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The Rum Howler 2016 Top 50 Canadian Whisky Countdown (#45 – #41)

Posted by Arctic Wolf on November 22, 2016

rum-howler-top-50-2016The Rum Howler 2016 Top 50 Canadian Whisky Countdown continues today with five more tasty Canadian spirits, two of which (Forty Creek Harmony, and Gibson’s Finest Bold) were released within the past two years, two of the spirits, Crown Royal De Luxe, and J.P Wiser’s De Luxe are considered flagships for their brands, and Pike Creek 10 Year Old is an experimental whisky which saw part of its maturation take place in vintage Port barrels.

I should point out the re-branding of the entire Wiser’s family of whiskies which now pay homage to the company’s founder by adding his initials J.P. to the brand name. The flagship whisky of the J.P. Wiser’s brand, J.P. Wiser’s De Luxe Canadian Rye Whisky makes a respectable showing in my countdown locking down the number 41 spot.

Here are the next five spirits in my 2016 Canadian Whisky Countdown:

forty-creek-harmony-sam_2633#45  Forty Creek Three Grain Harmony

“… The initial nose is rich with butterscotch and toffee and moderately spicy oak and tree sap.  As the glass sits two notes capture my attention, one which appeals to me strongly, a rich spicy rye note full of ginger and fresh grain, and one note which seems discordant, a sour dank fruit-filled note of fermented apricot and sour mash. I decided to allow the glass to breath for a full ten minutes to see if the two notes could come together, but in the end I remained unconvinced of the harmony. Although the triumvirate of  toffee, rye and oak spice is very appealing …”

crown-royal-sam_2753#44  Crown Royal Whisky

“… In the past this blend was very corn forward, it seems that this year (2016) more rye is apparent as breezes above the glass reveal a mixture of both corn and obvious rye grain. There is a nice mixture of lightly sweet caramel and oak sap melding into those corn and rye scents with some dusty dry wood and grain spices following …”

Gibson Bold SAM_2610#43  Gibson’s Finest Bold

“… When I bring my nose to the glass, a caramel note is quite obvious and sits out in front of the oak spice and whisky grain. I allowed the glass to breathe and soon noticed a building fruitiness of canned pears and baked apples. As time passes vanilla with a touch of cinnamon emerges and melds into the caramel note which now resembles the smell of baking cinnamon buns …”

pike-creek-sam_2805#42   Pike Creek 10 Year Old Canadian Whisky

“… When I tasted this whisky in a blind format a few years ago, I remarked upon the fruitiness of the spirit with all those sherry-like flavours of ripe cherries, black berries and dry fruit. Knowing as I do now that the whisky was finished in Vintage Port barrels my formerly blind observations make sense to me. It is the fruitiness of the Port barrels leaving their mark upon the whisky. These lovely berry flavours are offset by oak spice, ginger and some scattered white pepper …”

J.P. Wiser's deluxe SAM_2268#41   J.P. Wiser’s Deluxe Canadian Rye Whisky

“… The breezes above the glass now are tainted with maple and butterscotch scents however the dry wood and rye spices continue to pour out. There is a bit of orange peel mixed into that spiciness as well as impressions of fresh grain and light impressions of baking spice (mostly speckles of vanilla and cinnamon). As one who loves Canadian Whisky, I am pleased by the aroma although I must be fair and note that a light touch of astringency accompanies the rye and wood spice …”

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Please enjoy my Countdown of the Best Canadian Whiskies of 2016. Stay Tuned for numbers 40 through 35, 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 The Rum Howler 2016 Top 50 Canadian Whisky Countdown (#45 – #41)

The Rum Howler 2016 Top 50 Mixing Rums Countdown (#50 thru #46)

Posted by Arctic Wolf on November 21, 2016

2016rum_howler_badgeYesterday I began my Rum Howler Top 50 Canadian Whisky Countdown, and today I will begin my countdown of the Best Mixing Rums of 2016. During each of the past five years I have compiled a list of the Best Sipping Rums. And during each of those years, the list was dominated by premium rums whose prices were out of the reach of many of my readers. As a result, one of my readers requested that I change things up this year with a listing of the best non-premium rums.

I decided that compiling a listing of the best rums for mixing (aged less than five years) was the best way to approach this task. Of course this meant, the rums I would be analyzing and comparing would come from many different classes: White Rums, Amber and Anejo Rums, Spiced Rums, Dark Rums, and even Overproof Rums. Although these rum styles are quite dissimilar, there is one commonality that they all share. Each of these rum styles is normally enjoyed in a cocktail. Hence, my Rum Howler 2016 Top 50 Mixing Rums Countdown.

And it is time to begin the reveal with Mixing Rums #50 thru 46:

mount_gay_rum_eclipse_silver# 50  Mount Gay Eclipse Silver

“… I made a simple daiquiri. Mixed with lime and simple syrup the Eclipse rum tasted much better (Very good!). The character of the Eclipse seemed to push through the daiquiri and made it more impressive. I will have to experiment a little more, but I can say with confidence that this rum is a very good daiquiri rum.  I had a similar experience when I made a mojito …”

blackheart-spiced-bottle-shot#49  Blackheart Spiced Rum 

“… I should note that although the rum is stated to be 93 proof, it is quite smooth. There is just a touch of astringency, but the rum is still sippable with ice. The rum works even better as a mixer bringing just enough rum and spice forward to bring a little brash attitude to your spiced rum and cola mixed drink …”

gold final#48  Tanduay Gold Asian Rum

“… I decided to add a splash of cola and some ice to the second pour. It was immediately apparent that I could easily relax with the Tanduay Gold in the evening mixed just this way. Next, I mixed the rum with some fruit juice (orange and lime) in a daiquiri style cocktail, and then I lengthened that cocktail with a splash of ginger-ale. Both variations of the mixed drink tasted very nice …”

El Dorado Dark Rum SAM_1434#47  El Dorado Superior Dark Rum 

“… For myself the rum is an obvious Rum and Cola mixer. In fact mixing 1 part rum with 2 parts of cola with a squeeze of lime juice results in a very tasty tall bar drink. I also mixed a few punch style recipes and was not disappointed in that format of cocktail either …”

Appleton VX# 46)  Appleton Estate VX Rum

“… The spicy flavours within the rum make the spirit an excellent base for many cocktails. The Appleton VX adds a really nice bite to a Rum and Coke, and the tangy oak flavour profile really adds depth to fruity cocktails like the Daiquiri …”

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I hope everybody enjoys this years mixing rum countdown. You can follow the rankings by bookmarking this page which also provides some information regarding my ranking procedure:

The Rum Howler 2016 Top 50 Mixing Rums Countdown

 

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The Rum Howler 2016 Top 50 Canadian Whisky Countdown (#50 – #46)

Posted by Arctic Wolf on November 20, 2016

rum-howler-top-50-2016

In compiling my list this year, I gathered as many of the newly bottled Canadian Whiskies as I could. This included both new brands as well as many of the whiskies which I had tasted and reviewed previously. I included all sample bottles I had received in 2015 and 2016 as well as many purchases from my private collection; however, I did not include any samples from brands which had been discontinued. I also re-scored and revised the tasting notes (and introductions when I felt the old information was no longer valid) for many of my published reviews.

This means that this year’s Top Canadian Whiskies of 2016 list and the reviews of each spirit accurately reflect how each of the various brands taste now, not how they may have scored and tasted several years ago. The list is also the most comprehensive year-end list I have ever completed for the Canadian Whisky category.

As always, I present my year-end list in reverse order. The first 25 Whiskies (#50 thru to #26) will be revealed five at a time, and then #25 thru to #1 will be revealed individually throughout the month of December. Let the Countdown of the Best Canadian Whiskies begin:

canadian-mist-sam_2810#50  Canadian Mist    

” …. the corn appears to have melded into the wood spice with ripe grain, orange peel and butterscotch providing a nice accent. There also a light mustiness weaving through the air which reminds me of the smell of dry con husks. As the glass breathes some more I also notice some light bourbon notes building along with a nice accent of vanilla and almond …”

canadian-club-premium-sam_2653#49  Canadian Club Premium Canadian Whisky   

“… Canadian Club as a brand, has one the most aggressive flavour profiles in the Canadian Whisky Category. There is a dank, organic, sour mash flavour which runs through the whisky. As well, the whisky is full of damp tobacco and fermenting fruit flavours. The spirit is spicy too, with oak tannins disguised as orange peel zest and rye spices heating up the mouth. Caramel flavours seep in and out as does an impression of vanilla …”

sterling-sam_2684# 48   Gibson’s Finest Sterling Whisky   

“… The whisky leads out with rye spices and ginger but underneath those spices is that same light butterscotch I noticed in the aroma. If I let the glass decant, I begin to taste a light whisper of corn and a few baking spices working their way into the flavour profile. The spices are more firm across the palate than they were on the nose especially orange peel, ginger and cardamom …”

J.P. Wiser's Double Still Rye SAM_2618#47   J.P Wiser’s Double Still Rye  

“… The scents above the glass bring me a nice menagerie of different whisky smells. Butterscotch is melded into oak spice with a light but firm impression of pot distilled rye lurking in the breezes as well. Bits of cocoa reveal themselves as do some baking spices in the form of vanilla, nutmeg and cinnamon. There is also a light but firm astringency rising into the air warning me that the whisky may have a bit of youthful exuberance …”

Revelstoke SAM_2621#46   Revel Stoke Deluxe Canadian Whisky  

“… The flavour of the whisky leads out with a lightly sweet impression of toffee alongside both bitter and spicy rye grain. The mouthfeel is soft, however the whisky has plenty of wood spice to both heat and pucker the palate between sips.  This is a dusty dry whisky, and as I sip, impressions of ripened grain fields and dry grassy hay lands both find their way into my consciousness. There is a touch of vanilla and a hint of cinnamon in the flavour profile as well and perhaps also just a light indication of menthol …”

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Please enjoy my Countdown of the Best Canadian Whiskies of 2016. Stay Tuned for numbers 45 through 41, 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 The Rum Howler 2016 Top 50 Canadian Whisky Countdown (#50 – #46)

Top 50 Canadian Whisky Countdown (2016)

Posted by Arctic Wolf on November 14, 2016

It is that time of year again, and I have finished my private deliberations for my annual Canadian Whisky Countdown. This is an exercise I thoroughly enjoy every year. For the year that is 2016, my list is bigger than ever as I will have tasted close to 70 Canadian Whiskies during my deliberations.

can-whiskey-sam_2797

If you are wondering how I manage to rank all those whiskies, I will take this opportunity to walk you through the process.

royal-reserve-sam_2648Almost every whisky I considered for this year’s countdown was already tasted and reviewed upon my website. I began with my review scores and placed all of the whisky samples into groupings based upon those scores. Then I tasted the newest bottling of every spirit within my groupings to ascertain whether any deserved to be moved up or down into higher or lower groups. I did not rank anything yet, I just want to recognize whether any spirit (in my opinion) had changed since my most recent review. Those spirits which seemed to have changed were moved up or down as required.

Then I tasted each spirit again. This time I assigned scores to each spirit and compared my new tasting notes and my new scores to my written reviews. All samples which seemed to show quantifiable deviation from my review scores and/or tasting notes were flagged as candidates for revised reviews. (This year, I noticed that an unusual number of samples were flagged.)

Then I did my final deliberations. Each spirit that had been flagged for re-scoring was tasted one more time and new tasting notes were written and new scores assigned. Then I tasted my final groupings one last time and assigned my rankings. The entire process kept me busy for almost ten weeks.

The Rum Howler 2016 Top Canadian Whisky Countdown is the largest ranking of Canadian Spirits I have ever completed. The reveal will begin on November 20th, starting with numbers 50 through to 46; however, I couldn’t help but reveal today, the spirit which would have been added if the list were extended by one:

#51  Royal Reserve Canadian Rye Whisky

“… I taste a nice old-fashioned rye profile with a light dryness that goes for the tonsils. The whisky is crisp on the tongue and the dryness has the ability to pucker the palate making it receptive to another sip. A good dose of caramel arrives with the rye, and the oak spices carry flavours of fresh fruit and citrus peel …”

Stay tuned for the 2016 Rum Howler Top Fifty Canadian Whisky Countdown; the reveal begins on November 20th.

Chimo!

 

Posted in Awards, Canadian Whisky, Whisk(e)y, Whisk(e)y Review | Tagged: , , , , | Comments Off on Top 50 Canadian Whisky Countdown (2016)

The 2nd Annual Edmonton Rum Festival

Posted by Arctic Wolf on September 30, 2016

159736The folks at Vines Riverbend Wine Merchants (who have produced the very successful Edmonton Whisky Festival for the past 6 years) have teamed up with Lexus Edmonton and Capital FM 96.3 to bring you the Edmonton Rum Festival for the second year in a row!

All proceeds raised at the event will be donated to the MS Society of Canada – Alberta Division.

This is a great chance to taste a strong selection of rums produced from around the world as well as to meet and discuss the noble cane spirit with industry and distillery representatives.

Monies raised at the event will help those affected by MS in our community, as well as help to fund research towards a cure.

2015_Presenting-Sponsors-680x130

Where: Edmonton Delta South Hotel – Grand Ballroom
4404 Gateway Boulevard

When: Friday, September 30, 2016
7:00 PM to 10:00 PM

Ticket Price: $90.00 each: available online here
(Tickets are also available in-store at Riverbend Wine Merchants (780 434 9444 ))

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What do you receive for the price of a regular admission ticket?

A commemorative Glencairn glass, an event program, a gourmet buffet throughout the evening, over 75 rums to sample, a chance to win a bottle of rum a month for a year and an opportunity to bid on a number of rum themed silent auction items. The price of a ticket includes entrance and rum sampling (you do not have to buy additional sample tickets).

Will the Festival be as crowded as last year?

Based upon the overwhelming success of last year’s festival, the event has been moved to a larger ballroom venue; however the amount of tickets available for sale has not increased. This should ensure a relaxed atmosphere where you can spend time enjoying the noble spirit we call rum.

Are tickets available at the door?

Although tickets will be available at the door, it is strongly advised that you order your tickets in advance to ensure your attendance! Last Year’s event sold out!

Is there parking at the hotel?

The hotel has limited available free parking. However, it is encouraged that you use public transportation and cabs.

Can you get a preferred rate at the Delta as part of the Festival?

Yes! Stay at the Delta Edmonton South for the night at a rate of $165. Call the Delta Edmonton South at 780-434-6415 and ask to book in the Rum Festival open block.

How do you find the rums on the list that you want to sample?

The booklet you receive on entering is set out alphabetically by the local agent/importer responsible for each rum company. The tables in the ballroom follow that list in a clockwise direction. Each table is marked with the name of the agent/importer to help you find them easily.

Do you need to purchase drink tickets to be able to taste the rums?

Certainly not! Sampling is included in the admission price. However, you will require a stamp book for your samples which will be available at the door.

Should you wear perfume/after-shave?

One of the great joys of any spirit tasting event is nosing the glass to identify subtle nuances and delicate aromas. Unfortunately this experience can be compromised by perfume, cologne and after-shave worn on your own person or even by somebody else some distance away. So please refrain from wearing any perfumed scents for the duration of the Festival and advise your guests accordingly.

Should you keep your ticket stub?

Absolutely! Bring your stub into Vines Wine Merchants by the end of Nov. 2016 to receive a 10% discount or $10 off, whichever is the better deal on a rum purchase.

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VinesThe folks at Vines do a fantastic job every year with both the Annual Edmonton Whisky Festival and the Annual Edmonton Rum Festival.

I encourage you to attend and enjoy yourself. It is a great atmosphere with Rum Insiders, Brand Ambassadors, and Rum Enthusiasts from across Canada and around the World. You might even run into the Rum Howler, as I have my two tickets reserved already!

Note: All proceeds raised at this event are donated to the MS Society of Canada – Alberta Division.

For more information please contact:

Vines – Riverbend Wine Merchants (Edmonton)

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