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Posts Tagged ‘21 Year Old’

2019 Rum Howler Favourite 20 Canadian Whiskies: #3 – Canadian Rockies 21 Year Old

Posted by Arctic Wolf on December 20, 2019

Seven years ago, I encountered Canadian Rockies 21 Year Old Whisky as a random sample which I was assessing as part of my duties when I served on the jury for the 2012 Canadian Whisky Awards. At the time the small sample bottle which contained the Canadian Rockies 21 Year Old Whisky was one which I earmarked as a superior whisky. So, when the Awards Competition was complete, it was to my dismay that I learned this particular whisky (Random Sample number 7 by the way) was a brand destined not for Canada; but instead for Taiwan.

The Fountana Group Canada is the brand owner, and it turns out the whisky was produced by Highwood Distillers right here in my home Province of Alberta. The Fountana Group contracted Highwood to produce a well aged whisky for export to Asia where it has by all accounts been well received. It was, I should add, also well received by the other jurors on that panel for the Canadian Whisky Awards as this brand won the prestigious Connoisseur Whisky of the Year for the Export Market at those same 2012 Canadian Whisky Awards.

When I wrote a brief review for this whisky in 2013, I lamented that this great whisky was available only in Asia, and I hoped that the brand owner (and the folks at Highwood Distillery) might read the review, and decide that maybe Canada deserved this Whisky too. The Fountana Group must have agreed with me as the whisky has for a few years now been available across Canada.

Here is a link to a more recent review written in 2017:

Review: Canadian Rockies 21 Year Old Whisky

“… The initial breezes above the glass brought me impressions of dusty grain fields and firm oak spices. Soon I began to notice orange peel and butterscotch scents moving together over time creating impressions of marmalade and caramel toffee. There were also lovely hints of cinnamon and vanilla weaving within the breezes …”

Please enjoy the review!

Chimo!

 

 

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Review: Pike Creek 21 Year Old

Posted by Arctic Wolf on May 9, 2018

Pike Creek 21 Year Old is part of Corby’s Northern Border Collection Rare Release which features hand-picked selections from their rarest casks. How rare are these whiskies? Corby’s doesn’t actually tell us much; however, it is significant that this particular 21-year-old whisky doesn’t even rate a mention on the Corby’s Brands website.

This particular whisky was first matured in oak casks (probably refill bourbon barrels) and then finished in refill bourbon casks which had been used to age an unspecified Speyside (Scotch) malt whisky. The final spirit was bottled at 45 % alcohol by volume.

My experience with this particular whisky is quite limited. As part of my juror duties for the 2018 Canadian Whisky Awards, I was given about 75 blind samples and as I judged each whisky (over the course of 30 days), I tasted them each three times, writing down tasting notes and scores as I did so. It was only after the judging was complete, and the awards were presented, that the contents of each of the blind samples became know to me. I still has a small amount of each whisky remaining after judging, and so with that small amount remaining and from the tasting notes I already had produced I penned my review.

Here is a link to the full review:

Review: Pike Creek 21 Year Old (Finished in Speyside Single Malt Casks)

“… The notes indicate a well-balanced Canadian Whisky which shows us some development in the glass as it breathes. I will admit, that when I discovered that this was a 21-year-old whisky I was surprised that the spirit had not shown me more …”

Please enjoy my review, Chimo!

 

Posted in Canadian Whisky, Whisk(e)y, Whisk(e)y Review, Whisky Review | Tagged: , , , , , | Comments Off on Review: Pike Creek 21 Year Old

Review: Canadian Rockies 21 Year Old Whisky

Posted by Arctic Wolf on April 19, 2018

Canadian Rockies 21 Year Old Whisky is produced for The Fountana Group Canada  by Highwood Distillers right here in my home Province of Alberta. The Fountana Group contracted Highwood to produce a well aged whisky for export to Asia where it apparently has been well received. The spirit is now a standard bottling (still owned by the Fountana Group) made also for the Canadian Market.

According to the information provided me, the spirit is (as it was before) distilled and aged by Highwood Distillers. It is a 100% corn whisky bottled at 46% alcohol by volume.

Here is a link to my recent review of what I believe was the best Canadian Whisky produced in 2017:

Review: Canadian Rockies 21 Year Old Whisky

“… The initial breezes above the glass brought me impressions of dusty grain fields and firm oak spices. Soon I began to notice orange peel and butterscotch scents moving together over time creating impressions of marmalade and caramel toffee. There were also lovely hints of cinnamon and vanilla weaving within the breezes …”

Please enjoy the review!

Chimo!

Posted in Canadian Whisky, Whisk(e)y, Whisky Review | Tagged: , , , , , , | Comments Off on Review: Canadian Rockies 21 Year Old Whisky

#Top100CanadianWhisky #1: Canadian Rockies 21 Year Old

Posted by Arctic Wolf on December 23, 2017

Five years ago, I encountered Canadian Rockies 21 Year Old Whisky as a random sample in the group of 45 such samples which I was assessing as part of my duties when I served on the jury for the 2012 Canadian Whisky Awards. Whenever I participate as a spirits judge I always make note of any of the samples which strike me as being particularly good, and the small sample bottle which contained the Canadian Rockies 21 Year Old Whisky was one which I had earmarked as a superior whisky. So, when the Awards Competition was complete, it was to my dismay that I learned this particular whisky (Random Sample number 7 by the way) was a brand destined not for Canada; but instead for Taiwan.

Fortunately Canadian Rockies 21 Year Old is now a standard bottling available in Canadian markets as well. According to the information provided me, the spirit is (as it was before) distilled and aged by Highwood Distillers. It is a 100% corn whisky bottled at 46% alcohol by volume.

In a year which saw the best field of Canadian Whiskies ever produced, Canadian Rockies 21 Year Old stood out as the best. Here is a link to the Rum Howler #1 Canadian Whisky in my list of the 100 Best of 2017:

Review: J.P. Canadian Rockies 21 Year Old

“… This is a full-bodied whisky (rare for a Canadian) with a long satisfying finish. Sweet butterscotch and corn flavours are chased down by oak and cedar spices which leave a lightly bitter echo in the throat. The palate is left glowing with little bursts of cinnamon and orange peel, and then a soothing almost menthol-like sweetness appears leaving me little choice but to pour another dram …”

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We have reached the best whisky in my 2017 countdown of Canada’s top 100. Just to make sure I got it right, I re-tasted each of the top 5 spirits side by side to determine my final scores and rankings.

You can view the entire list by viewing my Reveal Page here on this website:

The Rum Howler – Top 100 Canadian Whiskies of 2017

I hope everyone enjoyed the Countdown!

Merry Christmas!

Posted in Awards, Canadian Whisky, Extras, Whisk(e)y, Whisk(e)y Review, Whisky Review | Tagged: , , , , , , , | 2 Comments »

#Top100Rums of 2017: #18 Rum Nation Panama (Aged 21 years)

Posted by Arctic Wolf on December 3, 2017

Rum Nation has recently invaded my home Province of Alberta with a very interesting assortment of aged rums from the Caribbean, Central America, and South America. The man behind this invasion is Fabio Rossi, who began his life in the spirits trade as a Oenologist (one who has studied winemaking). After his studies, Mr. Rossi left the wine business and started up a whisky company in Edinburgh (Wilson and Morgan) acting as an independent bottler of Single Malt Scotch Whisky. His interest turned to rum and in 1999 Fabio Rossi founded Rum Nation. His company is headquartered in Italy; but Fabio purchases select rums from various distillers in the Caribbean and the Americas. As a result Rum Nation provides a rather unique assortment of rare limited edition rum bottlings.

One such Bottling is the Rum Nation Panama 21 Years.

Here is a link to the review for the Rum Howler #18 Rum of 2017:

Review: Rum Nation Panama 21 Years

“… The rum leads out with the flavours of sweet candied fruit (apricot and peaches) and oak spices. I can also taste rich caramel and molasses which are mingled in nicely with underlying leather and tobacco flavours. Raisins, dates, prunes and chocolate give the rum a nice smokiness …”

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We  have reached the top 20 rum spirits of 2017. I have reviewed and/or re-tasted each of these rums within the past three years. (All Rum reviews were based upon bottle samples either purchased by myself or provided to me by industry.)

You can continue to follow the countdown on twitter (Rum Howler on Twitter) using the hashtag #Top100Rums.

Alternatively you can view the list as it grows daily by viewing my Reveal Page:

The Rum Howler – Top 100 Rums of 2017

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