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Posts Tagged ‘Rum Review’

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Review: Caroni 1997 (Aka Ron Sherbrooke Private Cask) Rum

Posted by Arctic Wolf on September 22, 2011

The Ron Sherbrooke, “Drink Like a Pirate” Rum Festival is was held on September 19 at the Citadel Theatre in Edmonton, Alberta. Nineteen liquor agencies put up tables, and all told over sixty rums were poured. The event went off without a hitch, and everyone I saw left the evening happy, (and full of rum). And it wasn’t just the wide selection of rums which was impressive, it was also the quality of the selection that was special. Diplomático Reserva Exclusiva, Flor de Caña 18 Year Centenario Gold, and the Ron Zacapa 23 Solero were just a few of the Premium Rums available to be tasted. Ron Abuelo, Bacardi, and Mount Gay were all there. Of course, I cannot name everyone but you get the idea. The first ever full fledged rum festival in Edmonton, Alberta was a big success!

One rum really caught my eye at the festival, I guess you could call it the ‘signature rum’ of the event. A Single Cask Rum from the departed Ron Caroni Distillery of Trinidad and Tobago. This rum was bottled for a local collective of stores called, the Signature Group and at the festival it was labelled,  Ron Sherbrooke-Private Stock, Caroni 1997 – 13 year old Dark Rum.

I was intrigued enough that after the Rum Festival I decided I should provide a review of this signature rum. The kind folks at  Sherbrooke Liquor, provided me a sample and the review is now complete.

Here is an excerpt from that review:

“…Caramel toffee, baking spices, and a nice dollop of vanilla will join the oak and the orange peel, and you will experience a rum which is not only very different from any rum you have tried before, you will experience a rum with a rich flavour that matches the nose which I described earlier…”

You may read the full review here:

Review: Caroni 1997  (Aka Ron Sherbrooke Private Cask) Rum

Please enjoy the review of what I consider to be a very special rum!

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

Revisiting: Appleton Estate VX Rum

Posted by Arctic Wolf on September 14, 2011

Appleton Estate VX Rum is the entry-level rum in the Appleton Estate family of rums.  It is a blend of up to fifteen Jamaican rums of various styles which have been aged in hand crafted oak.

I was afforded a chance to revisit Appleton Vx recently when the media company representing the brand sent me a bottle. Although I have already reviewed the rum, the company felt I should have some handy to use as a resource for my cocktail explorations.  Of course, the first thing I did when I opened my bottle was to sample a bit while I read my original review.

Here is an excerpt from that review:

” The rum displays an amber colour with orange flashes.  Surprisingly (to me) the rum when swirled left nice long skinny legs in my glass indicating a buttery oil present.  The aroma is very spicy, and full of oak tannin.  I smell a firm and distinct orange peel, and light brown sugar and molasses rising in the tangy oak spice….”

The rum of course has not changed and you may read the entire review here:

Review: Appleton Estate VX Rum

I was supposed to be using the rum for cocktails, and so the next thing I did was to make the original cocktail that I designed for the Appleton Vx called, the Traveller.  One Traveller led to another, and the 200 ml sample I was sent disappeared pretty quickly. Fortunately I have my own 750 ml bottle that will allow me to keep ‘travelling’ with my Appleton VX.

Here is a Link to that nice cocktail and a few nice variations:

The Traveller Cocktail

Posted in Cocktails & Recipes, Dark Rums, Rum, Rum Reviews | Tagged: , , , , | 4 Comments »

Review: Kōloa Kaua`i Spice Hawaiian Rum

Posted by Arctic Wolf on September 8, 2011

Nestled on the Island of Kaua`i, the Kōloa Rum Company is making history. It started ten years ago when the company was first incorporated. A seven-year struggle through red tape and government bureaucracy ensued before the necessary permits and licenses were granted, and finally on April 1, 2009, the Kōloa Rum Company obtained a license to distill their rum. The first legally distilled rum in the Island’s history.

I have previous reviewed the Kōloa Kaua`i White Hawaiian Rum, the Kōloa Kaua`i Gold Hawaiian Rum, and the Kōloa Kaua`i Dark Hawaiian Rum. In each case I have marveled that such a young company was able to produce rums of such quality. Early this summer the Kōloa Rum Company sent me a sample of their new spice rum and that rum is the subject of this review.

Here is an excerpt:

“… the initial nose is very pleasant with that sweet caramelized sugar rising into the air with a variety of spices. Vanilla and nutmeg seem prevalent, and I detect cinnamon and cloves in the air as well. Other spices are indistinct but I seem to sense allspice, and orange peel in the breezes as well…”

And here is a link to the full review:

Review: Kōloa Kaua`i Spice Hawaiian Rum

I have included a nice recipe which combines pineapple and raspberry with the spice rum and I call it, The Raspberry Smooch.

Please enjoy the review and the cocktail provided!

Posted in Cocktails & Recipes, Flavouerd Rums, Rum, Rum Reviews | Tagged: , , , , , | Comments Off on Review: Kōloa Kaua`i Spice Hawaiian Rum

Review: Cockspur Fine Rum

Posted by Arctic Wolf on September 1, 2011

Barbados is generally considered the birthplace of rum dating back to 1651 where the first recorded written usage of the word Rum Bullion appears. More than two hundred years later in 1884 a Dane, Valdemar Hanschell, founded a business in Barbados, supplying visiting ships with ropes, sails, salt, fresh fruit, meat and of course Barbados rum. Through the years, business thrived and so too did the popularity of his Cockspur Rum.

Cockspur Fine Rum is the flagship brand for the company. It is distilled from Island cane molasses, aged in American Oak, and brought to bottling strength with Barbados’ own coral filtered water. Both column still and pot still rums are used to in the distillation of the rum which bottled at 40 % alcohol by volume.

Here is an excerpt from my review:

“…I began by sipping the Cockspur Rum in my glass, neat, without ice. The mouth-feel was slightly oily, and the initial flavour was very complex bringing a bevy of pungent flavours forward. I tasted charred caramel (treacle) and dark molasses as well as dry fruit flavours of prunes and dates…”

Here is a link to the full review:

Review: Cockspur Fine Rum

The review includes a nice ‘punch’ style recipe which I hope you enjoy!

Posted in Cocktails & Recipes, Dark Rums, Rum, Rum Reviews | Tagged: , , , , , | Comments Off on Review: Cockspur Fine Rum

Review: Old Sam Demerara Rum

Posted by Arctic Wolf on August 25, 2011

The original recipe for Old Sam Demerara Rum stretches back to 1797 when Edward Young & Co. (from London & Liverpool, England) imported their rum from the Caribbean (primarily from Guyana) and brought the first barrels marked ‘Old Sam’ to London, England. Today the rum no longer travels to England to be blended and bottled, rather it travels to Newfoundland where it is blended and bottled by the Newfoundland and Labrador Liquor Corporation (NLC). The entire blend hails from Guyana, and I have been informed that the age of these rums in the blend is no younger than 2 years old. In fact some of the rum in the blend may be as old as 12 years, but as the rum is blended to a specific taste profile, the oldest rum in the blend may change from batch to batch. I was given a sample of the Old Sam Demerara Rum by Greg Kerr of the NLC for the purpose of my review.

Here is an Excerpt from that review:

“…The taste of molasses, candied caramel and orange peel leads out into the mouth but these flavours are soon accompanied by tobacco and musty leather. I also taste a dry fruity flavour which reminds me of raisins and prunes with perhaps a few figs and dates thrown in for good measure…”

You may read the full review here:

Review: Old Sam Demerara Rum

I have included a nice recipe which I call the Maritime Mai Tai.

Please enjoy my review!

Posted in Cocktails & Recipes, Dark Rums, Rum, Rum Reviews | Tagged: , , , , , | 9 Comments »

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