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Posts Tagged ‘Cocktails and Recipes’

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Rum Review: Mount Gay 1703 Old Cask Selection

Posted by Arctic Wolf on April 18, 2010

Mount Gay 1703 Old Cask Selection

A well Sampled bottle of Mount Gay 17031703 is the year that the Mount Gay Rum was first produced on the Isle of Barbados, making Mount Gay Rum one of the oldest, if not the oldest brand of rum in the world.   Because Barbados is situated as a gateway from the Atlantic to the Caribbean, sailors from the Old World often used the island as the  first resting point on the way to the New World.  This meant Barbados was ideally suited for trade between the two worlds in the eighteenth and nineteenth century.  Part of that trade was rum which is why the island is rightfully considered the birthplace of  the rum trade.

The Mount Gay 1703 Rum is a premium blend which features aged rum stocks from selected barrels of the Mount Gay treasured reserve.  These barrels have been aged 10 to 30 years and feature the best that Mount Gay has to offer in the areas of Craftsmanship and Quality.

Here is an excerpt from my review:

“…The rum has a bright coppery colour with black stains. It looks very rich and lively in the glass almost like a shiny new penny.  A swirl of the glass shows a nice sheen of oil on the sides with small legs tricking back into the rum.  Dark molasses and baking spices rise to my nostrils followed by a smokey leather.  Perhaps it is the colour of the rum fooling me, but I catch a scent of copper pennies in the air as well…”

Here is a link to the full review:

Rum Review: Mount Gay 1703 Old Cask Selection

As well you may enjoy my Cocktail Suggestion… Romantic Traffic

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I would like to thank the First Edmonton Chapter of the Rum Chums for providing the Sample of Mount Gay 1703 for this review.  It is truly great to have found friends such as these!!

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Posted in Cocktails & Recipes, Dark Rums, Rum, Rum Reviews | Tagged: , , , , , | Comments Off on Rum Review: Mount Gay 1703 Old Cask Selection

Rum Review: Doorly’s Fine Old Barbados Rum

Posted by Arctic Wolf on April 14, 2010

Photo Courtesy Rum Runner Imports

Doorly’s Fine Old Barbados Rum

 

A new premium rum hit the store shelves in Alberta recently.  It is being brought to this market by Rum Runner Imports (RRI),  a Vancouver based import company who have recently invaded my home Province with their Doorly’s Fine Old Barbados Rum and a new Rum Liqueur called Mamajuana.

I was contacted by RRI, and asked if I could provide reviews for each of these products.  Of course, I was happy to oblige.

Doorly’s Fine Old Barbados Rum is a product of R. L. Seale & Co. Ltd.  It is distilled in Barbados which is considered by many sources to be the birthplace of rum dating back to 1651 where the first known recorded written usage of the word Rum Bullion appears.  Rums from Barbados are called Bajan Rums, and I have previously reviewed two other Bajan rums, Mount Gay Extra Old Rum, and Cockspur 12 year Old Rum.    As you read the review for Doorly’s X.O., you will notice that I find the rum to be much different in flavour than the other Bajan rums I reviewed.   It has a lighter more laid back style which appeals to my northern palate; here is an excerpt from my review:

“…Over a period of two weeks, I sipped Doorly’s X.O.,  and I was captivated by contradiction.   The first flavour I noticed was a sweet mild caramel toffee, yet in spite of the mild flavour, my tongue was also greeted with a tart orange peel and oak tannin.  Apricots seemed to dance in the flavour profile with whispers of cherries, only to turn into bananas and raisins when I take the next sip…”

Please read the full review here:

Rum Review: Doorly’s Fine Old Barbados Rum

Also I have provided two cocktail suggestions of mine for your enjoyment and one cocktail suggestion forwarded to me by Rum Runner Imports.  Enjoy the review.

Posted in Cocktails & Recipes, Dark Rums, Rum, Rum Reviews | Tagged: , , , , , | 2 Comments »

Whisky Review: McClelland’s Speyside Single Malt

Posted by Arctic Wolf on April 12, 2010

Today I am returning to my review series on McClelland’s Single Malt Whiskies.  This week I am tackling the McClelland’s Speyside Single malt.

The Brand is owned by Morrison Bowmore Distillers and this whisky in their McClelland’s  line up is distilled in the region for which it is named, Speyside.

I found the McClelland’s Single Malt Speyside to be an accurate expression of a typical Speyside whisky.  It has a typical Speyside character with a spicy yet floral palate very typical of Speyside whiskies I have tried in the past.

Here is an excerpt from the review:

“The whisky is somewhat of a medium orange/gold colour in the glass.   When I swirl the glass I notice only a light oil and very skinny legs on the sides of the glass.  I receive distinct floral notes combined with honey and oak spices.  A vague anise licorice and a hint of cocoa lie behind the floral tone, and if the glass is left to sit, the aroma of oak tannin becomes stronger in the glass…”

You may read the entire review here:

Review: McClelland’s Speyside Single Malt

As well I also provided a couple of recipes for cocktails including a Rum Howler original,
The Crushed Polly.  Please enjoy the review!

Posted in Cocktails & Recipes, Scotch Whisky, Single Malt Whisky, Whisk(e)y, Whisk(e)y Review | Tagged: , , , , , | Comments Off on Whisky Review: McClelland’s Speyside Single Malt

Tangueray No. 10 (A gin review)

Posted by Arctic Wolf on April 8, 2010

Oh my!  The Rum Howler Blog has branched out again.  This is my first attempt at a gin review.   My plan is to review at least three different gins by summertime subjecting them to the rigors of my peculiar review methodology.

I want to caution my readers that Gin is not a primary alcoholic beverage of which I indulge.  This means that my reviews of gin (and tequila for that matter) may more closely resemble fantasy than reality.  However, I would rather fail in trying to write a worthy review than to be satisfied with where I am at and make no attempt to grow and branch out.  (By the way I do not plan to fail!)

My method of reviewing any spirit is to discuss and score my enjoyment of the spirit. I am confident than an honest discussion of this enjoyment will lead to a worthwhile review.

So it is that we come to the first bottle of Gin which I will review,  Tangueray No. 10.  This is a premium quadruple distilled gin which sits at the top of the benchmark as far as Tangueray gin is concerned.  Here is an excerpt from my review:

“Tangueray No. 10  gin is soft and remarkably approachable.  Juniper berries lead out in front with hints of pine and spruce behind. My mouth tingles wherever the gin stops to rest which is probably caused by the higher than normal alcohol proof (94.6).  I can taste a light orange sweetness akin to Triple Sec or Cointreau in the background.  Floral notes drift  in and out of the currents of my palate, as do other citrus flavours….

You may read the full review here….

Gin Review: Tangueray No. 10

Of course I have added a few “forrest approved” cocktails including my sumptuous Key Lime Gimlet!

Enjoy the review!

Posted in Cocktails & Recipes, Gin, Gin Review | Tagged: , , , | 2 Comments »

Rum Review: El Dorado Premium Rums

Posted by Arctic Wolf on April 7, 2010

The family of El Dorado Premium Rums

El Dorado Premium Rums

El Dorado’s family of premium rums are distilled in Demerara County (Guyana, South America) and are popular throughout the world for their rich taste and sweetness.  So popular that the word demerara has become an adjective used by reviewers of whisky and rum alike to describe this particular style of sweetness when reviewing fine spirits.

Demerara County in fact has a rich three hundred year history of rum production. Some of the wooden stills first used to produce their rum are still in use today, and I have said it before, if anyone ever puts together a list of the “seven wonders of the rum world”, these original wooden stills will be at the top of that list.  The combination of old wooden stills in conjunction with modern stills and distilling techniques has allowed Demerara Distillers Ltd. (DDL) to build a reputation for outstanding quality and consistent production over many years. In fact, Demerara Distillers is the currently one of the largest suppliers of bulk Caribbean rums to Europe and North America.

Over the next few months I will endeavor to review all three of El Dorado’s Premium Rums.  The 12 Year, The 15, Year and the 21 Year Old Rums.  I shall kick off this series with a review re visitation of El Dorado 12 Year Old Rum.  Although I have previously reviewed the 12 year Old I could not resist the chance to open a new bottle and see if my palate has changed.  Here is an excerpt from the review:

“…This rum enters my mouth with a spicy sweet baking spice explosion.  Deep dark brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, hints of orange peel and citrus fruit lay upon a foundation of spicy wood tannins….”

You may read the rest of the review here:

Review: El Dorado 12 Year Old Rum

Please enjoy this  review and the follow up reviews I will be providing for the rest of the El Dorado Premium Rums!

Posted in Cocktails & Recipes, Dark Rums, Rum, Rum Reviews | Tagged: , , , , , | Comments Off on Rum Review: El Dorado Premium Rums

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