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Posts Tagged ‘Review’

Review: Lohin McKinnon Barley & Rye (Lightly Peated)

Posted by Arctic Wolf on July 25, 2018

Central City Brewers + Distillers is a small craft producer of beer and spirits. They began business as a brewpub in downtown Surrey (British Columbia), where they created their Red Racer craft beer. After this initial  success they turned their attention to spirits using Canadian Barley to produce their whisky and Rocky Mountain Berries to produce their gin.

According to the company’s website:

We craft our premium spirits on 3 state-of-the-art Holstein Stills, manufactured in Germany on 3 different sizes: 2500 litre, 1250 Litre and 500 litre, to allow greater versatility. All fitted with reflux columns and one with up to 20 plates, this Stills are capable of producing up to 90% ABV and can produce almost any spirit our distiller can imagine.

I sampled Lohin McKinnon Barley & Rye (Lightly Peated) as part of my judging duties for the 2018 Canadian Whisky Awards. I kept brief notes for each of the spirits which I tasted, and after the reveal, I decided to pen a brief review based upon those tasting notes, as well as from a small tasting sample I was able to obtain afterwards.

Here is a link to my review:

Review: Lohin McKinnon Barley & Rye (Lightly Peated)

“… Interestingly, The light peatiness of the dram wasn’t readily apparent in the breezes when I nosed the whisky side by side with the other spirits I was judging. Afterwards though, when I had time to assess the spirit in isolation, I was able to catch light hints of herbal peat in the breezes …”

Please enjoy my review of the new craft whisky.

Chimo!

 

Posted in Canadian Whisky, Whisk(e)y, Whisky Review | Tagged: , , , , | Comments Off on Review: Lohin McKinnon Barley & Rye (Lightly Peated)

Review: 1800 Reserva Reposado Tequila

Posted by Arctic Wolf on July 23, 2018

1800 ReposadoThe 1800 Tequila brand is owned by the Beckmann Family, who also own the Jose Cuervo brand. And indeed, according to the nom identifier upon the bottle (Nom 1122 CRT) the brand is produced at the same facility, the Casa Cuervo, S.A. de C.V. which is located in the central lowland tequila region of Jalisco Mexico. The 1800 Reserva Reposado is produced using piñas from 100 % Weber Blue Agave (8-12 year old) and is aged in a combination of American and French Oak barrels at least six months.

Here is a link to my full review:

Review: 1800 Reserva Reposado Tequila

“… When I nose the glass it yields mild butterscotch aromas, and behind them are soft punky vegetal smells of lowland agave. The earthy aroma is reminiscent of baked squash and grilled pineapple. There are also unusual hints of cooked celery within the vegetal nature of the agave aroma (maybe a bit of water cress too). As I gave the glass time to breathe some peppery notes began to break free from the fruity agave as well as hints of vanilla and cinnamon, and perhaps a dusting of milk chocolate …”

Please enjoy my review as my descent into Tequila Madness continues

Chimo!

Posted in Reposado Tequila, Tequila, Tequila Review | Tagged: , , , | Comments Off on Review: 1800 Reserva Reposado Tequila

Review: CAMUS VSOP Elegance

Posted by Arctic Wolf on July 22, 2018

CAMUS VS Elegance is the introductory spirit of the CAMUS Range. Its construction begins with a selection of eaux-de-vie made from wines distilled without lees. Of particular note on the CAMUS website is a reference to the aromas of the wine and the flavors of the Charente terroir, characterized by delicate fruity and floral notes which are particularly important for the CAMUS VS Elegance blend.

The ages of the varies blended Cognac in the VS Elegance must be (by law) a minimum of two years of age, although to maintain a consistent flavour profile from year to year, it would not be unusual for some of the specific Cognac in the blend to be aged longer.

Here is a link to my review:

Review: CAMUS VS Elegance

“… The merry little breezes above the glass bring a very nicely fruited mixture of green grape and apricot brandy into the air which are both melded nicely into rising scents of fine oak spice and light butterscotch. There is a gentle floral sweetness in the breezes represented by indications of rose petals, garden lilies and lightly perfumed iris …”

Please Enjoy the review which includes my recommended serving, the Presbyterian Cocktail.

Chimo!

 

Posted in Brandy and Cognac Reviews, Cognac Review | Tagged: , , , | Comments Off on Review: CAMUS VSOP Elegance

Review: The Glenlivet 15 Year Old (French Oak Reserve)

Posted by Arctic Wolf on July 19, 2018

The Glenlivet Distillery is located near Ballindalloch in Moray, Scotland. The Distillery was founded in 1824. It remained open during the first World War as well as and through the Great Depression with its only during World War II. The Glenlivet brand is owned by the French conglomerate Pernod Ricard, and has grown to be largest selling single malt whisky in North America and the second largest selling single malt whisky globally.

According to the Glenlivet website:

The 15 Year Old gets its distinctive rich and exotic character from a process of selective maturation in which a proportion of the spirit is matured in French oak casks. In fact, we at The Glenlivet were one of the first to use French oak for making whisky, a technique that has since been imitated the world over.

The Limousin oak we use is cut in France’s Dordogne region, where it’s often used to mature cognacs. Its low density allows whisky to sink deep into the wood, and we carefully control how long the whisky matures in the casks so as not to overpower the desired result: a unique, pleasing spiciness.

Here is a link to my review:

Review: The Glenlivet 15 Year Old (French Oak Reserve)

” … The whisky is much better than the flavour descriptors indicate. The flavours develop over time making this a whisky I would allow to sit for ten or fifteen minutes to maximize my enjoyment …”

Please enjoy my review which conclude with my recommended serving, an Old Fashioned with Whiskey Barrel Aged Bitters.

Posted in Scotch Whisky, Single Malt Whisky, Whisk(e)y, Whisky Review | Tagged: , , , , , | Comments Off on Review: The Glenlivet 15 Year Old (French Oak Reserve)

Review: El Jimador Silver Tequila

Posted by Arctic Wolf on July 16, 2018

El Jimador Tequila is owned by Brown-Froman. The Brand is produced thirty miles from Guadalajara, in the state of Jalisco, in the town of Amatitan, at Brown – Forman Tequila Distillery Mexico, S. de R.L. de C.V. which is also referred to as Hacienda Herradura. The Hacienda also produces the more premium Herradura brand as well as Suave 35 and Antiguo. The Jimador tequila is named to pay homage to the jimadors who harvest agave. After it is harvested, the agave is cooked in clay ovens. The juice is extracted after cooking using steel bladed shredders after which it is distilled on old copper pot stills.

Because Hacienda Herradura is located in the Central Lowlands of Jalisco rather than in the Highlands we can expect a more earthy style of tequila than which would be produced in the Highlands where the agave tends to produce a spirit with higher citrus notes and a sharper squeal of peppery spice.

Here is a link to my full review:

Review: El Jimador Silver Tequila

“… The breezes above the glass brought me nice citrus notes (lime in particular) which were joined by an earthy agave scent which seemed to hint at boiled celery and baked squash (maybe some grilled pineapple as well) …”

Please enjoy my review which features a cocktail I have not shared previously, the Juan Collins.

Chimo!

Posted in Blanco Tequila, Tequila, Tequila Review | Tagged: , , , , , | 1 Comment »