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Archive for January, 2018

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Review: Flor de Caña 5 (Añejo Clasico)

Posted by Arctic Wolf on January 19, 2018

Today I am continuing to step through the Flor de Caña line-up. Last week I reviewed their premium white rum, Flor de Caña 4 (Extra Seco) and today I will be revisiting Flor de Caña 5 (Añejo Clasico) which is also part of the Flor de Caña Premium Rum Collection.

Flor de Caña 5 is a premium aged rum with the number 5 on the label representative of the average age of the rums in the blend with some variation in the actual age based upon blending to a consistent flavour profile. According to the folks at Flor de Caña this aged spirit is suitable for traditional cocktails or to be mixed with soda. As you will see from the review, I believe it also has sipping potential as well.

Here is a link to my full review:

Review: Flor de Caña 5 Añejo Clasico

“… As the glass sits, the caramel and oak spice combine bringing me indications of toffee and baking spices (primarily nutmeg and vanilla with hints of cinnamon). I noticed bits or orange peel and marmalade, as well as a ribbon of corn whisky. A light musty grassiness winds through the rum, and I also noticed vague nutty accents which reminded me of almond and walnut …”

Please enjoy my review which concludes with two delicious cocktails, the Cuba Libre’, and the Autumn Daiquiri.

Chimo!

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The 2018 Rum Howler Awards for Vodka

Posted by Arctic Wolf on January 17, 2018

I have written before that I believe Vodka is the most maligned of the popular mainstream spirits. It is considered by many people to be a colourless, odourless, and tasteless spirit. In fact, many people believe the only utility Vodka possesses is that of a mixer.

This simply is not true. There are subtle aromas and flavours which can be appreciated when Vodka is sipped or when it is consumed as a shot. As well, when served with good food, a quality vodka has the ability to enhance the gastronomic experience by cleansing the palate between bites allowing you to taste each morsel more completely.

When I review Vodka on my website, I try very hard to convey my appreciation of these subtle nuances and the pleasure I derive when I encounter them.

Ketel One Vodka Martini

This year, I added a new Craft Distilling category to my Vodka Awards. This is in recognition of the efforts of the new Craft Micro Distilleries which have spread across the continent. These small distilleries are bringing about a change in the culture of consumers who are beginning to embrace the small batch spirits these distillers provide. Micro distilling is now more than a trend, it has become a permanent fixture in the landscape of spirits worldwide.

As is the case each year, all of my Rum Howler Awards are based upon my tastings and reviews of each vodka. I taste the spirit neat, and I may also mix a few cocktails with each spirit. All samples which I receive to review on my website are automatically considered for my awards for the year in which they are reviewed as well as the following year. I do my reviews, and then I set aside the remainder of the spirit aside until the end of the year when I reassess for the purposes of determining my award winners. As indicated, I also include those samples which were provided in the previous year so as to have a larger field to judge. (I may also receive additional industry samples specifically for these awards.)

Here is a link to my 2018 Award Winners:

The 2018 Rum Howler Awards – The Year in Vodka

Chimo!

Posted in Awards, Extras, Vodka | Tagged: , , | Comments Off on The 2018 Rum Howler Awards for Vodka

Review: Agave 99 Anejo Tequila

Posted by Arctic Wolf on January 15, 2018

Agave 99 Tequila is product of Worldwide Beverage Imports (WBI) who are located in Los Angeles California.The  number 99 represents the bottling proof for the spirit which is bottled at 49.5 % alcohol by volume. As part of the media package I was given for the anejo spirit when I received my sample were two copies of official looking certificates. These indicated that Agave 99 Tequila is considered legally ‘organic’ by both the European Union and the USDA. It was also indicated to me that the tequila is kosher and is therefore suitable for both Cinco de Mayo and for Passover.

The producing distillery (Fabrica de Tequilas Finos, S.A. De C.V.) is located in the central lowlands. The distinction between agave produced in the lowlands instead of the highlands is important because lowland agave tends to carry more earthy and vegetal flavours into the final distilled product than agave grown in the highlands. These lowland characteristics should be even more assertive than usual given the high bottling proof of the spirit.

Here is a link to my full review:

Review: Agave 99 Anejo Tequila

” … As the Anejo spirit entered my mouth I noticed two very different aspects of flavour. The first was a firm butterscotch sweetness, and the second sensation was the sharp taste of herbaceous pepper which gave this spirit real bite …”

Please enjoy the review which includes a nice cocktail recommendation, the Fearful Yellow Eye.

Chimo!

 

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Review: Flor de Caña 4 (Extra Seco)

Posted by Arctic Wolf on January 12, 2018

Over the next few weeks I am going to be stepping through the Flor de Caña line-up all the way to their recently released Flor de Caña 25. I am going to start this step through at the lower rungs of the ladder with the Flor de Caña 4 (Extra Seco) which is part of the Flor de Caña Premium Rum Collection.

Flor de Caña 4 Extra Seco is a premium white rum with the number 4 on the label representative of the average age of the rums in the blend with some variation in the actual age based upon blending to a consistent flavour profile. Although the rums within the blend have been aged, they are filtered clear making the spirit suitable for mixed drinks and short cocktails.

Here is a link to my full review:

Review: Flor de Caña 4 Extra Seco

“… The aroma rising up from the glass has a very gentle imprint of butterscotch with just a hint of menthol alongside. As I let the glass breathe I also begin to notice a few mushy banana-like scents, hints of grassy tobacco and the light spiciness of orange and banana peel. There is also a light astringency in the breezes which hints at oak spice and more orange peel …”

I hope you enjoy this review which concludes with my cocktail recommendation, the Canary.

Chimo!

 

 

 

Posted in Rum, Rum Reviews, White Rums | Tagged: , , , , | Comments Off on Review: Flor de Caña 4 (Extra Seco)

The 2018 RumHowler Awards for Gin

Posted by Arctic Wolf on January 11, 2018

Beginning in 2016, I began to seek out and review as many juniper based spirits as I could get my hands on. It would be true in fact, to state that in the past two years, I have been as likely to be found enjoying a nice gin cocktail as I would have been found to enjoying a nice sip of Rum or Whisky. I have learned two important things in my gin journey. The first is that gin is much more complicated than I first suspected with several divergent styles of gin being produced. The second important thing I have come to realize, is that of those styles, my preference leans towards traditional London Dry Gin with juniper at the heart of the spirit’s flavour profile.

Sentimental Bloom

That is not to say that I cannot appreciate a more floral style; but in my opinion, floral botanicals within the spirit’s construct should serve the purpose of enhancing and elevating the juniper rather than ambushing or hiding it. This means that I am sort of at odds with the current trend in North America where many of the new producers are seeking a gin with a broader botanical base, and with new flavours which serve to propel the spirit forward. The spirit which is being produced often doesn’t taste like my idea of gin at all.

As one producer even confided in me,

“I don’t really like gin, so I have made a gin that doesn’t taste like gin.”

That statement caught me off guard, but it certainly explained a lot regarding my gin experiences of the past few years.

My 2018 Rum Howler Awards for Gin are of course based upon my enjoyment, not the enjoyment of others. This means that my award winners are a celebration of the juniper berry above all other botanicals. That does not mean that floral spirits have been ignored, it just means that those floral spirits which have garnered awards, were first and foremost spirits of the cypress berry genus Juniperous.

Here is a link to my Awards page:

The 2018 Rum Howler Awards – The Year in Gin

Stay tuned for more of my Award Winners in the days to come!

Chimo!

Posted in Awards, Extras | Tagged: , , | 1 Comment »

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