The Rum Howler Blog

Review: 1921 Añejo Tequila

Posted by Arctic Wolf on June 22, 2011

1921 Tequila is made from 100% Agave cultivated in the Highlands of Jalisco, Mexico. The distinction between tequila made from highland agave versus tequila made from lowland agave is important because agave grown in the highlands tends to carry a different flavour profile into the final tequila than lowland tequila. Highland tequila tends to have more sweet fruity citrus flavours and perhaps a touch more hot pepper in the finish.

The website for 1921 Tequila states that their Añejo Tequila has spent a year in white oak. The tequila is described on the website as:

“…It is definitely a Tequila made to be tasted calmly and enjoyed slowly in a cognac wine glass, allowing the description of the authentic taste of the white oak barrel aged for 12 months, where the wood has blended its most sophisticated characteristics with the agave from Jalisco´s soil…”

I decided to follow the advise of the website and began my tasting session with a cognac glass and the 1921 Añejo Tequila served neat without ice. Here is an excerpt from my review:

“…As I brought the brandy glass up to my nose, the fruity agave began to assert itself into the air around the glass. Nice soft pepper and ginger notes come forward out of the glass as well, followed by lime citrus and soft butterscotch. A hint of vanilla wafts into the air with some scattered tea leaves. The aroma is very nice…”

You may read the full review here:

Review: 1921 Añejo Tequila

I have followed the review with a cocktail recommendation called, Maximiliano Tequila.

Please enjoy my review!

Posted in Cocktails & Recipes, Tequila, Tequila Review | Tagged: 1921 Tequila, Anejo Tequila, Cocktails and Recipes, Tequila, Tequila Review | Comments Off on Review: 1921 Añejo Tequila

Review: Angostura Royal Oak Select Rum

Posted by Arctic Wolf on June 21, 2011

Today I am re-posting another of my very early reviews. As with most of my early reviews, the commentary in the review is rather fragmentary; but (and this is the saving grace for the review) it is also honest. I wasn’t especially good at descriptors in my earliest reviews, but I was good at getting across what I liked. And as you read the review you will see that this is a rum I liked. The review is somewhat nostalgic and for good reason. you see I discovered this rum on my honeymoon more than 20 tears ago. ….

More than twenty years ago, my wife and I spent three weeks in Tobago at the Turtle Beach Resort. At the time, I was a whisky drinker, and not a fan of rum at all. However, as the saying goes, when in Rome…

So at the hotel and on the beach I drank rum, and I discovered that I liked it. What they were serving me was a locally produced rum, and although more than 20 years have passed I do believe it was a product which was very reminiscent of Angostura Royal Oak Select. I went back to Canada with two 40 ounce bottles; but alas, they are long gone. I went back to drinking whisky, as the rums available in my locale just did not measure up. It was not until the rum explosion in my locale that my palate for rum was rekindled. Flor de Cana, Ron Matusalem, and El Dorado rums have helped to bring me back in the fold.

Then recently, I found 3 bottles of Royal Oak Select covered in dust in a local liquor store. The proprietor said they were new stock, the dust said otherwise, but I bought all three to see if that rum still tasted as good as 20 years ago.

Here is an excerpt from the resulting review:

“…The Royal Oak rum has a nice sweet caramel flavour. If indeed caramel has been added it does not bother me. Taste is what counts and this tastes nice. I can taste that hint of coconut I smelled in the glass and a mellow spiciness. Everything is light, relaxed and this is an easy-going rum…”

You may read the full review here:

Review: Angostura Royal Oak Select Rum

Please enjoy this very early review of mine!

Posted in Cocktails & Recipes, Dark Rums, Rum, Rum Reviews | Tagged: Angostura Rum, Cocktails and Recipes, Dark Rum, Rum, Rum Review, Trinidad Rum | Comments Off on Review: Angostura Royal Oak Select Rum

Review: Bowmore 12 Year Old Single Malt Whisky

Posted by Arctic Wolf on June 19, 2011

Morrison Bowmore Distillers was founded in 1951 by Mr. Stanley P. Morrison and Mr. J. Howat. Like most major distilling companies the ownership of Morrison Bowmore has changed over the years, and it is now a wholly owned subsidiary of Suntory Linited, a Japanese spirits conglomerate. The subsidiary company owns three major distilleries in Scotland; the Bowmore Distillery (on the Hebridian Island) in the Islay Region of Scotland, the Auchentoshan Distillery in the Lowland Region of Scotland, and the Glen Garioch Distillery in the Highlands of Scotland. The Bowmore brand is the flagship whisky brand of Morrison Bowmore Distillers and has grown to be one of the most important whisky brands in all of Scotland.

I was fortunate enough to meet Morrison Bowmore’s, Regional Manager for North America, Jamie MacKenzie at the Edmonton Whisky Festival this past winter. He asked me to reach out to him when I was ready to review some of the Bowmore Whiskies on my website, and I did so recently. As a result, I was forwarded a small gift pack which included three 200 ml bottles of the Bowmore 12, the Bowmore 15 Darkest, and the Bowmore 18 Year Old Single Malt Whiskies. These three bottles form the heart of the Bowmore core range.

My first review of this range is the Bowmore 12 Year old Single Malt Whisky. Here is an excerpt from my review:

“…I allowed the glass to decant which caused the aroma to deepen. The peat began to demonstrate some floral characteristics, and it seemed to begin to carry more herbal qualities as well. The whisky is still bringing forward a light ash-like aroma similar to the smell of coals from a wood burning fire when you are camping…”

You may read the full review here:

Review: Bowmore 12 Year Old Single Malt Whisky

I have followed the review with a classic cocktail suitable for a Peated Islay Whisky, The Rusty Nail.

Please enjoy the review!

Posted in Scotch Whisky, Single Malt Whisky, Whisk(e)y, Whisk(e)y Review | Tagged: Bowmore Whisky, Scotch Whisky, Single Malt Whisky, Whisky, Whisky Review | Comments Off on Review: Bowmore 12 Year Old Single Malt Whisky

Review: Alchemia Czekoladowa (Chocolate Infused Vodka)

Posted by Arctic Wolf on June 16, 2011

Alchemia Vodka is distilled in Poland by a company called, Bialystok S.A., which is apparently one of Poland’s largest producer’s of distilled spirits. The Alchemia Czekoladowa (pronounced chek-o-la-dova ) is a premium grain distilled vodka from Poland infused with naturally derived cocoa. The infusion process saturates the already distilled vodka with the flavouring ingredients allowing both colour and flavour to be imparted to the final spirit.

I was given a sample bottle of Alchemia Czekoladowa for the purposes of this review by Paul Charabin of PB Beverages, an Alberta based company that imports and distribute a wide selection of spirits from around the world. The bottle I was given was the 750 ml size, and the label tells me the chocolate infused vodka is bottled at 40 % alcohol by volume.

Here is an excerpt from my review:

“…I had three friends over when I sampled the Alchemia Czekoladowa. I poured each of them (and myself) a healthy shot of the flavoured Vodka and watched each bring the glass up to their nose and take a deep wiff. A satisfied smile broke out on each of their faces…”

You may read the full review Here:

Review: Alchemia Czekoladowa (Chocolate Infused Vodka)

Of course I could not resist a few cocktail experiments with this richly flavoured spirit, and at the end of the review I share two of them, The Chocolate Cola Martini and The Iced Chocolate Cocktail.

Please enjoy the review and the cocktails which follow!

Posted in Cocktails & Recipes, Flavoured Vodka, Vodka, Vodka Reviews | Tagged: Alchemia Vodka, Cocktails and Recipes, Flavoured Vodka, Polish Vodka, Vodka Review | Comments Off on Review: Alchemia Czekoladowa (Chocolate Infused Vodka)

Review: Matusalem Gran Reserva (Solera 15 Blender)

Posted by Arctic Wolf on June 14, 2011

It’s Tuesday again, and for the past six weeks I have been re-posting my earliest reviews every Tuesday for the sake of my newer readers who may have missed them. This week I am re-posting my very early review for Ron Matusalem Gran Reserva Rum. Like most of my earliest reviews this one is terse and to the point. I was sorely tempted to rewrite it to give the review more form and substance; but other fixing a few typos and adding a touch of clarification, I decided to leave it as it is. The review still gets the main point across, and that point is that this is a fine rum!

The Matusalem Gran Reserva is a “Solera Blended” rum which means that the red “Solera 15 Blender” stamp on the bottle does not indicate the youngest rum in the blend, rather it denotes the age of the oldest rum in the blend. (I believe an argument can be put forth that a teensy tiny fraction of the rum may be older; but, the relative amount of super aged rum in the blend is so small that to try to include its age in any sort of statement would be misleading.)

The Ron Matusalem Website does a pretty good job of describing the solera method and if you are interested you should give it a little read. However if you are more interested in my early review, then perhaps I should provide you with an excerpt:

“… This is very good; mellow vanilla and caramel are the dominant flavours. In fact mellow is the best description for this rum. It is very smooth which makes this a good rum to drink straight. There are no bitter notes or other flaws in the flavour profile, and on days when I feel like a more mellow drink this really hits the spot…”

You may read the full review here:

Review: Matusalem Gran Reserva (Solera 15 Blender)

Please enjoy the review!

Posted in Cocktails & Recipes, Dark Rums, Rum, Rum Reviews | Tagged: Cocktails and Recipes, Dark Rum, Matusalem Rum, Rum, Rum Review | Comments Off on Review: Matusalem Gran Reserva (Solera 15 Blender)

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