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Review: Canadian Club Dock No. 57 Blackberry

Posted by Arctic Wolf on June 25, 2013

BEAM GLOBAL CANADA INC. - Canadian Club whisky renaissanceIt seems that flavour is the order of the day, and based upon the explosion of new spiced and flavoured whiskies which have hit the shelves here in Alberta, Canadian Club is not the only company to think so. Their Canadian Club Dock No. 57 Blackberry is just one of at least a dozen new spiced/flavoured Canadian whiskies which have been released in the last year. According to the Beam Global (the owners of the Canadian Club brand) press releases, their new Dock No. 57 brand

“… is poised to capitalize on recent growth trends in ready-to-drink and flavoured spirits that are giving Canadian whisky a boost and helping to open the door to new consumers – namely younger adults and women …”

The enthusiasm at Beam Global is high, and why not, as Dock No. 57 Blackberry is apparently produced by the infusion of blackberry flavour with the classic character of their own Canadian Club Whisky. And unlike many of the spiced and flavoured whiskies which have recently appeared on the landscape, the blackberry flavoured whisky is bottled at full strength (40 % alcohol by volume) ensuring that the full flavour of their Canadian Club whisky is maintained rather than being diluted.

You may click on the following excerpt to read the full review:

Review: Canadian Club Dock No. 57 Blackberry

“… The flavour is very reminiscent grape soda pop, but with strong undercurrents of menthol and ginger spice. As a straight up sipper, I just don’t see the appeal at all, but as a mixing agent in a cocktail which calls for some sort of Blackberry syrup I may be able to put this to good use …”

Please enjoy my review!

Posted in Canadian Whisky, Flavoured Whisky, Liqueur, Liqueur Review, Whisk(e)y, Whisk(e)y Review | Tagged: , , , | 2 Comments »

Review: Screech Honey Flavoured Rum

Posted by Arctic Wolf on June 23, 2013

SAM_0779 Screech HoneyFamous Newfoundland Screech can trace its ancestry back over 300 years to a time when fishing fleets from Newfoundland, with their cargo of Northern Cod and North Atlantic tuna, traveled south and established a tradition of trade with Jamaica for that elixir of the Caribbean, known as rum. This trade established Newfoundland as one of the major portals for the legal import (and of course a little illegal smuggling) of rum into Canada. There have always been a good variety of rum brands on the shelves of my local liquor store which began their journey westward across Canada from the easternmost Province of Newfoundland and Labrador; the most famous of these brands is certainly the Screech Rum.

Recently Screech has added two new members to it family, a spiced rum (which will be the subject of another review) and the subject of this review, Screech Honey Flavoured Rum. The flavoured rum is made  from the same marques of Jamaican Rum which are used to produce Screech. This is (of course) a honey flavoured rum (bottled at 35 % alcohol by volume), and so the treatment of these marques will necessarily be slightly different.

I was provided samples of the Flavoured Rum by Rocks Spirits (a division of the Newfoundland and Labrador Liquor Corporation) such that I could provide a review here on my website.

You may read the full review by clicking on the following link:

Review: Screech Honey Flavoured Rum

” Along with a firm indication of honey in the air above the glass we also notice a stronger than usual orange peel aroma rising from the glass. The honey and the orange peel do a bit of a duet in the breezes melding together to give me an image of sticky marmalade …”

Please enjoy the review and my suggested recipe for the Honey Screech, the Honey Rum Darby!

Cheers Everyone!

Posted in Cocktails & Recipes, Flavouerd Rums, Rum, Rum Reviews | Tagged: , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Review: Screech Honey Flavoured Rum

Review: Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban (12 Year Old)

Posted by Arctic Wolf on June 20, 2013

Quinta RuThe core range of Glenmorangie Distillery includes three unique extra matured whiskies, the La Santa which is a Sherry finished whisky, the Nector D’or which has a Sauternes wine finish, and the whisky which I am reviewing in this article, the Quinta Ruban, which has a Ruby Port Finish. I note that there has been a recent change in the labeling of the Quinta Ruban whisky. It now carries a 12 year age statement. Previously (when I had reviewed the whisky four years ago) the whisky carried no age statement, and the only information I could find on the website was that the whisky had matured in ex-bourbon barrels for 10 years before being finished in Port pipes. I am unsure whether the whisky is now aged longer than before in the Port pipes which brings the total aging time to 12 years, or whether the age has always been 12 years, but the current clarity of the age statement is appreciated.

You may click on the following excerpt to read my full review:

Review: Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban (12 Year Old)

“… The initial aroma in the breezes is fruity, oak filled, and stained with chocolate. I notice zesty citrus notes in the air as well as impressions of maraschino cherry and dry fruit. Oak spices seem to lift from the glass giving me indications of orange peel, and spicy pepper. As the glass sits walnuts and pecans and light scent of baking spices (vanilla, nutmeg, with hints of cinnamon) are added to the breezes …”

Please enjoy the review which includes a nice suggested cocktail, the Scottish Tiger!

Cheers Everyone!

Posted in Cocktails & Recipes, Scotch Whisky, Single Malt Whisky, Whisk(e)y, Whisk(e)y Review | Tagged: , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Review: Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban (12 Year Old)

Review: Beluga Allure Russian Vodka

Posted by Arctic Wolf on June 18, 2013

An Alluring Soldier

An Alluring Soldier

BELUGA Vodka is perhaps one of the most exclusive Vodka brands in the entire world. The Beluga line-up includes two Super-Premium Vodka brands (Beluga Russian Noble and the Beluga Transatlantic Racing Vodkas), as well as two Ultra-premium Brands (Beluga Gold Line and the Beluga Allure Vodkas). All of the Vodka is produced in a remote area of Siberia located in the town of Mariinsk which is situated in the Kemerovo Oblast of southwestern Siberia, where the West Siberian Plain meets the South Siberian Mountains. It was apparently constructed in this remote area for a very special reason, the Getreidemalz Siberian spring water which is pulled from an aquifer 250 meters below the ground. The special properties of this water (the aquifer contains quartz) are said to make it ideal for making vodka.

I have been fortunate enough to have been given samples of all four of the Vodka brands for review upon my website, and today I have come to the final review for the Ultra-premium Beluga Allure Noble Russian Vodka. (Thanks to the assistance of Thirsty Cellar Imports, who are the local distributors of Beluga Noble Vodka, I was able to receive each sample in good order).

You may click on the following link to read my latest review:

Review: Beluga Allure Russian Vodka

“… When I brought the spirit to my nose I had a hard time finding any aroma. I was hoping to catch a little wiff of maple syrup, but instead the air above the glass seemed to carry only a delicate hint of fresh bread. Perhaps there was also a vague sort of maltiness as well which gave the breezes above the glass a little sweetness …”

As part of the review I have provided two cocktail suggestions, the Russian Soldier, and my new decadent cocktail, Fulfillment!

Please enjoy my review!

Posted in Cocktails & Recipes, Vodka, Vodka Reviews | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Review: Beluga Allure Russian Vodka

Review: Sandeman Late Bottled Vintage Port Wine (2007)

Posted by Arctic Wolf on June 16, 2013

SAM_0753 Sandeman 2007 LBVThe House of Sandeman traces its history all the way back to 1790 when George Sandeman, an Scotsman from Perth, started a wine business in London. He borrowed £300 (which was quite a sum of money back then), purchased a wine cellar, and began to sell Porto and Sherry from Tom’s Coffee House in London. He expanded his company by establishing an agency in Cadiz, Spain in 1795, and by 1811, he had purchased a wine cellar in V.N. Gaia, Portugal. Although the House went public in 1952, and is no longer a family owned Wine Bodega (House), in 1990 George Sandeman (the seventh generation George Sandeman) reunited the company with the Sandeman family by becoming the managing director. In June 2002, Sandeman became part of the Sogrape Group who also own the Port companies Ferreira and Offley.

Sandeman Late Bottled Vintage Ports are produced from the grapes of a single year. The resulting wine is aged for about four years, and then bottled following a slight tuning when it is deemed mature. According to the Sandeman website, their LBV wine is ready to be consumed directly from the bottle, although it may contain some sediment if left unopened for a longer spell.

(Note: I was provided a sample bottle of Sandeman Late Bottled Vintage Port Wine (2007) by Charton Hobbes, who are responsible for its importation here in Alberta.)

You may click on the following excerpt to read the full review:

Review: Sandeman Late Bottled Vintage Port Wine (2007)

“… I nosed and sipped very sparingly on my glass and discovered that it took about 20 minutes for the glass to begin to bring forward a fruit filled bouquet of Bing cherries and ripe red raspberries, although that mineral quality I noticed earlier clung resolutely to the breezes as well. Very faintly, I notice some nice plums and raisin meandering within the scents of the bursting red fruit …”

Please enjoy the review and for those Dads reading my blog, Happy Father’s Day!

Posted in Dessert Wine Review, LBV Port, Wine Reviews - Port | Tagged: , , , , , | Comments Off on Review: Sandeman Late Bottled Vintage Port Wine (2007)

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