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Archive for the ‘Cocktails & Recipes’ Category

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Review: Tullamore Dew Irish Whiskey

Posted by Arctic Wolf on March 17, 2012

March 17 has rolled around again, and March 17 is the day of St. Patrick.

Just as I did one year ago, I have chosen an Irish Whiskey to review such that in a very small way I celebrate in the culture of the Emerald Isle. Celebrating Irish culture is a good thing; it was after all the Irish who first distilled ‘uisce beatha’, which translates from Old Irish into English as ‘the water of life’. I could go into a long and detailed etymology; but suffice it to say that ‘uisce beatha’ is probably very close to the original form of the word which would later become ‘whiskey’.

The subject of my St. Patrick’s Day review, Tullamore Dew Irish Whiskey, has a history which is traced back to 1829 when the Tullamore Distillery was founded in Tullamore, County Offaly by Michael Molloy. However, it was in 1887, after the death of Michael Molloy, that the Daly family who ran the distillery turned the daily operations over to a man named Daniel E Williams. Mr. Williams is given much of the credit for the expansion and development of the distillery and of course the whisky which bears his initials D-E-W. The Distillery’s original slogan, “Give every man his Dew” is still in use today.

Here is an excerpt from my review:

“…As I let the glass decant the oak scents wafted into the breezes scenting the air with balsam, sandalwood and ginger. Glimpses of malty sweetness rise from the glass as does a light nuttiness that reminds me of roasted walnuts. The overall effect is light and refreshing, especially as the balsam note gains a little momentum…”

You may read the full review here:

Review: Tullamore Dew Irish Whiskey

And just to top things off I have constructed a nice cocktail to help you celebrate the Day of St. Pat, The Emerald Cooler.

Please enjoy the review and my St. Patrick’s Day Cocktail!

Posted in Cocktails & Recipes, Irish Whskey, Whisk(e)y, Whisk(e)y Review | Tagged: , , , , , | Comments Off on Review: Tullamore Dew Irish Whiskey

Review: Port of Barcelona Gin

Posted by Arctic Wolf on March 15, 2012

I was going to start this review by letting everyone know that the Port of Barcelona Gin is a Spanish gin distilled at the Esmeralda Distillery in the Catalan City of Lleida, Spain at the base of the Pyrenees Mountains (where in fact they are more well-known for their Obsello Absinthe Verte distillations than for their gin).

However, I have found out that changes are as they say, afoot, with respect to the Port Of Barcelona Gin. The producers have relocated from Spain to the US and are going to be producing their absinthe and gin in the USA rather than in Spain. The company is planning to begin production in the United States later this year. I do not know if the new gin will be called Port of Barcelona Gin anymore, or whether the new gin is even likely to be the similar. And, of course, means that whatever stocks of Port of Barcelona Gin which are in the retail stores now, are likely the last of the original Spanish Stocks.

The product is being brought into my home market of Alberta by the local Importer, PB Beverages, who arranged for me to receive a sample bottle of this unique gin to review here on my website, and who assure me that stocks of the original Port of Barcelona Gin will not run out in my locale any time soon.

Here is an excerpt from my review:

“… Initially, I smell a mild piny scent that has a different sort of flair than I am used to. I suspect I am sensing the anise-like imprint of absinthe upon the gin. I also notice a sort of penetrating sweetness which is rather firm and unrelenting, as well there is some mild citrus scents running through the breezes which remind me of an orange liqueur. The floral accents above the glass are reminiscent of fresh lilacs and there seems to be a little heather in the breeze as well …”

Here is a link to my full review:

Review: Port of Barcelona Gin

And for your enjoyment I have included a cocktail suggestion, the Tom Collins.

Please enjoy the review and the cocktail suggestion!

Posted in Cocktails & Recipes, Gin, Gin Review | Tagged: , , , , | Comments Off on Review: Port of Barcelona Gin

Review: Regalia Vodka

Posted by Arctic Wolf on March 11, 2012

Regalia Vodka is produced in the Russian City of Yaroslavl. It is a wheat based Vodka produced upon from a 5 time distillation process. After distillation the vodka is processed through a series of quartz-sand and birch-charcoal filters to remove any leftover impurities. Regalia then utilizes an additional silver filtration system to bring the Vodka up to the standard which is known in Russia as ‘luxe’ grade.

My friend, Lukasz ,was gifted a bottle complete with an accompanying gift stand and 6 shot glass (see picture below) for Christmas. He could not resist the impulse bring this new spirit to my latest Vodka Tasting event to see how it would compare when sampled blind next to four other Vodkas (Proof, Tito’s, Zirkova, and Citadelle 6C) that we were sampling. We chilled all of the spirits in my freezer before the tasting, and when we sampled them, they were all approximately at a serving temperature of 1 degree Celsius.

Here is an excerpt from my review:

“… Lukasz and I both noticed a sort of yeasty bread dough like aroma arising from our glasses with light hints of citrus. The initial flavour of the Vodka tasted nice with light citrus impressions of lime and a bit of rye-like bite in the mouth… “

Here is a link to the full review:

Review: Regalia Vodka

I included three nice recipes for your enjoyment, the Pink Pussy Cat, the Screwdriver, and the Kamikaze Soda. I hope you enjoy the review and the recipes I provided!

Cheers!


Posted in Cocktails & Recipes, Vodka, Vodka Reviews | Tagged: , , , | Comments Off on Review: Regalia Vodka

Review: El Dorado Deluxe Silver 6 Year Aged Rum

Posted by Arctic Wolf on March 4, 2012

One of my very favourite of the white rums is the El Dorado 3yr Cask Aged Rum. In fact that particular rum is the highest scoring white rum on my website, and the only of these white rums (so far) which I have scored in the 90s. So it was with some excitement that I learned that Woodman Wine and Spirits was sending me a bottle of the even more premium El Dorado Deluxe Silver 6 Year Aged Rum for me to review here on my website.

This rum is meant not just to compete with the new strain of super premium white rums that have entered the market recently, it is meant to compete head to head with the super premium luxury vodkas which have garnered a good chunk of the market share in the distilled spirits category. According to the El Dorado Website, the Deluxe Silver Rum is blended from selected light to medium bodied aged rums which have been produced on Demerara Distillers’ 200-year-old wooden Coffey still (the last of its kind operating in the world today) and the company’s famous French Savalle still. The result is a fully aged, double-filtered, 6 Year Old White Rum.

Here is an excerpt from my review:

“… The initial scents rising into the breezes above the glass carried a lightly candied sweetness with very mild minty undertones. I also noticed some more complex aromas which included banana and orange peel as well as some lemon and lime citrus zest which give the rum a freshness that I quite enjoy. As well a light butterscotch accent builds up slowly over time as the glass sits…. “

You may read the full review here:

Review: El Dorado Deluxe Silver 6 Year Aged Rum

I have included a couple of nice cocktails for this rum, including a new recipe I call the Silver Celebration.

Please enjoy the review and the cocktail recipes!

Posted in Cocktails & Recipes, Rum, Rum Reviews, White Rums | Tagged: , , , , , | Comments Off on Review: El Dorado Deluxe Silver 6 Year Aged Rum

Review: Tito’s Handmade Vodka

Posted by Arctic Wolf on February 23, 2012

According to their website, Tito’s Handmade Vodka is produced at the oldest legal distillery in Texas in the City of Austin. It is a small batch Vodka produced in a pot still by Bert Butler ‘Tito’ Beveridge (yes, that is apparently his real name). According to the information on the back label of the bottle the spirit is distilled six times from grain, where only the heart of the distillation run is captured to be bottled. The product has enjoyed a remarkable growth in popularity after winning the Double Gold Medal for Vodka at the San Fransisco World Spirits Competition in 2001.

I was given a bottle of Tito’s Handmade vodka by the local distributor, Diamond Estate Wines & Spirits for the purpose of a review here on my website.

Here is an excerpt:

“… When I swallowed my first shot of the Tito’s Vodka, I was impressed that the spirit was extremely smooth and imparted no burn to my throat. There is a certain amount of spicy warmth which is imparted to the palate and to the back of the throat. A sort of lemon aftertaste persists, but it is pleasant and you could almost say that it was refreshing…”

Here is a link to the full review:

Review: Tito’s Handmade Vodka

I have included some nice cocktails with this review, The Vodka Daiquiri, The Vodka Tonic, and The Rustic Breeze.

Please enjoy the review and the accompanying cocktails!

Posted in Cocktails & Recipes, Vodka, Vodka Reviews | Tagged: , , , , | Comments Off on Review: Tito’s Handmade Vodka

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