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Posts Tagged ‘Rum’

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El Ron Prohibido 15 Gran Reserva

Posted by Arctic Wolf on February 23, 2018

El Ron Prohibido is an interesting rum produced in Mexico by the same company which produces Tequila Corralejo. There are three rums in the El Ron Prohibito line-up, a Silver Rum, El Ron Prohibito 12, and El Ron Prohibito 15 Gran Reserva.

Although one might assume that the number 15 represents the age of the El Ron Prohibido Rum, this is not the case. The number 15 represents the number of American Oak barrels in the solera aging system used to mature the rum. Giving this rum a different twist is the fact that these 15 American oak barrels were previously used for maturing Raisin Wine. The Raisin Wine Cask leaves its imprint firmly upon the rum giving us a new flavour profile quite different from a typical Caribbean Rum.

Here is a link to my full review:

Review: El Ron Prohibido 15 Gran Reserva

“… As I let the spirit breathe I notice the oak spices evolving with dark tobacco and even more raisins in the air. There is a rich decadence implied. This is not your typical rum, the raisin wine cask has left a firm imprint of it sweet flavour and aroma upon the spirit …”

Please enjoy my review of this unique Mexican Rum.

Chimo!

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Review: Last Straw Distillery Blackstrap Rum (Cask Two)

Posted by Arctic Wolf on February 14, 2018

The Last Straw Distillery is Ontario’s smallest production micro-distillery located at 40 Pippin Rd. in Vaughan, Ontario (a wee bit north of Toronto) just off Highway 400 and around the corner from Vaughan Mills Shopping Centre. According to Mike Hook, the team at Last Straw Distillery come to the craft of distilling from a variety of different backgrounds, and surprisingly none have had prior experience in the beverage or alcohol business. They are self-taught, and developed their recipes in house, through research, and trial and error, without the use of outside consultants.

The Last Straw Distillery Blackstrap Rum is one the few rums in the world actually made from blackstrap molasses rather than sweet molasses. One of the reasons there are so few is because blackstrap is much harder to work with than sweet molasses as the sugar content is lower, and the sugars are harder for the yeast to access. The tradeoff is that blackstrap molasses gives a richer, more robust flavour when it is distilled. It took the Distillery about 6 months (of experimentation) to discover a method to obtain reasonable yields out of blackstrap molasses without sacrificing flavour.

Last Straw’s Blackstrap Rum is double distilled and aged for a year in a toasted new European oak cask. The rum contains no additives, flavours or colouring and is, of course, made directly from molasses in-house. Last Year I reviewed the Blackstrap Rum from Cask #1, this time I am having a crack at the Blackstrap Rum from Cask #2.

Here is a link to my full review:

Review: Last Straw Distillery Blackstrap Rum (Cask Two)

” … I sampled the rum from Cask #2 side by side with my previously reviewed sample from Cask #1. Although the scents and smells are obviously similar, scents of mushy banana and ripe plantain alongside some resin-like esters which remind me of camphor. And of course the telltale aroma of blackstrap molasses with hints of dark licorice and treacle …”

Please enjoy my latest review and my recommended cocktail, the Winter Daiquiri.

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Review: Flor de Caña Centenario 18

Posted by Arctic Wolf on February 9, 2018

I am continuing my weekly step through the Flor de Caña line-up. Last week I reviewed Flor de Caña 12 Centenario which is part of their Ultra Premium Collection. This week I continue to move through the Ultra Premium family as I revisit Flor de Caña 18 Centenario.

Flor de Caña 18 is a well aged rum with the number 18 on the label representative of the average age of the rums in the blend with some variation in the actual age based upon blending to a consistent flavour profile. According to the folks at Flor de Caña this aged spirit is a sipping spirit however as you will see in my review, I find it is also excellent for high-end cocktails!

Here is a link to my Review:

Review: Flor de Caña Centenario 18

“… This is a clean dry rum displaying a strong fine oak spice personality. This spicy personality is tempered slightly with mild indications of butterscotch accenting the oak spice. There is a lightly bitter flavour of poplar sap and tobacco keeping the mouth dry and heated. As I let the rum breathe the butterscotch sweetness grows slightly in intensity providing a nice foil for the dry spicy bitterness …”

Please enjoy my review!

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Review: Flor de Caña 12 Centenario

Posted by Arctic Wolf on February 2, 2018

I am continuing my weekly step through the Flor de Caña line-up. Last week I reviewed Flor de Caña 7 Gran Reserva which is part of their Super Premium Collection. This week I move up to Flor de Caña’s Ultra Premium Collection as I revisit Flor de Caña 12 Centenario.

Flor de Caña 12 is a super aged rum with the number 12 on the label representative of the average age of the rums in the blend with some variation in the actual age based upon blending to a consistent flavour profile. According to the folks at Flor de Caña this aged spirit is suitable for sipping neat or with a splash of water or soda. I find it is also excellent for high-end cocktails!

Here is a link to my newly revised review of the Flor de Caña 12 with new tasting notes as well as with the latest information available to me regarding the brand:

Review: Flor de Caña 12 Centenario

“… I taste a nice mixture of treacle and caramel, flavours of oak and wood spice, an underlying presence of pecans and walnuts, and a very nice mixture of baking spices (vanilla, hints of cinnamon and clove, and bits of allspice). That orange peel I noticed in the air above the glass seems to have moved to a flavour impression of orange marmalade, and if you search for them, there are ample flavours of dark chocolate, espresso coffee and even cola which permeate the rum …”

Please enjoy my review!

Chimo!

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Review: Flor de Caña 7 Gran Reserva

Posted by Arctic Wolf on January 26, 2018

I am continuing my weekly step through the Flor de Caña line-up. Last week I reviewed Flor de Caña 5 (Añejo Clasico) which is part of the Flor de Caña Premium Rum Collection. This week we are stepping it up a notch as I examine Flor de Caña 7 Gran Reserva which is part of their Super Premium Collection.

Flor de Caña 7 is an aged rum with the number 7 on the label representative of the average age of the rums in the blend with some variation in the actual age based upon blending to a consistent flavour profile. According to the folks at Flor de Caña this aged spirit is suitable for sipping as well as for cocktails. (I concur!)

Here is a link to my newest review:

Review: Flor de Caña 7 Gran Reserva

“… The flavour profile of the Flor de Caña 7 Gran Reserva features a ribbon of bittersweet chocolate complimented by vanilla, dark caramel treacle and baking spices (nutmeg and cinnamon) with the nuttiness of walnuts and pecans laying underneath. There is a firm presence of oak, and within the wood spices are traces of oak sap and hints of green tobacco …”

I hope you enjoy my review which contains my recommended recipe, the Rum Old Fashioned.

Chimo!

 

 

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