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Archive for the ‘Rum Reviews’ Category

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Review: Diplomático Añejo Rum

Posted by Arctic Wolf on April 19, 2011

It has occurred to me that I have a lot of new readers who may not have had the opportunity to read some of my earliest reviews. In order to make these reviews more accessible I have decided to revisit them. These re-postings should appear about once a week (usually on Tuesdays). I have resisted the impulse to re-write the reviews. I may however have fixed the odd typo and inserted some clarification where my writing was unclear.

Today I am reposting my review of the Ron Diplomático Añejo which is a four-year old rum from Venezuela produced by Distilerias Unidas, S.A. . This rum review was one of the very first I had ever written. I was quite happy that when I went back to the bottle and tried the rum again, I found my tasting notes were very consistent compared to my early review.

Here is an excerpt from that review:

“… I taste nutty caramel, brown sugar, and cinnamon with butter.  It also tastes a bit like Amaretto. There is also a harsh backbite of spice almost like a sudden infusion of allspice at the end of the flavour.  This is still very good, and if we had a little more balance here I could rate this even higher….“

You may read the full review here:

Review: Diplomático Añejo Rum

Please enjoy the Review!

Posted in Dark Rums, Rum, Rum Reviews | Tagged: , , , , | Comments Off on Review: Diplomático Añejo Rum

Review: Bacardi Superior White Rum

Posted by Arctic Wolf on April 10, 2011

In 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.

Here is an excerpt from my review:

“…I began by sipping the Bacardi Superior White Rum neat in my glass without ice. 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…”

You may read the full review here:

Review: Bacardi Superior White Rum

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

Review: Isla ñ Gold Rum

Posted by Arctic Wolf on March 20, 2011

Isla ñ Rum is a small boutique rum distillery based in Tucuman, Argentina which is in the middle of a major subtropical sugar-producing region of Argentina. The company was established to recover old distilling techniques in the production of artisan rum. Thus the company considers itself to be a boutique distilling company and produces all of their rum on copper stills in small batches. The copper stills have been designed to produce rum by a method which the company calls ‘slow distilling‘ which apparently allows the master distiller to have much more control over the process, and should enable the company to deliver a superior rum product.

Isla ñ Rum began appearing in the Alberta market about one year ago, and I thought that it would be interesting to review this rather unique rum from the sub tropics of Argentina. According to the company website all of the Isla ñ rums spend some time in french oak casks, and it states that large vat style casks are avoided in the maturation process. Further research indicates that the Gold rum which I am reviewing was aged for about 2 years, and that charred oak chips were added to the oak barrels to speed/enhance the maturation process.

Here is an excerpt from my review:

“…The initial nose is very crisp with some astringent birch and poplar aromas accompanying lighter toffee and coconut rind. Wood spices and a reedy tobacco lurk in the breezes as well and the overall effect is a rum which is very unique and interesting…”

You may read the full review here:

Review: Isla ñ Gold Rum

Please enjoy the review!

Posted in Dark Rums, Rum, Rum Reviews | Tagged: , , , , | Comments Off on Review: Isla ñ Gold Rum

Rum Review: Newfoundlander’s White Rum

Posted by Arctic Wolf on March 6, 2011

It started well over one hundred years ago when fishing fleets from Newfoundland, with their cargo of Northern Cod and North Atlantic Tuna, traveled south and established a tradition of trade for the Caribbean Elixir, known as rum. This trade established Newfoundland as one of the major portals for the legal import (and of course a little illegal smuggling) of rum into Canada.

There have always been a good variety of rum brands on the shelves of my local liquor store which began their journey westward across Canada from the easternmost Province of Newfoundland. These rums are imported from the Caribbean in bulk, then bottled and branded in St. John’s Newfoundland, and as a result can trace their ancestry to those original fishing fleets that bartered Cod for Rum.

One of these brands, Newfoundlander’s Rum, made a splash about a year ago with a new style and presentation that rejected the pirated clichés of the rum marketing gurus and instead embraced the heritage of Newfoundland’s rocky shores and its naval tradition. Stunning artwork from Canadian artist David Blackwood adorned the labels in narrative designs that told a story of the  proud Newfoundland people who live their lives near and on the sea. It is a life bound by tragedy and hope as the residents of Newfoundland are blessed by the ocean’s bounty; yet they are always at its mercy.

I was given a bottle of Newfoundlander’s White Rum this Christmas as a gift from a good friend, and I decided that I should share my impressions of this rum here on my blog.

Here is an excerpt from my review:

“…The light caramel flavour of the rum is firm, and I taste no bitter off-notes. There is a tinge of alcohol bite which tastes slightly sharp, but I also taste the light candy flavours I noticed in the nose and an every so soft progression of mint. Vanilla notes are present,  as is a light almond flavour…”

You may read the full review here:

Rum Review: Newfoundlander’s White Rum

As well I have included a few cocktails which work well with the Newfoundlander’s White Rum including The Pink Rocket and  The Gentle Hammock.

Posted in Cocktails & Recipes, Rum, Rum Reviews, White Rums | Tagged: , , , , | Comments Off on Rum Review: Newfoundlander’s White Rum

Rum Review: Ron Abuelo Anejo

Posted by Arctic Wolf on February 24, 2011

Ron Abuelo Anejo rum is produced by Varela Hermanos SA in Panama, Central America. This company has a history which dates back to 1908 when Don José Varela Blanco launched the first sugar mill in the then recently formed Republic of Panama.  In 1935 the site began to distill sugar cane juice for the production of liqueurs. Today the company produces an impressive array of products which includes over one million boxes of liqueurs and of course a strong variety of rum. The Ron Abuelo brand is just one brand from this wide assortment.

My first taste of this rum came in Miami (Rum Renaissance) at an event sponsored by Abuelo Rums. At the end of the event I was given a courtesy gift bag by the sponsors, and it contained a small 200 ml glass flask of Ron Abuelo Anejo which I kept unopened until now when I decided to sample the rum for the purpose of this review.

According to the website Ron o Anejo is produced from sugar cane juice rather than molasses and it is aged in white oak bourbon casks. A little research indicates that the Anejo is probably a 3-year-old rum. It stands at the bottom of the rungs, with respect to the Ron Abuelo lineup, accompanied in the brand line up by a 7-year-old and a 12-year-old rum.

Here is an excerpt from my review:

“…Vanilla, caramel and citrus peel lead out first but I soon taste firm fruitiness reminiscent of black cherries and wild field-berries.  The fruity tastes are reminiscent of a Port wine influence, and they have me somewhat baffled by their appearance in such a young rum which has been aged in a bourbon cask.  The rum also contains more familiar strong flavours of brown sugar, spicy cinnamon, and even perhaps a little tobacco and leather…”

You may read the full review here:

Rum Review: Ron Abuelo Anejo

As well I have included a nice cocktail suggestion, The Mandeville.

Posted in Cocktails & Recipes, Dark Rums, Rum, Rum Reviews | Tagged: , , , , , | Comments Off on Rum Review: Ron Abuelo Anejo

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