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Posts Tagged ‘Rum howler’

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2016 Spiced Rum Taste-off: Capatain Morgan Original Spiced Rum

Posted by Arctic Wolf on June 15, 2016

Cable Car SAM_2624

Captain Morgan and the Cable car

Admiral Sir Henry Morgan (aka Captain Morgan) was a Welsh ‘privateer’ who attacked and plundered the Caribbean on behalf of, and with the written consent of (in the form of an English Letter of Marque), the Governor of Jamaica, Sir Thomas Modyford. Privateers at that time in history were essentially ‘legal pirates’ who were allowed to attack and loot enemies of the state reaping the rewards from their plunder in lieu of pay. Researching Sir Henry Morgan, I learned he was a skilled naval captain, a ruthless buccaneer, and one of the most successful ‘privateers’ in the history of piracy earning a Knighthood for himself in 1674.

Captain Morgan Original Spiced Rum is of course the name of Diageo’s top-selling spiced rum. It is the most successful spiced rum (at least with respect to sales) in the entire category, and has pretty much set the standard for sales and marketing for all other spiced rums to follow.

Here are my latest thoughts on the Original Captain:

#16 Captain Morgan Original Spiced Rum

” …  I began to taste light oak spices, a peppery citrus zest, and the faint echo of baking spices. My feeling is that the flavour profile is quite approachable, but it is not really geared towards sipping. This is a mixer and that is where the rum excels …”

Please enjoy the review which includes a fantastic cocktail recipe created by Tony Abou-Ganim, the Cable Car.

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I hope you all find this countdown enjoyable and you can follow the rankings here:

The Rum Howler 2016 Spiced Rum Countdown

Posted in Awards, Extras, Rum, Rum Reviews, Spiced Rum | Tagged: , , , , , | Comments Off on 2016 Spiced Rum Taste-off: Capatain Morgan Original Spiced Rum

2016 Spiced Rum Taste-off: Lamb’s Blacksheep Spiced Rum

Posted by Arctic Wolf on June 12, 2016

lambs-blacksheepLamb’s Blacksheep Spiced Rum was recently dropped from the  Corby Brands website which lists their entire stable of North American Brands. hopefully this is only temporary as the brand featured a very unique take on the spiced rum category. When the brand was listed, they offered this description of the spiced rum:

“…Lamb’s® Black Sheep Spiced Rum is produced and blended in small batches to ensure consistency of the complex flavour profile that is unique to the rum category. Our ingredients – the finest cinnamon from Korintje, Madagascar-bourbon vanilla and lime essence from Mexico have been carefully selected from around the world to ensure optimal enjoyment on the palate…”

My bottle of the Blacksheep rum is bottled at 37.5 % alcohol by volume, and even though it has disappeared from Corby’s website it is still available in my locale in the attractive 750 ml bottle shown to the left.

Here is a link to my review:

#17 Lamb’s Blacksheep Spiced Rum

“… Speaking of the cinnamon, it’s imprint is felt firmly in the breeses above the glass as is a healthy dose of vanilla. The combination of sugar sweetener, cinnamon, and vanilla reminds me of those tiny red heart-shaped candies I used to buy as a kid. Behind the cinnamon and the vanilla is the mild caramel scent …”

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I hope you all find this countdown enjoyable and you can follow the rankings here:

The Rum Howler 2016 Spiced Rum Countdown

 

Posted in Rum, Rum Reviews | Tagged: , , , , , | 4 Comments »

2016 Spiced Rum Taste-off: Wild Geese Spiced Rum

Posted by Arctic Wolf on June 9, 2016

srumThe Flight of the Wild Geese is a reference to a regimental force which traveled from Ireland to France under the command of Patrick Sarsfield, as stipulated in the Treaty of Limerick on October 3, 1691. The western counties of Clare, Limerick, Cork, Kerry and Galway provided most of these recruits as French ships would arrive on the west of Ireland with cargoes of smuggled brandy or wine and would depart with troops for the Irish Brigade.

Those ships which carried the recruits apparently listed the smuggled troops as “Wild Geese,” in the ship’s records which of course is the genesis of the name given to these Irish Soldiers. The tradition of the Wild Geese Soldiers all but ended in 1745 when Irish recruitment for continental armies was made illegal.

The Wild Geese Rum Collection is the companion to the Wild Geese Irish Whisky Collection. While the Wild Geese Irish Whisky collection sought to bring the Story of the Wild Geese and their struggles in European Armies to light, the Wild Geese Rum Collection continues the saga bringing to light the story of some of these Wild Geese who after service in the continental armies of Europe found themselves transported to America and the Caribbean where many worked upon the Rum Plantations in the new world.

Here is a link to my review of The Wild Geese Spiced Rum:

#18  The Wild Geese Caribbean Spiced Rum

“… The initial flavour impressions I receive across my palate are similar to what I experienced as I nosed the glass. I sense a trio of fruitiness which resembles cherry licorice, fresh mango and sliced pineapple. There is also a welcome spiciness which runs through the rum with suggestions of coriander and ginger implied by my taste buds. Rounding out the flavour is an impression of vanilla with hints of butterscotch sweetness …”

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I hope you all find this countdown enjoyable and you can follow the rankings here:

The Rum Howler 2016 Spiced Rum Countdown

Posted in Awards, Extras, Rum, Rum Reviews, Spiced Rum | Tagged: , , , , , | Comments Off on 2016 Spiced Rum Taste-off: Wild Geese Spiced Rum

2016 Spiced Rum Taste-off: Voodoo Spiced Rum

Posted by Arctic Wolf on June 3, 2016

Voodoo Spiced RumI continue my spiced rum taste-off with the 19th best spiced rum on my rum shelf. Voodoo Spiced Rum is produced by Three-D Spirits, Inc. ( www.redrum.com). The company was founded in 1996 with the stated goal to create exceptional  handmade rums. Their spiced rum is apparently (according to the website) produced from a blend of aged Virgin Islands Rum. The blended rum is infused with cloves and cinnamon as well as Madagascar vanilla, and bottled at 35 % alcohol by volume.

No information is given regarding the age of the rums in the blend; however, based upon my tasting notes, I would suggest that the spirit was aged for only a limited time period as there is very little evidence of oak or wood spice in the taste profile. This is typical of the spiced rum category.

Here is my review:

#19   Voodoo Spiced Rum

“… When I nose the glass vanilla wafts upward, and it is obviously the dominant spice. I also sense a mild but firm butterscotch sweetness and a light peppery spiciness in the breezes above the glass. Taking a little time and listening to what the merry little breezes above the glass tell me, impressions of cloves become more obvious along with hints of cinnamon …”

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I hope you all find this countdown enjoyable and you can follow the rankings here:

The Rum Howler 2016 Spiced Rum Countdown

Posted in Awards, Extras, Rum, Rum Reviews, Spiced Rum | Tagged: , , , , | 4 Comments »

The Rum Howler’s #1 Canadian Whisky of 2015 – Canadian Rockies 21 Year Old (Batch 001)

Posted by Arctic Wolf on December 24, 2015

Canadian Rockies 21Three years ago, I encountered Canadian Rockies 21 Year Old Whisky as a random sample in the group of 45 such samples which I was assessing as part of my duties when I served on the jury for the 2012 Canadian Whisky Awards. Whenever I participate as a spirits judge I always make note of any of the samples which strike me as being particularly good, and the small sample bottle which contained the Canadian Rockies 21 Year Old Whisky was one which I had earmarked as a superior whisky. So, when the Awards Competition was complete, it was to my dismay that I learned this particular whisky (Random Sample number 7 by the way) was a brand destined not for Canada; but instead for Taiwan.

When I wrote a brief review for this whisky in 2013 (see here), I lamented that this great whisky was available only in Asia, and I hoped that the brand owner (and the folks at Highwood Distillery) might read the review, and figure out that maybe Canada deserved this Whisky too. Perhaps my idea was not so far-fetched, as earlier this fall I was contacted by the Fountana Group, and asked to review the Canadian Rockies 21 Year Old Batch 001, a new version of their whisky brand destined for Canadian retail shelves this Christmas Season.

I placed the sample bottle in with the others my friends and I were analyzing as part of the Rum Howler 2015 Top 25 Canadian Whiskies. And it was fortunate that I did as the Canadian Rockies 21 Year Old was the unanimous choice among all judges as the Best Canadian Whisky of 2015! In addition it has also been placed on the short list of the Whiskies I am considering for The Rum Howler 2015 Whisky of the Year.

Here is a link to the Number 1 Canadian Whisky in my Rum Howler Countdown of the Best Whiskies of 2015:

Canadian Rockies 21 Year Old (Batch 001)

“… I used the term ‘luscious’ when describing the nose, and that term deserves repeating here again when describing the flavour. I taste a perfect melding of firm butterscotch, oak spice and corn flavours. My palate is heated with little explosions of oak spice and orange peel, but then it is soothingly caressed by corn and butterscotch. Vanilla and baking spices romp through the garden of lush flavours with marzipan and marmalade chasing merrily behind. Underlying all of this are rich tobacco and leather flavours which serve to add even more depth and character to the glass …”

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You may read about the Top 25 Canadian Whisky Countdown here:

The Rum Howler 2015 Top 25 Canadian Whiskies

Posted in Awards, Canadian Whisky, Extras, Whisk(e)y, Whisk(e)y Review | Tagged: , , , , , , , | 2 Comments »

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