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Archive for the ‘Rum Reviews’ Category

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Review: Legendario Ron Anejo

Posted by Arctic Wolf on November 20, 2011

Photo Courtesy Legendario.com

Jesus Lester Pomo (a Cuban National living in Spain) is the Export Manager for Legendario Rums (headquarters in Spain) responsible for the world-wide export of the Legendario line-up. Although the company is headquartered in Spain, the rum itself apparently hails from Cuba. The Legendario Rum arrives from Cuba to Europe via the  Sl Valencia Company. The brand, founded in the city of Havana since 1946, is marketed in the domestic market by the company Cuban Beverages.

The subject of my review, the Legendario Ron Anejo, is produced from a blend of 1, 4, and 6 year-old Cuban Rums which, after blending, are mixed with a small amount of muscatel wine. The blended product is then rested (or married) in American oak barrels for 15 days. The final rum is filtered through a traditional system of activated carbon filters and silica sand before bottling.

Here is an excerpt from my review:

“…When I bring the glass to my nose, I sense a combination of sweet caramel and dark field berries. There are also rich smells of vanilla and baking spices. As I let the glass decant, a honeyed molasses evolves;  I also begin to sense which seems to be some wisps of dark tobacco and raisins in the aroma…”

You may read the full review here:

Review: Legendario Ron Anejo

Please enjoy this review of a rather unique Cuban Rum!

Cheers!

Posted in Dark Rums, Flavouerd Rums, Rum, Rum Reviews | Tagged: , , , , , | Comments Off on Review: Legendario Ron Anejo

Review: Plantation Panama 2000 (Old Reserve) Rum

Posted by Arctic Wolf on November 17, 2011

Cognac Ferrand has long had a special relationship with a variety of Caribbean rum producers. This relationship is based upon the rum producer’s need for quality oak casks to age their rum. Cognac casks, in particular, are highly sought after as ideal oak vessels for maturing quality rums. Based upon this relationship, they began to acquire certain old and unique batches of rum from various Caribbean sources, which were brought back to France to be finished in their own Cognac Casks. These rums have been bottled in a series of special Vintages under the umbrella of Cognac Ferrand’s own label, Plantation Rum.

The Plantation Panama 2000 (Old Reserve) Rum is column distilled rum which has been aged for nine years in selected bourbon casks. The aged rum was transported from Nicaragua to France, and then it was additionally aged for a short time in used Cognac casks to enhance or ‘finish’ the rum before it was bottled. I was given eight sample bottles, each 200 ml in size, which represent a good portion of the Plantation Rum line-up. The Plantation Panama is the fifth of these sample bottles which I have chosen to review here on my blog.

Here is an excerpt from my review:

“…The aroma from the glass immediately reminds me of butterscotch candy (actually Rum & Butter Lifesavers). An undercurrent of tobacco is also apparent as are light oak spices and vanilla. As I let the glass breathe, the aroma evolves into a sweet butterscotch-toffee which has a light herbal quality of sweet-grass and pungent spice…”

You may read the full review here:

Review: Plantation Panama 2000 (Old Reserve) Rum

Please enjoy the review of this rather special rum!

Posted in Dark Rums, Rum, Rum Reviews | Tagged: , , , , , | Comments Off on Review: Plantation Panama 2000 (Old Reserve) Rum

Review: Captain Morgan 100 Spiced Rum

Posted by Arctic Wolf on November 3, 2011

The Captain Morgan Rum Company traces its history back to 1945 when Seagram’s CEO, Samuel Bronfman, negotiated the purchase of the Long Pond Distillery from the Jamaican Government and formed the Captain Morgan Rum Company. The company’s iconic rum brand, Captain Morgan’s Original Spiced Rum was based upon a recipe purchased from two local Jamaican pharmacists, the Levy Brothers, who had developed the recipe using rum from the Long Pond Distillery.

The subject of this review,  Captain Morgan 100 Spiced Rum is an overproof variation of the Captain Morgan Original Spiced Rum. It is bottled at 50 % alcohol by volume rather than at the 35 % alcohol by volume strength of the Original Spiced Rum. The Captain Morgan 100 Spiced Rum is a blend of Caribbean rums which have been aged in white oak barrels.

Here is an excerpt from my review:

“…The Captain Morgan 100 Proof Spiced Rum however, surprised me in the side by side tasting by carrying less roughness onto the palate. This rum is smoother than its lower proof sibling even though it carries more of an alcoholic punch. The flavours which I associate with good rum like oak spices which meld into a nice rummy caramel are more apparent in the stronger version of the rum…”

Here is a link to the full review:

Review: Captain Morgan 100 Spiced Rum

Please enjoy the review!

Posted in Flavouerd Rums, Rum, Rum Reviews | Tagged: , , , , | Comments Off on Review: Captain Morgan 100 Spiced Rum

Review: Brinley Gold Shipwreck Spiced Rum

Posted by Arctic Wolf on October 23, 2011

Robert and Zachary Brinley founded the St. Kitts Rum Company in the early 1990s to blend and market their Brinley Gold Rums on St. Kitts and in the United States. It is the stated goal of the company to make and market the “best tasting flavoured rums in the world“. To that end, the Brinley Gold Shipwreck Spiced Rum is produced using a rum blend which has been aged for four years in used American whisky and bourbon barrels. The rum is flavoured (or perhaps I should say spiced) with Madagascar vanilla, orange, nutmeg, clove, and other tropical spice flavors. It is blended as a mixing rum, but Brinley maintains that the rum is smooth enough to be enjoyed over ice.

As part of this review, three friends and I performed a side by side tasting comparing Brinley Gold Shipwreck Spiced Rum, with the Bacardi Oakheart Spiced Rum, and the standard bearer for the spiced rum category, Captain Morgan’s Original Spiced.

Each of these rums is produced from stocks which have been aged in American oak barrels. As well, each of these rums seems to walk the path of a vanilla and caramel rum accented by fragrant spices which compliment the rum but not to dominate it. With this similarity in style and production, a side by side tasting seemed only natural.

(I should note that a sample bottle of Brinley Gold Shipwreck Spiced Rum was provided to me for this review by the River Valley Beverage Group, which is the liquor agency responsible for distributing this rum in Alberta.)

Here is an excerpt from my review:


“… The flavour of the rum carries a bit of an oaky thread with butterscotch, and a strong push of vanilla riding in the currents. I taste some light baking spices as well as a very light indication of canned fruit (apricots and pears). There are some other spicy flavours which remind me of nutmeg and cloves…”

You may read the full review here:

Review: Brinley Gold Shipwreck Spiced Rum

As well I have included a nice cocktail with this review called the Orange Push-up.

Please enjoy the review and the cocktail!

Posted in Cocktails & Recipes, Flavouerd Rums, Rum, Rum Reviews | Tagged: , , , , , | Comments Off on Review: Brinley Gold Shipwreck Spiced Rum

Review: Bacardi Oakheart Smooth Spiced Rum

Posted by Arctic Wolf on October 20, 2011

On September 1, 2011, Bacardi launched their new Oakheart Smooth Spiced Rum. As the name suggests, the Oakheart is an aged rum. The rums in the blend have been aged in charred oak barrels to give the rum added depth of character and perhaps a bit of whisky-like smokiness. I met the Bacardi Area Sales Manager at the Sherbrooke “Drink Like a Pirate” Rum Festival, and he arranged for me to receive a bottle of the Oakheart Spiced Rum to review on my website.

For this review, three friends and I performed a side by side tasting comparing Brinley Gold Shipwreck Spiced Rum with the Bacardi Oakheart Spiced Rum and the standard-bearer for the spiced rum category, Captain Morgan’s Original Spiced. Each of these rums is built on the foundation of aging in American oak barrels, and each of these rums seems to walk the path of a vanilla and caramel rum accented by fragrant spices which compliment the rum but do not to dominate it.

Here an excerpt from of my review of Bacardi Oakheart Spiced Rum:

“…The initial mouth-feel to the rum is quite creamy, and this creaminess serves to coat the palate allowing the flavours to linger. I taste a lot of vanilla, some nice rummy butterscotch and a little dollop of maple syrup. The rum has a bit of spicy heat as well, with some orange peel, cinnamon and cloves heating the palate…”

Here is the full Review:

Review: Bacardi Oakheart Smooth Spiced Rum

I have included a couple of cocktail suggestions for the Oakheart Spiced Rum including, Island Sunset.

Please enjoy the review!

Posted in Cocktails & Recipes, Flavouerd Rums, Rum, Rum Reviews | Tagged: , , , , , | 1 Comment »

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