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Posts Tagged ‘Bajan Rum’

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Top 30 Rums Countdown # 12 – Plantation XO 20th Anniversary Barbados Rum

Posted by Arctic Wolf on December 13, 2012

Top 30Plantation 20th AnniversaryCognac Ferrand has a special relationship with a variety of Caribbean rum producers. This relationship is based upon the rum producer’s need for quality oak casks to age their rum. Based upon this relationship, Cognac Ferrand is able to acquire certain old and unique batches of rum from various Caribbean sources, which they bring back to France and finish in their own warehouses and of course their own Cognac Casks. The Plantation 20th Anniversary Rum is a blending of the company’s oldest Bajan Rum reserves. These selected rums were first aged in the Caribbean (in ex-bourbon casks). Then they are transported to France to be blended by Plantation Rum’s Cellar Master at Château de Bonbonnet.

This is one rum which I really like a lot. It turns out that my judges loved it even more than I do, all that love resulted in the Plantation XO 20th Anniversary Barbados Rum placing number 12 in rum countdown.

 

# 12 – Plantation XO 20th Anniversary Barbados Rum

“… The initial nose surprised me a little with its strong oaky presence and luscious smells of caramel and toasted coconut. Some nice orange marmalade chimes in as well as hints of marzipan and tobacco. As the glass sits, rich baking spices full of dark brown sugar, vanilla, and dabbles of cinnamon and nutmeg rise into the breezes…”

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Posted in Awards, Dark Rums, Rum, Rum Reviews | Tagged: , , , , , | Comments Off on Top 30 Rums Countdown # 12 – Plantation XO 20th Anniversary Barbados Rum

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: , , , , | Comments Off on Revisiting Cockspur 12 Bajan Crafted Rum

Review: Mount Gay Eclipse Black

Posted by Arctic Wolf on October 16, 2011

Mount Gay Rum has added another member to their family of Rums, Mount Gay Eclipse Black. Like the other rums of Mount Gay, The Black Eclipse is produced from two types of stills, the traditional pot still and the column still. According to the information provided to me, the Mount Gay Eclipse Black features a higher percentage of rum from the pot still than the other Eclipse Rums. As well, the rum is blended from well aged stocks of several different barrel types. The combination of these two factors is said yield a bolder, richer, more robust and flavorful rum. Finally, it has also been bottled at 50 % alcohol by volume, higher than the Eclipse Gold or Mount Gay XO,  which helps to bring this robust flavour forward even more.

Recently the distributor for Mount Gay Rum (Select Wines), arranged for me to receive a sample of the Mount Gay Eclipse Black Rum for the purpose of reviewing their new rum here on my website.

Here is an excerpt from my review:

“… What settles into those breezes is rich aromas of molasses, leather and tobacco, smoky dry fruit, ripe banana, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and black pepper corns. The rum has a rich bronze colour, and when I give my glass a gentle tilt, and swirl the liquid slowly to cover the sides I am greeted with a thick oily sheen which imparts thick legs on the side of the glass…”

You may read the full review here:

Review: Mount Gay Eclipse Black

I have included a new recipe for the rum which I call Cold Fusion.

Please enjoy the review and the new cocktail.  Cheers!

Posted in Cocktails & Recipes, Dark Rums, Overproof Rum, Rum, Rum Reviews | Tagged: , , , , , , | Comments Off on Review: Mount Gay Eclipse Black

Review: Cockspur Fine Rum

Posted by Arctic Wolf on September 1, 2011

Barbados is generally considered the birthplace of rum dating back to 1651 where the first recorded written usage of the word Rum Bullion appears. More than two hundred years later in 1884 a Dane, Valdemar Hanschell, founded a business in Barbados, supplying visiting ships with ropes, sails, salt, fresh fruit, meat and of course Barbados rum. Through the years, business thrived and so too did the popularity of his Cockspur Rum.

Cockspur Fine Rum is the flagship brand for the company. It is distilled from Island cane molasses, aged in American Oak, and brought to bottling strength with Barbados’ own coral filtered water. Both column still and pot still rums are used to in the distillation of the rum which bottled at 40 % alcohol by volume.

Here is an excerpt from my review:

“…I began by sipping the Cockspur Rum in my glass, neat, without ice. The mouth-feel was slightly oily, and the initial flavour was very complex bringing a bevy of pungent flavours forward. I tasted charred caramel (treacle) and dark molasses as well as dry fruit flavours of prunes and dates…”

Here is a link to the full review:

Review: Cockspur Fine Rum

The review includes a nice ‘punch’ style recipe which I hope you enjoy!

Posted in Cocktails & Recipes, Dark Rums, Rum, Rum Reviews | Tagged: , , , , , | Comments Off on Review: Cockspur Fine Rum

Review: Plantation Barbados (Grande Reserve) 5 Year Old Rum

Posted by Arctic Wolf on July 28, 2011

The Plantation Barbados Grande Reserve 5 Year Old Rum is a Bajan rum blend which has been aged for five years in bourbon casks. The rum was transported from Barbados to France by Cognac Ferrand to be placed in used Cognac casks to enhance the rum before it was bottled as part of Cognac Ferrand’s growing line-up of Plantation Rum.

Cognac Ferrand has a special relationship with a variety of Caribbean rum producers. This relationship is based upon the rum producer’s need for quality oak casks to age their rum. Based upon this relationship, Cognac Ferrand is able to acquire certain old and unique batches of rum from various Caribbean sources, which they bring back to France and finish in their own warehouses and of course their own Cognac Casks.

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

Here is an excerpt from my review:

“…As the glass decanted the leathery mustiness evaporated into the breezes, and was replaced by a smell of tarnished blue-green pennies with perhaps a bit of seaside brine and kelp rising in the air as well. The caramel molasses I noted earlier has began to release baking spices into the air, and some charred aromas of coconut have begun to lift from the glass along with some banana and vanilla. I like how the complexity continues to build as the glass sits…”

Here is a link to my full review:

Review: Plantation Barbados (Grande Reserve)

Please enjoy the review!

Posted in Dark Rums, Rum, Rum Reviews | Tagged: , , , , | Comments Off on Review: Plantation Barbados (Grande Reserve) 5 Year Old Rum

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