The Rum Howler Blog

Review: Plantation Trinidad 2000 (Old Reserve) Rum

Posted by Arctic Wolf on January 17, 2012

The Plantation Trinidad Rum Old Reserve Rum is another unique rum from Cognac Ferrand’s Plantation line-up. It is a well aged rum of Trinidadian origin which has been produced using the column still and a short fermentation period. The rum has been aged a minimum of nine years in used bourbon casks, and after this initial maturation, the rum was transported from Trinidad to France where it was finished for a short time in used Cognac casks to enhance the flavour.

Last May I was given eight sample bottles, each 200 ml in size, which represent a good portion of the Plantation Rum line-up. The Plantation Trinidad is the sixth of these sample bottles which I have chosen to review here on my blog.

Here is an excerpt from that review:

“…That herbaceous impression I received above the glass while nosing the rum has intensified as I taste it. This sensation softens the rum taking the edge off of the orange peel and oak spices. It also seems to dampen the sweetness a little. The result is a different sort of rum which carries flavours of orange peel, butterscotch, vanilla, marzipan, toasted coconut and oak spice…”

You may read the full review here:

Review: Plantation Trinidad 2000 (Old Reserve) Rum

Although my sample was fairly small, I did try one cocktail which I enjoyed immensely, The Sloe Lime Daiquiri which I included in they review.

Please enjoy the review and the cocktail!

Posted in Dark Rums, Rum, Rum Reviews | Tagged: Dark Rum, Plantation Rum, Rum, Rum Review, Trinidad Rum | Comments Off on Review: Plantation Trinidad 2000 (Old Reserve) Rum

Comparative Review: Schweppes Tonic VS Q Tonic

Posted by Arctic Wolf on January 15, 2012

I was visiting one of my favourite Liquor Stores this past August, (Lacombe Park Spirits in St. Albert if you want to know), when Karim, who is one of the owners, asked me to try a Gin and Tonic with a new Tonic Water he had started to carry called Q Tonic. Up to this point, pickings were mighty slim in my neck of the woods for Tonic Water and Schweppes Tonic was pretty much the standard choice amongst my friends and I.

So I let him make me a small sample cocktail, and I have to say, it was pretty good. In fact, I was intrigued enough to make contact with Jordan Silbert, the founder of Q Drinks and asked him if he would like to send me a sample and some information, especially as I had recently began to receive a few gin samples for review. My thought was that it would be fun to make some side by side cocktails with Q Tonic and Schweppes Tonic to see if I preferred one over the other consistently.

Jordan agreed, and I received a few small bottles of Q Tonic in the mail shortly before Christmas. This was good because the gin samples were beginning to pile up, and I wanted to get at them.

So with four different gins in my review queue, Beefeater 24, Citadelle Reserve, Port of Barcelona and Broker’s Gin, I set out over the next couple of weeks to test the Gin and Tonic Cocktail with both Q Tonic and Schweppes Tonic Water.

You may read the results of this exercise by following the provided link:

Comparative Review: Schweppes Tonic VS Q Tonic

Enjoy!

Posted in Cocktails & Recipes, Extras, First Impressions, Gin, Gin Review | Tagged: Cocktails and Recipes, Gin, Gin and Tonic, Q Tonic, Scweppes Tonic Water, Tonic Water | Comments Off on Comparative Review: Schweppes Tonic VS Q Tonic

Review: Alberta Springs Canadian Whisky

Posted by Arctic Wolf on January 12, 2012

I saw my first bottle of Alberta Springs in the fall of 1988 when I was gifted a bottle on my birthday. It came in a funky wooden box, and it proudly proclaimed its ‘Alberta’ heritage. It was also, back in those days, a pure 100 % rye whisky. My love for rye whisky was cemented, and for years the Alberta Springs was my favourite whisky. Of course things change over time, and in the early to mid 90s Alberta Distillers Limited (ADL) began to distill some corn as well as rye in the blend. They still blended to the same taste profile, but, when I look back at my whisky preferences, it was a remarkable coincidence that during this period of the brand’s development I fell out of love with the whisky.

Years and years later when I started to write about whisky, one of the perks I received was a private tour of the ADL Distillery where I met Rick Murphy, the Production Superintendent. He explained the heritage of Alberta Springs to me, how it started as a pure rye whisky, and how economics dictated a move to rye and corn in the 90s. But, he also steadfastly maintained the whisky is currently (and has always been) very much a rye based whisky. He then explained how his computerized dials and gauges in the distillery, and his quality assurance tasting panel, ensure that the flavour does not change as the mash bill may change slightly over time. He even made it clear to me that the Alberta Springs is one of his most favourite whiskies. (I think he was trying to tell me that I had better give the brand a second try.)

Here is an excerpt from my review:

“…The initial mouth-feel is slightly dryish as the whisky begins with flavours of dusty rye and light flavours of caramel toffee. The oak is present and brings forward some light orange peel and vanilla as well as hints of tobacco which are not as firm in the flavour as they were in the aroma. I taste a light mustiness and a hint of honey sweetness which never build, they just sit back content to accent the other flavours without trying to steal the show…”

Here is a link to the full review:

Review: Alberta Springs Canadian Whisky

I have included a nice sipping recipe which although not entirely original is nevertheless a great way to enjoy the Alberta Premium. It is called the Canadian Whisky Splash.

Please enjoy the review and the recipe that follows!

Posted in Canadian Whisky, Whisk(e)y, Whisk(e)y Review | Tagged: Alberta Springs Whisky, Canadian Whisky, Whisky, Whisky Review | Comments Off on Review: Alberta Springs Canadian Whisky

Revisiting Cockspur 12 Bajan Crafted Rum

Posted by Arctic Wolf on January 10, 2012

Cockspur 12 Bajan Crafted Rum has undergone an important change recently which I think is worthy to speak of. The rum is of course, still produced from molasses and aged in American Oak at the Cockspur facilities in Barbados as it has been in the past. However, unlike before, all of the Cockspur Rum is now brought to bottling strength with Barbados’ own coral filtered water.

Previously the Cockspur 12 Rum sold in Canada (and parts of the U.S.) was shipped in bulk at cask strength to Hood River Distillers in Oregon and brought to bottling strength using water from the Hood River. This difference in water source was immediately apparent to me last spring when I sampled the new Cockspur 12 Rum in Miami at a luncheon sponsored by Cockspur. The rum tasted sweeter and smoother than I remembered from my previous review and much more to my liking. I decided that it was time to revisit the Cockspur 12 and provide a review based upon the current bottling made with 100 % Bajan coral filtered water.

Here is an excerpt from my review:

“… As I indicated in my preamble, the Cockspur 12 Rum tastes a little bit sweeter and smoother this time around. Dark cocoa and rich caramel lead out with a delicate nuance of bourbon riding in the coattails. Rich pipe smoking tobacco and toasted walnuts lie underneath, and the flavour is very inviting with little of the bitterness which I had noticed in my initial review …”

Here is a link to the new review:

Revisiting Cockspur 12 Bajan Crafted Rum

Please enjoy the review!

Posted in Dark Rums, Rum, Rum Reviews | Tagged: Bajan Rum, Cockspur Rum, Dark Rum, Rum, Rum Review | Comments Off on Revisiting Cockspur 12 Bajan Crafted Rum

Review: Beefeater 24 (London Dry Gin)

Posted by Arctic Wolf on January 8, 2012

The new Beefeater 24 is advertised as being handcrafted with 12 botanicals which include grapefruit, bitter almond, orris root, Seville orange peel, rare Japanese Sencha tea and Chinese green tea. This makes the new Beefeater 24 gin more complex in construction than the previously reviewed Beefeater London Dry Gin which listed 9 ingredients. There are other differences as well, The new Beefeater 24 is bottled at a higher proof (45 % alcohol by volume) which to me seems most welcome, and all of the ingredients are apparently steeped in grain alcohol for 24 hours prior to a 7 hour distillation where the master distiller makes an artisan cut by hand from the heart of the distillation run.

This product has been brought into my local market by Corby, and I was delighted when the local rep arranged for me to receive a bottle of the new Beefeater 24 to review on my website. Here is an excerpt:

“… There is a ‘freshness’ rising out of the glass and I liken it to the scent of an alpine forest on a warm spring day with the snow is melt just beginning. The aroma of evergreen boughs and juniper jumps out of the glass pushed ahead by a crisp citrus-like aroma…”

Here is a link to my full review:

Review: Beefeater 24 (London Dry Gin)

As I usually do, I have provided a delicious cocktail after the review. in this case I stuck to tradition and recommended a Gin and Tonic.

Posted in Gin, Gin Review | Tagged: Beefeater Gin, Gin, Gin Review, London Dry Gin | Comments Off on Review: Beefeater 24 (London Dry Gin)

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