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Archive for the ‘Extras’ Category

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Rum Howler 2016 Top 50 Mixing Rums Countdown #22 – Lemon Hart One Hundred British Proof

Posted by Arctic Wolf on December 3, 2016

2016rum_howler_badgeLemon Hart is an iconic rum brand with roots which stretch back to the late 18th century when Mr. Lemon Hart began to supply rum to the British Royal Navy. By 1804, production of his “Lemon Hart Rum” was moved from his small merchant office in Cornwall, England to a larger facility in London. Over 150 years later the production of the blend had shifted to the Hiram Walker Distillery in Ontario, Canada.

LemonHart_BottleRendering750_NEWTrue to its roots as a Navy Rum, the brand remained a Demerara blended rum with the bulk of the blend shipped from Guyana to the Hiram Walker Distillery where it was aged and blended with a small amount of Canadian Rum (1.5 %) for tax purposes.

The Lemon Hart Original One Hundred British Proof Reserve Rum is a full British 100 proof offering (57.1 % alcohol by volume), developed for the brand owner, Mosaiq under the direction of former Hiram Walker Master Blender, Mike Booth.

Here is a link to the number 22 spirit in my Rum Howler 2016 Top 50 Mixing Rums Countdown:

#22 – Lemon Hart One Hundred British Proof

“… I am quite enthusiastic about the Lemon Hart Original One Hundred British Proof Reserve Rum. This rum has a concentrated, complex flavour profile which combines a bevy of heated spice with rich vanillans, brown sugars and fruit. I found the rum was quite nice over ice, and that strong assertive spicy flavour also works great in tiki style cocktails as well …”

Stay tuned for more mixing rum revelations as I will be adding to this list each day until Christmas Eve.

And you can follow the rankings by bookmarking this page:

The Rum Howler 2016 Top 50 Mixing Rums Countdown

Posted in Awards, Dark Rums, Extras, Rum, Rum Reviews | Tagged: , , , , , | Comments Off on Rum Howler 2016 Top 50 Mixing Rums Countdown #22 – Lemon Hart One Hundred British Proof

Rum Howler 2016 Top 50 Canadian Whisky Countdown: #22 – Ninety 5 Year Old

Posted by Arctic Wolf on December 3, 2016

rum-howler-top-50-2016

Just before the massive disruption caused by flooding during the summer of 2013 in Southern Alberta, Highwood Distillers released a limited quantity of their new “Ninety” branded whiskies under their Century Distillers banner. The news of these whisky releases was unfortunately drowned out (quite literally) by the waters that engulfed Southern Alberta. If you followed the news regarding the aftermath of the flood (see story here) you will know that it took more than a few weeks for the company to bring itself back onto its feet. In fact, all of the bottled inventory in Highwood’s warehouse had to be destroyed due to potential contamination from the water that penetrated the distillery.

ninety-5-sam_0928An unfortunate victim of all this disruption was those “Ninety” branded whiskies which temporarily disappeared from liquor store shelves as Highwood had to suspend production of this new brand in order to focus on re-establishing their other major brands across Canada. Fortunately for everyone, the brand was re-established a 5 and a 20 Year Old version.

Here is a link to my review of the number 22 spirit on my Rum Howler 2016 Top 50 Canadian Whisky Countdown:

#22: Ninety 5 Year Old Canadian Rye Whisky

“… As the glass breathes, the wood spice and corn each seem to build with equal intensity. Although the mouth becomes heated with impressions of citrus zest, ginger and spice; the whisky remains soft and sippable with the underlying sweetness of corn and butterscotch providing a perfect complement to the spice …”

Stay tuned as the countdown continues on tomorrow with the number 21 Canadian Whisky. Chimo!

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* You may follow my Canadian Whisky Countdown by bookmarking this link:

The Rum Howler – Top 50 Canadian Whiskies of 2016

Posted in Awards, Canadian Whisky, Extras, Whisk(e)y, Whisk(e)y Review | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Rum Howler 2016 Top 50 Canadian Whisky Countdown: #22 – Ninety 5 Year Old

Rum Howler 2016 Top 50 Mixing Rums Countdown #23 – Bacardi Oakheart

Posted by Arctic Wolf on December 2, 2016

2016rum_howler_badgeBacardi’s Oakheart Smooth Spiced Rum is one of those rare spiced spirits which shows firm signs of age in the glass. It is produced from a blend of column distilled rums which have been matured in charred oak barrels. This aged rum is then spiced to reach a flavour profile which walks the path of a vanilla accented by fragrant spices the combination of which is meant to compliment the aged rum but not to dominate it.

Oakheart and ColaHere is a link to the number 23 spirit in my Rum Howler 2016 Top 50 Mixing Rums Countdown:

#23 – Bacardi Oakheart Spiced Rum

“… I mixed a standard Spiced Rum and Cola with lots of ice. I have to admit that this relatively simple bar drink really surprised me. The spice really ‘popped’ on my palate with flavours of cinnamon, and baking spices making a very positive impression in the cola. In fact, I found myself mixing my Oakheart and Cola frequently over the next several days, and each time I was more impressed than the last …”

In mixed cocktails, the Bacardi Oakheart shines, and it seems each time I sample the spiced rum I became more impressed. This spirit has character which only comes from the time spent in an oak barrel, and this aged character adds real depth to cocktails and bar drinks.

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Stay tuned for more mixing rum revelations as I will be adding to this list each day until Christmas Eve.

And you can follow the rankings by bookmarking this page:

The Rum Howler 2016 Top 50 Mixing Rums Countdown

Posted in Awards, Extras, Rum, Rum Reviews | Tagged: , , , , | Comments Off on Rum Howler 2016 Top 50 Mixing Rums Countdown #23 – Bacardi Oakheart

Run Howler 2016 Top 50 Canadian Whisky Countdown: #23 – Crown Royal XO

Posted by Arctic Wolf on December 2, 2016

rum-howler-top-50-2016Crown Royal® recently made an addition to its portfolio of Canadian Whiskies (January 16, 2014)) with the introduction of Crown Royal XO, which they have promoted as an “ultra-premium blended Canadian whisky”.  The whisky was crafted by Crown Royal Master Blender, Andrew MacKay and according to the fact sheet I was sent, it is a blend of more than 50 of Crown Royal’s finest whiskies which are finished in cognac casks from the French Limousin Forest.

According to Mr. MacKay:

sam_2662“The ultra-premium nature of Crown Royal XO and the smoothness of the liquid can be attributed to the handcrafted approach we took while creating the unique blend. We’re looking forward to sharing this special blend with adults across the country and encourage them to incorporate it into their celebrations of extraordinary moments and events.”

Here is a link to my review of the number 23 spirit on my Rum Howler 2016 Top 50 Canadian Whisky Countdown:

#23: Crown Royal XO

“… As the glass sat I began to sense some of that typically punky Crown Royal sweet corn aroma along with a few slightly musty ripe corn cobs alongside some spicy grain. I searched for an indication of the Cognac Cask enhancement and found a few apple scents wandering in the air and some very light indications of dry raisins …”

Stay tuned as the countdown continues  tomorrow with the number 22 Canadian Whisky. Chimo!

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* You may follow my Canadian Whisky Countdown by bookmarking this link:

The Rum Howler – Top 50 Canadian Whiskies of 2016

Posted in Awards, Canadian Whisky, Extras, Whisk(e)y, Whisk(e)y Review | Tagged: , , , , , , | Comments Off on Run Howler 2016 Top 50 Canadian Whisky Countdown: #23 – Crown Royal XO

Rum Howler 2016 Top 50 Mixing Rums Countdown #24 – Pumpkin Face White Rum

Posted by Arctic Wolf on December 1, 2016

2016rum_howler_badgePumpkin Face Rum is a brand of rum being distributed in Canada by Pure Global Imports. The rum inside the cool looking pumpkin shaped bottles is marketed as an ‘ultra premium’ Dominican Rum, bottled at 40 % alcohol by volume. The brand is owned by, Itsko Imports Inc of Beverly Hills, California.

SAM_0980 Pumpkin Face DaiquiriAccording to the Pumpkin Face Website:

“The pumpkin is a symbol of celebration to people around the world. The origin of the pumpkin can be traced to North American seeds dating back to 7000 BC. The word pumpkin comes from the word “pepon”, which is Greek for “large melon” and later changed by American colonists to “pumpkin”. Colonists would often slice off the pumpkin top, remove the seeds, and fill it with cream, honey, eggs and spices. They cooked the pumpkin in hot ashes until blackened then enjoyed its contents.”

Here is a link to the review of the Number 24 spirit on my Rum Howler 2016 Top 50 Mixing Rums Countdown:

#24 – Pumpkin Face White Rum

“… I began with a Daiquiri, and I was impressed enough to build another. The lightly sweet characteristic of the rum melded beautifully with the lime resulting in a cocktail which contained whispers of butterscotch sweetness within a tart citric spiciness. I moved on to a Cuba Libre’ next, and was similarly impressed. Again it was that faint butterscotch flavour which seemed to allow the rum to meld with the cola bringing great enjoyment to the bar drink …”

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Stay tuned for more mixing rum revelations as I will be adding to this list each day until Christmas Eve.

And you can follow the rankings by bookmarking this page:

The Rum Howler 2016 Top 50 Mixing Rums Countdown

Posted in Awards, Extras | Tagged: , , , , | Comments Off on Rum Howler 2016 Top 50 Mixing Rums Countdown #24 – Pumpkin Face White Rum

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