The Rum Howler Blog

(A Website for Spirited Reviews)

  • Copyright

    Copyright is inherent when an original work is created. This means that the producer of original work is automatically granted copyright protection. This copyright protection not only exists in North America, but extends to other countries as well. Thus, all of the work produced on this blog is protected by copyright, including all of the pictures and all of the articles. These original works may not be copied or reused in any way whatsoever without the permission of the author, Chip Dykstra.

  • Cocktails and Recipes

    Click Image for Awesome Recipes

  • Industry Interviews

    Interviews

    Click the Image for Great Interviews with the Movers of Industry

  • The Rum Howler Interview (Good Food Revolution)

    Click on the Image to see my interview on Good Food Revolution

  • The Rum Howler Blog

    Unknown's avatar

  • Rum Reviews

  • Whisky Reviews

  • Gin Reviews

  • Tequila Reviews

  • Vodka Reviews

  • Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

    Join 1,090 other subscribers

  • Subscribe

  • Visitors

    • 15,492,030 pageviews since inception

  • Archives

  • Follow The Rum Howler Blog on WordPress.com

Archive for the ‘Extras’ Category

« Previous Entries
Next Entries »

#Top100Rums of 2017: #10 – Ron Millonario Solera 15

Posted by Arctic Wolf on December 11, 2017

Fabio Rossi began his life in the spirits trade as a Oenologist (one who has studied winemaking). After his studies, Mr. Rossi left the wine business and started up a whisky company in Edinburgh (Wilson and Morgan) acting as an independent bottler of Single Malt Scotch Whisky. His interest turned to rum and in 1999, Fabio Rossi founded Rum Nation and a few years later Ron Millonario.

Ron Millonario Solera 15 Reserva Especial, is produced from a 4 stage Solera process with the final stage bringing the oldest rum in the blend to 15 years. (Based upon the information sent to me by the brand owner, the youngest rum in the blend would 8 years.) The rum is bottled in Peru at 40 % alcohol by volume.

Here is a link to the review for the Rum Howler #10 Rum of 2017:

Review: Ron Millonario Solera 15 Reserva Especial

“… The character of this rum did not disappoint me as I began to sip. This is a full flavoured rum which features impressions of burnt caramel (treacle), licorice laced molasses, dry fruit, wood spice, marmalade, pungent baking spices (cinnamon, cloves and allspice), dribbles of coffee and chocolate and rich tobacco …”

______________________________________

We  have reached the top 20 rum spirits of 2017. I have reviewed and/or re-tasted each of these rums within the past three years. (All Rum reviews were based upon bottle samples either purchased by myself or provided to me by industry.)

You can continue to follow the countdown on twitter (Rum Howler on Twitter) using the hashtag #Top100Rums.

Alternatively you can view the list as it grows daily by viewing my Reveal Page:

The Rum Howler – Top 100 Rums of 2017

Posted in Awards, Extras, Rum, Rum Reviews | Tagged: , , , , , , | Comments Off on #Top100Rums of 2017: #10 – Ron Millonario Solera 15

#Top100CanadianWhisky #13: Review: J.P. Wiser’s Legacy Canadian Whisky

Posted by Arctic Wolf on December 11, 2017

Wiser’s Legacy Canadian Whisky (a Corby Brand) was released in early 2010 as a new entry into the fledgling “Super Premium” category of Canadian Whisky. At the time, a few other Super Premium Whiskies already existed in the market-place (Wiser’s own Red Letter, and Crown Royal’s, Cask No. 16 and Crown Royal XR); but the category hadn’t really caught the buying public’s imagination. In fact the Super Premium category had seen more failures than successes to that point (at least as far as Canadian Whisky was concerned). However the tipping point for the category seems to have been the year 2010, and the brand which (in my opinion) which helped the most to bring about a this change was Wiser’s Legacy.

The Legacy is produced from a rye forward mash bill (Canadian rye, rye malt and barley malt) using a slow copper pot distillation technique which was ‘fine-tuned’ to capture the very specific flavours and aromas during distillation. The new oak barrels used to age the resulting distillate were lightly toasted rather than heavily charred to help bring more of these specific flavours forward.

Wiser’s Legacy was recently re-branded (as was the entire Wiser’s range) by adding the first two initials of the founder (J.P. Wiser) to the brand name. This means the spirit is now properly called, J.P. Wiser’s Legacy.

Here is a link to the Rum Howler #13 Canadian Whisky in my list of the 100 Best of 2017:

Review:  Review: J.P. Wiser’s Legacy Canadian Whisky

“… Fresh oak and sap are at the forefront of the flavour which is also heavy with butterscotch, rye and bourbon-like corn notes. I catch hints of maple and cedar, as well as a light herbaceous quality that reminds me of menthol. There is so much more, rich pipe tobacco, vanilla and baking spices …”

______________________________________

Note: To follow the countdown list of the Top 100 Canadian Whiskies of 2017, you should follow me on twitter (Rum Howler on Twitter) using the hashtag #Top100CanadianWhisky.

Alternatively you can view the list as it grows by viewing my Reveal Page here on this website:

The Rum Howler – Top 100 Canadian Whiskies of 2017

The Reveal Page will be updated at as frequently as possible throughout the month of December.

Posted in Awards, Canadian Whisky, Extras, Whisk(e)y, Whisk(e)y Review, Whisky Review | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on #Top100CanadianWhisky #13: Review: J.P. Wiser’s Legacy Canadian Whisky

#Top100Rums of 2017: #11 – El Pasador de oro Gran Reserva Rum

Posted by Arctic Wolf on December 10, 2017

El Pasador de oro XO is a new rum brand brought into Western Canada by Charton Hobbs. The rum is a product of Les Bienheureux S.A.S. (in Paris France) and (according to the information sheets given to me) is a blend ‘grand reserva’ Guatemala rums. Selected barrels were chosen by Jean Moueix and Alexandre Sirech, and brought to France where the spirit is rested in used cognac barrels in the cellars of Les Bienheureux.

There is no age statement assigned to this rum. It is bottled at 40 % alcohol by volume.

Here is a link to the review for the Rum Howler #11 Rum of 2017:

Review: El Pasador de oro Gran Reserva Rum

“… The breezes above the glass bring rich indications of fine oak spice and treacle alongside damp tobacco, orange peel and rich baking spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and vanilla). I seem to catch a few glimmers of resin and tar climbing into the breezes as well …”

______________________________________

We  have reached the top 20 rum spirits of 2017. I have reviewed and/or re-tasted each of these rums within the past three years. (All Rum reviews were based upon bottle samples either purchased by myself or provided to me by industry.)

You can continue to follow the countdown on twitter (Rum Howler on Twitter) using the hashtag #Top100Rums.

Alternatively you can view the list as it grows daily by viewing my Reveal Page:

The Rum Howler – Top 100 Rums of 2017

Posted in Awards, Extras, Rum, Rum Reviews | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on #Top100Rums of 2017: #11 – El Pasador de oro Gran Reserva Rum

#Top100CanadianWhisky #14: Lot No. 40 Cask Strength Rye Whisky

Posted by Arctic Wolf on December 10, 2017

Lot No. 40 has received a bit of a makeover recently as the spirit which was previously branded, Lot No. 40 Single Copper Pot Still Canadian Whisky received a new label, and the whisky is now known simply as Lot No. 40 Rye Whisky. Lot No. 40 is of course the Corby branded whisky which was first released in the 1990’s as an upscale connoisseur’s whisky for the North American market. Alas, timing is everything, and according to Don Livermore (Master Blender for Corby and J.P. Wiser’s branded whiskies), the whisky never really caught on as the market wasn’t quite ready for such a new style of Canadian Whisky. However, with the new upsurge of interest in Canadian Whisky across North America (and in particular at the premium end of the market), Corby (the owner of the Wiser’s Brand), relaunched the whisky in 2012.

This year, as part of Corby’s  Northern Border Collection, a cask strength version of Lot No. 40 was released across Canada labeled simply as Lot No. 40 Cask Strength. It is a brute of a whisky bottled at 55 % alcohol by volume. According to the label on the bottle, the whisky is crafted in small batches using rye grain in a single copper pot still and aged for 12 years in oak barrels.

Here is a link to the Rum Howler #14 Canadian Whisky in my list of the 100 Best of 2017:

Review:  Lot No. 40 Cask Strength Rye Whisky

“… The flavour hits like a sledge-hammer with rough oak and cedar spice pushed by alcohol heat, dark chocolate and heavy rye bread. Add in Christmas fruitcake, and lots of peppery spice including black pepper and cloves and we are still only part way into describing the sheer volume of flavour …”

______________________________________

Note: To follow the countdown list of the Top 100 Canadian Whiskies of 2017, you should follow me on twitter (Rum Howler on Twitter) using the hashtag #Top100CanadianWhisky.

Alternatively you can view the list as it grows by viewing my Reveal Page here on this website:

The Rum Howler – Top 100 Canadian Whiskies of 2017

The Reveal Page will be updated at as frequently as possible throughout the month of December.

Posted in Awards, Canadian Whisky, Extras, Whisk(e)y, Whisk(e)y Review, Whisky Review | Tagged: , , , , , , , | Comments Off on #Top100CanadianWhisky #14: Lot No. 40 Cask Strength Rye Whisky

#Top100Rums of 2017: #12 – Plantation XO 20th Anniversary

Posted by Arctic Wolf on December 9, 2017

The Plantation 20th Anniversary Rum is a blending of the company’s oldest Bajan Rum reserves. These selected rums were first aged in the Caribbean (in ex-bourbon casks). Then they are transported to France to be blended by Plantation Rum’s Cellar Master at Château de Bonbonnet. The blended rum is matured a second time in small French oak casks for another 12 to 18 months. This “double aging” gives rise to a startling increase in both the body of the rum and its complexity, and is the signature of Cognac Ferrand’s Plantation Rum portfolio.

Here is a link to the review for the Rum Howler #12 Rum of 2017:

Review: Plantation XO 20th Anniversary

“… This Plantation Rum exhibits a fair amount of heat in an entry full of oak spice smothered in a creamy honey-like caramel syrup. Orange peel and marmalade; bits of dark fruit (raisins, dates, and plums); baking spices (nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves and vanilla); tufts of tobacco; and little dabbles of cocoa (both bitter dark chocolate and sweeter milk chocolate) all swim around in the flavours of that oak-spiced caramel syrup …”

______________________________________

We  have reached the top 20 rum spirits of 2017. I have reviewed and/or re-tasted each of these rums within the past three years. (All Rum reviews were based upon bottle samples either purchased by myself or provided to me by industry.)

You can continue to follow the countdown on twitter (Rum Howler on Twitter) using the hashtag #Top100Rums.

Alternatively you can view the list as it grows daily by viewing my Reveal Page:

The Rum Howler – Top 100 Rums of 2017

Posted in Awards, Extras, Rum, Rum Reviews | Tagged: , , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

« Previous Entries
Next Entries »