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Archive for the ‘Rum’ Category

Review: Blue Chair Bay Coconut Spiced Rum

Posted by Arctic Wolf on November 25, 2014

Allie's Punch SAM_1366Fishbowl Spirits Llc. is a company wholly owned by Kenny Chesney, the well-known Country Music Singer from Knoxville, Tennessee. In May, 2013 Fishbowl Spirits launched Blue Chair Bay Rum, which features an assortment of rums which were apparently inspired by the relaxed island lifestyle of the county music star. The line-up includes an assortment of flavoured rums (a Coconut Rum, a Coconut Spiced Rum, a Banana Rum and a limited time only Coconut Spiced Rum Cream, as well as a standard White Rum. Although Blue Bay Chair Rum is based in Nashville, the assortment of rums they produce are distilled in Barbados and then bottled in Rochester NY by LiDestri Food & Beverage.

Three of these spirits, the Coconut and Coconut Spiced rums, as well as the White Rum have been brought into Alberta by Glazer’s Of Canada Llc, and they arranged for me to receive all three rums to review here on my website.

You may click the link below to read my full review of Blue Chair Bay Coconut Spiced Punch, which incidentally was awarded the highest score I have ever granted in the Spiced category!

Review: Blue Chair Bay Coconut Spiced Rum

“… The aroma seems mellow and relaxed with scents of sweetened coconut and light spices running through the breezes …”

At the conclusion of the review I share my newest cocktail recipe which mixes the Coconut Spiced Rum with delicious fresh squeezed fruit and ginger ale. I chose to coll the new mixed drink, Allie’s Cocktail.

Cheers Everyone!

Posted in Flavouerd Rums, Rum, Rum Reviews, Spiced Rum | Tagged: , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Review: Blue Chair Bay Coconut Spiced Rum

Review: Rum Nation Caroni 1998

Posted by Arctic Wolf on November 6, 2014

Rum Nation Caroni 1998-2014The Caroni Distillery in Trinidad and Tobago was established in 1918, and was operated at near full capacity until 1993. Unfortunately, due to industry consolidation, rum production at the facility began to decline late in the 20th century and the distillery was closed in 2002. As a matter of interest, the consolidation of the rum industry during the last two centuries is amply illustrated in Trinidad and Tobago where there this small country featured 50 distilleries at the turn of the 19th century. One hundred and fifty years later (in 1950) only 8 had survived, and today there is but one, Angostura. It seems a pity that so much tradition and history has vanished. Although I guess we can count ourselves lucky that some of the rum barrels from the Caroni distillery are still finding their way into the market place.

The Rum Nation Caroni 1998 is one such offering from the folks at Rum Nation. This is an old-style heavy column still rum which was distilled in 1998 and aged for nine years in American Oak casks on the Caribbean Island of Trinidad. From this tropical locale, the rum was transported to Europe for further aging in refill American Oak (bourbon) casks which had been also previously used to age Rum Peruno (8YO). The resulting Rum Nation Caroni 1998 rum was bottled at cask strength (55 % alcohol by volume).

SAM_1336

The Caroni Cocktail

You may read my latest review by clicking on the following link:

Review: Rum Nation Caroni 1998

” … I left the glass to sit and breathe and noticed that the oak I had sensed in the breezes grew stronger demonstrating scents of freshly cut wooden planks which were dripping with wood sap. I could also sense fresh tar-like aromas, more dark licorice and light smells of camphor winding through the air … “

Although it may seem a sacrilege to some, I did a fair bit of experimentation in the cocktail realm with this particular spirit, and I found this Caroni Rum tasted extremely good when I poured a couple of ounces of the spirit over a few cubes of ice (in my rocks glass) and then added a small splash of cola and lime. A sipping Cuba Libre’ if you will. I added this Caroni Cocktail at the conclusion of my review for those who do not mind the occasional sacrilege of mixing great rum into an equally great bar drink.

Cheers Everyone!

Posted in Dark Rums, Rum, Rum Reviews | Tagged: , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Review: Rum Nation Caroni 1998

Review: El Dorado (Golden Rum) Cream Liqueur

Posted by Arctic Wolf on October 19, 2014

cream-liqueur-RDemerara County (in Guyana) is popular across the world for its rich, three hundred year history of rum production. Using a combination of old wooden stills in conjunction with modern stills and distilling techniques, Demerara Distillers Ltd. (DDL), has built a reputation for outstanding quality and consistent production. In fact, Demerara Distillers is the currently the largest supplier of bulk Caribbean Rum to Europe and North America.

One of the specialty products produced by Demerara Distillers is El Dorado (Golden Rum) Cream Liqueur which the El Dorado website describes as:

“A rich Cream Liqueur made with 5 Year Old Demerara Golden Rum.”

The spirit is of course a creamy liqueur which melds authentic El Dorado Rum with real dairy cream and natural flavours and spices. It is bottled at 15 % alcohol by volume, and occupies the same market niche as Bailey’s Irish Cream, and Kahlua.

You may read my full review of the El Dorado (Golden Rum) Cream Liqueur here:

Review: El Dorado (Golden Rum) Cream Liqueur

“… I am pleased by the strength of the rum flavour which sits in front of rather than behind the more subtle flavours of milk chocolate and coffee. The robust flavour of El Dorado’s 5 Year Old Rum is definitely on display within the creme liqueur …”

Please enjoy the review remembering that it is not my intention with my writing to help you drink more spirits, it is my intention to help you to drink better spirits!

Cheers!

Posted in Cream Liqueur, Flavouerd Rums, Liqueur, Liqueur Review, Rum | Tagged: , , , , , | Comments Off on Review: El Dorado (Golden Rum) Cream Liqueur

Review: 1 Barrel Rum

Posted by Arctic Wolf on August 9, 2014

Baron Bliss1 Barrel Rum is a product of Belize, the northernmost mainland country of Central America. A former British Colony, Belize lies just south of Mexico with the Caribbean Sea to the east and Guatemala to the west and south. Travellers Liquors Limited has been involved in the production of 1 Barrel Rum in Belize since the early 1960s originally working with independent distillers. In 1989, Tavellers acquired full control of their own distillery and has remained in full control of the brand ever since.

The 1 Barrel Rum is made from locally grown Belize sugar cane. According to the Travellers’ website, this cane is cut and crushed in a manner which retains its natural flavors, and the all of the rum is aged in Kentucky oak barrels for at least one year.

You may read my review of 1 Barrel Rum by clicking the following excerpt link:

Review: 1 Barrel Rum

“… The aroma from the glass is not overly complex; but it is nice with what I will call a laid back, lightly sweet quality. The initial scents and aromas I receive are very reminiscent of butterscotch and caramel, and I notice some subtle baking spices and a touch of tobacco appearing after I allow the glass to decant …”

Note: Included in the review is a nice tall cocktail (Baron Bliss) which pays homage to Henry Edward Ernest Victor Bliss, more commonly known as Baron Bliss. He was a British-born traveller who bequeathed approximately two million dollars ($US) to a trust fund for the benefit of the citizens of what was then (March 9, 1926) the colony of British Honduras. That colony of course is now known as Belize.

Please enjoy the review!

Posted in Rum, Rum Reviews | Tagged: , , , , , | 3 Comments »

Review: El Dorado Spiced Rum

Posted by Arctic Wolf on July 30, 2014

ED Spiced-750-USA-cut-CMYKI was privileged recently when I received an invite to visit the facilities of  Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL) in Guyana, South America two years ago. During this visit I was given a complete tour of the Diamond Distillery where DDL’s famous El Dorado Rums are produced. This included a tour of the old plant which houses the heritage stills (famous stills from various estates in Guyana some as old as 250 years, all working and still producing rum), and I saw DDL’s new high-capacity five-column distillation plant which is now in operation.

During this trip, I also was able to taste the entire line of El Dorado rums including the new El Dorado Spiced Rum. In fact at the guest house where I was staying, a full bottle of the El Dorado Spiced (and a few others as well) were left for our small Canadian group to enjoy each evening. I snapped a nice picture of the bottle while I was there and spent a little time gathering some tasting notes. At that time the Spiced rum was produced using lightly aged rum which had been produced at the old plant using the old heritage stills.

Georgetown Punch

However, two and a half years have passed and the transition of rum production (for El Dorado’s younger rums) has almost certainly been moved to the new plant and this rum is now entering into the North American Marketplace. I strongly suspect that the El Dorado Spiced rum is now a product of the new distillation plant rather than the old heritage plant, and I have decided to revisit and replace my original review with a more timely review from a current bottle.

You may click on the following excerpt link to read my full analysis:

Review: El Dorado Spiced Rum

“… The rum crosses the palate with sweet flavours of brown sugar melded into cloves and cinnamon with orange peel, nutmeg, and coriander adding additional spicy character. As before,strong notes of vanilla are evident and there is also a light dusting of oak woven into the flavour profile. The heat from the rum is more carefully melded into the firm butterscotch and brown sugar flavours …”

I hope you enjoy my fresh look at the El Dorado Spiced Rum which includes a nice punch style recipe, Georgetown Punch.

Cheers Everyone!

Posted in Rum, Rum Reviews, Spiced Rum | Tagged: , , , , , | Comments Off on Review: El Dorado Spiced Rum