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Posts Tagged ‘Review’

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Review: The Irishman Caribbean Cask Finish Irish Whiskey

Posted by Arctic Wolf on February 13, 2019

Bernard and Rosemary Walsh began producing their own independent Irish Whiskey brands in 2007 with the introduction of The Irishman 70 (aka The Irishman Original Clan in the USA) and The Irishman – Single Malt. In 2009 they expanded the portfolio with the introduction Writers Tears, a boutique brand which was created to bring additional nuance to the Irish Whiskey Category.

The Irishman Caribbean Cask Finish Irish Whiskey is the second expression in The Irishman Founder’s Reserve Cask Series. This limited edition Founder’s Reserve Whiskey, after being aged in bourbon barrels is then finished for 6 months in Chairman’s Reserve Rum casks from the Caribbean island of Saint Lucia.  The spirit is then bottled at 46 % alcohol by volume.

The Caribbean Cask Finish Irish Whiskey is part of the 7 brand Walsh Whiskey feature which launched in the LCBO Whisky Shop on February 7, 2019.

Here is a link to my full Review:

Review: The Irishman Caribbean Cask Finish Irish Whiskey

“… The Caribbean Cask Finish Whiskey. however, seemed to wear a mask. The nose was very retrained at first as if the barley and oak were unable to rise up out of the glass. There was a light cane sweetness apparent which seemed to cover over the barley grain and the oak spice. In fact, it seemed to me that some of the residual rum from the finishing cask was competing for my attention …”

Please enjoy the review which concludes with an Old fashioned Cocktail.

Chimo!

 

Posted in Irish Whskey, Whisk(e)y, Whisk(e)y Review | Tagged: , , , , | Comments Off on Review: The Irishman Caribbean Cask Finish Irish Whiskey

Bitter(s) Review: Bittermens Boston Bitters

Posted by Arctic Wolf on February 8, 2019

Bittermens Boston Bittahs were formulated in the summer of 2008 from a combination of combination of citrus & chamomile. The formulation was originally called “Summer Bitters” but the name was changed to Boston Bittahs later that year as the new flavour combination celebrated both the return of summer and a return to Boston after 14 years.

According to the company website:

It’s citrus, citrus, citrus and more citrus, supported with a heavy dose of chamomile. We think it smells like summer. Try it in your favorite fizz, sour or bright tropical drink. It works extremely well with pisco and scotch as well.

Here is a link to my thoughts regarding Boston Bittahs:

Review: Bittermens Boston Bittahs

“… I was glad when I discovered that Bittermens recommended Boston Bittahs in fizz style drinks and citrus cocktails as this meshed with my observations. Tall Rye and Ginger-ale drinks, Tom Collins and Palomas, and shorter ‘Gimlet’ style cocktails all seem to work with Boston Bittahs …”

Please enjoy the review and my suggested cocktail (the Boston Patriot) at the conclusion.

Chimo!

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Review: The Irishman Founder’s Reserve

Posted by Arctic Wolf on February 6, 2019

Bernard and Rosemary Walsh began producing their own independent Irish Whiskey brands in 2007 with the introduction of The Irishman 70 (aka The Irishman Original Clan in the USA) and The Irishman – Single Malt. In 2009 they expanded the portfolio with the introduction Writers Tears, a boutique brand which was created to bring additional nuance to the Irish Whiskey category. Although these brands are distilled and aged by a third-party distillery, Bernard and Rosemary recently opened the Walsh Whiskey Distillery and began to produce their own new-make spirit in 2016. (See note below for an important change with respect to the Walsh Whiskey Distillery and the Writer’s Tears and The Irishman brands.)

The subject of this review is Walsh Whiskey’s flagship brand The Irishman Founder’s Reserve. This is a direct descendant of The Irishman 70, made to the same recipe of 70 % Single Malt Irish Whiskey and 30 % Single Pot Still Whiskey (with no column distilled whiskey in the blend at all).

Here is the link to my full Review:

Review: The Irishman Founder’s Reserve

“… The immediate nose brings a nice combination of fine oak and grain spices forward with hints of ginger and orange peel in the breezes. This is quickly followed by nutty barley grain with aromas of hazelnut, almond, burlap and leather. A light sweep of vanilla with hints of baking spice (cinnamon and nutmeg) works its way into the air above the glass as do light impression of poplar and willow …”

I hope you enjoy the review, please stay tuned as next week I will take a look at the Writers Tears Red Head Single Malt Irish Whiskey.

__________________________________________________________________________

Editor’s Note:

WALSH WHISKEY & ILLVA SARONNO AGREE TO DEMERGE JOINT-VENTURE

The Directors of Walsh Whiskey Distillery have decided to split the business by separating out the existing drinks brands business, built on the Writers’ Tears and The Irishman premium and super-premium Irish whiskeys, from the distillery business at Royal Oak, in Ireland’s County Carlow, effective January 25, 2019:

Current sales, marketing and distilling objectives are being fully met, however the Irish and Italian Directors differ on how to develop the combined business into the future. 

This change will result in the Irish directors taking full control of the existing drinks brands business built on the Writers’ Tears and The Irishman brands that are among the most popular premium and super-premium Irish whiskeys in the world being sold in 50 countries worldwide. Consumers of Writers’ Tears and The Irishman portfolio of brands are assured of their uninterrupted availability. This business will continue to trade under the name Walsh Whiskey.

Illva Saronno will take full ownership of the distillery, which is renamed “Royal Oak Distillery”. Illva’s objective is to further enhance Royal Oak as a centre of excellence in Irish whiskey making by continuously improving its technology and processes, producing all three styles, Malt, Pot and Grain under one roof, enhancing the visitor experience and achieving recognition as one of the best quality Irish whiskey producers in the market.

Posted in Irish Whskey, Whisk(e)y, Whisky Review | Tagged: , , , | Comments Off on Review: The Irishman Founder’s Reserve

Review: Rum Nation Reunion 7 Year Old Cask Strength Rhum

Posted by Arctic Wolf on January 30, 2019

Rum Nation is an Italian company created by Fabio Rossi, who began his life in the spirits trade as a Oenologist (one who has studied wine-making). 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 limited edition bottlings. One such bottling is Rum Nation Reunion 7 Year Old Cask Strength Rum (2018 release).

The 7 Year Old Cask Strength  Rum was distilled at the Savannah Distillery which is located on Réunion Island, which is a French department in the Indian Ocean.  The spirit was bottled at 60.5 % alcohol by volume with no dilution from cask strength. No colouring has been added, and the rum has not been chill filtered.

Here is a link to my latest review:

Review: Rum Nation Reunion 7 Year Old Cask Strength Rhum

“… Pot still funk with orange peel, anise and peppery allspice. The sweetness has built up and this sweetness and the herbal menthol provide a measure of balance for the obvious cask strength heat. …”

Please enjoy my review which includes a my cocktail suggestion, a Rum Old Fashioned with Smoked Cinnamon Bitters.

Chimo!

 

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Bitter(s) Review: Angostura Aromatic Bitters

Posted by Arctic Wolf on January 25, 2019

Over the course of this year I plan to review 25 different brands of bitters and these reviews will be compiled on my Cocktail Bitters Review page found here. This page displays most of the brands I will review with links to each review. (Of course the links for a particular review will not open until that review is published.)

I will of course expand this list as I receive more brands to review. My policy for receiving samples of Bitters will be much the same as it is for spirits, albeit I will be able to accept much smaller sample sizes than 200 ml. A 50 ml sample bottle is more than ample.

I am going to kick off a this series of Bitters Reviews with Angostura Aromatic Bitters.

Angostura’s Aromatic Bitters were first produced in 1824, in the town of Angostura (now Ciudad Bolívar, Venezuela) by Dr. Johann Siegert who created his bitters as a medicinal treatment to alleviate digestive and stomach ailments. In the 1870’s the brand was moved to Trinidad, where Johann Siegert’s son Don Carlos established the aromatic bitters as a complementary ingredient for both cocktails and food.

Here is my link to my first Bitter(s) Review, I hope you enjoy it:

Review: Angostura Aromatic Bitters

“… If you put a drop of Angostura Aromatic Bitters on your tongue instead of in your cocktail you will find that they have a very complex bold and yes, quite bitter, flavour. You can taste cloves and hints of cinnamon, bits of cocoa and what I can only describe as tree bark (kinda like cedar) …”

Enjoy the review and the cocktail suggestion included.

Chimo!

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