The Rum Howler Blog

Review: Spytail Black Ginger Rum

Posted by Arctic Wolf on March 31, 2017

Spytail Black Ginger Rum is produced by Biggar and Leith, who are based in the New York area with distribution across North America and in 16 Countries worldwide (and growing). Biggar & Leith own a small portfolio of spirits which are produced by established, family owned distilleries.

Spytail Black Ginger Rum pays homage to the submarine, SPYTAIL, as apparently plans for the legendary underwater ship were discovered by Biggar and Leith’s distillers in Cognac, France. While that may seem unlikely, this actually makes sense as the first mechanical submarines were not only invented in France, they were tested within the Charente River which flows near their distillery. The production of Spytail Rum is based on a 19th Century recipe which calls for the aging of fresh ginger root and spices in barrels of Rum. The spirit is produced from a blend of Caribbean rums which are both blended and bottled at the Cognac, France facility.

Here is a link to my full review:

Review: Spytail Black Ginger Rum

“… The rum brings a tasty combination of rum-like brown sugar and spicy oriental ginger across the palate. The spirit is not as sweet as the nose implied; however there is enough sweetness to help balance the overt spiciness of the ginger root. Bits of orange marmalade meander into the rum’s flavour along with hints of cinnamon and some more obvious vanilla …”

Please enjoy my review which concludes with a very nice cocktail, The Last Saskatchewan Pirate.

Chimo!

Posted in Rum, Rum Reviews, Spiced Rum | Tagged: Biggar and Leith, Black Rum, Ginger, Review, Rum, Spiced Rum, Spytail, Spytail Black Ginger Rum | Comments Off on Review: Spytail Black Ginger Rum

Review: Invergordon 1984 – 28 Year Old (SKU W&M 228)

Posted by Arctic Wolf on March 29, 2017

Invergordon Distillers (currently owned by Whyte & Mackay) was founded in 1959 in the Highlands region of Scotland and the newly built distillery began to operate in 1959. The distillery has three working Coffey stills which produce grain whisky (primarily from wheat and corn) for various Whyte and Mackay blended whiskies as well as other Scottish producers.

The Wilson and Morgan 1984 Invergordon 28 Year Old Single Grain Whisky (SKU W&M 228) was distilled in 1987 and bottled in 2016. This whisky is part of Wilson and Morgan’s Special Release Series which is comprised of Scotch whiskies, all of which are 25 years of age or older, and many of which have received an unusual or special maturation regime. This particular whisky was matured for its entire life in a 2nd fill Sherry butt and bottled at cask strength (56.5% alcohol by volume).

Here is a link to my full review of this special whisky:

Review: W&M Invergordon 1984 – 28 Year Old

“… This is a complex whisky full of charred oak and cereal grain, but tempered with rich vanillans and butterscotch toffee. There is a firm herbal quality within the grain which reminds me of fresh-cut green hay with just a smidgen of heather and menthol …”

Please enjoy my review of this outstanding grain whisky, Chimo!

Posted in Scotch Whisky, Whisk(e)y, Whisk(e)y Review | Tagged: 1984, 28 Year Old, Invergordon, Review, Scotch, Single Grain, Whisky, Wilson and Morgan | Comments Off on Review: Invergordon 1984 – 28 Year Old (SKU W&M 228)

Review: Malfy Gin (Con Limone)

Posted by Arctic Wolf on March 27, 2017

The Lady From Sicily

Malfy Gin is a brand owned by Biggar and Leith, who are based in the New York area with distribution across North America and in 16 Countries worldwide (and growing). Biggar & Leith own a small portfolio of spirits which are produced by established, family owned distilleries.

Malfy G.Q.D.I. (Gin di Qualità Distillato in Italia) is distilled by the Vergnano family in Moncalieri, Italy. (G.Q.D.I. stands for ‘Gin di qualità distillato in Italia’. It is a stamp and guarantee of quality and origin.) The family uses a traditional stainless steel vacuum still and produces their gin from a distillation of lemons (coastal grown Italian lemons – some from Amalfi and some from Sicily) and juniper (of course) as well as 5 other botanicals (including coriander, angelica and cassia bark).

Here is a link to my full review:

Review: Malfy Gin (Con Limone)

“… the gin revels in the lemon. At first , that is all I taste. However, as I let my palate adjust I begin to notice other flavours playing within the lemon construct. Lightly bitter juniper, hints of dark licorice, and a spiciness which at first I took for lemon zest, but which certainly has the imprint of coriander upon it as well …”

Please enjoy my review, and my cocktail suggestion which follows, the Lady From Sicily, Chimo!

Posted in Gin, Gin Review | Tagged: Biggar and Leith, con Limone, Gin, Malfy Gin, Review | Comments Off on Review: Malfy Gin (Con Limone)

Review: Victoria Caledonian Mac na Braiche

Posted by Arctic Wolf on March 26, 2017

mac-na-braiche-sam_3038 The Victoria Caledonian Distillery has been on my radar for a while now. I first heard of it when founder Graeme Malconey invited me to an information seminar and whisky tasting several years ago. At that time the distillery was just in the planning stages and Graeme was touring the country raising money to build his distillery.

In the fall of 2016, word reached me that the Victoria Caledonian Brewery & Distillery had began to produce and age new make spirit. Then in January of 2017 Andrew Walls, Sales Manager and Brand Ambassador for the aforementioned distillery reached out to me asking if he could share some samples for me to review. He, in fact agreed to come all the way to my house in Edmonton and provided a private tasting for my tasting group, the Rum Chums. One of those spirits we sampled was a ‘whisky in progress’, Victoria Caledonian Mac na Braiche.

Andrew left me with a sample, and although the spirit is not a whisky yet, I felt it deserved a full review on my website.

Here is a link to that review:

Review: Victoria Caledonian Mac na Braiche

“… The nose carries both the signature of both the ex red-wine cask and single malt whisky. I notice a ribbon of cherry-like turkish delight in the breezes wrapped up in fine oak spice and a malty sweetness. There are some impressions of dry raisins as well as canned pears and yellow-green apple slices. Bits of almond, vanilla, ginger spice and a light grassiness rounds out the aroma …”

Please enjoy my review of this wonderful new spirit from the Victoria Caledonian Distillery, chimo!

Note: The Victoria Caledonian Distillery And Brewery has a very interesting custom cask program which allows interested consumers to design and order their own custom cask from a variety of cask options. If you are interested, please contact Andrew Campbell Walls at Andrew@MacaloneyDistillers.com or download the cask offer here:

http://vcaledonian.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Cask-Offer.pdf.

Posted in Moonshine and New-make | Tagged: Canadian, Mac ne Braiche, Review, Victoria Caledonian Distillery, Whisky, Whisky in Progress | Comments Off on Review: Victoria Caledonian Mac na Braiche

Review: Appleton Estate Joy Anniversary Rum

Posted by Arctic Wolf on March 24, 2017

On March 23rd, 2017 I attended to a very special tasting event hosted by Joy Spence, Master Blender for Appleton Estate Rum. This wasn’t an ordinary tasting event. Joy Spence and Appleton Estate were serving a very special new rum.

Joy is celebrating her 20^th anniversary as Master Blender of Appleton Estate Rum. She joined Appleton Estate Rum in 1982 as Chief Chemist and was appointed as the brand’s Master Distiller/Blender in 1997. At that time, Joy Spence became not only first woman to be the Master Blender of a premium rum brand, but also the first woman in the world to be the Master Blender of a global spirits brand. Since then, she has earned numerous awards, including the honorary Doctorate of Science degree from the University of Louborough and, in 2016, the Golden Rum Barrel Award for the Most Influential Rum Blender of the Last 10 Years.

To acknowledge her extraordinary career, Appleton Estate is paying homage to the revolutionary Joy Spence by releasing Appleton Estate Joy Anniversary Blend, a rare 25-year-old minimum aged limited edition rum.

Here is a link to my full review of the Appleton Estate Joy Anniversary Rum which I cobbled together from the tasting notes I wrote at yesterday’s tasting event.

Review: Appleton Estate Joy Anniversary Rum

“… I was extremely pleased to find Jamaican pot still character (camphor and resin, bits of menthol, and vague hints of tar and iodine) very much in evidence within the oak and spice. Also within the merry little breezes was the Appleton Estate Rum signature of orange peel combined with dark brown sugar and rich baking spices (vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon and hints of allspice) …”

I hope you enjoy the review which concludes with a few serving suggestions from none other than Joy Spence herself as Joy shared with me how she would recommend enjoying her special Anniversary Rum with a small group of friends.

Posted in Dark Rums, Rum, Rum Reviews | Tagged: Appleton Estate, Jamaican Rum, Joy Anniversary Rum, Joy Spence, Review, Rum | Comments Off on Review: Appleton Estate Joy Anniversary Rum

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