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Posts Tagged ‘2016 Spiced Rum Taste-off’

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The Rum Howler 2016 Top 50 Mixing Rums Countdown (#45 – #41)

Posted by Arctic Wolf on November 23, 2016

2016rum_howler_badgeToday’s entries in my Rum Howler 2016 Top 50 Mixing Rums Countdown do well to represent the range of rum styles available to bartenders and mixologists. We have an overproof white rum from Jamaica, a dark rum from Newfoundland and Labrador, a three-year aged rum from Belize, a spiced rum from Guyana, and a flavoured rum from Kenny Chesney.

I had great fun throughout the year making & scoring my cocktails for each of these rums. Some of them, (like Old Sam) I hadn’t tasted for years. Others (like the Wray and Nephew Overproof White) I tasted for the first time.

Here are the next five Mixing Rums in my 2016 Countdown:

Wray And Nephew Overproof#45  Wray and Nephew White Overproof Rum

” … Mojitos, Mai Tai and Tiki drinks, and Daiquiris all seem to plausible destinations for this intense, fruity, ester filled rum. In that vein of thought, I went in went in a very specific Tiki direction first and crafted a variation on the basic Zombie Cocktail. Then I crafted what I called a High Test Daiquiri. I loved both recipes, although I admit the High Test Daiquiri might be an acquired taste for some as the full throttle flavour of Wray and Nephew White Overproof Rum pushes right through the lime …”

old-sam#44  Old Sam Demerara Rum

“… The molasses and caramel flavours release a few baking spices onto the palate and I detect a nice nutty element as well which reminds me of walnuts and Brazil nuts. Old Sam is an ‘old style’ rum blend which tastes of molasses and tobacco. It is perhaps a little rougher than I expected; but I found that when I mixed a little of this rum half and half with cola and added and ice-cube, I was very happy with the results …”

bluechair_coconut#43  Blue Chair Bay Coconut Rum

“… I mixed a nice tall deck drink for myself mixing the coconut rum with a bit of lemon juice and some blue Curacao (see recipe below) and sat in the afternoon sun enjoying the mingling flavours of my cocktail. The Blue Chair Bay Coconut Rum promises to be a nice addition to my growing staple of summertime mixing spirits …”

3 Barrel#42  Travellers (Parrot) 3 Barrel Aged Rum

“… The Travellers 3 Barrel Rum is what I would consider to be a nice introductory sipping rum which will suit a large variety of palates. It has a flavour profile that tends just a little to the sweet side of the flavour path, but this sweetness is tempered with just enough oak to make the rum delicious. The rum also mixes very well. I sampled some with cola and with ginger-ale to equal delight. I made some cocktails with fruit juice as well and everything always seemed to work out nicely …”

el-dorado-spiced#41  El Dorado Spiced 

“… I poured a few friends a glass of the El Dorado Spiced, as part of my review process, and solicited their opinion as to how well it stacked up both neat and mixed with cola. The opinions expressed by my friends match my own as we all enjoyed our libations and thought the El Dorado Spiced and Cola tasted especially nice. The spicy thrust from the rum pushes through the cola without becoming cloying or overwhelming …”

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Stay tuned for more mixing rum revelations as I will be adding five more rums to this list shortly.

And you can follow the rankings by bookmarking this page:

The Rum Howler 2016 Top 50 Mixing Rums Countdown

Posted in Awards, Extras, Rum, Rum Reviews | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

2016 Spiced Rum Taste-off: Bayou Spiced Rum

Posted by Arctic Wolf on July 30, 2016

Bayou Spiced and Cola SAM_1668Louisiana Spirits was formed in 2011 with the stated aim to produce a world-class rum in Lacassine, Louisiana from Louisiana sugarcane.  By 2013 their distillery located a few miles east of Lake Charles, Louisiana, was producing a craft rum in what they call the largest privately owned rum distillery in the USA.

Bayou Rums are distilled upon a traditional copper pot still using 100% locally (Louisiana) produced cane sugar and molasses. According to the company website:

Spiced Bayou Rum is infused with classic traditional spices with a Louisiana twist. Featuring Louisiana grown ingredients, this special gumbo of spices creates a unique and satisfying blend that makes it the perfect rum for mixing. Spiced Bayou Rum livens up everything from a rum and cola to unsweet tea or an ice cube.

Here is a link to the review of the fifth best spiced rum currently on my bar shelf:

#5  Bayou Spiced Rum

“… When I brought the rum to my nose, I noticed a butterscotch and vanilla sweetness rode in the breezes alongside a pleasant, somewhat pungent, spiciness. The spiciness reminded me of nutmeg and allspice, with perhaps a touch of cardamom and ginger as well. I also seemed to sense some sharper aromatic spices akin to cinnamon and cloves …”

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I hope you find this countdown enjoyable, and you can follow the rankings here:

The Rum Howler 2016 Spiced Rum Countdown

Posted in Rum, Rum Reviews, Spiced Rum | Tagged: , , , , , | Comments Off on 2016 Spiced Rum Taste-off: Bayou Spiced Rum

2016 Spiced Rum Taste-off: Pusser’s Spiced Rum

Posted by Arctic Wolf on July 26, 2016

Pusser's Spiced and Cola SAM_2521Pusser’s Rum is advertised as the original rum of the British Royal Navy. And it is a fact that for over 300 years it was a tradition of the British Navy that each member of the crew was issued a daily ‘tot’ of rum. This tradition began in 1655, and by 1731, the tradition of the daily ‘tot’ was in general use throughout the British Navy. As it was the ship’s purser who was responsible for issuing the rum, the tot of rum became known as Pusser’s Rum in a sort of slang derivation of the term ‘Purser’s Rum’.

Pusser’s Spiced Rum is new to the Pusser’s range. According to the producer’s website it is flavoured with a blend of locally sourced Caribbean spices which have been steeped in Caribbean rum over 7 days. The final rum is bottled at 35 % alcohol by volume.

Here is a link to the 6th best Spiced Rum currently on my bar shelf:

#6 Pusser’s Spiced Rum

“… The nose reveals one of the main spices which is cinnamon, and that cinnamon when combined with the caramel flavours of the underlying rum reminds me of cinnamon buns baking in the oven. There are indications of other spices as well. I sense a pungent spiciness that reminds me of allspice and nutmeg …”

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I hope you all find this countdown enjoyable and you can follow the rankings here:

The Rum Howler 2016 Spiced Rum Countdown

 

Posted in Rum, Rum Reviews, Spiced Rum | Tagged: , , , , , | Comments Off on 2016 Spiced Rum Taste-off: Pusser’s Spiced Rum

2016 Spiced Rum Taste-off: Captain Morgan 100 Spiced Rum

Posted by Arctic Wolf on July 22, 2016

Captain Morgan 100 SAM_2672Captain Morgan 100 Spiced Rum is an overproof variation of the Captain Morgan Original Spiced Rum. It is bottled at 50 % alcohol by volume rather than at the 35 % alcohol by volume strength of the original spiced rum. The overproof Spiced Rum is a blend of Caribbean rums which have been aged in white oak barrels. It should be pointed out that the particular bottle of Captain Morgan Rums which is the subject of this review is a Canadian bottling which I acquired several years ago. In the past, Captain Morgan Rums sold in Canada included both Caribbean and Canadian distilled rum in their blends for tax purposes. Although it is unclear whether this practice will continue going forward, I note that my sample bottle does make mention of the Canadian Rum in the blend upon the front label.

Here is a link to the review for the 7th best Spiced Rum upon my rum shelf:

#7: Captain Morgan 100 Spiced Rum

” … This rum is smoother than its lower proof sibling even though it carries more of an alcoholic punch. The spiciness of the rum is more apparent in the higher proof rum. I think perhaps these characteristics have been watered down in the 70 proof spirit, which allows only the vanilla to come to the fore. The 100 proof spirit with its higher alcohol content and more concentrated flavours just seems richer, smoother and more appealing …”

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I hope you all find this countdown enjoyable and you can follow the rankings here:

The Rum Howler 2016 Spiced Rum Countdown

Posted in Rum, Rum Reviews, Spiced Rum | Tagged: , , , , , | Comments Off on 2016 Spiced Rum Taste-off: Captain Morgan 100 Spiced Rum

Review: Cruzan 9 Spiced Rum

Posted by Arctic Wolf on July 17, 2016

Cruzan Spiced PuchThe Cruzan Rum Company is located on the Island of St. Croix in the US Virgin Islands. The Island of St. Croix is the largest of the US Virgin islands, being approximately 28 miles long and 7 miles wide. Along with the tourism industry and one of the largest oil refineries in the Caribbean, the St. Croix economy is dependent to a large extent upon the Rum Industry as a major engine of their economic growth.

All of the Cruzan Rums are produced using a modern five column distillation method which produces a light bodied rum, the quality of which can be tightly controlled by the five column distillation. The rum is then aged in once used American oak bourbon barrels.

The Cruzan 9 Spiced Rum is named for the 9 spices blended within the rum, allspice, vanilla, pepper, ginger, mace, clove, nutmeg, cinnamon, and juniper berry. It is bottled at 40 per cent alcohol by volume and is, I believe, aged for up to two years in American Oak.

Here is a link to my review:

#8 Cruzan 9 Spiced Rum

“… I was struck by the scents of pungent spices mingling with the sweeter scents of caramel toffee. Vanilla, nutmeg, allspice, cinnamon and cloves are easily identified in the breezes. I am noticing the ginger playing in the breezes as well mingling with just a hint of oak spice …”

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I hope you all find this countdown enjoyable and you can follow the rankings here:

The Rum Howler 2016 Spiced Rum Countdown

Posted in Rum, Rum Reviews, Spiced Rum | Tagged: , , , , | Comments Off on Review: Cruzan 9 Spiced Rum

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