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Posts Tagged ‘Countdown’

#Top100CanadianWhisky – #81: 8 Seconds Blended Canadian Whisky

Posted by Arctic Wolf on October 4, 2017

8 Seconds is a Canadian Whisky from Frank-Lin Distillers, Products Ltd. who have been a bottler and producer of distilled spirits since Frank Maestri founded the company in 1966. (Frank-Lin currently operates out of their new facility in Fairfield California with annual capacity of over 10 million cases of wines and spirits.)

The whisky is a pretty straight forward offering, distilled in Canada and aged in oak. It is (I assume) shipped in bulk from Canada to Frank-Lin’s facility in Fairfield, California for bottling. The whisky has no age statement; but I note that the more premium 8 Seconds Black carries a statement of 8 years. I presume that the less premium 8 Seconds Blended Canadian Whisky would be somewhat younger than that.

Here is a link to my new review:

Review: 8 Seconds Blended Canadian Whisky

“… The whisky translates well from nose to mouth with flavours of vanilla and caramel leading out and a peppery wood and grain spice not very far behind. There is a little honeycomb present and some nice impressions of tobacco, dark fruit and chocolate …”

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Note: As indicated earlier, I will not be creating a posting for every whisky in my countdown on this website; but I am going to try to highlight every Canadian spirit that I have not reviewed previously.

To follow the countdown list on a daily basis, you should follow me on twitter (Rum Howler on Twitter) using the hashtag #Top100CanadianWhisky. Alternatively you can view the  list as it grows by viewing my Reveal Page:

The Rum Howler – Top 100 Canadian Whiskies of 2017

The Reveal Page will be updated at least weekly through September, October and November and then daily in December.

Posted in Awards, Canadian Whisky, Extras, Whisk(e)y, Whisk(e)y Review, Whisky Review | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on #Top100CanadianWhisky – #81: 8 Seconds Blended Canadian Whisky

Introducing: The Rum Howler Top 100 Rums of 2017

Posted by Arctic Wolf on September 14, 2017

Yesterday (on Twitter) I kicked off my annual Rum Howler Rum Countdown which is better than ever with a full 100 rums counted down from #100 to #1.That’s right, 100 wonderful Cane Spirits..

As well as being the largest such list I have ever compiled for the spirit we call rum, this list is also current. I have also 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. I should mention as well that all of the spirits on this list are available in North America at this time.

Unlike other years, I am not planning to reveal every rum with a front page posting on my website, instead I have begun the Countdown on Twitter (#Top100Rums). However, for those who are regular readers of mine, once or twice a week I will introduce one of the drams from the list with a full review for you to enjoy. When my daily Twitter Reveal brings me to the Top 25 Rums of 2017 in early December, (just before Christmas), I will reveal the best 25 Rum Spirits available in North America with daily postings here on the Rum Howler Blog. (The Best rum Review Website in the World!)

Just some of the great rums of 2017

This means that to follow the entire list daily, you will need to first follow me on twitter (Rum Howler on Twitter). And then in December follow my postings here on my website.

Of course you may also follow the countdown by visiting my Reveal page.

The Rum Howler – Top 100 Rums of 2017

The Reveal Page will be updated weekly through September, October and November and then daily in December.

This is my largest Rum Countdown ever, I hope you all enjoy it!
( PS: use the hashtags  #Rumhowler  #Top100Rums)

Posted in Awards, Extras, Rum | Tagged: , , , , | Comments Off on Introducing: The Rum Howler Top 100 Rums of 2017

Rum Howler 2016 Top Canadian Whisky: J.P. Wiser’s Red Letter

Posted by Arctic Wolf on December 24, 2016

rum-howler-top-50-2016Wiser’s Red Letter was re-introduced to Canadians in 2007 to pay homage to the 150th anniversary of John Philip Wiser’s distillery in Prescott, Ontario 1857 – 2007), as well as to the original Red Letter Whisky which Wiser’s produced in the late 1800s. In 2009, when I reviewed the inaugural 150th Adversary Edition (see review here), I was told by my contacts within Corby, that the spirit contained various blends of whisky which (although they ranged in age) were all ten years old or more.

j-p-wisers-red-letter-sam_2661In 2013 Corby, once again in a tribute to their founder J.P Wiser, released Wiser’s Red Letter Whisky 2013 Release. The whisky was re-branded J.P. Wiser’s Red Letter Whisky in 2015, and just like the previous editions of the brand, the spirit is comprised of whiskies aged for at least 10 years in American bourbon barrels which are then further mellowed by finishing in virgin white oak casks. Of course it is still bottle at 45 % alcohol by volume.

Here is a link to what I believe is the Best Whisky currently made in Canada, and incidentally, one of the very best in the World:

#1: J.P. Wiser’s Red Letter

The 2015 version of the Red Letter Whisky seems to hearken back to the original 2007 version as the whisky pushes a bevy of spicy goodness across the palate giving the taste buds a treat and the tonsils a wallop as it goes down. Lush corn and bittersweet rye meld with the oak spices allowing flavours of rich chocolate, maple and vanilla to ride along with the oak spice and alcohol heat. This is lovely stuff.

Thank you all for following my Countdown all the way to the Number 1 Canadian Whisky.

Chimo!

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* You may find my complete 2016 Top 50 Canadian Whisky Countdown list here:

The Rum Howler – Top 50 Canadian Whiskies of 2016

 

 

Posted in Awards, Canadian Whisky, Extras, Whisk(e)y, Whisk(e)y Review | Tagged: , , , , , , , | 4 Comments »

Rum Howler 2016 Top 50 Mixing Rums Countdown #7: Harbour Rum (Yongehurst Distillery)

Posted by Arctic Wolf on December 18, 2016

2016rum_howler_badgeThe Yongehurst Distillery is a brand new Micro-Distillery located at 346 Westmoreland Ave near Dupont and Dovercourt in Toronto, Ontario. The facility is owned by long-time friends, Rocco Panacci and John-Paul Sacco who are making what just might be Toronto’s first micro-distilled rum upon their brand new small pot/column combination still.

Yongehurst DaiquiriSAM_2708And this rum is extremely good. In fact when I reviewed it earlier this year, I was blown away by the rich Jamaican-like pot still flavours which permeated both the aroma and the flavour. This rum that Yongehurst is producing is unique  as it is one of the first micro distilled rum produced entirely in Canada, and it is perhaps the first rum produced in Canada which is completely unaged.

Here is a link to the 7th Best Mixing Rum in my Rum Howler Top 50 Countdown:

#7: Harbour Rum (Yongehurst Distillery)

“… The flavours from the nose translate well to the palate with hints of cotton candy and mint playing in the rum alongside flavours of banana and citrus zest. A light herbaceousness is present with lemongrass and hints of heather manifesting themselves from the grassy aromas I noted earlier. Of course I wanted to try a few cocktails and working with that mint-like flavour I could sense both on the nose and in the mouth I started with a very short mojito-like cocktail. The result was well worth the effort and I was emboldened to try another serving in the daiquiri style …”

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Stay tuned for more mixing rum revelations as I will be adding to this list each day until Christmas Eve.

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, White Rums | Tagged: , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Rum Howler 2016 Top 50 Mixing Rums Countdown #7: Harbour Rum (Yongehurst Distillery)

Top 30 Rums Countdown begins with Cruzan Single Barrel

Posted by Arctic Wolf on November 23, 2012

This year, when I was deliberating over my 2012 Rum Howler Awards, it occurred to me that the line-up of rum which I had tasted over the past year was impressive. When I further considered all the rums I had tasted since I opened this website, I realized this was indeed an impressive amount of rum that I have tasted and scored. Adding it all up, I have tasting and scoring notes for over 300 rums which I have had the privilege of sampling over the past four years. (Note: In addition to the nearly 175 rum reviews I have published on this site, I also have tasting notes and scores compiled for over 125 more rums which I encountered at various festivals and judging events which I have attended.) This gives me a broad perspective on the world of rum. And perhaps, all this rum tasting and scoring gives me at least some of the qualifications to embark on a very particular quest to uncover and list the Best Rums in the World.

If you are interested in such things, a detailed explanation of how I came up with this list is available here, (The Rum Howler 2012 Top 30 Rums). This web page also contains the complete list in reverse order. One catch, is that I will be filling that list out over the next several weeks, one rum at a time, countdown style. As I fill out the list, I will be providing my most up to date review for that particular Rum. Some of these rums have been reviewed previously, and those reviews will be updated if required to reflect my feelings on the most recent bottling. Some of the Rums on the list will be reviewed for the first time. Although the effort put into this project was very significant, I hope that those who read the reviews and follow the countdown have some fun. Disagreement with my Panel of Judges is welcome, and so are questions about the list.

I shall begin the list with the 30th Best Rum in the World as chosen by myself and my esteemed Panel of Judges:

#30 –   Cruzan Single Barrel Rum

I hope everyone enjoys my 2012 Top 30 Rums Countdown!

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Posted in Awards, Dark Rums, Rum, Rum Reviews | Tagged: , , , , | Comments Off on Top 30 Rums Countdown begins with Cruzan Single Barrel