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Archive for the ‘Cocktails & Recipes’ Category

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Review: Canadian Club Small Batch Classic (12 Year Old)

Posted by Arctic Wolf on July 2, 2013

Classic Small batchCanadian Club Whisky is the oldest (and arguably also the most influential) Canadian Whisky brand in the world. It is sold in over 150 countries world-wide, and sales in Canada are unmatched by any other whisky brand. The company has been granted numerous Royal Warrants from Queen Victoria to Queen Elizabeth II, and it has been reported that Canadian Club was the whisky of choice when Al Capone smuggled thousands of cases of Canadian Whisky into the USA during prohibition.

Recently there have been some changes in the Canadian Club family. One of the brands which has undergone a revamping is the Canadian Club Classic (12 Years Old) which has been replaced by the Canadian Club Classic Small Batch (also 12 Years Old). The newer version of the whisky has a new bottle (shown right) and the two words, “Small Batch” have been added to the label. My understanding is the whisky is now constructed from a smaller selection of aged whisky (oak barrels) in an effort to bring a fuller flavour and more smoothness to the blend.

Old FashionedThe Alberta Beam Global team recently gave me a sample bottle to examine, and if you click the following excerpt you may read my latest review:

Review: Canadian Club Small Batch Classic (12 Year Old)

“… The initial breezes above the glass bring forward scents of caramel and oak which are melded nicely with dabs of light tobacco and spicy orange peel. As the glass breathes, I notice some rye spices and some sweet corn pushing though. The oak and tobacco scents have deepened bringing me impressions of fresh-cut cedar and honeycomb. The caramel and wood spice come together as toffee, and the orange peel has softened into marmalade …”

Please enjoy my latest review and if you happen to already have a bottle of the new Small Batch Classic, do not hesitate to make yourself a nice Old Fashioned Cocktail . You swill not be disappointed!

Posted in Canadian Whisky, Cocktails & Recipes, Whisk(e)y, Whisk(e)y Review | Tagged: , , , , , | Comments Off on Review: Canadian Club Small Batch Classic (12 Year Old)

Review: Screech Spiced 100 (Proof) Rum

Posted by Arctic Wolf on June 30, 2013

SAM_0824 Spiced Rum and GingerFamous Newfoundland Screech has recently added two new members to it family, a honey flavouerd rum (which was the subject of a previous review), and the subject of this review, Screech Spiced 100 (Proof) Rum. The new spiced rum is made from the same 4 marques of Jamaican Rum which are used to produce Screech. However, because this is a spiced rum (bottled at 50 % alcohol by volume), the treatment of these marques will necessarily be slightly different. The new family members are just now hitting the store shelves in Newfoundland and Labrador, and will soon be making their way across Canada and into parts of the USA.

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

Review: Screech Spiced 100 (Proof) Rum

“… The initial scents in the breezes are sweet and spicy with an unmistakable accent of baking spices (vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves). As the glass sits the baking spices seem to take over the glass giving the rum a rich scent similar to my mom’s cinnamon buns taken fresh from the oven. There are aromas of roasted pecans and walnuts and a little touch of baked caramel, and a nice meandering scent of marmalade making my mouth water …”

I found the Screech Spiced Rum to be a very versatile mixer and included a Spiced Rum and Ginger-ale recipe in the review for your enjoyment.

Cheers!

Posted in Cocktails & Recipes, Rum, Rum Reviews, Spiced Rum | Tagged: , , , , , | Comments Off on Review: Screech Spiced 100 (Proof) Rum

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

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