The Rum Howler Blog

Review: Highland Park 30 Year Old

Posted by Arctic Wolf on February 26, 2011

I returned this week to that selection of sample jars given to me from the personal collection of J. Leslie Wheelock, (a member of the Alberta Beam Global team). These samples showcase an impressive range of unique whiskies from Canada, Scotland, and the USA. This week I dipped into the samples and chose Sample Jar # 9, Highland Park 30 Year Old Single Malt Whiskey.

Unlike the previously reviewed Highland Park 25 Year Old Whisky which is produced with a high percentage of the whisky coming from 1st fill Sherry Casks; the Highland Park 30 Year Old Whisky is produced with all of the whisky coming from refilled Sherry Casks. This change in the style of maturation serves to dampen the effect of both the oak and the sherry influence upon the whisky. This should allow the Orcadian peat to have a greater effect upon the flavour and character of the final whisky. Like the 25 Year Old Highland Park, this whisky is bottled at 48.1 per cent alcohol by volume. The combination of long-term aging and higher bottling strength should provide a whisky which will be somewhat intimidating, but also one which should be full of flavour and nuances that will linger in the palate long after the whisky is consumed.

Here is an excerpt from my review:

“…I was not prepared for the treat that greeted my nostrils when I opened my sample container which held the Highland Park 30-year-old. In fact, it was as if I was transported back in time…”

You may read my full review here:

Review: Highland Park 30 Year Old Single Malt Whisky

Posted in Scotch Whisky, Single Malt Whisky, Whisk(e)y, Whisk(e)y Review | Tagged: Highland Park Whisky, Scotch, Single Malt Whisky, Whisky, Whisky Review | Comments Off on Review: Highland Park 30 Year Old

Rum Review: Ron Abuelo Anejo

Posted by Arctic Wolf on February 24, 2011

Ron Abuelo Anejo rum is produced by Varela Hermanos SA in Panama, Central America. This company has a history which dates back to 1908 when Don José Varela Blanco launched the first sugar mill in the then recently formed Republic of Panama. In 1935 the site began to distill sugar cane juice for the production of liqueurs. Today the company produces an impressive array of products which includes over one million boxes of liqueurs and of course a strong variety of rum. The Ron Abuelo brand is just one brand from this wide assortment.

My first taste of this rum came in Miami (Rum Renaissance) at an event sponsored by Abuelo Rums. At the end of the event I was given a courtesy gift bag by the sponsors, and it contained a small 200 ml glass flask of Ron Abuelo Anejo which I kept unopened until now when I decided to sample the rum for the purpose of this review.

According to the website Ron o Anejo is produced from sugar cane juice rather than molasses and it is aged in white oak bourbon casks. A little research indicates that the Anejo is probably a 3-year-old rum. It stands at the bottom of the rungs, with respect to the Ron Abuelo lineup, accompanied in the brand line up by a 7-year-old and a 12-year-old rum.

Here is an excerpt from my review:

“…Vanilla, caramel and citrus peel lead out first but I soon taste firm fruitiness reminiscent of black cherries and wild field-berries. The fruity tastes are reminiscent of a Port wine influence, and they have me somewhat baffled by their appearance in such a young rum which has been aged in a bourbon cask. The rum also contains more familiar strong flavours of brown sugar, spicy cinnamon, and even perhaps a little tobacco and leather…”

You may read the full review here:

Rum Review: Ron Abuelo Anejo

As well I have included a nice cocktail suggestion, The Mandeville.

Posted in Cocktails & Recipes, Dark Rums, Rum, Rum Reviews | Tagged: Abuelo, Cocktails and Recipes, Dark Rum, Panama Rum, Rum, Rum Review | Comments Off on Rum Review: Ron Abuelo Anejo

Introducing: Nemiroff Vodka

Posted by Arctic Wolf on February 22, 2011

It was back in November at the The 2010 Rocky Mountain Wine and Food Festival, when I was first introduced to a Ukrainian Vodka called Nemiroff. I kept in touch with Igor Kashkan, the local Importer of Nemiroff, after the festival and asked him for a little more information about his vodka and the dizzying array of flavours which are available.

As the saying goes, “Ask and you shall receive…“. What I received was a deluge of press releases and information about Nemiroff and how it has quickly become one of the fastest growing Vodka brands in the world. In fact, according to the 2009 IWSR rating – Elite Brands List; Nemiroff is at the top of the list as far as sales sustainability with an impressive growth rate and a high percentage of sales outside of its main market.

I got a little lost in all the graphs and figures, and I decided that rather than try to regurgitate them here, instead I should maybe talk about the Vodka directly. To that end, Igor sent me three bottles in the Nemiroff range, and rather than having a rum tasting this past Sunday as I usually do, I had an old-fashioned Vodka tasting…..

You may read about it here:

Tasting Nemiroff Vodka

Budmo!

Posted in Vodka, Vodka Reviews | Tagged: Nemiroff, Ukranian Vodka, Vodka tasting | Comments Off on Introducing: Nemiroff Vodka

Whisky Review: Glenmorangie, The Original 10 Year Old

Posted by Arctic Wolf on February 20, 2011

Glenmorangie was amongst the first Scottish distillers (1960s) to use ex bourbon barrels to age their whisky rather than Spanish oak (sherry casks). This helped to change the taste profile of Scottish Whisky in a significant manner, and today ex bourbon barrels are use extensively alongside ex sherry casks in many Scottish distilleries. Then, in 1996, Glenmorangie introduced their wood finish range which began the distillery’s experimentation with a range of new wood finishes like port wood casks and wine barriques. Again, the industry followed suit, and now wine finishes are used by many distilleries. Once again Glenmorangie can claim some of the credit for helping to extend the range of the Scottish whisky taste profile.

The whisky which is the subject of this review is Glenmorangie, The Original. I think what the fellows at the Glenmorangie distillery mean by ‘The Original’ in not that this is the original malt made exactly as it was in 1843 when the Glenmorangie Distillery was established. What is meant is that this is the original bourbon finished Glenmorangie Single Malt which is aged for ten years and serves as the cornerstone of the Glenmorangie line-up. My previously reviewed Glenmorangie, The Quinta Ruban and Glenmorangie, The Nectar D’or would first have been distilled and aged in the same manner as The Original, before they each received their exotic wood finish.

The Glenmorangie Website described The Original as follows:

“The original expression of our elegant, floral spirit and the real backbone of the Glenmorangie range. A ten-year-old single malt, Glenmorangie Original is produced by marrying the delicate spirit that emerges from Scotland’s tallest stills, with first and second fill American white oak casks.”

It will be interesting to see how this ‘Original’ Glenmorangie Single malt compares to its exotic wood finished cousins.

You may read the full review here:

Review: Glenmorangie, The Original 10 Year Old

As well I have included a nice cocktail recipe which I think is Simply Irresistible!

Posted in Cocktails & Recipes, Scotch Whisky, Single Malt Whisky, Whisk(e)y, Whisk(e)y Review | Tagged: Cocktails and Recipes, Glenmorangie Whisky, Scotch Whisky, Single Malt Whisky, Whisky, Whisky Review | 1 Comment »

Review: McDowells No. 1 Celebration Rum

Posted by Arctic Wolf on February 17, 2011

Depending upon which website you visit, McDowell’s No. 1 Celebration Rum is listed as either the 3rd or the 4th best-selling rum in the World with sales of over 6 million cases per year. It is the largest selling rum in India with a market share between 38 and 40 percent. My research indicates that the McDowell’s No. 1 Celebration Rum is a result of a multiple distillation production which uses 5 copper column stills. The rum is aged for at least 3 years in oak barrels before being blended and bottled. Because the information from the various websites I visited was somewhat contradictory, I would not want to claim that these are solid facts, they should more reasonably be assumed to be good estimations.

The rum is distilled, blended and bottled at Ponda, Goa in India by United Spirits Ltd. (formerly known as McDowell Spirits Ltd). For your information, Goa, a former Portuguese colony is situated on the Western Coast of India. It is India’s smallest state by area, but the fourth largest by population, and the most prosperous by GDP. Today Goa contains a unique blend of European culture merged with Indian hospitality. It is a preferred tourist destination in India famous for its abundance of white sandy beaches.

I have very little experience with rums from India, (Amrut Old Port Rum is the only other Indian rum I have tasted), and it will be very interesting to see what this Indian Rum has in store for me.

Here is an excerpt from my review:

“…In the glass the rum has a rich mahogany color with reddish tinges in the light. The initial nose carries a lot of caramel, toffee and molasses forward with strong accents of vanilla and dry fruit….”

You may read the full review here:

Review: McDowells No. 1 Celebration Rum

As is my normal practice I have included a cocktail after the review which I believe suits this rum very well, the Pondo Celebration Mule.

Posted in Cocktails & Recipes, Dark Rums, Rum, Rum Reviews | Tagged: Cocktails and Recipes, Dark Rum, Indian Rum, McDowell's, Rum, Rum Review | Comments Off on Review: McDowells No. 1 Celebration Rum

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