Screech Wins Gold!

Vindication is nice. Two years ago, when I reviewed The Famous Newfoundland Screech, I openly questioned the other online reviews which indicated the rum was harsh and unappealing because my own experience was the opposite. In fact I liked the Screech Rum so much that in my 2011 Rum Howler Awards, I declared it the Best Rum Bottled in North America! Then in 2012, I gave Screech the Runner Up Award in the same category (Rock Spirits other great rum George Street Spiced barely edged it out in 2012), and an honourable mention in the Best Amber Mixing Rum Category. For two years I have been howling about how good this rum is, (and for two years people have been openly questioning my sanity).

But, as I said, vindication is nice! A few days ago I received word from Greg Kerr of Rock Spirits that Screech won double gold at the 2013 San Fransisco Spirits Competition, and was declared the Best Gold Rum in the competition.

As my way of congratulating Rock Spirits (a subsidiary of the Newfoundland and Labrador Liquor Corporation) for this recent success, I thought I would republish my original review from 21 months ago.

You may click on the following excerpt to read my original review!

Review: Famous Newfoundland Screech Rum

“…  As you fist sip the rum you will find that it full of molasses flavour with those typical Jamaican Rum flavours of banana and orange peel heating the palate alongside that molasses. As the rum sits in the glass, the heat subsides and you can notice charred caramel and baking spices beginning to build …”

Congratulations to all the folks at Rock Spirits!

Review: Old Lahaina Gold Rum

Just before last Christmas some friends of mine visited Hawaii. Because they are friends, and they know I like to try rums from different parts of the world, they brought back a bottle of rum for me called Old Lahaina Gold Rum from Maui Distillers. It is an authentic Hawaiian rum made from sugar and molasses from Hawaii’s HC&S Maui Plantation.

Maui Distillers was originally conceived in 1999, and the work to build a distillery within the site of the Old Paia Sugar Mill began in 2003. In 2009, the new distillery was producing rum which was sold throughout the state of Hawaii. According to the distillers website, their rum is produced on two 500 gallon, steam fired, Badger “pot stills”, which were originally constructed in 1946. One of these stills has been fitted with a “multi-tray fractioning column”, and this still is used to produce their base rum.

This Old Lahaina Gold Rum is described as both a mixer and a sipper on the Maui Distillers Website

Here is an excerpt from my review:

“… Caramel and toffee lead out with a light spiciness that heats up the mouth just a little. I taste a light influence of cinnamon and tobacco as well as imprints of charred sugars…”

Here is a link to my full review:

I have included a nice cocktail with the review which I call, the Chinook.

Please enjoy the review and my cocktail recipe!