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Archive for the ‘Cocktails & Recipes’ Category

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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

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 »

Review: Kōloa Kaua`i White Hawaiian Rum

Posted by Arctic Wolf on September 2, 2010

 

Olokele Sugar Mill on the Gay & Robinson Plantation: Photo Courtesy Jeanne Toulon (Kōloa Rum Company)

Kōloa Kaua`i White Hawaiian Rum is a white rum produced fresh from a 1210 gallon copper pot still with no barrel aging.  The actual base material for the distillation is not molasses, but rather the Gay and Robinson Plantation crystallized sugar.  I am told that the sugar has a higher than normal molasses content, and having been given a sample of the raw sugar, indeed it carries forward a wonderful molasses aroma.  From this distillate, and using the vintage copper pot still, all of the Kōloa Rum is made in a batch style.  The resulting white rum is about as pure as rum can be,  bottled fresh with no barrel aging.

This style of rum is unusual for me to taste and sample as most white rums I have reviewed here on my blog are aged rums which have been filtered clear. The fact that this rum is bottled fresh means that we are getting a glimpse into the unaged and unaltered structure of Kōloa Rums.

Here is an Excerpt from my review:

“…I taste a pleasing combination of light peppery spice and the vegetal tones one gets from a spirit bottled fresh from the still. Banana peel, a ribbon of mild anise,  and lime accents swim in the currents of a very light honeyed rummy caramel…”

You may read the full review here:

Review: Kōloa Kaua`i White Hawaiian Rum

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

Review: Century Reserve (Lot 1525) Canadian Rye Whisky

Posted by Arctic Wolf on August 28, 2010

Somewhere in the Highwood Distillery barrel aging warehouse is a darkened corner where all of the oak barrels are all stamped “Lot 1525“.  This  corner contains the oldest whisky in the entire facility,  with the age of the whisky inside the barrels ranging  from 15 to 25 years. (It has been hinted to me that some of these barrels contain whisky that is perhaps even older!)  These whisky barrels were originally part of the consignment of whisky acquired when Highwood purchased the Potter’s Distillery in 2005.  As such, these are barrels of whisky produced from a corn-based distillation by the old Potters Distillery, in Kelowna British Colombia. The barrels made the journey to the Highwood facility in 2005 and have been sitting in the darkened corner waiting for the right moment to be tapped and bottled.  From this darkened corner, the Master Blender has carefully chosen just the right barrels, and then just as carefully blended the wonderful elixir within to create a blend of whisky which contains the distillery’s most prized aged whisky, the Lot1525 Century Reserve Custom Blend Canadian Rye Whisky.

I was inside the Highwood warehouse this past February, and I captured a few pictures of the aging barrels stacked four levels high standing row upon row. I remember the wonderful aroma of the ‘angels share’ permeating the facility, offering me a gentle intoxication if only I were to stay a little longer. Wisely, I headed to the door before I was subdued completely. Perhaps, one day I will return and stay just a little longer; but, for now I am content to carry the memory of that heady aroma in my mind.

Here is an excerpt from my review of the Review: Century Reserve (Lot 1525) Canadian Rye Whisky:

“…Smooth, clean and luxurious right through to the finish.  The faintest touches of honey and bourbon vanilla trail down the throat followed by the gentle burn of rye and oak spice.  This is one of the most luxurious, mellow finishes in all of Canadian whisky…”

You may read the full review here:

Review: Century Reserve (Lot 1525) Canadian Rye Whisky

Posted in Canadian Whisky, Cocktails & Recipes, Whisk(e)y, Whisk(e)y Review | Tagged: , , , , | Comments Off on Review: Century Reserve (Lot 1525) Canadian Rye Whisky

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