (as opposed to more traditionally used charred American Oak) to release more elegant vanilla flavours and to highlight the bold wood spices of the toasted oak. Less than 16,500 bottles will be released across both Canada and the United States at a retail price of $74.95.

This year the process to reserve you own special bottle is a little different from before:

How to Reserve Your Bottle:

  1. Visit www.fortycreekwhisky.com 
  2. Choose the ‘Whisky Weekend’ option from the top menu, then select the ‘Bottle Reservations’ option from the sub-menu.
  3. You will be prompted to either ‘Login’, or ‘Create an account’.  If it is your first time visiting, select the ‘Create an Account’ option and fill in the appropriate information.
  4. As part of the registration process, Forty Creek asks that you provide a mobile phone number.  This will help us to better fulfill your order on Whisky Weekend – we will be able to message you know when your bottle is ready for pickup! (I do not use a mobile phone nor do I ever disclose a phone number just to make a retail purchase so for me this may be problematic.)
  5. Once your account has been created, you will be prompted to select a number.  If your number has already been chosen by someone else, you will receive an error message and be asked to try another number.
  6. This year, you must pay a $20, non-refundable deposit to reserve your bottle.  This is to ensure that more numbers are available to be reserved by true Forty Creek fans. The $20.00 amount will be deducted from the total purchase price of your bottle of Forty Creek Heritage when you pick it up from our retail store.

THE RESERVATION WINDOW WILL BE OPEN FOR ONE WEEK, BEGINNING MONDAY JUNE 26th.

Numbers will be reserved on a first come, first served basis.  Due to provincial and federal regulations, the bottle reservation offer is only available in Ontario, Canada as unfortunately, Forty Creek cannot ship bottles, and they must be purchased and picked up at the Forty Creek distillery in Grimsby, Ontario. (I usually have a friend pick up my bottles for me.)

Normally when I get these press releases from Forty Creek, some tasting notes and a little more information about the whisky is available (such as the bottling proof) to assist the consumer in making their purchase decision. Hopefully I will soon receive little more information as well as a bottle shot to add to this posting.

Posted in Canadian Whisky, Howls, Whisk(e)y | Tagged: , | Comments Off on Forty Creek Heritage

Review: Prairie Organic Cucumber Vodka

Posted by Arctic Wolf on June 21, 2017

Prairie Organic Spirits are produced and bottled by Ed Phillips and Sons located in Princeton, Minnesota. According to the company website all of the Prairie Organic Spirits are produced using:

“single-sourced, vintage corn grown on family-owned, organic farms in the Midwest”

Additionally we are informed that each batch of Prairie Organic Spirit is distilled in small batches to a specific taste profile rather than being distilled a certain number of time to meet a specific marketing whim.

The subject of this review, Prairie Organic Cucumber Vodka is produced by blending garden fresh cucumber flavour with Prairie Organic Vodka and water. You may read my full review by clicking the link below:

Review: Prairie Organic Cucumber Vodka

“… When I bring my nose to the glass, the scent of freshly cut cucumber is obvious. There is also a  light sweetness accompanying the cucumber scent. I find the spirit enticing and my mind is already going over some mixing possibilities …”

Please enjoy my review which includes two cocktail suggestions, a Cucumber and Lime Tonic, and a Cucumber Mint Cooler.

Chimo!

 

Posted in Flavoured Vodka, Vodka, Vodka Reviews | Tagged: , , , | Comments Off on Review: Prairie Organic Cucumber Vodka

Review: Murray McDavid Nicaraguan Rum (2006) C.L.D.N.

Posted by Arctic Wolf on June 19, 2017

murray-mc-david-nicaragua-sam_3026The 2006 bottling of Murray McDavid’s C.L.D.N.  Nicaraguan Rum was distilled in Nicaragua at the at the Flor de Cana (Compañia Licorera de Nicaragua) Distillery in 1995 and set down to age in bourbon casks. At some point in the history of this rum, several casks (perhaps seven or eight) were purchased by the private bottler Murray McDavid. These casks were chosen for their character, and at some further point (approximately 2005) they were re-casked in re-used white wine (Quarts de Chaume Chenin Blanc) barrels to undergo a short period of flavour enhancement. The final rum was blended and bottled in a Limited Release Bottling numbering only 1500 bottles in 2006.  Two of these bottles found a way into my possession, and I am pleased to review the contents of one of them and share the results with you.

Here is a link to my recent review:

Review: Murray McDavid Nicaraguan Rum

“… we are able to enjoy sweet scents of butterscotch, oak spice, vanilla, and a very persistent grape-like aroma drifting upwards into the air above the glass. As the glass breathes I begin to notice additional smells of Turkish Delight, and light but firm indications of dark brown sugar and baking spices (cinnamon and hints of clove) …”

Please enjoy my review of this interesting historical rum, Chimo!

Posted in Rum, Rum Reviews | Tagged: , , , | Comments Off on Review: Murray McDavid Nicaraguan Rum (2006) C.L.D.N.

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