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Archive for the ‘Rum’ Category

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The Rum Howler 2016 Top 50 Mixing Rums Countdown (#40 – #36)

Posted by Arctic Wolf on November 25, 2016

2016rum_howler_badgeAlthough I tried to compare all of the mixing rums in this countdown using similar cocktails, the truth is that occasionally I would go off the chart and construct servings which I felt suited a particular rum better than the standard cocktail for the category. This was the case with the #36 spirit, Gosling’s Black Seal. For those unfamiliar with Gosling’s, it is the standard rum for the Dark ‘n Stormy Cocktail. In fact if the serving is made with any other rum, it cannot properly be called a Dark ‘n Stormy.

Although Goslings Black Seal is a strange tasting rum which many people find difficult to mix, in the aforementioned cocktail it tastes so good, that I had to include the dark brooding rum on my list.

Along with the spirit from Goslings, here are the next 5 entries in my Rum Howler 2016 Top 50 Mixing Rums Countdown.

SAM_0726 Cabot Tower 100 Proof#40  Cabot Tower 100 Proof Rum 

“… Cabot Tower is not a well aged dark rum, rather it is young and brash; however, it is also full of the wonderful flavours of a full strength Demerara rum. The only reason my score isn’t higher is that a large swat of treacle-like bitterness follows all that flavour, and that bitterness, not the heat and the spice, seemed just a little out of place. This is no sipper, (unless you are into self punishment); but, after trying out a few bar drinks, I discovered that all that flavour (and even that bitterness) works really well in long tall cocktails …”

Cruzan 9 Spiced Rum#39  Cruzan 9 Spiced Rum

” … I like that this spiced rum dares to be different. Not that it is revolutionary, it’s just that I am pleasantly surprised that the company chose to work on the more pungent side of the spice path just a little to the left of the more trodden slopes of vanilla and caramel. We have a little of that here, but we also have welcome doses of ginger, allspice, mace and juniper which makes the path they chose a little more challenging for the palate but also make it much more fun. I did a little mixing with cola at first, and found that I liked the spicy rum and cola combination. I also tried a recipe from the Cruzan Rum Company website, the Cruzan 9 Punch  which tasted really nice …”

Bayou Spiced and Cola SAM_1668#38  Bayou Spiced Rum 

“… As I sip, the spiciness builds, and for me the obvious way to enjoy the spirit is with a well placed ice-cube. I am not saying the rum needs an ice-cube; it does not. However for myself, the addition of the ice-cube mutes the sweetness just a tad and gives the spices more expression. I am a Rum and Cola nut; so I decide that I should also try that combination in my mixing glass with the aforementioned ice. I am hooked pretty much on the first sip, as the laid back deck drink has just enough attitude to be enjoyable without being demanding in any way …”

last-mountain-distillery-7#37  Last Mountain 306 Original Saskatchewan Rum  

” … the standard, rum and cola cocktail (Cuba Libre’) is enhanced in a big way by the firm fine oak spice within the 306 Original Saskatchewan Rum. In Canada (and throughout most of North America) cola is the standard mixer for amber rums, and the enhanced flavour provided by the oak spice is definitely a huge positive for this spirit. Adding a few bitters makes the cocktail even better …”

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#36  Gosling’s Black Seal

“… I smell burnt caramel apples, intense hyacinth, and wisps of cinnamon and nutmeg. Maybe even a little allspice. At the same time the smell is earthy. It makes no sense to my nostrils to get this earthy smell but it is there in spades. (I hate to admit this; but in my imaginings I actually think of an old graveyard with freshly upturned earth, hyacinth and hibiscus on nearby graves and pungent burnt smells coming from the glass.) I find myself grabbing a bit of lime and some ginger-beer and making a strong Dark ‘n Stormy cocktail. For myself anyway, this classic Gosling’s Rum cocktail is the best way to enjoy their Dark Rum …”

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Stay tuned for more mixing rum revelations as I will be adding five more rums to this list shortly.

And you can follow the rankings by bookmarking this page:

The Rum Howler 2016 Top 50 Mixing Rums Countdown

Posted in Awards, Extras, Rum, Rum Reviews | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The Rum Howler 2016 Top 50 Mixing Rums Countdown (#40 – #36)

The Rum Howler 2016 Top 50 Mixing Rums Countdown (#45 – #41)

Posted by Arctic Wolf on November 23, 2016

2016rum_howler_badgeToday’s entries in my Rum Howler 2016 Top 50 Mixing Rums Countdown do well to represent the range of rum styles available to bartenders and mixologists. We have an overproof white rum from Jamaica, a dark rum from Newfoundland and Labrador, a three-year aged rum from Belize, a spiced rum from Guyana, and a flavoured rum from Kenny Chesney.

I had great fun throughout the year making & scoring my cocktails for each of these rums. Some of them, (like Old Sam) I hadn’t tasted for years. Others (like the Wray and Nephew Overproof White) I tasted for the first time.

Here are the next five Mixing Rums in my 2016 Countdown:

Wray And Nephew Overproof#45  Wray and Nephew White Overproof Rum

” … Mojitos, Mai Tai and Tiki drinks, and Daiquiris all seem to plausible destinations for this intense, fruity, ester filled rum. In that vein of thought, I went in went in a very specific Tiki direction first and crafted a variation on the basic Zombie Cocktail. Then I crafted what I called a High Test Daiquiri. I loved both recipes, although I admit the High Test Daiquiri might be an acquired taste for some as the full throttle flavour of Wray and Nephew White Overproof Rum pushes right through the lime …”

old-sam#44  Old Sam Demerara Rum

“… The molasses and caramel flavours release a few baking spices onto the palate and I detect a nice nutty element as well which reminds me of walnuts and Brazil nuts. Old Sam is an ‘old style’ rum blend which tastes of molasses and tobacco. It is perhaps a little rougher than I expected; but I found that when I mixed a little of this rum half and half with cola and added and ice-cube, I was very happy with the results …”

bluechair_coconut#43  Blue Chair Bay Coconut Rum

“… I mixed a nice tall deck drink for myself mixing the coconut rum with a bit of lemon juice and some blue Curacao (see recipe below) and sat in the afternoon sun enjoying the mingling flavours of my cocktail. The Blue Chair Bay Coconut Rum promises to be a nice addition to my growing staple of summertime mixing spirits …”

3 Barrel#42  Travellers (Parrot) 3 Barrel Aged Rum

“… The Travellers 3 Barrel Rum is what I would consider to be a nice introductory sipping rum which will suit a large variety of palates. It has a flavour profile that tends just a little to the sweet side of the flavour path, but this sweetness is tempered with just enough oak to make the rum delicious. The rum also mixes very well. I sampled some with cola and with ginger-ale to equal delight. I made some cocktails with fruit juice as well and everything always seemed to work out nicely …”

el-dorado-spiced#41  El Dorado Spiced 

“… I poured a few friends a glass of the El Dorado Spiced, as part of my review process, and solicited their opinion as to how well it stacked up both neat and mixed with cola. The opinions expressed by my friends match my own as we all enjoyed our libations and thought the El Dorado Spiced and Cola tasted especially nice. The spicy thrust from the rum pushes through the cola without becoming cloying or overwhelming …”

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Stay tuned for more mixing rum revelations as I will be adding five more rums to this list shortly.

And you can follow the rankings by bookmarking this page:

The Rum Howler 2016 Top 50 Mixing Rums Countdown

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

Rum Howler Annual Rum Countdown (Best Mixing Rums)

Posted by Arctic Wolf on November 16, 2016

In addition to my Top 50 Canadian Whisky Countdown, I have been working on another special project during the year that is 2016 as I have been building, tasting and rating cocktails in secret throughout the year. As a result of these efforts, my annual 2016 Christmas Season Rum Countdown is going to be a little different from years past.

rum-fun-sam_2865

royaloakRather than building a list of the best premium rums this year, my Rum Howler year-end list will feature the very best rums (which I have tasted) which all of us love to serve in cocktails. (Those mixed drinks included the Rum Old Fashioned, the Cuba Libre, the Mojito, and the Daiquiri as well as libations specific to the class of rum I was rating.) Not only does my year-end rum list feature a completely different selection od spirits this year, it is also larger than ever with 50 spirits included for your cocktail enjoyment.

It is my intention that this list represents only those rums we love to mix. Therefore, all of the rums on this list would carry an age statement of less than 5 years. Additionally, if the rum was blended from spirit of different ages, then I used my best judgement to exclude any rum which would carry an average age of 5 or more years. Finally I also excluded any spirit which was marketed as a premium sipping rum. (Just to be clear, although these are all ‘Mixing Rums’, the truth is that many are just fine on their own as sippers giving the rum connoisseur the best of both worlds.)

As with any such list, there is always that one spirit which just missed being included. In this case it is Angostura Royal Oak Select Rum which landed in the #51 spot. And so today, as a sort of prequel to my Rum Howler 2016 Top 50 Mixing Rums Countdown, I thought I would re-introduce you all to this fine rum from Angostura:

#51 Mixing Rum of 2016: Angostura Royal Oak Select Rum

“… I mixed a few bar drinks in my examinations beginning with the quintessential cocktail for a young amber rum, the Cuba Libre’. I followed that up with a Rum and Ginger cocktail and then a simple Daiquiri. Although all of the cocktails tasted nice, strangely enough I preferred the daiquiri. Of course, when I referred to my original review of this rum which I wrote almost five years ago, I saw that I had come to the same conclusion …”

Please enjoy my review of the Angostura Royal Oak Select Rum, and stay tuned for my Rum Howler 2016 Top 50 Mixing Rum Countdown!

The reveal begins on November 21st, Chimo!

Posted in Dark Rums, Rum, Rum Reviews | Tagged: , , , , , | Comments Off on Rum Howler Annual Rum Countdown (Best Mixing Rums)

Review: Ron Carupano Anejo

Posted by Arctic Wolf on November 5, 2016

classic-sam_2858Ron Carupano Anejo Rum is produced by Destilería Carúpano, CA. This is a true  Venezuelan rum produced at Hacienda Altimira in Macarapana. According to the Ron Carupano website, Hacienda Altamira-Carúpano was established by the Spanish slave trader, Captain Felix del Fierro. (Not many rum companies are willing to recognize the common roots with the slave trade that rum possesses, and I applaud the Destilería for not obfuscating upon this matter. History should be learned from rather than forgotten.)  The Hacienda was closed in 1901, after the death of Thomas Massiani, one of the owners; however, in 1954 the Morrison family purchased the property and together with Alejandro Hernandez (owner of Industrias Pampero) created Destilería Carúpano, CA.

Ron Carupano Anejo is produced from molasses in a 3-column distillation process where distillate is rectified to 95 % alcohol by volume. After distillation, the rum is diluted with demineralized water to bring its concentration to 50% alcohol by volume. At this point the spirit is set down in white America oak barrels to age for up to 6 years.

Here is a link to my full review:

Review: Ron Carupano Anejo

“… The initial nose is light and clean. A light honeyed butterscotch sugar aroma along with firm fine wood spices rise into the air after I swirl my glass. Hints of orange peel and even lighter impressions of anise drift into the merry little breezes. A nice sweep of vanilla with a cinnamon accent settles itself into the air as well …”

Please enjoy my review of this Venezuelan rum which has just entered the Canadian marketplace, Chimo!

Posted in Rum, Rum Reviews | Tagged: , , , , | 2 Comments »

Review: Monymusk Classic Gold Rum

Posted by Arctic Wolf on October 27, 2016

classic-gold-bottle-750mlMonymusk Classic Gold Rum is produced in Jamaica by a new partnership called the National Rums of Jamaica. The spirit is produced at the Claredon Distillery (also called the Monymusk Distillery), near Lionel Town in the heart of Jamaica’s sugar cane producing region.

For those who are interested, National Rums of Jamaica (NRJ) is a partnership between three separate entities, the National Sugar Company of Jamaica (which is owned by the Jamaican Government), Goddard Enterprises (which is the parent company of the West Indies Rum Distillery in Barbados), and Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL) (the makers of El Dorado Rum in Guyana, South America). National Rums of Jamaica owns 73 % of the Claredon Distillery; the other 27 % is apparently owned by Diageo who have historic ties to Jamaica which is the original home of Captain Morgan Spiced Rum.

Monymusk Classic Gold Rum was produced from aged rum from both the modern column plant and the double-retort pot stills. This is a non age stated rum, but my best guess based upon my tasting notes, would be that it is a blend of 2 to 5-year-old rums. This new dark rum has recently been released in Ontario (distrinbuted by Woodman Wines and Spirits), and is available though regular LCBO outlets.

Here is a link to my full review:

Review: Monymusk Classic Gold Rum

“… The breezes bring me scents of molasses/licorice stained caramel combined with the rich aromas of Jamaican pot still rum. Orange peel, rich baking spice (vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and a touch of cloves), hints of resin-like camphor, hints of menthol, and a light but firm impression of wood spice all leap into the air giving the rum a rich and inviting nose …”

Please enjoy my review which includes a classic cocktail suggestion from the Stork Club Bar Book. Chimo!

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(For those interested, I found this great article online written by Cocktail Wonk, which describes his tour of the Monymusk facility.)

Posted in Dark Rums, Rum, Rum Reviews | Tagged: , , , , | Comments Off on Review: Monymusk Classic Gold Rum

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