The Rum Howler Blog

(A Website for Spirited Reviews)

  • Copyright

    Copyright is inherent when an original work is created. This means that the producer of original work is automatically granted copyright protection. This copyright protection not only exists in North America, but extends to other countries as well. Thus, all of the work produced on this blog is protected by copyright, including all of the pictures and all of the articles. These original works may not be copied or reused in any way whatsoever without the permission of the author, Chip Dykstra.

  • Cocktails and Recipes

    Click Image for Awesome Recipes

  • Industry Interviews

    Interviews

    Click the Image for Great Interviews with the Movers of Industry

  • The Rum Howler Interview (Good Food Revolution)

    Click on the Image to see my interview on Good Food Revolution

  • The Rum Howler Blog

    Unknown's avatar

  • Rum Reviews

  • Whisky Reviews

  • Gin Reviews

  • Tequila Reviews

  • Vodka Reviews

  • Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

    Join 1,092 other subscribers

  • Subscribe

  • Visitors

    • 15,545,514 pageviews since inception

  • Archives

  • Follow The Rum Howler Blog on WordPress.com

Posts Tagged ‘Review’

« Previous Entries
Next Entries »

Review: Dictador Claro (100 Month Aged)

Posted by Arctic Wolf on May 6, 2016

DICTADOR CLARODictador is produced in Colombia on the Caribbean Coast at Cartagena de Indias City. Rather than being produced from molasses, the rum is produced from the virgin honey of sugar cane. Recently Dictador released what they call their 100 Month Series which includes four new rums all aged for 100 months. Unlike the more premium Dictador Solero Aged Rums, the 100 month series is meant to be a gateway series consisting of spirits which are meant to be embraced both as entry-level sipping rums as well as cocktail spirits.

The Dictador Claro 100 Month Aged Rum in particular was created to be a high-end cocktail spirit. It is a continuous column still rum which was aged (for 100 months) in ex-bourbon oak barrels. At maturity the rum was charcoal filtered to remove some of the harsh flavours and to make the rum more approachable in the cocktail format for bartenders and mixed drink enthusiasts.

Here is a link to my full review:

Review: Dictador Claro (100 Month Aged)

“… As I nosed the glass, a very gentle toffee/molasses rose into the breezes followed by a soft notes of sandalwood, ripe banana and orange peel. I allowed the glass to breathe for a few minutes, and I was rewarded with stronger oak spices coupled with brown sugar, cinnamon and vanilla spice …”

Please enjoy my review of this unique cocktail rum.

Chimo!

 

Posted in Dark Rums, Rum, Rum Reviews | Tagged: , , , , | 1 Comment »

Review: Saffron Gin (Gabriel Boudier)

Posted by Arctic Wolf on May 3, 2016

Safrron Gin SAM_2496_1Saffron Gin is produced in Dijon, France by micro-distiller Gabriel Boudier. It is apparently made from a 19th century colonial India recipe which includes nine botanicals seven of which are listed on the back label of my sample bottle: Juniper, Coriander, Lemon, Orange Peel, Angelica Seeds, Iris, and Fennel. In addition to the botanicals, the gin is flavoured with Saffron which is a spice derived from the orange stamen of the Crocus Sativa, more commonly known as the “saffron crocus”.

The use of saffron as an exotic spice can be traced back almost 3000 years to the 7th century BC where its use as a botanical/spice is referenced in the library constructed by Assyrian King Ashurbanipal, and in fact its use actually predates written history itself, as Saffron-based pigments have been found in Mesopotamian which date as far back as 50,0000 BC.

Saffron Gin is bottled at 40 % alcohol by volume.

Here is a link to my full review:

Review: Saffron Gin (Gabriel Boudier)

“… I allowed the glass to sit for just a little while and the dominant combination of saffron and orange liqueur remained in the breezes. It takes a little while but juniper does struggle upwards as does a light licorice-like scent of fennel and angelica. There was only a trace of coriander spice in the breezes while the lemon and iris botanicals remained buried …”

Please enjoy my review of this unique saffron flavoured gin, Chimo!

Posted in Gin, Gin Review | Tagged: , , , | Comments Off on Review: Saffron Gin (Gabriel Boudier)

Review: Bulleit Small Batch 95 Rye Whiskey

Posted by Arctic Wolf on April 30, 2016

Bulleit RyeBulleit Small Batch 95 Rye Frontier Whiskey (bottled as Bulleit Frontier Rye Whisky in Canada) is bottled at 45% alcohol by volume and (according to the Bulleit  website) the spirit is a straight whiskey produced from a heavy rye mashbill (95 % rye) which also contains a small amount of malted barley (5 %). The whiskey carries no age statement, however based upon my tastings I would estimate the age of the spirit to be in the range of 5 years old with some of the whiskey possibly older, and some of the whiskey possibly younger.

Here is a link to my full review:

Review: Bulleit Small Batch 95 Rye Whiskey

“… Dusty dry grain and honeycomb are evident. There is a sense of fresh tobacco with some light baking spices (vanilla, ginger and cinnamon) and maple syrup. As the glass sits, woody oak smells build, some bittersweet chocolate drifts into the air and more rye grain and rye spice well up into the breezes …”

Please enjoy the review.

Chimo!

 

Posted in American Whiskey, Whisk(e)y, Whisk(e)y Review | Tagged: , , , | 4 Comments »

Review: Appleton White Jamaican Rum

Posted by Arctic Wolf on April 27, 2016

Appleton White

The Appleton Estate is located in Nassau Valley in St. Elizabeth which is part of Jamaica’s Cockpit Country. The Cockpit Country is a karst formation which was formed over millions of years. Karst is a generic name given to limestone that has been eroded by the chemical action of rain.  The Appleton Estate is the only sugar estate in the world that is located within a fertile cockpit karst formation. All of the rum produced by Appleton Estate is made from sugar cane grown within the Nassau Valley, and thus Appleton Estate Rum is an expression of this unique terroir.

Appleton Jamaican White Rum has recently arrived in Alberta (distributed by Campari). The spirit is a molasses based rum produced from field to glass in Jamaica at the Appleton Estate from a combination of pot-distilled and column-distilled rums of rums which are blended and aged for up to 2 years in oak casks. The finished rum is further mellowed by carbon filtration which removes both colour and impurities. The spirit is bottled at 40 % alcohol by volume and (in Canada at least) is primarily aimed at the bar trade as a cocktail spirit.

Here is a link to my full review:

Review: Appleton White Jamaican Rum

“… The initial nose is quite nice with light citrus zest and orange peel combining with background impressions of mushy banana. There is also a bit of Jamaican funk in the breezes carrying a mild but firm impression of Jamaican pot distilled character into the air with herbal undertones and a hint of mustiness …”

Please enjoy my review of this surprising white rum.

Chimo!

Posted in Rum, White Rums | Tagged: , , , , , | Comments Off on Review: Appleton White Jamaican Rum

Review: Cameronbridge 1984 – 30 Year Old Single Grain Whisky

Posted by Arctic Wolf on April 18, 2016

Cameron Bridge 1984Wilson and Morgan is an independent bottler of Scotch Whisky based in Italy. The company was founded in 1992 by Fabio Rossi who also founded Rum Nation. Wilson and Morgan specialize in single grain and single malt whiskies which have been purchased by the barrel from selected Scottish distillers. The whisky barrels  purchased range in age from 10 years to 30 years and are left to age (usually at the distillery where they were purchased) until they are ready to be bottled sometimes after they have been re-casked for finishing in port, rum or Marsala casks.

The 1984 Cameronbridge 30 Year Old Single Grain Whisky was distilled in 1984 and bottled in 2015. The whisky is part of Wilson and Morgan’s Collector’s Edition which comprises of special bottlings all of which are currently aged 30 years or more. Because of the small number of bottles obtained from cask #12973, it was most probably an ex-bourbon hogshead. (After checking with Morgan and Wilson, I learned that the whisky had never been re-casked or subjected to any special finishing process.) This 1984 Cameronbridge offering is bottled at cask strength (56.7% alcohol by volume).

Here is a link to my full review of this well aged Single Grain Whisky:

Review: Cameronbridge 1984 – 30 Year Old Single Grain (Cask #12973)

“… Coarse brown sugar mixed with vanilla and bits of cinnamon make my mouth water as impressions of my Mom’s famous cinnamon rolls  have began to form in my consciousness. Within all of that rich goodness are light herbaceous impressions of grassy meadows and piny forests …”

Please enjoy this review, and you can look forward to more reviews from the Wilson and Morgan Collector’s Edition Series in the months that follow.

Chimo!

Posted in Scotch Whisky, Whisk(e)y | Tagged: , , , , , , | Comments Off on Review: Cameronbridge 1984 – 30 Year Old Single Grain Whisky

« Previous Entries
Next Entries »