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Posts Tagged ‘Rum’

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Review: Pyrat Rum Cask 1623

Posted by Arctic Wolf on October 20, 2012

Photo courtesy and Copyright Lance Surujbally (of Liquorature)- all rights reserved!

Pyrat Rum Cask 1623 is, according to the Pyrat Website, the flagship brand for Pyrat Rum. It is constructed from aged Caribbean stocks, some of which are reported to be up to 40 years old. The brand is owned by Patrón Spirits a company created in 1989 by John Paul DeJoria, and Martin Crowley. The company does not own a distillery, rather they act as a third-party company sourcing what they believe to be the best stocks for their products and blending them according to their own formulas. There is always a bit of secrecy surrounding these private blends, but perhaps I can shed a little light on the production of Pyrat Rum.

Pyrat Rum was previously bottled by the Anguilla Rums Company. However there has been a recent change. When I was in Guyana earlier this year, I was given a tour of the Diamond Bottling Plant owned by Demerara Distillers Ltd. (DDL). During this tour, I was told that Pyrat Rum had just installed their own private bottling line within the Diamond plant. Pyrat Rum, I was told, is primarily a Demerara rum blended and bottled in Guyana. (A small portion of this blend is from rum sourced outside of Guyana). I was able to witness the Pyrat Rum bottling line in operation during my tour of the Diamond plant. I was also told that a portion of the Pyrat blend is produced on Demerara Distillers’ High Ester Still. This is a functioning John Dore Still which is capable of producing intense flavours within the distillate. If you have sampled any Pyrat Rum you have probably noticed a very different flavour profile.

I was able to acquire a 3/4 full bottle of the Pyrat Rum Cask 1623 from my good friend Lance Surujbally (of Liquorature). I put the rum though the paces of my Review Methodology and here is an excerpt from the resulting review.

“… The flavour of the rum is just as intense as the nose. It is that candied sweet aroma of orange and apricot brandy which dominates the rum. I also taste some nice vanilla accents, some spicy tobacco underneath, and just a little butterscotch. You either like this, or you do not. I have to admit that I am torn …”

You may read the full review here:

Review: Pyrat Rum Cask 1623

Please enjoy the review of this most unusual rum!

Cheers!

Posted in Dark Rums, Liqueur, Liqueur Review, Rum, Rum Reviews | Tagged: , , , , , | Comments Off on Review: Pyrat Rum Cask 1623

Review: Potter’s Superior White Rum

Posted by Arctic Wolf on October 14, 2012

According to Highwood Distillers, Potter’s Superior White Rum is sourced in the Caribbean. They do not specify a country of origin (which may mean that the rum is sourced from more than one location), and they do not make any age claim. However, I have been told that the rum in the bottle is not an infant spirit, and I can verify that based upon Canadian Law all rum in Canada must be aged for at least one year in the oak barrel. And according to my understanding, all the rum used in the Potter’s blend has been aged for at least a year its the country of origin. As well, some of the rum is also additionally aged in oak barrels at the Highwood facility in High River, Alberta. The blend is charcoal filtered to be clear, and then is bottled at 40 % alcohol by volume.

Here is an excerpt from my review:

“… The rum in the glass is crystal clear with no hints of colour at all. It displays a bit of a candied flair when I bring it to my nose, with scents reminiscent of cotton candy and ever so light hints of candy cane. There are very light notes of caramel and brown sugar, banana, and citrus zest and maybe even a little fresh from the oven meringue… “

Here is a link to the full review:

Review: Potter’s Superior White Rum

I provided two nice recipes at the end of the review, Rum and Tonic, and Red Sky at Night.

Please enjoy the review and the delicious cocktails!

Cheers!

Posted in Cocktails & Recipes, Rum, Rum Reviews, White Rums | Tagged: , , , , , , | Comments Off on Review: Potter’s Superior White Rum

Review: Flor De Cana Centenario Gold 18 Year Old Rum

Posted by Arctic Wolf on October 6, 2012

I published my original review of the Flor De Cana Centenario Gold 18 Year Old Rum almost three years ago, and as part of that review I published what I feel is one of my very best cocktails, the El Padrino. (My friend forrest helped me with the cocktail.)  As I do sometimes, I recently re-visited the Flor de Cana 18 Year Old to see if my opinion had changed any over three years. The result was perhaps a more rounded review with a slight difference in the scoring, although my overall opinion did not really change.

Flor de Caña has a history of rum production which is dated to 1890 at the San Antonio Sugar Mill, in Chichigalpa, Nicaragua. The company was founded by Francisco Alfredo Pellas and today, over 120 years later, the company is still headed by the fifth generation of the Pellas family. It has grown to be not only one of Central America’s leading brands of rum, it is also one of the most recognized rum brands in the world.

According to the company website all of the Flor de Caña rum is produced with molasses from sugar cane harvested in fields adjacent to the distillery in Chichigalpa. It is distilled in a continuous column still process, and then laid down to age in small American white oak barrels in traditional aging warehouses built without air conditioning in an undisturbed environment.

Here is an excerpt from the review;

“… The immediate nose is full of oak and baking spices, some zesty orange peel, vanilla, and dry fruit. The spicy oak makes the nose seem lightly harsh, and as the rum breathes, I begin to sense glimmers of toasted hazelnut and pecans wafting into the air. The oak builds bringing even more spice into the breezes above the glass… “

Here is a link to my re-visited review:

Review: Flor De Cana Centenario Gold 18 Year Old Rum

Please enjoy the review and the great cocktail provided.

Cheers!

Posted in Cocktails & Recipes, Dark Rums, Rum, Rum Reviews | Tagged: , , , , , | 1 Comment »

Review: Potter’s Traditional Dark Navy Rum

Posted by Arctic Wolf on September 30, 2012

According to Highwood Distillers, Potter’s Traditional Dark Navy Rum is an imported Caribbean dark rum. I have been told that the rum is not an infant spirit, and based upon Canadian Law, all rum in Canada must be aged for at least one year in oak barrels. Apparently the rum was aged prior to importation; however, because Highwood stores the reserves in oak barrels in their aging warehouse, it would be true to say that some aging in Canada also occurs.

Potter’s Dark Navy Rum is bottled at 40 % alcohol by volume, and is sold in a 750 ml glass bottle, or in 1.14 and 1.,75 litre plastic PET bottles. I was provided with a sample of the 750 ml glass bottle directly from the folks at Highwood for the purpose of this review.

Here is an excerpt:

“… The first sip brings strong impressions of molasses and caramel with strands of licorice and musty tobacco running right through the middle of the flavour. Some oak spices are apparent too, and they are mingling with that molasses and caramel giving me indications of maple, vanilla, cinnamon, cloves and brown sugar… “

You may read the full review here:

Review: Potter’s Traditional Dark Navy Rum

I added a tiki recipe at the end of the review, the Potter’s Mai Tai,

Please Enjoy the review and the recipe.

Cheers!

Posted in Cocktails & Recipes, Dark Rums, Rum, Rum Reviews | Tagged: , , , , , , | Comments Off on Review: Potter’s Traditional Dark Navy Rum

Review: El Dorado 25 Year Old Vintage Reserve Rum

Posted by Arctic Wolf on September 23, 2012

The Diamond Distillery sits on the East Bank of the Demerara River near Georgetown, Guyana. The Distillery was originally part of the Diamond Estate which was the last of the Sugar Plantation Estates in Guyana to produce rum. Now, of course, it is home to Demerara Distillers Ltd. (DDL) who are popular across the world for their rich, Demerara Rum. Using a combination of venerable old wooden stills in conjunction with modern stills and distilling techniques, DDL, has built a reputation for outstanding quality and consistent production. In fact, Demerara Distillers is currently the largest supplier of bulk Caribbean Rum to Europe and North America.

The El Dorado 25 Year Old Vintage Reserve Rum is a blend of aged rums created to mark the turn of the millennium. It is blended from 25-year-old rum stocks which have been aged in used bourbon oak casks. This is quite different from those rums which feature a solera style age statement which highlights the oldest rum in the blend but also usually includes a high percentage of rum which is much younger.

Here is an excerpt from my review:

“… The rum is sweet on the initial delivery with flavours of rich dark brown sugar leading out in front of delicious baking spices (vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves). Obvious flavours of dry fruit (raisins and dates) follow, accompanied by an oaken spiciness and impressions of fine port wine dipped cigars…”

Here is a link to the full review:

Review: El Dorado 25 Year Old Vintage Reserve Rum

Please enjoy the review!

(Note; This review is somewhat timely as I have just learned that Highwood Distillers Ltd. of Calgary, Alberta has been appointed the new agent for El Dorado Rums for British Columbia & Alberta effective immediately. The El Dorado brand had began to disappear from many of my favourite store’s shelves in recent months, and I am happy to report that they are returning and will now be distributed throughout both Provinces by the Highwood sales force to all liquor stores.)

Posted in Dark Rums, Rum, Rum Reviews | Tagged: , , , , | 2 Comments »

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