Posted by Arctic Wolf on June 13, 2013
Cabot Tower is situated on Signal Hill in St. John’s, which is of course the capital city of Newfoundland and Labrador. Construction of this historic Canadian monument began in 1898 as the tower was built to commemorate the 400th anniversary of John Cabot’s discovery of Newfoundland, as well as to celebrate Her Majesty Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee. Today, Cabot Tower is the feature attraction of the Signal Hill National Historic Site of Canada, and if you travel to St. John’s you can visit the interpretive center therein and/or enjoy the scenic walking trails with a surrounding view which overlooks St. John’s Harbour.
Of course if you do happen to be in St. John’s (and you want to have a nice drink of rum) then you might also want take a stroll down George Street which is lined from top to bottom with Pubs and Restaurants where everyone’s drink of choice seems to be rum. One of the rum brands you are sure to encounter in those pubs and restaurants is the namesake of that famous tower, Newfoundland and Labrador’s own, Cabot Tower 100 Proof Rum Demerara Rum.
The Cabot Tower Rum is a 100% Demerara blended rum (distilled and aged in Guyana). This Guyanese rum is shipped in bulk to Canada where at the facilities of Newfoundland and Labrador Liquor Corporation (NLC), it is bottled at a full 50 % alcohol by volume (100 Proof) for Rocks Spirits, the brand owner.
You may click on the following excerpt to read my full review:
“… After I give the glass some time to relax, I notice the nose reflects the rum’s colour as obvious notes of rich Demerara sugar rise up with hints of red cinnamon, cloves and black licorice imbedded in the rum’s sweetness. As the glass sits even longer, impressions of expensive cigars and hints of a pungent leathery mustiness seem to be residing in the air alongside that spicy sweetness …”
Of course I could not resist suggesting a few cocktails at the end of the review including an overproof Cuba Libre’ and my new recipe, Zombie Apocalypse.
Cheers Everyone!
Posted in Cocktails & Recipes, Dark Rums, Overproof Rum, Rum, Rum Reviews | Tagged: Apocalypse, Cabot Tower, Cocktails, Cuba Libre, Dark Rum, Newfoundland Labrador Liquor Corporation, Newfoundland Rum, Overproof Rum, Rum, Rum Review, Signal Hill, St. John's, Zombie | Comments Off on Review: Cabot Tower 100 Proof Demerara Rum
Posted by Arctic Wolf on June 11, 2013
Double Cross Vodka is handcrafted in small batches at a family run distillery located just outside the 13th century village of Stará Ľubovňa located in the Tatra Mountains of northeastern Slovakia. The vodka is produced from organically grown winter wheat (apparently estate grown without the use of pesticides, herbicides, or chemical fertilizers) and purified spring water which is pulled from an aquifer located 200 meters below the ground. It is distilled in a seven-step, column-still process, and there are also seven filtration steps which include the use of active charcoal and limestone.
Double Cross Vodka has been in the Canadian market for about a year (in the Province of Ontario), and recently Woodman Wine and Spirits, (who are the exclusive agents for this brand in Ontario) sent me a bottle for review upon my website.
You may click on the following excerpt to read the full review:
“… I noticed a light lemon scent in the breezes above my shot-glass as well as a sort of vague unidentifiable sweetness. When the Vodka was sipped, a very light lemon/balsam flavour was apparent as were hints of citrus zest and a ‘rye-like’ spiciness which built upon the palate with each sip. I found the Vodka to be remarkably clean, but it also contained nuances of flavour and spice which made it ideal for sipping …”
Please enjoy the review as well as my new cocktail creation, the Yellowbird of Sunshine, which follows.
Posted in Cocktails & Recipes, Vodka, Vodka Reviews | Tagged: Cocktails, Double Cross Vodka, Super Premium Vodka, Vodka, Vodka Review | Comments Off on Review: Double Cross Vodka
Posted by Arctic Wolf on June 9, 2013
Canada Gold Whisky has proven to be a hard whisky to get my hands on. I first encountered it when I was one of the judges for the Canadian Whisky Awards, but all of my attempts to retrieve a bottle for review seemed thwarted as the product appears to have only a limited production in the Province of Ontario. It is produced at the Forty Creek Distillery (formerly Kittling Ridge Estate Wines & Spirits), the same distillery that produces Forty Creek Whisky, but I have noticed recently that the Forty Creek website no longer mentions this brand as a core product. My persistence finally paid of a few months ago, when a friend of mine in Ontario emailed me and said that he had found a bottle and was willing to share it with me. I received my portion of the bottle when another mutual friend was travelling and brought me 200 ml which had been drawn from the bottle.
Canada Gold is a value priced whisky produced at 40 per cent alcohol by volume (mainly for the Ontario Market).
You may click on the excerpt to tread the full review:
“… The aroma rising up out of the glass surprised me by its moderate complexity. Butterscotch and wood spice mix with dank tones of corn in the breezes above the glass. I sense some spicy tobacco and pleasant rye spice drifting into the breezes as well. Within all of this is a gentle sweep of vanilla …”
Please enjoy this review, which includes a recipe suggestion based upon the popular Cuba Libre’ Cocktail. When I mix this cocktail with Canadian Whisky instead of rum, I call it the Free Spirit.
Cheers Everyone!
Posted in Canadian Whisky, Cocktails & Recipes, Whisk(e)y, Whisk(e)y Review | Tagged: Canada Gold, Canadian Whisky, Cocktails, Forty Creek Distillery, Free Spirit, Whisky, Whisky Review | Comments Off on Review: Canada Gold Whisky
Posted by Arctic Wolf on June 5, 2013
The Black Velvet brand has a long history in North America, originally produced at the Schenley Distillery in Valleyfield, Quebec in the late 1940s. The whisky was initially called Black Label; but because of its perceived smoothness, the producers soon changed the name to Black Velvet. It has been a staple of the Canadian whisky scene ever since and is now produced at the Black Velvet Distillery (also called the Palliser Distillery) in Lethbridge, Alberta.
Black Velvet Deluxe is available both in Canada and in the USA (and apparently in parts of Europe). However, the bottlings for the different markets are not necessarily the same. The whisky available in Canada may actually be slightly older than the whisky available in the foreign markets. The bottle I have reviewed is the one available in my locale (in Alberta, Canada). It does not carry an age statement; but I have been told the whisky in this particular bottle is about 4 to 6 years old.
Three and a half years have passed since I first reviewed Black Velvet Deluxe. About three weeks ago, I decided that revisiting this classic Canadian whisky to see how time and experience have impacted my perceptions. You may read the resulting review by clicking on the following excerpt:
“… The entry into the mouth brings forward that same impression of a whisky with a strong dusty dry rye character which is lightly sweet, and lightly fruity. I taste butterscotch at the front end which is followed quickly by citrus fruit (orange peel and lemon zest) and light vanillins. Then the clean rye spices begin to assert themselves across my palate …”
Please enjoy my revisit to Black Velvet Deluxe Canadian Whisky which includes a revisit to my own Canadian Caribou Cocktail.
Have a great day everybody!
Posted in Canadian Whisky, Cocktails & Recipes, Whisk(e)y, Whisk(e)y Review | Tagged: Black Velvet Distillery, Black Velvet Whisky, Canadian Caribou, Canadian Whisky, Cocktails, Whisky, Whisky Review | Comments Off on Review: Black Velvet Deluxe Canadian Whisky
Posted by Arctic Wolf on June 4, 2013
The Khortytsa Distillery is located in the City of Zaporizhzhia, in the south of Ukraine. The facility is relatively new, and its first distilled products were rolled out in December of 2003. According to the company website, the distillery uses only high quality grain spirits produced by Ukraine’s best factories for vodka manufacturing. Although the facility and the brand are relatively new, they have made a significant impact in the global market where today as Khortytsa is found in 85 countries worldwide. The brand was recently introduced into Canada, and I was recently asked by the local importer, Ukrainian Drinks Ltd. to provide a few reviews of some of their selected products.
The Khortytsa Structured Vodka is produced using what the company calls ‘structured water’ which apparently has similar properties to the water within the human body and allows the Vodka to be more easily digested (at least according to the pressers I have read). The Khortytsa brand also boasts that its Structured Vodka has been certified “Organic” by the EU (European Union), and certified “kosher” by the Orthodox Union (Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America).
You may read my full review by clicking on the following excerpt:
“… When the Vodka was raised to my nose I noticed very delicate notes of lime zest and spice. As I sipped it, the impression upon my palate was of citrus zest with hints of lemon, spicy white pepper and cloves. All of us at the mini-tasting agreed the vodka was clean and very smooth with no detrimental aftertaste …”
Please enjoy the review, and do indulge in my newest recipe suggestion,the Bluebird of Happiness.
Posted in Cocktails & Recipes, Vodka, Vodka Reviews | Tagged: Bluebird of Happiness, Cocktails, Khortytsa, Structured, Ukranian Vodka, Vodka, Vodka Review | Comments Off on Review: Khortytsa Structured Vodka
The Rum Howler Blog 