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 1,092 other subscribers

  • Subscribe

  • Visitors

    • 15,528,913 pageviews since inception

  • Archives

  • Follow The Rum Howler Blog on WordPress.com

Archive for the ‘Dark Rums’ Category

« Previous Entries
Next Entries »

Review: El Dorado Single Barrel Demerara ICBU Rum

Posted by Arctic Wolf on September 30, 2010

The Uitvlught Sugar Factory was founded in the 18th century on the west bank of the Demerara River.  El Dorado Rums, (produced by Demerara Distillers Ltd in Guyana), have introduced a Single Barrel rum using only distillation and fermentation techniques of the Savalle Still (using the same traditional methods which have been employed for 250 years).  As the barrels from this still were originally marked with an  ICBU marque  to identify the rums from the Uitvlught Sugar Factory, this rum is labeled El Dorado Single Barrel Demerara Rum ICBU.  This bottling is part of a series of Single Barrel offerings available as part of the El DoradoRums Connoisseur’s Range.

I consider this somewhat of an artisan offering which gives the rum aficionado a glimpse into the particular characteristics of Demerara rum from a particular still, in this case the Savalle Still.  Rum from this particular still would normally be blended with many other rums from the other Demerara stills and from other barrels types to construct a quality Demerara blend.  The original distillation techniques of the Savalle Still produces a very particular flavour profile, and this review will be a reflection of that particular characteristic flavour profile which the Savalle Still imparts.

Here is an excerpt from the review:

“…The oak is strong, but the sweetness of the brown sugar spices balances the sharpness of the oak and citrus zests.  There is no bitter aftertaste to spoil the experience.  As well, flavours of caramel, toffee, and vanilla all lie in moderation under the oak spice as does a slightly charred nuttiness, and flavours of toasted coconut….”

You may read the full review here:

Review: El Dorado Single Barrel Demerara ICBU Rum

as well I came up with a great cocktail called Savalle Row!

Posted in Cocktails & Recipes, Dark Rums, Rum, Rum Reviews | Tagged: , , , , , | Comments Off on Review: El Dorado Single Barrel Demerara ICBU Rum

An Evening with Legendario

Posted by Arctic Wolf on September 23, 2010

A few weeks ago I received an email from Owen Fieldberg of götchya pröducktos Inc. inviting me to a special industry tasting of the Legendario line-up of Rums. The tasting was set for September 21, at one of my favourite stores Aligra Wine and Spirits.  All of the local Venders  who sold the Legendario Elixir de Cuba were invited, and it was basically a sneak peek into the new Legendario Rum line-up.  Here is what we tasted:

Legendario  Elixir de Cuba 34% – 2 – 4 Year

Legendario Añejo 38% – 1 to 6 year

Legendario El Dorado 38 % – aged  Gold

Legendario Blanco 40% – aged White

Photo Courtesy Legendario.com

The highlight of the evening was meeting Jesus Lester Pomo the Export Manager from the Legendario headquarters in Spain. Mr. Pomo is a Cuban National (living in Spain) who is responsible for the world-wide export of the Legendario Rums.  Mr. Pomo spoke briefly about each rum and then poured generous samples for all of us to try.  He even showed me a trick for sampling and tasting I had never seen before.  When he poured my sample of the Anejo, he also poured a tiny bit on my wrist.  I was asked to spread it around a little and then to take a nice deep wiff.  Nice!  The warmth from my wrist carried the aroma upwards and gave me a delicious invitation to sample the glass.

I have already reviewed the Legendario Elixer de Cuba here on my blog, but I would feel remiss if I didn’t also give a little indication of each of the other spirits:

The Lengendario El Dorado and Legendario Blanco each exhibited a bevy of character and aroma in the glass. I found the white rum (Legendario Blanco) carried much more flavour in the mouth than many of these new well aged whites which have recently entered the market.  The Gold rum (Legendario El Dorado) was even more flavourful, and each of these rums had a satisfying ‘kick’ to impart to my tonsils.

The Legendario Anejo was silky smooth and suave with excellent favours of rummy caramel and oak spice. It was easily my favourite spirit of the afternoon.  The rum was very well-balanced and at 38 % alcohol strength the Anejo satisfied at all levels.  I am looking forward to mid November when this rum should enter the Alberta marketplace.

I plan to obtain a sample bottle so that I can share a review.

Posted in Dark Rums, Howls, Rum, White Rums | Tagged: , , | 6 Comments »

Review: Big Black Dick Dark Caribbean Rum

Posted by Arctic Wolf on September 19, 2010

My second review in honor of International “Talk Like a Pirate” Day is for a rum inspired by the exploits of the not so well-known pirate, “Big Black Dick”

According to the Big Black Dick Rum website,  Big Black Dick is believed to have been born  of ‘Royal’ African parentage.  You can pretty much guess at the story, Hometown Boy Prince captured by French slavers. Rejecting his African name they decide to call him ‘Richard Le Noir‘ , which means ‘Black Richard’. He gets tossed overboard by the slavers near an uncharted Caribbean island, where he miraculously swims ashore only to be promptly captured and becomes a slave working in the Cane fields.

After years of labour, he learns the secret of how to turn sugar cane into the Caribbean’s finest rum. Because he was such an honest hard-working guy, he is granted his freedom in the early 1700’s.  Of course, he immediately became a dashing pirate who wore incredible purple velvet, carried four pistols, and becomes known as Big Black Dick, the Pirate. Unlike most other pirates, he lives a long and hearty pirate life, and then he retires to a fine life making his famous Pirate Rum… and his famous Secret Seasonings,….and of course his famous Caribbean Hot Sauce.

I seriously doubt, much, if any of the story is true….but hey, it’s a heck of a story and serves as the backdrop for a very interesting marketing campaign.

You may read the full story of the rum in the bottle here:

Review: Big Black Dick Dark Caribbean Rum

Posted in Dark Rums, Flavouerd Rums, Rum, Rum Reviews | Tagged: , , , | Comments Off on Review: Big Black Dick Dark Caribbean Rum

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

Intoducing Dictador Rum

Posted by Arctic Wolf on September 1, 2010

Photo Courtesy of PB Beverages

I was first introduced to the Dictador Rums about six months ago when I convinced Paul Charabin of  PB Beverages to drop in on one of the monthly gatherings of The Edmonton Rum Chums . He brought a couple of bottles of the new Dictador Rum (The 12-year-old and the 20-year-old).

Dictador is a product which melds European style with Colombian rum, and crowns the presentation in elegant Japanese bottles.   The product exudes class and luxury and practically has your mouth-watering before you even open the bottle.

Of course this begs the question, did the crafters of the rum pay as much attention to the contents, as they did to the container?  In a nutshell, the answer is undeniably…Yes!  Oh My Yes!

I have sampled this rum twice,  the first time in February at that meeting of the Edmonton Rum Chums, and the second time in Miami, at Rum Renaissance. Each time I was completely taken in by the Dictador style and the rich vibrant rum inside the bottles.  The rum is a medium bodied complex blend of premium aged rums with a full rich flavour profile.   The 12-year-old is luxuriously smooth in spite of the rich flavours, and the 20-year-old brings the extra complexity of  a long aged rum to the fore without the bitterness and harshness which can come with age.  I am hard pressed to choose between them.  Fortunately for me, I was promised sample bottles of each to put through the paces of my review system, and you can be sure that I will provide all of you with more details as soon as they are available.  Until then…Cheers!

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

« Previous Entries
Next Entries »