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Archive for the ‘Rum Reviews’ Category

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Review: Ron Marques del Valle (8 Years)

Posted by Arctic Wolf on October 6, 2013

SAM_0956 Ron Marques del Valle 8Ron Marques del Valle (8 Years) is produced in Colombia by Industria de Licores del Valle. I was unable to learn much about this distiller of rum, however, the back of my sample bottle makes the following statement about this particular rum:

“Ron Marques is the result of the most refined sugar cane extract, distilled with the purest water from the Andes and aged in oak barrels for 8 years, this conjunction of events gives this unique Rum an intense amber colour, a fine viscosity, an excellent depth of mature aromas and a smooth taste”

I was given my sample bottle by A&B Canada who are based in Quebec. They have recently began to list and sell the rum in my home market of Alberta.

You may click on the following excerpt to read the full review:

Review: Ron Marques del Valle (8 Years)

“… The initial nose is quite sweet with a strong butterscotch aroma which is tainted with a sweet and sour fruitiness (dry apricots, peaches and pineapple). The aroma reminds me of old-fashioned candied tutti-frutti. There are also some nice wood spices which begin to turn the butterscotch into toffee, and an obvious citrus accent reminds me of one of those citrus juice blends full of oranges, grapefruit, lemons and lime …”

Please enjoy my review of this Authentic Colombian Rum.

Cheers Everyone!

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Review: Pumpkin Face White Rum

Posted by Arctic Wolf on October 4, 2013

Pumpkin Face WhitePumpkin Face Rum is a new brand of rum being distributed in Canada by Pure Global Imports. The rum inside the cool looking pumpkin shaped bottles is apparently a blend of selected rums from the Dominican Republic. I was curious about those pumpkin faced bottles, and found this statement on the Pumpkin Face Rum website:

“The pumpkin is a symbol of celebration to people around the world. The origin of the pumpkin can be traced to North American seeds dating back to 7000 BC. The word pumpkin comes from the word “pepon”, which is Greek for “large melon” and later changed by American colonists to “pumpkin”. Colonists would often slice off the pumpkin top, remove the seeds, and fill it with cream, honey, eggs and spices. They cooked the pumpkin in hot ashes until blackened then enjoyed its contents.”

According to the labeling, this is an ‘ultra premium’ Dominican Rum, bottled at 40 % alcohol by volume. The brand is owned by, Itsko Imports Inc of Beverly Hills, California.

You may click on the following excerpt to read the full review:

Review: Pumpkin Face White Rum

“… When I poured the Pumpkin Face White Rum into my glass, I noticed the spirit carried a light butterscotch scent into the air. A I nosed the rum, mild impressions of banana, orange zest, and faint grassy vegetal notes rose into the breezes. There were also a few light traces of cotton candy, wisps of mint, and hints of anise-like licorice scents …”

Please enjoy my review which includes a nice Daiquiri recipe at its conclusion.

Cheers Everyone!

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Review: Berrys’ Finest Barbados Rum (Aged 13 Years)

Posted by Arctic Wolf on September 29, 2013

SAM_0965 Berrys' Barbados 13Berry Bros. & Rudd is one of London’s oldest Wine and Spirits Merchant with over 300 years of experience and tradition from which to draw upon. The company began its operation at 3 – St. James’s Street (in London, UK) in 1698, and still operates from that same location today. Although they are primarily merchants of wine, the company has a strong presence in the sale of distilled spirits as well. And in fact, this presence within the spirits industry had its beginnings approximately 100 years ago. (The Cutty Sark brand was developed by Berry Bros & Rudd in 1923.)

Today Berry Bros & Rudd acts as an independent bottler of Whisky, Cognac, Armagnac, and of course Rum. A few of their rum offerings are available in my locale, and I was able to obtain a samples of the 13 Year Old – Berrys’ Finest Barbados Rum, from the Western Canadian distributor Charton Hobbs. Unfortunately I was not able to track down the complete history of this rum. All I know is that the spirit was distilled in Barbados, and aged for 13 years before being bottled by Berry Bros. and Rudd.

You may read my full review here:

Review: Berrys’ Finest Barbados Rum (Aged 13 Years)

“… The initial aroma from the glass is filled with a complex combination of dark toffee, caramelized brown sugars, rich tobacco and woody oak spices. Allowing the glass to breathe enriches the aroma bringing dark fruit and raisins, baking spices (vanilla, cinnamon cloves and nutmeg), some orange peel, and thick sticky marmalade impressions into the breezes as well …”

Please enjoy my review of this Bajan rum which I find quite pleasing as the nights grow longer and colder this autumn!

Cheers Everyone!

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Review: Old Monk Gold Reserve Rum (12 Years Blended)

Posted by Arctic Wolf on September 22, 2013

SAM_0958 Old Monk Gold Reserve RumOld Monk is an aged dark rum produced by Mohan Meakin Limited in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, India. According to the information I received from the importer, the Gold Reserve 12 Year Blended Rum is a molasses distilled rum, aged for a minimum of 12 years in oak casks (in the tropical climate of India) and then blended to be a smoother, more refined version of (the previously reviewed) Old Monk Very Old Vatted XXX Rum (7 Years Old Blended).

The brand receives very little attention from the press, and does not appear to be represented in any advertising campaigns which I have seen. Rather Old Monk appears to rely upon word of mouth and customer loyalty for its sales. Word of mouth must be good as the 7-year-old version of this rum is (again according to information I received) the largest selling well-aged dark rum in the world.

I was sent a sample bottle of Old Monk Gold Reserve Rum by Bharat Bhushan Pahuja, who is the President of Venus2011 Importers (the distributor of Old Monk Rum in British Colombia, Canada) and I was asked to provide an unbiased review. I was more than happy to oblige.

You may click on the following review excerpt to read the full review:

Review: Old Monk Gold Reserve Rum (12 Years Blended)

“… It is when I snoot the glasses side by side that the differences between the two rums begin to reveal themselves. Although each are full of impressions of dark brown sugar and maple, the 12 year Old rum seems drier and spicier with a stronger presence of oak in the breezes …”

Please enjoy my review of this outstanding rum from India!

Cheers!

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Review: Bacardi Superior White Rum

Posted by Arctic Wolf on September 16, 2013

bacardi-picIn 1862, Facundo Bacardi and his brother José bought the Santiago de Cuba Distillery and began to distill what would become the most popular commercial rum in the world. Using a method of charcoal filtering, and oak barrel aging  along with a still of copper and cast iron, Facundo Bacardi created a smoother more refined version of the locally made rum. His smoother version of the spirit became local favourite, and over time, an international sensation.

Bacardi Superior White Rum is a direct descendant of the original rum which Facundo Bacardi produced back in 1862. Although production methods have undoubtedly changed since then, the Bacardi White Rum is still produced using a method of oak barrel aging (for one to two years) and charcoal filtration.

Bacardi Daquiri

Bacardi Daquiri

You may read my full review by clicking the following excerpt (link):

Review: Bacardi Superior White Rum

“… The initial impression was of a dryish rum which was perhaps a little rougher on the palate than I was hoping for. I taste a firm presence of almond and a softer presence of caramel and vanilla. The rum tends to become a little grassy in the mouth, with the flavours of banana peel and citrus zests gaining strength as I sip …”

At the end of the review, I included 3 daiquiri recipes which I found on the Bacardi website named simply enough the Bacardi Daiquiri, Daiquiri No. 2, and Daiquiri No 3.

Please enjoy the review (originally posted April 10, 2011) and the three Daiquiri Recipes!

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

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