The Rum Howler Blog

(A Website for Spirited Reviews)

  • Copyright

    Copyright is inherent when an original work is created. This means that the producer of original work is automatically granted copyright protection. This copyright protection not only exists in North America, but extends to other countries as well. Thus, all of the work produced on this blog is protected by copyright, including all of the pictures and all of the articles. These original works may not be copied or reused in any way whatsoever without the permission of the author, Chip Dykstra.

  • Cocktails and Recipes

    Click Image for Awesome Recipes

  • Industry Interviews

    Interviews

    Click the Image for Great Interviews with the Movers of Industry

  • The Rum Howler Interview (Good Food Revolution)

    Click on the Image to see my interview on Good Food Revolution

  • The Rum Howler Blog

    Unknown's avatar

  • Rum Reviews

  • Whisky Reviews

  • Gin Reviews

  • Tequila Reviews

  • Vodka Reviews

  • Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

    Join 1,092 other subscribers

  • Subscribe

  • Visitors

    • 15,537,436 pageviews since inception

  • Archives

  • Follow The Rum Howler Blog on WordPress.com

Author Archive

« Previous Entries
Next Entries »

Review: Kōloa Kaua`i Dark Hawaiian Rum

Posted by Arctic Wolf on September 16, 2010

Photo courtesy DakineImages.com/Jo Evans (http://dakineimages.com)

It was at the Rum Renaissance in Miami Florida this past May that I was first introduced to Kōloa Kaua`i Hawaiian Rum. Although The Kōloa Rum Company had been ‘up and rumming’ for only a little more than a year, the Kōloa Kaua`i Dark Hawaiian Rum garnered one of prestigious gold medals at the Rumxp Tasting Competition which was in held conjunction with the event. This was a remarkable feat considering that the license to distill alcohol had been issued only one year previous, on April 1, 2009.

I decided I had better get to know this company a little better, and after I emailed my information request, I was contacted by Jeanne Toulon, Director of Public Relations, for the Kōloa Rum Company.  Jeanne was only too happy to help me out and soon deluged me with news clippings, a cool video and as much information as she could stuff into the large brown envelope that she sent my way.  (I was even given a small sample of the crystallized brown sugar from the Gay and Robinson Plantation which is the basic raw material from which all of the Kōloa Rum is distilled. )

Photo Courtesy Jeanne Toulon (Kōloa Rum Company)

Her generosity also extended to a sample bottle of each of the rums in the Kōloa range to review at my leisure here on my blog. Sadly I have come to the last of these sample bottles, happily it is a sample of the Kōloa Kaua`i Dark Hawaiian Rum, the Gold medal winner at Rum Renaissance.

Here is an excerpt from my review:

“…The rum is gentle and brings forward initial flavours of vanilla, dark molasses, and sweet caramel. A layer of hotter spices lies underneath and warms the mouth. In particular I seem to get a nice accent of cloves which brings about a certain depth of flavour…”

You may read the full review here:

Kōloa Kaua`i Dark Hawaiian Rum

Posted in Cocktails & Recipes, Dark Rums, Flavouerd Rums, Rum, Rum Reviews | Tagged: , , , , , | Comments Off on Review: Kōloa Kaua`i Dark Hawaiian Rum

What is Rum?

Posted by Arctic Wolf on September 12, 2010

I have been engaged in various discussions of late with various individuals trying to get a grasp on the burning question:

What is Rum?

Robert Burr, from Gifted Rums, has directed me to the appropriate regulatory framework; Capn Jimbo, from The Rum Project, has offered me his insights; and even the Scotch Brand Ambassador for Highland Park, J L. Wheelock has admitted to me that he is studying the question with some interest.  You see, the answer is not as clear as the question.

The first major problem with the question, is that the answer depends upon jurisdiction. National Governments all have the right to legislate their own rules and regulations pertaining to the identification and labelling requirements of alcoholic spirits.  So to answer the question we must first choose a jurisdiction. For initial convenience, I have chosen the United States as the jurisdiction for this particular discussion page.  This means that the discussion and its conclusions may not have relevance for locales outside of the USA.

With that in mind I have done an analysis of the US regulations as they pertain to the identification and the labelling requirements of Rum. The link to these regulations can be found here.

The reason I have engaged in this possibly fruitless exercise is because I have noticed that there is a huge discrepancy in the blogosphere, and on public internet forums as to what persons believe is allowed, and what is not allowed with respect to the labelling of additives, the addition of color, the description of age statements, and the like.  I am hoping to offer clarity and to increase my understanding.

Now hopes such as these are often dashed against the rocks of intentions, and my write-up is riddled with references to legal regulations and my own conjectures.  I am not a lawyer, so my interpretations and conjectures must be treated as purely that. Perhaps I am muddying the waters rather than clarifying them.

I should also point out that I expect, as a result of the publication of my discussion,  that other interpretations may be brought forward and as such  the understanding may become somewhat fluid. As more understanding comes forward, the write-up may be revised accordingly.

So if you are brave, and if you have a lot of time on your hands, click on the link provided.

What is Rum?

Feel free to add your own comments at the bottom especially if you believe I may have missed an important key point.

Posted in Howls | Tagged: , , | 5 Comments »

Review: Johnnie Walker Black Label Scotch Whisky

Posted by Arctic Wolf on September 11, 2010

The Johnnie Walker Brand of whisky is one of the most iconic brands in all of the world. with its unique square bottle and the labels tilted a 24 degrees off-center, the company has created a strong brand image and is considered by many to be the quintessential Scottish whisky. The company was born in about 1820, and has grown steadily to become one of the most important Scottish whisky brands in the world today.

The Black Label is a blended Scotch Whisky, which is composed of up to 40 malted and grain whiskies. The origins of the blend can be traced back to 1867, when Alexander Walker copyrighted and began to bottle Old Highland Whisky. In 1909 the name of the blend was changed to Johnnie Walker Black label in reference to the color of the label which had become the generic means of identifying the blend amongst the Johnnie Walker customers.

I had a chance to get to know This Black Label Whisky and here is a sample of the review:

“…In my first tasting of Johnnie Walker Black I was impressed by the overall flavour I encountered. All of the elements which I expected to find were in the right places and at the right strength. A rich fruity sherry smoke underlain with a nice floral organic peat seemed to anchor the whisky and to carry lighter sweeter elements forward….”

You may read the  full review Here:

Review: Johnnie Walker Black Label

Posted in Scotch Whisky, Whisk(e)y, Whisk(e)y Review | Tagged: , , , | Comments Off on Review: Johnnie Walker Black Label Scotch Whisky

Review: Montanya Platino Rum

Posted by Arctic Wolf on September 9, 2010

The Montanya Tasting Room (Photo Courtesy of Montanya Distillers)

Up in the San Juan mountains of Colorado, in the heart of the High Country, 9318 feet above sea level, there sits an anomaly upon the landscape of world of rum. In this unlikely locale, far removed from the tropical climes of the Caribbean, the Montanya Distillery is open for business making their award-winning rum. I mention award-winning, because this year the distillery captured major awards at two of the most prestigious rum tasting competitions in the USA. At both the San Fransisco Worlds Spirits Competition in San Fransisco and at the Rum Renaissance – RumXP Tasting Competition in Miami, the Montanya Platino captured Gold Medals!

Photo Courtesy Montanya Distillers

Fortunately I was in Miami acting as a judge at the RumXP Tasting Competition (for those who do not know XP stands for Expert Panel), and I was able to acquire a sample bottle of the Montanya Platino rum to review on my blog.

I did a little research and discovered that all of the rum produced by Montanya Distillers is made on a small copper pot still. It is a small batch distillation which produces roughly 10 gallons of rum in each batch. When enough rum has been distilled to fill a reused whisky barrel. It is then set down to age at altitude in the small town of Silverton, Colorado for roughly 6 weeks.

Here is an excerpt from my review:

“Montanya Platino begins with a combination of honeyed caramel, bourbon vanilla and mild anise flavours on the initial palate. There is a little softness in the mouth which seems to give legs to a somewhat dank vanilla thread that runs through the rum. A touch of corn whisky stemming no doubt from the brief time in the whiskey barrels leaves a vague imprint in the rum’s flavour profile…”

You may read the full review here:

Review: Montanya Platino Rum

Enjoy the review and please remember to drink responsibly.

Posted in Cocktails & Recipes, Rum, Rum Reviews, White Rums | Tagged: , , , , | Comments Off on Review: Montanya Platino Rum

Review: The Macallan Cask Strength

Posted by Arctic Wolf on September 5, 2010

Grown on The Macallan Estate (and by special contract off of it) is The Macallan’s own special strain of barley known as Minstrel Barley. This barley is used exclusively by The Macallan Distillery to serve as a proportion of the barley mash from which their whisky is distilled. But, it is not only the barley which makes their whisky unique. The Macallan Distillery also uses special “curiously small” copper stills to distill their whisky. The smaller stills are specially made, and their unique shape in conjunction with their copper construction helps to act as a catalyst to enhance the formation of sweeter esters while at the same time minimizing impurities in the distillation.

However, that is not enough care and attention for this particular distillery. The distillation is carefully monitored and The Macallan whisky will be made from only 16 % of the resulting spirit. This is amongst the smallest percentages of distillation utilization in all of Scottish Whisky. Only the best of the distillation is selected to fill The Macallan Casks. And still, that does not satisfy their desire for ensuring The Macallan is the best possible whisky.

Aging Barrels in The Macallan Warehouse (Photo Courtesy L.J. Wheelock)

The oak casks which age the whisky have been selected from refill Sherry casks originating in Jerez Spain where they have previously held aged sherry for two years. Only these particular seasoned casks (which must be transported 2000 miles to The Macallan Estate) are considered sufficient to mature The Macallan Sherry Cask Whisky into a rich, complex spirit full of aroma and flavour.

The Macallan Website expands upon this information, and if you are curious I suggest you follow the link I have provided and take a look around. It is definitely one of the nicest and most comprehensive distillery websites I have visited.

But on to the business at hand, recently, I was given a bottle of the Macallan Cask Strength (Sherry Cask) Single Malt Whisky by Leslie J. Wheelock, the Scotch Brand Ambassador for The Macallan, Highland Park, and Famous Grouse whiskies. His hope was for an unbiased review of the whisky on my website, and it is time to begin.

Here is an excerpt from the review:

“…The whisky delivers a wallop of over-proof alcohol goodness and smokey sherry flavours as it enters the mouth.  There is an almost leathery flavour and consistency which makes the whisky seem almost chewable. Spicy oak, dried fruit, cherries, and little pockets of cinnamon Danish cascade through the palate…”

You may read the full review here:

Review The Macallan Cask Strength

Posted in Cocktails & Recipes, Scotch Whisky, Single Malt Whisky, Whisk(e)y, Whisk(e)y Review | Tagged: , , , , , | 3 Comments »

« Previous Entries
Next Entries »