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Archive for the ‘Rum’ Category

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Rum Review: Ron Bermudez Anniversario

Posted by Arctic Wolf on June 14, 2010

This is the third review I am publishing with respect to the rums of Ron Bermudez . I previously reviewed the Ron Anejo Bermudez 5 Anos and the Bermudez 1852 Ron Anejo 10 Anos Don Armando based upon sample bottles provided to my by Westway L. LTD. My sample bottle of the Ron Bermudez Anniversario rum was also supplied by Westway L. Limited, as they are introducing the Bermudez rums into my home Province of Alberta. The Anniverario is a well aged rum full of character and oak flavour.  It was a delight to cap off my reviews of the Bermudez range with this outstanding rum.

Here is an excerpt from my review:

“…Toffee and caramel sit in the background  supporting  the spicier flavour of the oak. There is also a firm  leathery smoke in the rum which is full of the flavours of dried fruits (raisins, dates, and prunes). When I sampled the younger 5 year old Bermudez rum, I had a vague impression that there was a metallic taste in the rum; but now, in the older Ron Bermudez Anniversario, this metallic element is more identifiable…”

You may read the full review here:

Rum Review: Ron Bermudez Anniversario

Posted in Dark Rums, Rum, Rum Reviews | Tagged: , , , | 4 Comments »

Two Cocktails for Sharing

Posted by Arctic Wolf on June 13, 2010

Today, I want to add two more cocktails to my recipes section that have been buried in my blog with no way for my readers to really find them.  The first recipe was a cocktail which I constructed for the Appleton Estate Reserve rum.  It’s a nice combination of light rum, lime juice and Cointreau, sweetened with just a dab of sugar syrup.

I call this recipe, The Reserved Gentleman. You can find the full recipe here:

Rum Cocktail: The Reserved Gentleman

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Second cocktail is one which I posted on Valentines Day, and for some reason I never added it to my recipe section.  So, today is a good day to correct that oversight. The cocktail was designed when I was sampling the El Dorado 3 Year cask Aged Rum is called, Trouble in Pink.  It’s a fruity concoction which uses white rum and Triple Sec in conjunction with three separate fruit juices (grapefruit, orange, and lime).  A healthy dash of grenadine give the cocktail its vivid pink color.

You can now find the recipe here:

Rum Cocktail: Trouble in Pink

So there you have it, two more cocktails added to my recipe section.

When I originally designed the mixed drinks I considered the first to be a masculine serving and the second much more feminine. However,  I will leave it up to you to make your own choices as to which you prefer.

After-all, the world is changing …

 

Posted in Cocktails & Recipes, Rum | Tagged: , | Comments Off on Two Cocktails for Sharing

Review: Brugal Anejo

Posted by Arctic Wolf on June 7, 2010

“I am sipping a little Brugal Ron Anejo closing my eyes and letting my imagination build a place where the rum takes me….  Its late afternoon, and I have I found myself at a road side cafe near the ocean, separated from, but within walking distance of a small Dominican Village.  I’m sitting on an old wooden cabana chair with the smells of the nearby village caught up in the canvas umbrella overhead.  Oils from the roadside, and saps from the trees overhead have speckled the umbrella, mixing with the canvas and leather only to be washed out by the rain every now and again.  Some large ceramic urns with banana trees stand on the patio nearby.  The table beside me has a bowl of dried  fruit and exotic looking nuts for me to chew on.   Inside the cafe they must be baking, as I can smell  banana bread and sticky cinnamon rolls whenever the door opens.

Across the road there is a path to the ocean.   I can see the roll of ocean surf in the distance as the waves break on a rock strewn coastline.  Occasionally a gust of wind brings a little of the ocean brine across my face…..”

You may read my review for Brugal Anejo here:

Review: Ron Brugal Anejo – Desde  1888

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

Rum Review: Downslope Distilling White Rum

Posted by Arctic Wolf on June 1, 2010

Photo courtesy of Downslope Distilling

DownSlope Distilling, Inc. of Centennial, Colorado was incorporated in May of 2008 and began production about a year later after they received their Federal Basic Permit to produce distilled spirits.  Their sugar cane vodka and  white rum hit the market in August of 2009.

Pictured to the right is the Double Diamond Pot Still which is used to produce  Downslope Distilling’s White Rum.   The still was made by Copper Moonshine Stills in Arkansas, by Colonel Vaughn Wilson.

The white rum produced at DownSlope is made from dried Maui cane juice rather than molasses.  The cane juice is fermented in 300 gallon tanks and distilled twice in 220 gallon batches. Production from cane juice results in a drier, less sweet rum than would be produced from molasses.  After two runs through the still, the distillate is filtered through an instrument called the Lichtenstein.  This is a device designed by Master Distiller Mitch Abate who is responsible for the entire distillation, filtering, and cellaring process.

Here is an excerpt from the review:

“…The cachaca style continues into the mouth as the rum carries light caramel and no apparent oakiness.  I taste banana peel and orange zest.  Sipping it straight is not really preferred.  This is not meant to be a criticism, rather it is a straight forward assessment as very few white rums are meant to be enjoyed neat.

In tasting this rum over several days I discovered that it mixes quite well in most traditional rum drinks…”

You may read the full review here:

Rum Review: Downslope Distilling White Rum

I have included a cocktail recipe for your enjoyment.

Cheers!

Posted in Cocktails & Recipes, Rum, Rum Reviews, White Rums | Tagged: , , , , , | Comments Off on Rum Review: Downslope Distilling White Rum

Rum Review: Havana Club 7 Year Old Cuban Rum

Posted by Arctic Wolf on May 26, 2010

Havana Club 7 Year Old Cuban Rum

In most of the world,  Havana Club rum  is associated with the brand owned by Pernod Ricard who is currently embroiled in a battle with Bacardi over whom owns the rights to the Havana Club Trademark.  Suffice it to say, if you buy Havana Club outside of the US, it is probably the Pernod Ricard brand, and if you buy it within the borders of the US,  it will be the Bacardi brand.  In the end, after lots of lawyers have made a ton of money, the matter may finally be resolved…or not.

The subject of my review is Havana Club 7 Year Old. It is an authentic Cuban Rum.   This rum has become widely available in markets outside of the US, including where I live in Alberta, Canada.

Introduction:

Sometimes when I take the first sip of new rum, I close my eyes and let the it show me where it belongs.  This rum brought me to an old tavern, close to the docks.  The kind of place you see in old movies where the rum flows and stories get taller in the telling.  The place has an oily, tobacco stained floor. Cigarette smoke drifts up to the ceiling mingling here and there with the occasional smell of a Cuban cigar.   A girl sits on a boardwalk stage, singing slightly out of key, as the patrons in the tavern pay more attention to their stories than to her.  A burly bartender, who looks like he can handle whatever trouble comes his way, wipes the sweat from his brow, and then with the same towel wipes the bar-top.  He glances at me playing solitaire in the corner of the room and sipping the rum he served me.  I had told him I would stay and pay him well if the rum was good.   He served me a soft oily, smoky rum called Havana Club.  I smile… the tip will be generous tonight.

You may read my full review here:

Review: Havana Club 7 Year Old Cuban Rum

As usual I have included a couple of recipes for your enjoyment.

Posted in Cocktails & Recipes, Dark Rums, Rum, Rum Reviews | Tagged: , , , , , | Comments Off on Rum Review: Havana Club 7 Year Old Cuban Rum

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