Review: Whaler’s Killer Coconut Rum

A few weeks back, I received a few bottles of the different flavours of Whaler’s Rum from the local importer here in Alberta, Diamond Estates. They were hoping I would taste them, share some with my friends, and perhaps write a review or two. I didn’t really know a lot about Whaler’s Rum so I agreed to accept the samples of these “Hawaiian” style rums.

According to the Whaler’s Rum website, the rum is made from an old Hawaiian recipe. The story goes that early seafarers used to rattle vanilla beans in empty rum bottles at sunset to attract migrating whales to their ships. The whales (who apparently were friendly in those earlier days) then guided the sailors to the tropical haven known as Hawaii. There, the seafarers discovered the old rum makers of Maui, and they were so impressed with that rum that they called it Whaler’s in homage to friendly whales who led them to the rum.

You may click on the excerpt to read the full review:

“… The aroma is very nice with coconut scents mingling with light caramel and vanilla. I was expecting more intensity in the breezes above the glass from a flavoured rum labeled “Killer Coconut, but the scents in the air above the glass are rather laid back. I guess Killer Whales are more laid back and relaxed than I thought …”

I have included two recipes for the Killer Coconut Rum, the Chocolate Covered Banana and A Day At The Beach.

Please enjoy the review!

Review: Bushmills Black Bush Irish Whiskey

A second review for the Day of St. Pat:

The practice of making whisky at the Old Bushmills Distillery can be traced back to 1608 when King James I granted Sir Thomas Phillips (landowner and Governor of County of Antrim, Ireland) a royal license to distill ‘uisce beatha’, the gaelic for ‘water of life’. Although this grant serves as the first documented evidence of whisky being distilled at the site which would become Old Bushmills, it was not as yet called Bushmills. By 1743 however, a distillery by this name was (according to Victorian whiskey journalist Alfred Barnard) was “in the hands of smugglers”‘.  (However, it was not until 1784 that Hugh Anderson officially registered the Old Bushmills Distillery with the Pot Still as its trade mark.) Today, the Bushmills brand is owned by the Diageo conglomerate with all of the whiskey produced under the Bushmills name produced at the Old Bushmills Distillery in Bushmills, County Antrim, Northern Ireland.

The Bushmills Black Bush is composed of whiskey aged in Oloroso Sherry and American oak (bourbon) cask. All of this whiskey is aged for up to 7  years with 80 per cent of the blend being Premium Malt Whisky.

Please click on the following excerpt to read the review which contains two great St. Patrick’s Day cocktails, Fool’s Gold on the Rocks, and of course, Irish Coffee:

“… The initial breezes above the glass are warm and inviting. I sense some soft caramel toffee rising into the air with some sweet malty aromas, hints of dry fruit (raisins and apricots), a nice lightly spicy oak presence, and some light impressions of cocoa … “

Please enjoy my second St. Patrick’s Day Review!

(Note: Sample for this review provided by the Diageo Marketing  team in Alberta.)

Review: Kilbeggan Irish Whiskey

St. Patrick’s Day has rolled around one more time. (Although with a temperature outside at minus seventeen degrees Centigrade and still 40 centimeters of snow still residing on my back lawn it seems more like January than March.) In many places throughout the world, this is a day to revel in the Irish heritage which we either share by birth, or we share by spirit (on St. Patrick’s Day at least). We wear green; we attend parades; and some of us even drink green beer in what has become more of a secular holiday which celebrates Irish culture, than a religious holiday which celebrates the Patron Saint after which the day was first named.

And celebrating Irish culture is not a bad thing; it was after all the Irish who first distilled “uisce beatha“, which translates from Irish into English as “the water of life“. I could go into a long and detailed etymology,  but suffice it to say that “uisce beatha” is probably very close to the original form of the word which would later become “whiskey”.  My blog is full of reviews of this wonderful spirit, but I must admit it is sorely lacking in content dedicated to the Irish variety.

Today, I will go a small way towards correcting this imbalance by reviewing a whiskey from the Emerald Isle which embodies the character and the class of spirits we call Irish Whiskey; a spirit which can trace its heritage back to 1757, and makes the claim that it is linked to the oldest distillery in Ireland, the Kilbeggan Distillery.

Please click on the following excerpt to read the full review:

“… The Kilbeggan is very pleasant in the glass with a nice warm mahogany colour and initial scents of vanilla, punky toffee, and light sandalwood. As I let the glass breathe, I notice some nice fruity notes (banana and orange peel in particular), a bit of pickle juice, some green grape, and a nice little dollop of almond …”

Of course I have include a nice cocktail for the Day of St. Pat, The Irish Mojito Swizzle.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

(Note: Sample for this review provided by the Alberta Beam Global team)

Review: Dunedin Distillery – DoubleWood 10 Year Old

In 2011 the Dunedin Distillery – DoubleWood was the first whisky launched as part of the New Zealand Whisky Collection. This whisky was distilled at the now defunct Willow Bank Distillery near Dunedin, on South Island (New Zealand). The distillery was mothballed in 1997, but some of the remaining barrels of whisky were left aging in a seaside bond house until they were purchased by Greg Ramsey who formed the New Zealand Whisky Company.

The Dunedin DoubleWood 10 Year Old was produced from stocks which were aged in American-Oak barrels for 6 years and then finished for 4 more in North Island (French oak) wine barrels. The whisky is a blend of 70% Single Malt whisky, and 30% premium grain whisky, bottled at 40% alcohol by volume.

You may click on the excerpt to read my full review:

“… The initial aroma from the glass is a mixture of wooded scents with the light accent of fieldberries (blackberries and currants) and red cherries. As the glass breathes I notice some alpine scents with woody thickets (alders and willow), some green ferns and moss, and perhaps a hint of heather. The impression of fielberries and cherries continues to wander through the breezes accenting the alpine woodland but not dominating it …”

Please enjoy my review and the Autocrat Cocktail which has been included as my suggested cocktail for the New Zealand whisky.

Review: 8 Seconds Blended Canadian Whisky

8 Seconds is a new Canadian Whisky from Frank-Lin Distillers, Products Ltd. who have been a bottler and producer of distilled spirits since Frank Maestri founded the company in 1966. (Frank-Lin currently operates out of their new facility in Fairfield California with annual capacity of over 10 million cases of wines and spirits.)

The 8 Seconds brand is marketed with a direct tie to the western rodeo as it makes its push into the North American marketplace. (In case you are wondering, 8 seconds is the amount of time a cowboy must ride a bucking bull, or a bucking bronco, in the rodeo contest before the bell signals his ride is complete.) The whisky itself is a pretty straight forward offering, distilled in Canada and aged in oak. It is (I assume) shipped in bulk from Canada to Frank-Lin’s facility in Fairfield, California for bottling. The whisky has no age statement; but I note that the more premium 8 Seconds Black carries a statement of 8 years. I presume that the less premium 8 Seconds Blended Canadian Whisky would be somewhat younger than that.

You may click on the excerpt to read my full review:

“… The initial nose carries a fair amount of vanilla and caramel, as well as some rough and tumble wood and rye spices. I let the glass breathe to see if the scents deepen, and indeed the rye spices seem to grow in strength with perhaps a hint of corn joining in.  This is not overly complex, but it is pleasant …”

Please enjoy the review and my cocktail which follows, the Prescott!

Note: The sample was provided by River Valley Beverage Group

Review: Citadelle Gin

Citadelle Gin has a history which stretches back to 1775 when King Louis XVI authorized two Frenchmen, Carpeau and Stival, to open a genievre distillery at the Citadelle in Dunkirk, which would serve as the Royal Distillery with an exclusive 20 year privilege. The Citadelle Distillery produced about 1000 litres of genievre per day which was predominantly shipped in small casks for sale in England, where gin was very popular.

Cognac Ferrand, recognized that in France, gin had become more of an industrial spirit with much of its original heritage and refinement lessened by time. They decided to create a handcrafted gin using small copper pots in the style and tradition of the Citadelle Distillery of old. Fortunately, records existed of the old gin making techniques at the Citadelle Distillery, and after several years of research Alexandre Gabriel was successful in distilling an old style handcrafted gin under the Citadelle name at the Cognac Ferrand facilities in Cognac, France.

Please click on the following excerpt to read the full review which contains a fantastic cocktail recommendation, The March Lion.

“… The initial scents from the glass reveal a fair amount of juniper with hints of the other botanicals reaching my nostrils. Over time, the lightly spicy scent of cardamom appears giving the glass a light effervescent character. The juniper and cardamom are then joined by floral accents (mainly lilac) and a light lemony citrus. There is much more … “

Please enjoy the review, and do try my new March Lion Cocktail.

Review: Atlantico Private Cask Rum

The Atlantico Private Cask Rum is a private label rum produced by Oliver and Oliver,  for Atlantico Rum. (If you have not heard of Oliver and Oliver, I should explain that they are an independent bottler of rum operating in the Dominican Republic. They buy barreled rum from major rum producers, and age it using a solera style aging system.) Oliver and Oliver were apparently given a specific flavour profile to blend towards, and then working in conjunction with the Atlantico team, the Private Cask Rum was developed through a series of blending and tasting exercises. The result is a rum constructed to be a smooth easy to sip rum which is hoped will appeal to a wide variety of palates.

About two years ago, I was lucky enough to be treated to an information session hosted by Brandon Lieb, of the Atlantico Importing Company. I was allowed to sample their present offering, Atlantico Private Cask Rum, as well as sample some products which were in development. As their guest, I was given a bottle of the Atlantico Private Cask Rum after the presentation, and I decided to review the rum here on my website.

You may click on the review excerpt to read the full review:

“… I remembered that the Atlantico representatives I met in Miami described the rum which they constructed as a product which they hoped would be very easy for the new rum drinker to enjoy, somewhat of a gateway sipping rum for the uninitiated. It is meant to be smooth and easy to sip with a flavour profile to suit a wide variety of palates. In this regard the rum succeeds wildly. It is very smooth in its initial delivery, and the sweet caramel and honey notes will certainly be appreciated by a wide variety of persons …”

Please enjoy my review and do try my suggested recipe, the Atlantico Mule, which is of course a variation of the popular, Spanish Mule.

Review: Crown Royal Black Canadian Whisky

Crown Royal Canadian Whisky is currently produced in Gimli, Manitoba, at the Crown Royal Distillery. The distillery and the brand are owned by the spirits conglomerate, Diageo, and I think it is fair to say that Crown Royal is Diageo’s flagship Canadian Whisky brand. A couple of years ago Crown Royal Black was introduced as an addition to the Crown Royal family of whiskies. This new Crown Royal Black is a bit of a departure from the rest of the Crown Royal line-up featuring a stronger bourbon profile in the whisky through the use of new charred oak barrels during a portion of the maturation process of the whisky. It is bottled at 45% alcohol by volume and is intended as a robust alternative to their best-selling Crown Royal Whisky.

You may click on the excerpt to read the full review:

“… I smell rich oak spices melded with caramel toffee, some lovely bourbon-like honeycomb and vanilla with hints tobacco and rye spices and a light influence of maple and chocolate. As I let the glass breathe, some rum-like brown sugar aromas evolve and I seem to sense some light corn accents in the breezes as well. The Crown Royal Black appears to be well-balanced and quite robust in the glass …”

Please enjoy the review and the cocktail suggestion included, The Long Autumn.

Review: Rum Nation Panama 18 Years (2010 Release)

Panamanian rum from the Valera Hermanos Distillery has been bottled by Rum Nation since 1999. The 18-year-old rum from Panama is acquired in bulk from Valera Hermanos and shipped overseas to Italy for labeling and bottling. After the successful introduction of this bottling 13 years ago, the company has continued to purchase bulk rum from Panama with an annual production of roughly 6,000 bottles per year.

I was given a bottle of the 2010 release (bottled at 40 % abv.) for the purpose of this review by Crush Imports who distribute the Rum Nation line-up in my home Province of Alberta.

You may click on the excerpt to read the full review:

” …The initial scent rising from the glass is full of butterscotch, cinnamon and cloves. A zesty wood spice arises as well giving the aroma a touch of brashness. As the glass breathes, I notice some brown sugar, vanilla, baking spices and roasted pecans all wandering through the breezes giving me a impressions of fresh-baked cinnamon rolls. Some orange peel in the breezes, and a little dark tobacco keep the aroma spicy and interesting… “

Please enjoy this review of this very nice Panamanian Rum!

Note: For more reviews of the Rum Nation line-up you can follow these links:

• Rum Nation Demerara Solera N° 14
• Rum Nation Demerara 23 Year Old
  
• Rum Nation Panama (Aged 21 years)

Cheers!

Review: Wiser’s Small Batch

Founder, John Philip (J.P.) Wiser, purchased a distillery in Prescott, Ontario in 1857, and began to produce Wiser’s Whisky. In fact the J.P. Wiser Distillery may have been the first to use the term “Canadian Whiskey’ on their labels, as this is how the whisky was proudly introduced at the 1893 Chicago’s Wold’s Fair. From the beginning, J.P. Wiser established his brand as a quality whisky with high standards of production. As a result the distillery grew, as did the popularity of his style of whisky. By the early 1900′s Wiser’s was the third largest distiller of whisky in Canada.

The company merged with the H. Corby Distillery Company sometime after the death of J.P. Wiser in 1917.  Shortly after in 1932, production of the Wiser’s brands moved to the Corby Distillery. A controlling interest in the Corby Distillery was acquired by Hiram Walker several years later, and by 1989, the Corby Distillery was closed, and all production was moved to the Hiram Walker Distillery where all Wiser’s brands are currently produced. Through all of these changes the Wiser’s Brand has been recognized as a vital component of the company’s portfolio of brands, and now, 150 years later after it all started, Wiser’s remains one of Canada’s leading whisky brands. In fact, Wiser’s is one of the top-selling brands of Canadian Whisky worldwide.

I have been on a bit of a mission these days re-sampling the spirits from older reviews, and seeing if my views have changed over the course of the last three to four years. Recently I sampled a new bottle of Wiser’s Small Batch. Although my impressions were very similar to my original review, I nevertheless revised the review slightly to account for the small changes in my perspective.

You may click on the excerpt to read my review:

Review Wiser’s Small Batch Canadian Whisky

“… Oak and brown sugar rise from the glass which has a nice rum-like accent. As the glass breathes, rye spice, caramel, oak and cedar,  corn, tobacco, marmalade and baking spices round out the nose which is remarkably deep and complex. I found nosing the glass to be thoroughly enjoyable …”

Please enjoy my recent revisit to the Wiser’s Small Batch!