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Review: Ron Inmortal Colombian Rum (Aged 12 Years)

Posted by Arctic Wolf on February 5, 2021

In the historic port of Barranquilla (Colombia), situated between the Magdalena River and the Caribbean Sea, three generations of the Riascos Family have been producing rums at Casa Santana for over two decades. They source sugar cane spirit from various producers in the Caribbean to produce rum for a variety of independent rum companies.

Ron Inmortal is produced at Casa Santana for Yotomo Imports a Texas based spirits company. According to the marketing presentation for the Inmortal Rum the spirit is targeted towards the growing North American Market for Premium rum. The rum is distilled from sugar cane molasses, aged  for 12 years in American Oak barrels, and bottled at 40 % alcohol by volume.

Here is a link to my full review:

Review: Ron Inmortal Colombian Rum (Aged 12 Years)

“… Toffee and oak meld with vanilla and baking spices (cinnamon, allspice and clove). There is a indication of orange peel in the breezes which seems to be moving towards marmalade as it joins with the vanilla and the caramel toffee. There are also nice hints of bitterness with treacle and dark chocolate notes evolving …”

Please enjoy the review of this tasty Colombian Rum.

Chimo!

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Review: Taynton Bay Gin

Posted by Arctic Wolf on February 3, 2021

It was about a year ago that I received a bottle of Taynton Bay Gin to review, and I will admit that I have been somewhat remiss in my obligation to sit down and write my review. Unfortunately just as I was to open the bottle, North America began feel the effects of the Covid 19 virus. My own sports memorabilia retail store was shut down for two months, and as I had developed a mild but stubborn cold, I spent over a month in isolation in March and April.

After that things were a bit of a scramble for me, with my mind preoccupied with keeping my business running, and allowing my hobby which is reviewing spirits on my website to suffer. It was not until December, that I really was back on track and my backlog of spirits to write about had become huge.

Fortunately, I have began to catch up, and I have finally got to that bottle of Taynton Bay Gin.

Taynton Bay Spirits are located in Invermere British Columbia making their spirits from wheat which is grown only 10km from their distillery. Their website advertises that they use only real ingredients in the production of these spirits with no artificial flavours, colours or sweeteners. 

Here is a link to my full review and cocktail suggestion:

Review: Taynton Bay Gin  

“… The juniper is soft and muted and it takes a little while for the impact of the piny aroma to become apparent. It is the same for the lemon citrus and coriander which begin to penetrate the breezes only after the glass has had an opportunity to breathe for a few minutes …”

Please enjoy the review:

Chimo!

 

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Review: Macaloney Caledonian Invermallie (Ex- Bourbon Cask)

Posted by Arctic Wolf on February 1, 2021

The Caledonian Distillery has been on my radar for a while now. I first heard of it when founder Graeme Macaloney 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 and moved forward to 2020, the Macaloney Caledonian Distillery (there appears to have been a name change) began producing spirit which had reached the required maturity to be sold as Canadian Whisky.

Their recent Invermallie releases may be regarded as the distillery’s connoisseurs/collector’s edition expressions. Apparently the name is a nod to the flowing river Mallie. Like the changing river, this is an ever-changing series of classic single malt expressions based on unique one-off single casks, or other special selections.

This Invermallie Ex- Bourbon Cask release was selected from a single ‘first-use’ Bourbon cask. According to the distillery, this is the cleanest expression of the Macaloney Caledonian house style. This is because the previously contained Bourbon in the aging barrel has only a minor influence which allows the American white oak combining with the distillate to shine. Although the release appears to have already sold out, it nevertheless gives us a glimpse into the house style of the Macaloney Caledaonian Distillery.

Here is a link to my review:

Review: Macaloney Caledonian Invermallie (Ex- Bourbon Cask)

“… The first sip brings a nice mixture of oak spice, butterscotch, vanilla and almond forward which gives me a positive impression of toffee and marzipan. The second sip brings herbal grassy flavours, gooseberries, orange peel and a touch of honey to the combination. Impressions of canned apricots, hints of raisins, and a touch of leathery barley add to the depth of the whisky …”

Please enjoy my review of this new addition to the Canadian Whisky Family.

Chimo!

Posted in Canadian Whisky, Single Malt Whisky, Whisk(e)y, Whisky Review | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Review: Macaloney Caledonian Invermallie (Ex- Bourbon Cask)

Review: Cihuatan Obsidiana (Exclusive Traveler’s Edition)

Posted by Arctic Wolf on January 29, 2021

Cihuatan Rum is produced by El Salvador’s first ever rum distillery, Licorera Cihuatán, and is apparently inspired by El Salvador’s Mayan Heritage.  After a little research I was able to discover that the RON DE EL SALVADOR CIHUATÁN trademark was filed for on September 16, 2014 and this trademark was granted in August 30 2016 (see here and here). This type of Trademark is normally applied for when a company wishes to export products outside their home market which would indicate that the company which owns and produces Cihuatan Rum began to export the rum out of El Salvador in 2016. Presumably the distillery has been operating for a longer time than this, and according to Drink Hacker (see here), Cihuatan was established in 2004.

The Nightcap Daiquiri

Cihuatan Obsidiana is produced for the “Travel Market” and is available through duty free retail outlets only. The bottle does not appear to have an age statement; however, the company’s website states the spirit is produce from a blend of 3 rums aged between 11 and 14 years. These rums have been aged in new American Oak and ex-Bourbon barrels.

Here is a link to my review:

Review: Cihuatan Obsidiana

“… What is in the breezes is quite nice beginning with fine oak spice and vanilla accented by cane and corn. Coconut seems to pour out with banana and orange peel following. Almond scents are trying to move towards marzipan, and fine baking spices have begun to gather (cinnamon with hints of nutmeg) …”

Please enjoy my review which includes a new recipe of mine, the Nightcap Daiquiri.

Chimo!

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Review: St-Rémy V.S.O.P French Brandy

Posted by Arctic Wolf on January 27, 2021

In 1886 Paul-Emile Rémy Martin II established the original St-Rémy Distillery in the tiny village of Machecoul. After 30 years of experimentation (in 1917), St. Remy launched Fine St-Rémy, the French Brandy which came to define the St-Rémy style and character for decades to come. The distillery began to exported their French Brandy to the rest of Europe in the 1920s and then jumped the Atlantic to Canada in 1967. Within another decade, the St-Remy spirit was sold on all five major continents, and today St-Rémy proudly proclaims itself the World’s No. 1 French Brandy.

The production of St-Remy V.S.O.P. French Brandy begins with the selection of grapes, harvested in France’s most prestigious wine-growing regions, such as Burgundy, Champagne, Rhône Valley, Languedoc-Roussillon, Loire Valley, Bordeaux and Beaujolais. Distillation takes place in both column and pot stills where the fermented wine is heated until the contained alcohol evaporates and becomes eaux-de-vie. The heart of the second distillation is carefully selected by the distiller to have the proper characteristics such that the eaux-de-vie will develop into brandy as they are matured in small French oak barrels.

Here is a link to my full review:

Review: St-Rémy V.S.O.P French Brandy

“… impressions of fine oak spice, butterscotch, raisins and green apple. Then we notice vanilla and red licorice. This is followed by leather, wood shavings, cigarette tobacco, and some herbal grasses …”

Please enjoy my review which includes my serving suggestion, the Sidecar.

Chimo!

 

Posted in Brandy and Cognac Reviews, Brandy Review | Tagged: , , , , | 2 Comments »

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