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Archive for the ‘Cocktails & Recipes’ Category

Review: Caribou Crossing Single Barrel Canadian Whisky

Posted by Arctic Wolf on September 27, 2012

Although Canadian whisky by volume is the best-selling whisky in the USA, the perception of this class of whisky (amongst spirits writers and whisky critics) is that the Canadian spirit is perhaps thin and uninteresting, (fortunately the millions of people who buy whisky appear to be much more impressed than the critics and writers). The landscape however, appear to be changing, especially at the premium end of the whisky market, where the Canadian spirit has seen strong growth in market share. Recognizing this trend, the Sazerac Company has recently made a push towards the premium end of the Canadian Whisky market with two new releases, Caribou Crossing and Royal Canadian Small Batch Canadian Whiskies.

Caribou Crossing is what is known as a Single Barrel Whisky. From the company’s inventory of over 200,000 barrels of Canadian whisky, Sazerac’s whisky making team selects what they deem to be some of the very finest barrels. Each of these chosen barrels is bottled individually capturing its unique flavour. This means that each individual barrel offers a unique taste experience for the Canadian whisky connoisseur. I was fortunate enough to have been sent a sample bottle from the good folks at Charton Hobbs who are marketing this unique whisky for Sazerac, here in Alberta.

Here is an excerpt from my review:

“… This is a whisky which grows a little in the glass as you let it breathe. The oak and the rye grain seem to gain strength as sawdust and rye husks fill the breezes above the glass. Fresh corn on the cob rises into those breezes; and impressions of butterscotch pudding and vanilla ice cream tempt me into taking my first sip… “

You may read the full review here;

Review: Caribou Crossing Single Barrel Canadian Whisky

Please enjoy my review, and my cocktail suggestion, the Canadian Rye Sazerac.

Cheers!

Posted in Canadian Whisky, Cocktails & Recipes, Whisk(e)y, Whisk(e)y Review | Tagged: , , , , , | Comments Off on Review: Caribou Crossing Single Barrel Canadian Whisky

Review: Magic Moments Remix Green Apple Flavoured Vodka

Posted by Arctic Wolf on September 26, 2012

Yesterday, I introduced the Magic Moments Remix Flavoured Vodkas which are triple distilled grain spirits from Radico Khaitan Ltd. (Radio Cask), one of India’s oldest and largest liquor manufacturers. (Radico Khaitan was formerly known as the Rampur Distillery which was established in 1943.) I was sent a sample of each remix flavour earlier in the summer and asked if I could review each flavour on my website to published approximately as the line-up was launched across Canada.

AA Impex Ltd. has recently began to import the Magic Moments Vodka and the Remixes from India into Canada. The information I received indicates that the flavoured Remix Vodkas are distilled from 100 % rice grain and that only natural ingredients are used to produce the Remix Flavours. Today’s review is the Magic Moments Remix Green Apple Flavoured Vodka. Like all of the Remix flavours I was sent, it is bottled at 37.5 % alcohol by volume.

Here is an excerpt from my review:

“… As soon as I opened the bottle I could detect a distinct green apple scent. My friends Connie and Lukasz who were with me for my first tasting practically squealed with delight when they brought the glasses to their noses as they each love the aroma and the taste of green apple. The spirit is crystal clear, and that wonderful green apple aroma just never stops. There is a light hint of sweetness to the aroma and all three of us could not wait to bring our glasses up to our mouths to take a sip… “

Here is a link to the full review:

Review: Magic Moments Remix Green Apple Flavoured Vodka

Of course I constructed a couple of nice cocktails with this new flavour, a Green Apple Darby, and a Green Apple and Tonic.

Please enjoy the review and my new cocktails!

Posted in Cocktails & Recipes, Flavoured Vodka, Vodka, Vodka Reviews | Tagged: , , , , , , | Comments Off on Review: Magic Moments Remix Green Apple Flavoured Vodka

Review: Magic Moments Remix Lemongrass and Ginger Flavoured Vodka

Posted by Arctic Wolf on September 25, 2012

Magic Moments Remix Flavoured Vodkas are triple distilled grain spirits from Radico Khaitan Ltd. (Radio Cask) who is one of India’s oldest and largest liquor manufacturers. (Radico Khaitan was formerly known as the Rampur Distillery which was established in 1943.) The Magic Moments brand was launched in November of 2005, and quickly became India’s fastest growing deluxe vodka brand, and since then the company has also introduced 6 new vodka flavors or ‘remixes’, each bottled at 37.5 % alcohol by volume. These remix flavours are, Green Apple, Lemon, Orange, Chocolate, Raspberry, and Lemongrass and Ginger. All of these remix flavours have been recent award winners at the International Spirits Challenge and Monde Selection Award 2011. Here is a link to the Magic Moments Website where you wish you can learn more.

AA Impex Ltd. has recently began to import the Magic Moments Vodka and the Remixes from India into Canada. They sent me samples of each spirit such that they could be reviewed here on my website. This, of course, is the review for the Magic Moments Remix Lemongrass and Ginger Flavoured Vodka.

Here is an excerpt from my review:

“… Once poured, the flavoured vodka displays a very obvious lemon scent. I liken this scent to the smell of lemon drop candies.  There is a bit of an herbaceous tinge to the aroma, similar to what I have likened in the past to sweetgrass. I suspect these are the grassy overtones of lemongrass and the pungent spiciness of ginger… “

Here is a link to the full review:

Review: Magic Moments Remix Lemongrass and Ginger Flavoured Vodka

Of course I made a few cocktails with this wonderful remix, one suggested by the Importer called Oriental Ale, and my cocktail called the Meadowland Breeze.

Please enjoy this review and the cocktails that follow, Cheers!

Posted in Cocktails & Recipes, Flavoured Vodka, Vodka, Vodka Reviews | Tagged: , , , , , , | Comments Off on Review: Magic Moments Remix Lemongrass and Ginger Flavoured Vodka

Review: Royal Canadian Small Batch Canadian Whisky

Posted by Arctic Wolf on September 21, 2012

According to the information sent to me by Sazerac, Canadian whisky is a very big deal in the USA, accounting for sales of roughly 100 million liters of spirits. In fact, Canadian Whisky is responsible for a whopping 11.6 % of the overall spirits market in the USA. Although it has been popular for spirits writer’s and whisky critics to disregard the Canadian Whisky category, the truth is that North America has seen growth in sales of the premium and super-premium categories of Canadian Whisky over the last several years. Sazerac has been a participant in this growth with the launch of their new Single Barrel Canadian Whisky, Caribou Crossing, and their new Small Batch Canadian Whisky, Royal Canadian Small Batch.

The Royal Canadian Small Batch whisky has been constructed from a very small selection (50 barrels) of carefully chosen Canadian whisky barrels. Bottled at 40 % alcohol by volume, this is a 4 grain whisky which was blended from those selected barrels to not only have the smoothness traditionally associated with Canadian whisky; but to also carry robust taste profile forward for the whisky connoisseur.

I was fortunate enough to have been sent a sample bottle from the good folks at Charton Hobbs who are marketing this unique whisky for Sazerac, in Alberta.

Here is an excerpt from the resulting review:

“… The whisky sends an initial display of light oak, sweet butterscotch, and punky caramel corn into the breezes above the glencairn glass. As the whisky breathes, I notice some wood spices and sticky maple wandering upwards joined by vanilla and light almond accents. There is a fruitiness in the air represented by light impressions of dry fruit (plums and apricots), some fresh berries, and a little citrus zest, all of which seem to meld into that sticky maple aroma giving me impressions of freshly opened cans of apricots and pears… “

Here is a link to the full review:

Review: Royal Canadian Small Batch Canadian Whisky

As part of the review I designed a nice cocktail for this whisky called the Sazerac Splash. I hope you enjoy the cocktail and of course. I hope you enjoy my review!

Cheers!

Posted in Canadian Whisky, Cocktails & Recipes, Whisk(e)y, Whisk(e)y Review | Tagged: , , , , | Comments Off on Review: Royal Canadian Small Batch Canadian Whisky

Review: M2 Magic Moments Vodka

Posted by Arctic Wolf on September 18, 2012

M2 Magic Moments Vodka is a triple distilled rice grain spirit from Radico Khaitan Ltd. (Radio Cask) who is one of India’s oldest and largest liquor manufacturers. (They were formerly known as the Rampur Distillery which was established in 1943.) The Vodka was launched in India in November of 2005, and it quickly became India’s fastest growing deluxe brand vodka. However, it is not just in India that this spirit has received accolades. Since 2008, Magic Moments Vodka has been a regular recipient of a gold medal for overall quality at Monde Selection in Belgium.

The M2 Magic Moments Vodka sent to me for review was bottled at 42.8 % alcohol by volume. It is distilled from grain rice, and blended with imported grain spirits from France. According to the information presented to me only a small amount of imported spirit is used, and this portion is also a rice based spirit. This makes the Magic Moments Vodka the first 100 % rice vodka I have ever tasted.

AA Impex Ltd. has recently began to import M2 Magic Moments Vodka (and the flavoured Remixes) from India into Canada. Earlier this summer I was sent samples of each spirit to review here on my website. These products have just began to arrive in Canada, and I have been told that the plans are for the entire line-up to be available not just in Alberta, but across the country. (Hopefully they will be available in the USA as well.) You may visit the Magic Moments Website where you wish you can learn more.

Here is an excerpt from my review:

“… The M2 Vodka sample was lightly creamy and displayed some obvious citrus notes on the nose. There seemed to be a light spiciness rising into the breezes. When I sipped the vodka for the first time, that spice really took form in the mouth. I am not sure if this spiciness is indicative of the rice base for the vodka, but whatever the reason for the spice, it is  a wonderfully complex spiciness which I appreciate. I seem to taste light hints of mint, and light impressions of lemon and lime zest… “

Of course I managed a few nice cocktail recipes for this nice vodka, my Vodka Daiquiri, as well as the Summertime Breeze.

Here is a link to the full review which includes recipes for these delicious cocktail:

Review: M2 Magic Moments Vodka

Please enjoy the review and the fine cocktail suggestions.

Cheers!

Posted in Cocktails & Recipes, Vodka, Vodka Reviews | Tagged: , , , , , | Comments Off on Review: M2 Magic Moments Vodka