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Review: Rum Nation Demerara Solera N° 14

Posted by Arctic Wolf on January 22, 2013

Demerara Solera 14 2012Rum Nation’s Demerara Solera N° 14 is quite an interesting rum. According to my correspondence with the Brand Owner, Fabio Rossi, he buys aged bulk Demerara rum (roughly four to six years) from Guyana (Demerara Distillers Limited) which has been blended with various portions from each of the Single Wooden Pot (Versailles Still) and Double Wooden Pot  (Port Mourant Still).

The bulk rum purchased by Rum Nation is taken to the Nebbiolo area of Italy where it is transferred to sherry butts (PX and Oloroso) and aged for a short period of time (about 12 to 14 months). After aging, a few liters of 1997 vintage EHP (Enmore) rum is added before it is bottled. (EHP is the marque for DDL’s ancient Wooden Continuous Coffey Still.) Based upon the information as provided to me, I reckon the Demerara Solera No. 14 is approximately a five-year old rum. The recipe is rather simple and includes rum from each of the now famous ancient wooden stills from Demerara Distillers Heritage Plant. (I do believe the bulk rum used in the blend contains rums from other stills as well, but I have no information regarding the exact proportions, or exactly which other stills contribute to the Demerara Bulk Rum. )

Mr. Rossi provided me a 200 ml sample of this rum such that I would have a chance to review it here on my website. Here is an excerpt from that review:

“… The initial aroma from the glass is full of oak tannins and sap which have been tainted with a spicy toffee, orange peel zest, and butterscotch candies. Baking spices in the form of vanilla, cinnamon and spicy cloves mingle in those breezes above the glass …”

Here is a link to the full review:

Review: Rum Nation Demerara Solera N° 14

Enjoy the Review!

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Review: Wiser’s Spiced Whisky (Vanilla)

Posted by Arctic Wolf on January 20, 2013

WisersSpicedWiser’s Canadian Whisky is distilled at the Hiram Walker Distillery in Walkerville, Ontario (since 1989), and aged in their facilities at Pike Creek near Lakeshore Ontario. I have previously reviewed most of the current Wiser’s range including: Wiser’s Special Blend, Wiser’s De Luxe, Wiser’s Small Batch, Wiser’s Legacy, and the Wiser’s 18 Years Old.

Recently I was given a sample bottle of the Wiser’s Spiced. For those who do not know, Wiser’s Spiced Whisky is a new spiced (or perhaps we might say flavoured) whisky which features the classic Wiser’s Whisky taste profile accented by vanilla spice.

Here is an excerpt from the resulting review:

“… The air above the glass is mildly sweet with a honey-like caramel accompanied by a gentle sweep of vanilla. You can easily detect the underlying scent of Canadian Whisky with a bit of rye spice, and light oak accents. The whisky seems rather pleasant and laid back hinting at a more subdued spicy character … “

Of course the full review may be found by clicking this link:

Review: Wiser’s Spiced Whisky (Vanilla)

The review includes a nice high-bail cocktail based upon the Canadian Mammy.

Please enjoy the review and the recipe!

Posted in Canadian Whisky, Flavoured Whisky, Whisk(e)y, Whisk(e)y Review | Tagged: , , , , , | Comments Off on Review: Wiser’s Spiced Whisky (Vanilla)

3rd Annual Canadian Whisky Awards

Posted by Arctic Wolf on January 18, 2013

award blankThe winners of the 3rd Annual Canadian Whisky Awards were announced in Victoria B.C. on Thursday, January 17th, 2013. The whisky awards are the result of the efforts of Spirit Writer and Author, Davin de Kergommeaux whose has organized and published the awards since their inception (in 2010) on his website Canadian Whisky.

The Awards were broken down into broad groupings which reflect the designated markets in which Canadian Whisky is sold. These grouping are:

Domestic Market  (if the whisky is sold strictly within Canada
Export Market (if the whisky is sold strictly outside of Canada) and
Multi Markets (if the whisky is sold both in the domestic and the export markets

Specific Awards were designated for each market as well as a Canadian Whisky of the Year Award designated for the top Canadian Whisky regardless of intended market.

And of course, Awards of Excellence were presented for outstanding achievement in the areas of Innovation, Line Extension, and Canadian Whisky Profile.

So without further ado, here is a link to the Awards:

 2012 Canadian Whisky Awards

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Review: Yamazaki 12 Year Old Single Malt Whisky (Suntory)

Posted by Arctic Wolf on January 17, 2013

SAM_0588 Yamazaki 12The Suntory Group is a large multi-national conglomerate whose holdings include Morrison Bowmore Distillers, Pepsi Bottling Ventures LLC, and Subway Japan among many others. The company was established in 1899 and is one of the oldest Japanese companies in the business of producing and distributing alcoholic beverages. Their Yamazaki 12 Year Old Single Malt Whisky is produced at the Yamazaki Distillery in Shimamoto, Japan. This is a true 12-year-old whisky as Japan uses the same criteria for age statements as countries like Canada and Scotland, namely that every drop of whisky in the bottle must be at least as old as the stated age on the outside label. The Yamazaki 12 Year Old is considered the flagship whisky for the Yamazaki Brand, and I am happy to provide a review here on my website.

Here is an excerpt from the review:

“… A bevy of fresh fruit aromas (yellow apples, honey-dew melon, bananas, and peaches) rise up along side honeyed oak spices. There is a light maltiness (beer-like scent) apparent, with wisps of vanilla, hints of almond and orange peel. The whisky seems lightly smoky with a few sherried notes of raisin and dates making their way into the air …”

Here is the full review which includes a decadent cocktail called Alpine Meadows:

Review: Yamazaki 12 Year Old Single Malt Whisky (Suntory)

Please enjoy my review!

Note: The Yamazaki 12-year-old is distributed by Lifford Wines in my home Province of Alberta.

Posted in Cocktails & Recipes, Japanese Whisky, Single Malt Whisky, Whisk(e)y, Whisk(e)y Review | Tagged: , , , , , | Comments Off on Review: Yamazaki 12 Year Old Single Malt Whisky (Suntory)

Review: Fortuna (Ron Reserva Exclusiva)

Posted by Arctic Wolf on January 15, 2013

SAM_0594 Ron Fortuna ExclusivaRon Fortuna Exclusiva is a new rum produced in Nicaragua which is being imported into North America by Berniko, LLC, a family owned and operated import company based in Florida. According to the Ron Fortuna website, the rum is produced upon a five column still from locally grown sugar cane. This is a true 8 Year Old Rum with the youngest spirit in the blend matured for at least 8 years in American Oak (in warehouses which share the same environment as the cane fields from which the rum was distilled).

The name for the rum apparently has its roots in Roman Mythology and the goddess Fortuna who is the Goddess of Luck and Fate. The fortune brought by this Goddess is apparently closely tied to a person’s strength of character, and as a result may be either good or bad. Hopefully my strength of character is sufficient that my sampling sessions are blessed with good fortune.

Here is an excerpt from my review:

“… The initial aroma rising from the glass is a pleasing mixture of butterscotch, tobacco, light oak and baking spices. I was expecting more of an oak presence based upon eight years of aging in the tropics, but whomever crafted the rum has done a good job meshing the oak into the rum harmoniously… “

Here is a link to the Full Review:

Review: Fortuna (Ron Reserva Exclusiva)

Please enjoy the review and the Lemon Muddled Cuba Libre’ Cocktail which follows!

Posted in Cocktails & Recipes, Dark Rums, Rum, Rum Reviews | Tagged: , , , , | Comments Off on Review: Fortuna (Ron Reserva Exclusiva)