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Posts Tagged ‘Review’

Review: J.P Wiser’s Apple Whisky

Posted by Arctic Wolf on May 6, 2018

John Philip (J.P.) Wiser, purchased a distillery in Prescott Ontario in 1857, and began to produce Wiser’s Whisky.  In fact, it may have been J.P. Wiser who first used the term “Canadian Whiskey” on a whisky label when he introduced his spirit to the World at the Chicago’s World Fair in 1893. From the beginning J.P. Wiser established his brand as a quality whisky with high standards of production. As a result, the distillery grew side by side with the popularity of Wiser’s style of whisky, and by the early 1900′s Wiser’s was the third largest distiller of whisky in Canada.

J.P. Wiser’s Apple Whisky was released across Canada last year. According to the J.P. Wiser’s website:

” … Apple-flavour occurs naturally in several our whiskies, so it was only natural that we crafted an Apple-flavoured whisky that celebrates that flavour note in a bold and delicious way. This whisky is flavoured using all natural ingredients, without any artificial sweeteners or flavours …”

Here is a link to my full review:

Review: J.P Wiser’s Apple Whisky

“… The aroma is quite nice with firm apple scents accompanied by light oak spice and vanilla. As the spirit sits I notice that the oak spices build up just a little. I appreciate this as it indicates that the underlying whisky has some legs in the glass so to speak, and it has not been completely smothered by the apple flavour …”

Please enjoy my review, Chimo!

 

 

Posted in Flavoured Whisky, Whisk(e)y, Whisk(e)y Review | Tagged: , , , , | Comments Off on Review: J.P Wiser’s Apple Whisky

Cocktail Hour: Caribbean Queen (with El Dorado 3 Year Old Rum)

Posted by Arctic Wolf on May 4, 2018

When I began to explore mixed drink servings, my wife purchased a large cocktail book, 1001 Cocktails (Alex Barker compiler) for me to draw inspiration from. I poured over the recipes seeing which ones I might like, and more importantly, which of those that I could also make at home with my small collection of ingredients. When I was studying the gin recipes Alex provided, I noticed he had several recipes for ‘Lady’ cocktails:  The Lady, The Green Lady, The Fair Lady … you get the idea. His recipe for The White Lady caught my eye. It was a simple recipe mixing Gin with Lemon Juice and Triple Sec. I mixed one, decided it was too tart, so I added enough sugar syrup to suit my taste, and named my tweaked creation Lady of the Empire. It was my first ‘Lady’ Cocktail.

Recently, I began to experiment with white rum (El Dorado 3 Year Old) instead of gin in the serving. The substitution works; but I decided to go even further adding both lemon and lime juice as well as a dash of grapefruit bitters to put it over the top.

I call my new serving, the Caribbean Queen inspired of course by the Billy Ocean tune on m 80s playlist.

Caribbean Queen

1 1/2 oz El Dorado Cask Aged 3 Year Old Rum
1/2 oz Bols Triple Sec
3/8 oz Lemon Juice
3/8 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Sugar Syrup (1:1 ratio)
dash Scrappy’s Grapefruit Bitters
Ice
Lemon Peel

Place the ingredients in a metal cocktail shaker with ice
Shake vigorously until the outside of the shaker begins to frost
Strain into a chilled cocktail glass
Add Lemon Peel for Garnish

Enjoy Responsibly!

If you are interested in more of my original cocktail recipes, please click this link (Cocktails and Recipes) for more of my mixed drink recipes!
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BTW: Here is a link to my recent review of the El Dorado 3 Year Old White Rum:

Review: El Dorado 3 Year Cask Aged Rum

“… In my mouth the taste is light but sweet. The rum has a pleasant soft texture with light oil-like mouth-feel. There is no bitterness, and the soft butterscotch/caramel flavours remain firm through the palate accented with light minty candy-like flavours ….”

Enjoy both the cocktail and the review, Chimo!

Posted in Cocktails & Recipes, Rum, Rum Reviews | Tagged: , , , , , , | Comments Off on Cocktail Hour: Caribbean Queen (with El Dorado 3 Year Old Rum)

Review: Wild Turkey Kentucky Spirit

Posted by Arctic Wolf on May 2, 2018

Wild Turkey produces their bourbon from a mash bill which includes three grains: corn, barley, and rye. This mash bill is said to have a relatively high proportion of rye which gives the whiskey brand its signature spicy kick.

Their Wild Turkey Kentucky Spirit is bottled at 50.5 % alcohol by volume (101 proof). It is a single barrel whisky with each barrel was chosen by Wild Turkey Master Distiller Jimmy Russell. Although the spirit carries no age statement, the Wild Turkey Website informs us that all of their Bourbon is blended from whiskeys aged a minimum of five years in what the company refers to as their ‘famous #4 alligator char‘ American Oak barrels.

Here is a link to my full review:

Review: Wild Turkey Kentucky Spirit 

” … The initial aroma is rich with a combination of corn, butterscotch, oak, and vanilla whetting my appetite. Some maple and cedar notes develop as do some very nice baking spices (more vanilla, some cinnamon accents and a touch of ginger). I begin to notice some rye notes in the glass probably associated with that hint of ginger within the baking spice. Honey comb and tobacco can easily be imagined in the breezes as well as some almond accents and dollops of marmalade and apricot jam …”

Please enjoy my review which includes two serving suggestions, the Old Fashioned Spirit, and the Infinity Cocktail.

Chimo!

Posted in American Whiskey, Whisk(e)y, Whisk(e)y Review | Tagged: , , , , | Comments Off on Review: Wild Turkey Kentucky Spirit

Review: Herradura Silver Tequila

Posted by Arctic Wolf on April 30, 2018

The Herradura Tequila brand is owned by Brown-Froman. It is produced thirty miles from Guadalajara, in the state of Jalisco, in the town of Amatitan, at the Brown – Forman Tequila Distillery Mexico, S. de R.L. de C.V..

Herradura is produced from agave grown in the lowlands. This is important to know, because lowland agave will usually bring more earthy fruit flavours through the distillation than highland agave which tends to bring spice and citrus. The lowland character of the Herradura tequila was obvious during my tasting sessions and dealing with the strong earthy flavours of the spirit was particularly significant during cocktail construction.

The subject of this review, the Herradura Silver is a true 100% Weber Blue agave tequila. The agave used is cooked in old stone ovens, and distilled on old copper pot stills. When I tasted the Herradurra spirit several years ago I was told that it was an unaged spirit intended to bring to the palate the true unaltered taste of lowland tequila. I notice this time that my media notes make note that the spirit has been aged for 45 days in American Oak barrels which is meant to bring a touch of refinement to the spirit. It is bottled at 40 % alcohol by volume for the North American Market.

Here is a link to my full review:

Review: Herradura Silver Tequila

“… I notice firm earthy agave which to me resembles the aroma of baked squash and/or grilled zucchini. As the glass breathes I begin to notice some lemon citrus and both lemon and orange peel. There are hints of menthol/mint and the spiciness of hot white pepper in the air as well. As I adjust to the overt agave aroma, very light indications of sandalwood and oak spice are noticed which bring ever so light impressions of tea and chocolate into the air …”

Please enjoy my review which concludes with a delicious cocktail suggestion, Estrella de la Tarde (the Evening Star).

Chimo!

Posted in Blanco Tequila, Tequila, Tequila Review | Tagged: , , , , , | Comments Off on Review: Herradura Silver Tequila

Review: Lohin McKinnon Wine Barreled Single Malt

Posted by Arctic Wolf on April 29, 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 their Lohin Mckinnon Wine Barreled Single Malt Whisky (a collaborative effort between Central City Brewery’s Master Brewer Gary Lohin, and Master Distiller Stuart McKinnon 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 that review:

Review: Lohin McKinnon Wine Barreled Single Malt

” … there was a very obvious sweetness in the air initially. More typical whisky scents gathered and settled into the breezes. After the tasting session when I sniffed my empty glass, the sweetness from the wine combined with the herbal tones in the whisky …”

Please enjoy my review of this new Canadian Single Malt, Chimo!

Posted in Canadian Whisky, Single Malt Whisky, Whisk(e)y | Tagged: , , , , , | Comments Off on Review: Lohin McKinnon Wine Barreled Single Malt