The Rum Howler Blog

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Review: The Rum Rats Arco Seco (The Perfect Barrel)

Posted by Arctic Wolf on April 11, 2022

Arco Seco  is a Panamanian rum brought to you by Rum Rats. a partnership of Shamus Hewitt & Jason Gardner based in Ontario Canada. To bring this rum to Canada, Shamus and Jason have collaborated with renowned Panamanian Master Blender, Francisco “Don Pancho” Fernandez and Carlos Esquivel of the Pilsa Rum Distillery in Panama.

According to the Rum Rats website, this first rum release from Rum Rats brings a distinct, authentic Panamanian flavour to the Canadian market. It is a single origin spirit aged for 5 years in previously used Bourbon barrels. The rum is column-distilled from black molasses rum processed, fermented, distilled and aged all in the Arco Seco region of Panama. It is non-chill filtered and bottled at 43 % alcohol by volume with with no sugar or additives.

Here is a link to my full review:

Review: The Rum Rats Arco Seco

“… Mild butterscotch and honey combine with vanilla and almond. Orange peel is present as are fine oak spices. As the rum breathes the fine oak spices build up giving us a sort of dry and dusty impression of sandalwood and straw. There are hints of tropical fruit (banana and coconut) as well as vague impressions of baking spices …”

Please enjoy my first rum review in over a year. Hopefully this starts a trend.

Chimo!

 

Posted in Rum, Rum Reviews | Tagged: , , , , , | 2 Comments »

Cocktail Exploration: Maggie May

Posted by Arctic Wolf on April 9, 2022

A lot of my friends still turn their noses up when I suggest we indulge in Tequila instead of Rum or Whisky. The problem for them is that the taste of strong tequila is just a little too wild for their Canadian palate. I came up with Maggie May as a sort of a compromise indulgence to keep my friends (as well as me) happy when I bring a bottle of the agave spirit.

Maggie May is of course a reference to the classic 1971 rock ballad written and sung by Rod Stewart. Just as his song is a softer take on Rock and Roll, my cocktail is constructed to be a softer take on the classic Margarita Cocktail.

Maggie May

3/4 oz Vodka
3/4 oz Reposado Tequila
3/4 oz Triple Sec
3/4 oz fresh Lime Juice
1 tsp Sugar Syrup (1:1 ratio)
Ice
Lime Slice for garnish

Chill a cocktail glass
Place the Vodka, Tequila, Lime Juice, Triple Sec, and Sugar Syrup into a metal shaker
Shake until the outside of the shaker frosts
Strain into the chilled cocktail glass
Garnish with a slice of Lime
Please Enjoy Responsibly!

Note: If  you are interested in more of my cocktail recipes, please click this link (Cocktails and Recipes) for more of my mixed drink recipes!

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Review: Johnnie Walker Blue Label

Posted by Arctic Wolf on April 6, 2022

It’s been quite a while since my last review was published, but today I thought I would begin to catch up on the large queue of reviews that have been pending. Today’s review completes a series of Johnny Walker tastings which began in late 2020 (yeah, more than 16 months ago) which were side-swiped by the World-wide crisis relating to the virus. In fact it has been over a year since the last published review in the series, Johnnie Walker Aged 18 Years.

This is the review for Johnnie Walker Blue Label Scotch Whisky

It is interesting to note that Johnnie Walker does not make an age claim for the whisky although it is generally believed that the Blue Label represents an older overall blend than the Johnnie Walker 18 Year Old. Neither does Johnnie Walker give any indication as to which distilleries the whisky have contributed to the overall blend. It is hinted that the existing distilleries of Royal Lochnagar, Clynelish, Glenkinchie, Glenlossie and Cameronbridge all contribute to the character of Johnnie Walker Blue.

Here is a link to my full review with tasting notes and scores:

Review: Johnnie Walker Blue Label 

“… Rich toffee melded with leathery oak and pencil shavings, vanilla, a little swampy peat and charcoal smoke. We also encounter raisins and dates sweetened with a touch of honey and soft stone fruit (peaches and pears). The peat seems to build up and then fade just a little revealing hints of chocolate and coffee …”

Please enjoy my review, and you can look forward to more Rum and Whisky reviews in the coming weeks, perhaps more vodka and gin as well.

Chimo!

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Note: Here are links to the entire Johnny Walker review series:

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Review: Topshelf Vodka

Posted by Arctic Wolf on August 20, 2021

Top Shelf Distillers are located in Perth, a town in Eastern Ontario, located on the Tay River, about 80 kilometres southwest of Ottawa. At one time Perth was home to four distilleries, the two most famous, McLaren and Spalding & Stewart, were located in limestone buildings alongside the Tay River catering to the tastes of the early Scottish settlement by producing malt whisky similar to the Scottish style of the day.

Prohibition (the Ontario Temperance Act of 1916) is largely blamed for the demise of the distilling industry in Perth, but now, about one hundred years later, Top Shelf Distillers have began to once again bottle spirits in Perth. Vodka and Gin are their core brands, making up most of the distilleries total volume with their primary market being Ontario, although they have also began to sell their spirits in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta. In addition to Gin and Vodka, the distillery produces a number of different Moonshine brands and they have just began to bottle and sell their Perth Whisky.

Top Shelf Vodka is distilled from locally-sourced corn and bottled at 40 % alcohol by volume.

Here is a link to my full review:

Review: Topshelf Vodka

“… When severd chilled, Top Shelf Vodka was slightly thickened and displayed light aromas of grain spice with hints of lemon citrus. The first sip was clean, lightly sweet with the light grain spices which were apparent on the nose freshening the palate …”

Please enjoy this review which includes my serving suggestion, the Vodka Daiquiri.

 

 

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Review: Highland Park 18 Years Old (Viking Pride)

Posted by Arctic Wolf on May 3, 2021

Highland Park Distillery is located in the Highlands of Scotland on the Island of Orkney which is famous for its heather rich meadows, and its unique organic Orcadian peat. The 18 Year Old Highland Park Whisky (Viking Pride) is the part of the new core range of the distillery, which includes as well the 10 Year Old (Viking Scars) and the 12 Year Old (Viking Honour).

According to the sell sheets provided to me, the 18 Year Old Single Malt Whisky from Highland Park is produced using a high ratio of first-fill sherry seasoned European and American oak casks. The flavour is of course also driven by the hand cut aromatic peat from the Hobbister Moor which is used (by burning) to dry a portion of the malted barley.

Here is a link to my full review:

Review: Highland Park 18 Years Old (Viking Pride)

“… The complexity is ramped up in the 18 Year Old expression and the tasting notes I have put together do not really convey the impact of the flavour very well. The different impressions of flavour are all sort of mingled together. The fine oak spice and the sap pucker the mouth seemingly making me thirstier as I sip. And that boggy peat seems to run gently through everything …”

Please enjoy my review which concludes my walk through the Highland Park core range.

Chimo!

Posted in Scotch Whisky, Single Malt Whisky, Whisk(e)y, Whisky Review | Tagged: , , , , , , | Comments Off on Review: Highland Park 18 Years Old (Viking Pride)

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