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Archive for the ‘Rum’ Category

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Rum Review: Zafra Master Reserve

Posted by Arctic Wolf on July 22, 2010

 

At Rum Renaissance, I had a wonderful time.  One of the highlights of the trip was meeting the people who are responsible for producing the  Zafra Master Reserve.  I think you can all recognize myself in the picture to the right, but I would also like to introduce the others.  Next to me on the right is Carlos E. Esquivel G. the Executive Director of PILSA (A Rum distillery and production company, specializing in Aged Rums, and Rum related products in Panama ans South America). Just to the right of me is Francisco “Don Pancho” Fernandez Perez,  the Master Distiller and Company Director who is directly responsible for the blending and the construction of  Zafra Master Reserve.  Beside Pancho is his son, Lorenzo, who is growing and learning at the side of his father, Pancho.

The reason I am happy to introduce these people really has nothing to do with their rum, but everything to do with the feeling of ‘family’ that they brought to Rum Renaissance.  In a town like Miami, where the lines between reality and pure fantasy are blurred, it was totally unexpected to find such genuinely nice people, who treated me like part of their family.  If the approach they take towards their rum is half as good as the approach they take towards people, then the Zafra Master Reserve will be a delight to sample and review.

Here is an excerpt from my review:

“…The rum enters the palate with a soft bourbon flavour which is very approachable. However this soft approach is followed quickly by a wave of oak spices and tannin. Riding the crest of these waves are flashes of cherries,  blackberries and grapes which are vaguely reminiscent a port influence upon the spirit….”

You may read the full review here:

Rum Review: Zafra Master Reserve

Posted in Cocktails & Recipes, Dark Rums, Rum, Rum Reviews | Tagged: , , , , , | Comments Off on Rum Review: Zafra Master Reserve

Rum Review: Santiago de Cuba Ron Carta Blanca

Posted by Arctic Wolf on July 15, 2010

 

Pictured to the left is a bottle of Santiago de Cuba Ron Carta Blanca, an authentic Cuban rum which was provided for me to sample by a good friend, who just returned from the Caribbean. He asked me to take the bottle home with me,  try as much as I needed to and place the review on my Blog.   (Some of my friends think it is really cool to see the rums they love reviewed on my blog. whereas, I think it is really cool to have friends who think like that.)

I have very little information on the rum, other than what I can decipher from the label and the smattering of information on the internet where it is sold by some internet dealers as a standard Cuban white rum.

Here is an excerpt from the review:

“…The caramel flavour of the rum is soft, and I also taste light minty candy flavours. Flashes of vanilla present themselves, but I catch no nutty flavours at all. Some Banana peel and citrus elements appear, but they are mellowed rather than too sharp….”
You may read the full review here…

Rum Review: Santiago de Cuba Ron Carta Blanca

Posted in Cocktails & Recipes, Rum, Rum Reviews, White Rums | Tagged: , , , , , | Comments Off on Rum Review: Santiago de Cuba Ron Carta Blanca

Review: Mocambo 20 Anos Anejo Rum

Posted by Arctic Wolf on June 30, 2010

I have developed many new friendships since I started blogging about rum and whisky.   In fact,  I have a little tasting/get together every two weeks or so, and I usually invite some of my old friends, and some of my new friends.  The idea is that we each bring something to try;  we taste it together;  and we learn what we like and dislike.

One of my new friends, (Jason from the Ministry of Rum) brought a bottle of  20 year old Mexican rum to the gathering about two months ago.   After the tasting he generously left me with enough rum to complete a review.  (I am blessed to have generous friends).

The Ron Mocambo 20 year old rum is distilled by Licores Veracruz, S.A. de C.V.  According to their website the 20 year old edition which I sampled is called The Art Edition.   The Art Edition is a throwback style of rum which uses  old techniques of production, and then combines those techniques with modern aging to produce an aged rum of very unique taste and character.

Here is an excerpt from the review:

“…The Macombo 20 Art Edition is a style of rum that genuflects at the altar of old wood without apology. The rum embraces its age,  and its time spent in wooden casks.  In fact I would say the Macombo Art Edition is a celebration of old wood and cask aging….”

You may read the full review here:

Review: Mocambo 20 Anos Anejo Rum

I should add that this review was first published on Rum Connection. A great site that is well worth visiting!

Posted in Cocktails & Recipes, Dark Rums, Rum, Rum Reviews | Tagged: , , , , , | Comments Off on Review: Mocambo 20 Anos Anejo Rum

Rum Review: Diplomatico Reserva 8 Anos

Posted by Arctic Wolf on June 20, 2010

Many months ago I opened my blog with 16 rum reviews which I had written as mad ramblings on the Ministry of Rum.  At the time I had no intention of ever being a spirits writer, I was just sharing my thoughts on various rums using my own unique system of scoring and basically having fun.  Included in those sixteen reviews were my early reviews of  Diplomatico Anejo, and Diplomatico Exclusiva Reserva.  Although the reviews were in many ways cursory, and lacking depth, they nonetheless were noticed by the importers of Diplomatico in my home province, (PB Beverages) and a solid friendly relationship was established. Then recently, I was given a bottle of Diplomatico Reserva, and asked to provide a review such that all three of the major Diplomatico products would be present on my Blog.  There is no point denying my pleasure at this request.  Diplomatico is one of my most favoured spirits companies when it comes to deep rich flavourful rum.  So I accepted the rum sample with no hesitation, and after spending some time getting to know the Reserva, I am happy to share the results of my review with you.

You may read my full review here:

Rum Review: Diplomatico Reserva 8 Anos

Posted in Cocktails & Recipes, Dark Rums, Rum, Rum Reviews | Tagged: , , , , | 2 Comments »

Let’s do some Appleton Cocktails

Posted by Arctic Wolf on June 20, 2010

Today I decided to work on bring the rest of my Appleton Estate cocktails onto my cocktail menu.  Appleton Estate rums have that sharp oak and orange peel flavour that brings such a nice character to the cocktail experience. (For each recipe just click on the title and it will bring you to the recipe page for that cocktail.)

I think I will start with a recipe more so than a cocktail,  an Old-Fashioned Rum Punch.  This punch uses a combination of Appleton Overproof Rum and Appleton VX Rum, worked into an old-fashioned  style of punch constructed from a recipe from I found which was printed in the 1908 New York Times:

Old-Fashioned Jamaican Punch

Next I will move to another old style cocktail called the Celebration.  I found this cocktail in an old cocktail recipe book from 1937, Cafe Royal Cocktail Book, Coronation Edition, compiled by W.J. Tarling,  printed in Great Britain by The Sidney Press, London and Bedford.   I used the recipe when I wrote my review of Appleton Estate Reserve. Then I tweaked it and made a more modern version.  Here are the two cocktails:

Rum Cocktail: The Celebration

Now I noted in the beginning that Appleton has a nice oak and orange peel in its flavour profile.  When I reviewed the Appleton Estate Extra 12 Yr I used that particular characteristic to bring an extra depth and character to the rum swizzle. You can view the write-up here:

The Premium Swizzle

And I guess perhaps I should finish this posting with a nice recipe I use when that oak and orange peel becomes too much.  Sometimes, when I believe a rum perhaps has aged a little too long and the oak begins to dominate and turn the sweetness of a rum to a profile that for my palate is too bitter, then I will use Frangelico to massage the flavour profile.  This was the case with the Appleton Estate 21 YR. I call this gem of a recipe:

The Monk’s Uncle

And there you have it. My Appleton Estate rum cocktails and recipes.  I hope you enjoyed them.

And always remember the aim is not to drink more it is to drink better!

Posted in Cocktails & Recipes, Rum | Tagged: , , | Comments Off on Let’s do some Appleton Cocktails

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