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Archive for the ‘Rum Reviews’ Category

Review: El Dorado 8 Year Old Cask Aged Rum

Posted by Arctic Wolf on March 23, 2014

SAM_1070According to the El Dorado Website, the El Dorado 8 Year old Cask Aged Rum is blended from selected stocks of rum which included rum from no less than four of DDL’s traditional Heritage Stills including both the original Wooden Coffey Still which was rescued from the Enmore Estate and the Double Wooden Pot Still which was rescued from the Port Mourant Estate. Each of these stills is well over 200 years old and they represent the last of their kind operating in the world today. The use of these ancient stills ensures that the Demerara Rum produced at DDL’s Diamond Distillery is unlike anything produced anywhere else in the world. (For more information on the unique Heritage Stills in operation at the Diamond distillery you may read my first hand account here (Diamond Distillery Tour).

The new 8 Year Old Rum from El Dorado Rum was recently released in Ontario, Canada and I was provided a sample bottle by the distributor Woodman Wines and Spirits.

Rum Manhattan with El Dorado 8 Year Old Rum

Rum Manhattan with El Dorado 8 Year Old Rum

You may read my full review of the El Dorado 8 Year Old Cask Aged Rum by clicking on the following excerpt link:

Review: El Dorado 8 Year Old Cask Aged Rum

“… The rum carries sweet flavours of butterscotch, toffee, and dark brown sugar as well the bitterness of dark caramel treacle. Within the sweet and the bitter, I taste luscious baking spices (vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg) and firm impressions of roasted walnuts and pecans. Marmalade, a ribbon of corn whisky, impressions of cocoa, a touch of leather and brine, and a firm imprint of tobacco …”

As I was tasting this El Dorado Rum, it occurred to me that the spirit would work very well in a Rob Roy cocktail. Of course, once I substituted the Scotch in the cocktail for the 8 Year Old Rum, what I had really created was a Rum Manhattan which I decided would serve very well as the suggested cocktail featured at the end of the review.

Cheers Everyone!

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

Review: Tanduay Gold Asian Rum

Posted by Arctic Wolf on March 14, 2014

gold finalLast year, Tanduay Holdings began its American Invasion by placing two new rums into the North American market. For those who do not know, Tanduay is one of the largest Rum producers in the world. (The reason they have been relatively unknown in North America is because their Asian rum is produced in the Philipines, and it sells almost exclusively into Asia.) The Tanduay invasion was launched with two premium rums (a Silver, and a Gold). The Silver Rum (reviewed here) is a blending of rums which have been aged up to 5 years and filtered to be a pale straw coloured spirit meant for mixing high-end cocktails. The Gold Rum is a blending of rums aged up to 7 years and is meant to be a spirit to be enjoyed neat or over ice, although the makers of the rum do not shy away from recommending their Gold Rum for quality cocktails as well.

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Rum Crusta

Here is a link to my full review of the Tanduay Gold Asian Rum:

Review: Tanduay Gold Asian Rum

” … I sense a light honeyed brown sugar and toffee aroma rising from the glass with spicy accents that are enticing. The spiciness carries impressions of ginger, cardamom, vanilla, clean oak and orange peel. There is also a bit of an exotic flair within this spice hinting that the rum may have a few surprises for me when I taste it …”

My review includes a classic nineteenth century cocktail recipe which tastes very nice indeed with the Tanduay Gold Rum. That recipe, the Rum Crusta is based upon a 1878 variation of the Brandy Crusta developed by Leo Engels who almost certainly used Joseph Santini’s 1840 Brandy Crusta recipe as his inspiration (see the Leo Engels Brandy Crusta recipe and explanation here).

Cheers everybody, and let us hope that the recent warmer weather is a harbinger of springtime!

 

Posted in Cocktails & Recipes, Dark Rums, Rum, Rum Reviews | Tagged: , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Review: Tanduay Gold Asian Rum

Review: The Wild Geese Premium Rum

Posted by Arctic Wolf on March 4, 2014

prumThe Wild Geese Rum Collection is the companion to the Wild Geese Irish Whisky Collection. While the Wild Geese Irish Whisky collection sought to bring the Story of the Wild Geese and their struggles in European Armies to light, the Wild Geese Rum Collection continues the saga bringing to light the story of some of these Wild Geese who after service in the continental armies of Europe found themselves transported to America and the Caribbean where many worked upon the Rum Plantations in the new world.

I received samples of the entire rum collection from the brand developer, Protege International, and began my review series of the Collection with reviews of the Wild Geese Golden Rum, and the Wild Geese Caribbean Spiced Rum. This review of the Wild Geese Premium Rum concludes my examination.

Rum Club Signature Cocktail SAM_1059

Rum Club Cocktail

The Wild Geese Premium Rum is a blend of Bajan, Guyanese, and Jamaican rums which have been aged for up to eight years, and bottled at 40 % alcohol by volume.

Here is a link to my full review:

Review: The Wild Geese Premium Rum

“… When I bring the glass to my nose, I sense a light sweetness of canned peaches and apricots a rather firm impression of vanilla. There are some light oak spices in the breezes as well as the light spiciness of orange and banana peel. Hints of tobacco and a light grassiness rounds out the nose …”

Please enjoy my review which includes a new signature cocktail I designed for my rum club, the Rum Club Cocktail.

Cheers!

Posted in Cocktails & Recipes, Dark Rums, Rum, Rum Reviews | Tagged: , , , , , , | Comments Off on Review: The Wild Geese Premium Rum

Review: Tanduay Silver Asian Rum

Posted by Arctic Wolf on February 25, 2014

Tanduay silver finalLast year, Tanduay Holdings began its American Invasion by placing two new rums into the North American market. For those who do not know, Tanduay is one of the very largest Rum producers in the world. (The reason they have been relatively unknown in North America is because their Asian rum is produced in the Philipines and sells almost exclusively into Asia.) This invasion was launched with two premium (a Silver, and a Gold) rums. The Tanduay Silver Rum reviewed here is a blend of rums aged up to 5 years and filtered to be a pale straw coloured spirit meant for mixing high-end cocktails.

Note: The origin of Tanduay Holdings Inc. can be traced to 1937 when The Manilla Wine Merchants Inc. was incorporated. This company was basically an amalgamation of several business interests, the important one for our discussion being the Manilla Steamship Company which held agricultural interests in the Western Visayas and had been producing rum (and other spirits) in the Philippines since at least 1893. In 1999, the Manilla Wine Merchants Inc. formally changed their name to Tanduay Holdings. (For more information please visit the Tanduay USA Website.)

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Tanduay #2

Here is a link to my full review:

Review: Tanduay Silver Asian Rum

“… When I raise the glass to my nose, a gentle but firm butterscotch toffee rises out of the glass followed by a soft waft of fine oak spice, soft banana and lightly sharp orange peel. I allowed the glass to breathe, and enjoyed developing scents of light baking spices (vanilla, cinnamon, and ginger) and the delicious scent of light brown sugar …”

As you will see when you read the review, I enjoyed mixing a few daiquiri recipes with the Tanduay Silver. For your enjoyment, I included two recipes, the Lime and Maraschino Daiquiri, and Tanduay # 2 (based upon the Bacardi No. 2 Daiquiri).

Please enjoy my review and my suggested cocktails!

Posted in Cocktails & Recipes, Rum, Rum Reviews, White Rums | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Review: Tanduay Silver Asian Rum

Review: Wild Geese Caribbean Spiced Rum

Posted by Arctic Wolf on February 18, 2014

srumThe Wild Geese Rum Collection is the companion to the Wild Geese Irish Whisky Collection. While the Wild Geese Irish Whisky collection sought to bring the Story of the Wild Geese and their struggles in European Armies to light, the Wild Geese Rum Collection continues the saga bringing to light the story of some of these Wild Geese who after service in the continental armies of Europe found themselves transported to America and the Caribbean where many worked upon the Rum Plantations in the new world.

The Wild Geese Caribbean Spiced Rum has been aged for up to five years and has been blended with tropical fruits and spice. You may read my full review  here:

Spiced Darwin

Spiced Darwin

Review: Wild Geese Caribbean Spiced Rum

“…  the possibilities for mixing the Caribbean Spiced Rum seems to be opening up in front of me as I sip. The initial flavour impressions I receive across my palate are similar to what I experienced as I nosed the glass. I sense a trio of fruitiness which resembles cherry licorice, fresh mango and sliced pineapple …”

Please enjoy my review which includes two cocktail suggestions, the Metro Swizzle, and the Spiced Darwin.

Cheers Everyone!

Posted in Cocktails & Recipes, Rum, Rum Reviews, Spiced Rum | Tagged: , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Review: Wild Geese Caribbean Spiced Rum