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Posts Tagged ‘Rum Review’

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Rum Review: Appleton Estate Reserve

Posted by Arctic Wolf on February 14, 2010

This is the second review in the series  I am completing of the Rums in the Appleton Estate family of Rums. The Appleton Reserve rum is constructed from a blend of 20 aged rums which have each been aged for approximately 8 years.   The rum is intended to be perfect for those who wish to be introduced to a complex rum style meant for sipping neat and for using in sophisticated cocktails.

One thing that I noticed which was missing from the newer bottles of Reserve, is the 8 year age statement.  I am not sure when the age statement was dropped but his seems to be a trend among major distillers of spirits worldwide.  These large distillers are increasingly more concerned with a signature taste profile than they are with adhering to a specified minimum age requirement for their spirits.  In the end, taste is what matters and my review will be concerned with the taste and character of the rum and not the age.

Here is an excerpt from my review:

This has a spicy zip on the tongue that is full of citrus peel, oak spice, candy apples, cloves, and cinnamon.    There is, (in spite of the softness of the rum on my tongue), a sharpness and intensity in these spicy flavours.  Underneath this spiciness are additional flavours of butterscotch, caramel and vanilla.  At the bottom of the  palate I find an earthiness which seems almost brooding to me.

You may read the full review here:

Review: Appleton Estate Reserve

Of course I could not resist adding a few cocktail suggestions to the review.  Enjoy!

Posted in Cocktails & Recipes, Dark Rums, Rum, Rum Reviews | Tagged: , , , , , | Comments Off on Rum Review: Appleton Estate Reserve

Rum Review: Appleton Estate VX

Posted by Arctic Wolf on February 7, 2010

In 1749, in the Nassau Valley of Jamaica, the Appleton Estate Sugar factory was founded.  The Nassau Valley is a fertile, interior valley with a special mild microclimate which is ideally suited to the growth of Sugarcane.  A water source which wells from a limestone rock formation provides an exceptionally soft pure water which used for the production of Appleton Rums.

The Rum itself is crafted from pot stills in small batches.  After blending and aging the rums are ready for bottling.  Unlike most rums produced in the Caribbean, Jamaican law forbids the use of an age statement unless the entire contents of a bottle are aged at least as long as the stated age.

Booklet Courtesy of Appleton Estate Rums

This is the first review in a series I am doing on Appleton Rums. I am starting with the Appleton Estate VX and I will work my way up the ladder of Appleton Rums to the Appleton 21 Year Old.  This will include the Appleton Reserve, The Appleton Estate Extra 12 Year,  The Master Blenders Legacy, and the Appleton Dark 151 Proof.  An astute person will realize that I have already reviewed Appleton Estate Extra 12 Year Old and the Master Blenders Legacy. I will take this opportunity as I go up the Appleton Ladder to revisit these reviews and these rums.

Here is an excerpt from my Appleton Estate VX 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….”

I have also included an original cocktail based upon the popular Cosmopolitan. As usual my cocktail recipe has been reviewed and approved by forrest.

You may read the entire review here:

Review: Appleton Estate VX Rum

Posted in Cocktails & Recipes, Dark Rums, Rum, Rum Reviews | Tagged: , , , , , | Comments Off on Rum Review: Appleton Estate VX

Rum Review: Cockspur 12 Bajan Crafted Rum

Posted by Arctic Wolf on February 2, 2010

The origins of rum on Barbados stretch all the way back to 1637, when the first stalks of sugar cane were brought to the island by Pieter Blower from Brazil. Almost immediately sugar plantations and factories sprang up to produce sugar and molasses. The molasses, which is the byproduct of sugar production, was being distilled, and the resulting distillate was sold in bulk as early as 1650. This product first called  ‘kill devil’ was sold to taverns and ships, and by 1650 over 200 thousand gallons were being sold.  The word ‘rum’ is believed to have originated in Barbados as a shortened form of the name  ‘rum bullion’  which appeared in 1651 as a listing of a ships manifest by an unknown visitor to Barbados. This is why Barbados is generally accepted as the possible birthplace of rum.  Today rum remains one of the largest exports for the Barbados economy.

Cockspur Rum, was founded over one hundred years ago in 1884.  The rum company has a rich history and their rum is widely regarded as  amongst the very best in the world.  A friend of mine found and purchased a bottle of the Cockspur 12 rum about six months ago.  He offered to give me a large enough portion so that I could review the rum for my blog, and I gladly accepted his kindness.  I am truly blessed to have such friends as I do.  Here is an excerpt from my review:

“Several flavours jumped out at me on first tasting.  Toasted vanilla and charred molasses grabbed my taste buds first, and then I was subdued by a lurking tobacco richness that swelled up and filled my mouth. …”

You may read the full review here:

Review: Cockspur 12 Bajan Crafted Rum

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Rum Review: El Dorado Single Barrel PM (Port Mourant)

Posted by Arctic Wolf on January 31, 2010

A friend of mine dropped by the other day with an intriguing bottle of rum from El Dorado Rums.  A single barrel offering called El Dorado Single Barrel PM.  Apparently the folks from Demerara Distilleries Ltd  (DDL), did a series of single barrel bottlings  to highlight the various characteristics of some of their more famous rum stills.  In the case of the PM, this bottle highlights the Port Mourant Still which is the only production wooden pot still in the world today.  This is the original wooden pot still, built at the Port Mourant Sugar Factory,  which was constructed when the Demerara region began to produce navy rum for the Royal British Navy over two hundred years ago.

There is apparently two other Single barrel rums from El Dorado available in my locale, but so far this is only one that I have sampled.  Here is an excerpt from my review:

“In the glass the rum displays a rich oil which laid nice long fat legs down the inside of my glass.  This should indicate a long rich finish.  Rising from the glass is a woody tannin filled smell with a great complexity of aroma.  Behind the woody tannins I smell coarse dark brown sugar…”

You may read the full review here:

Review: El Dorado Single Barrel Demerara Rum PM

Posted in Cocktails & Recipes, Dark Rums, Rum, Rum Reviews | Tagged: , , , , , | 3 Comments »

Rum Review: Ron Zacapa Centenario XO

Posted by Arctic Wolf on January 25, 2010

Industrias Licoreras de Guatamala , is the consortium of  companies that have combined to produce, bottle, market , and sell internationally some of the great rums of Guatemala like Ron Zacapa and Botran Rums.  These rums are not widely available in my locale but they are highly regarded.  When I was given the chance to procure a sample of Ron Zacapa Centenario Xo 25 year old rum to review on my blog, I jumped at the chance.  (The sample was provided by a great group of guys called The Rum Chums.)

The Ron Zacapa Centenario XO is a blend of rums made from sweet first crush virgin sugar cane.  The rums are blended from solera aged stocks which range in age from six years to 25 years.  These stocks are aged in special cellars more than 7000 feet above sea level, at the Zacapa “House in the Clouds”, which is the name used locally to describe the Zacapa distillery and rum aging facility.   These barrels are a mixture of  reused American bourbon, sherry, Pedro Ximenez wines, and cognac  barrels.  The combination of solera aging and the wide variety of reused barrels creates a highly complex rum with a multitude of aroma and flavour.

I couldn’t resist snapping this picture of my rum sample next to a canvas painting that my Sister in Law gave me for Christmas (in laws always treat you better than outlaws).

Here is an excerpt from the review:

“Richness and luxury ooze from the nose of this sweet nectar.  Scents of mild toffee and spice combined with a rich oak and vanilla aroma rise from the glass to the delight of my nostrils.  There seems to be a light orange citrus weaving through the aroma.”

You can read the entire review and find my decadent cocktail, The Royal Batiste, here:

Review: Zacapa Centenario XO (25 YR Solero) Rum

Posted in Cocktails & Recipes, Dark Rums, Rum, Rum Reviews | Tagged: , , , , , | Comments Off on Rum Review: Ron Zacapa Centenario XO

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