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Archive for the ‘Howls’ Category

The Good Food Revolution Interviews The Rum Howler!

Posted by Arctic Wolf on June 25, 2012

On my recent trip to Guyana, one of the members of our Canadian contingent was Jamie Drummond. Jamie is the Director of Programs/Editor of Good Food Revolution. Although born in Edinburgh, he is now based in Toronto where he acts as a Sommelier, a food consultant, writer, judge, and educator. If you are interested in Good Food, Jamie is your all round Good Guy.

During the trip when we were relaxing at Baganara Island, he did a little video interview with me. He combined the interview with some footage from the trip and published it on The Good Food Revolution last Friday.

(Clicking on the picture below will take you to The Good Food Revolution where you can see Jamie Drummond’s interview of The Rum Howler (set to music))!

As you can see from the footage, Jamie had video camera running all the time (even when we were not expecting it).

Enjoy the Good Food Revolution Everyone!

Cheers!

Posted in Howls, Interviews, Rum | Tagged: , , , , | Comments Off on The Good Food Revolution Interviews The Rum Howler!

Introducing: Calgary Stampede (Commemorative) 25 Year Old Whisky

Posted by Arctic Wolf on June 20, 2012

Over 100 years ago an entrepreneurial cowboy named Guy Weadlick visited Calgary, Alberta and envisioned a tribute show to the pioneers of the west complete with a Cowboy Championship Contest. He arranged $100,000.00 in financing from the “Big 4” (George Lane, Archie McClean, Patrick Burns, and A.E. Cross) who were influential Calgary area ranchers and businessmen. In September 1912, Guy Weadlick’s vision, the first Calgary Stampede, came to life for six glorious days. An estimated 80,000 people attended the first Stampede Parade, which was an astonishing number considering Calgary’s population at the time was only three-quarters that figure at 60,000. The major events at this “Cowboy Championship” offered each winner first prize cash of $1000, as well as a Saddle and a Gold Buckle!

For over 100 years now the Calgary Stampede has brought people from all over the world together to experience the region’s unique western heritage and values. Highwood Distillers, Alberta’s only privately owned distillery, has joined in and is celebrating the Centennial of the Calgary Stampede by producing an exclusive Limited Edition Ultra-Premium 25 Year Old Commemorative Canadian Rye Whisky.

The handsome heavy-set 8-sided bottle is adorned with a medal label, and a high quality wooden capped synthetic cork seals this rare wonderfully old whisky.

Here are my initial tasting notes:

Colour: Brilliant amber with flashes of gold.

Nose:  Deep scents of oak and cedar, butterscotch bathed in corn and honeyed oak spices, melted vanilla ice-cream, and delicate aromas of sweet bourbon whiskey

Taste: Luscious oak spices, butterscotch and honey, corn on the cob, and sweet dank Kentucky Bourbon. The whisky grows in the glass getting richer and more complex with flavours of marzipan, orange marmalade and lots of melted vanilla ice cream.

Finish: An explosion of tonsil licking oak spices with echoes of vanilla, butterscotch, and honey lingering in the throat.

The Centennial of the Calgary Stampede is an event worth celebrating!

The launch of Highwood’s Calgary Stampede (Commemorative) 25 Year Old Whisky is the launch of a whisky worthy of this celebration.

PS: My full review will follow in a few weeks!
(If Highwood’s Calgary Stampede (Commemorative) 25 Year Old Whisky is not in stores now, it will be soon.)

Posted in Canadian Whisky, Howls, Whisk(e)y, Whisk(e)y Review | Tagged: , , , , | 6 Comments »

Appleton Estate 50 Year Old Rum – A Monumental Spirit

Posted by Arctic Wolf on June 17, 2012

The press release from Appleton Estate Rum begins as follows:

“… Appleton Estate Jamaica Rum is proud to announce the release of a world first in Rum, the very rare Limited Edition Appleton Estate 50 Year Old Jamaica Rum – Jamaica Independence Reserve  

Appleton Estate 50 Year Old Jamaica Rum – Jamaica Independence Reserve comprises rums that have been aged for a minimum of 50 years in hand selected, oak barrels and it is believed to be the oldest rum available for sale in the world. Only 800 bottles of this very rare, Limited Edition bottling will be made available for sale around the world at a target Retail Price of US$5,000 per 750ml bottle…”

Wow… Five Thousand Dollars a Bottle!?

You may read my (somewhat controversial) thoughts on this new release here:

Appleton Estate 50 Year Old Rum – A Monumental Spirit

Cheers Everyone!

Posted in Dark Rums, Extras, Howls, Rum, Rum Reviews | Tagged: , , , , , | 1 Comment »

For Father’s Day – Avoiding my 10 Whisky Regrets

Posted by Arctic Wolf on June 15, 2012

Yesterday I shared a few of my rum experiences which were, let me say, less than enjoyable. The list was meant to help you avoid similar pitfalls in your search for a suitable rum to buy Dad for Father’s Day. Today, I think it is only fair, that I also list a few of the whisky decisions I have regretted as well. The list I came up with, isn’t really a list of horrible whiskies that left me gasping (although a couple are). It is more of a list of whiskies which in some way tainted my enjoyment such that I kind of wished I had never succumbed to their charm in the bottle.

They made me run to them, and then they made me run from them, kind of like that Gloria Jones song covered by Soft Cell:
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These are my regrets, and I publish this list in hopes that I can help you avoid a regret or two this Father’s Day. (Just for the fun of it, I think I will count them down in reverse order starting with a few minor regrets, working my way to my biggest whisky regret.)

My 10 Whisky Regrets

Happy Father’s Day Everyone!

Posted in American Whiskey, Canadian Whisky, Howls, Irish Whskey, Japanese Whisky, Scotch Whisky, Whisk(e)y | Tagged: , , , , , , | Comments Off on For Father’s Day – Avoiding my 10 Whisky Regrets

For Father’s Day – Ten Rums You Should Avoid

Posted by Arctic Wolf on June 14, 2012

Earlier this week I gave everyone a few recommendations for their Father’s Day purchases; I thought it only fair that I also list a few of the rum purchase decisions you should avoid. This is a list of sugar-cane based spirits which will help to empty your wallet, but will leave your Dad scratching his head in bewilderment. I have posted this list before, and it proved to be somewhat controversial. It seems that some of my choices are actually well-loved by some of my readers. If I have slighted one of your favourites please chime in with a comment to defend your rum of choice. But, having said that, I must confess, that these are anything but my rums of choice. These are my regrets, and I publish this list in hopes that I can help you avoid a regret or two this Father’s Day.

And so without further ado, here are…the Ten Rums you should avoid.

These Rums Ain’t Pretty… They just look that way!

Here is the video that inspired the original posting…..

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Posted in Dark Rums, Flavouerd Rums, Howls, Rum, Rum Reviews, Spiced Rum | Tagged: , | Comments Off on For Father’s Day – Ten Rums You Should Avoid