All reviews on this blog are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.5 License.
| A Beverage-based Blog | |||||
|
Hi, this is a blog I put together quickly so that my girlfriend and I could post our thoughts on some of the things we drink. Right now, this is heavily centred around alcoholic beverages, but it might some day even encompass other beverages we enjoy, such as tea and coffee. Of course, the opinions expressed here are our own and may very significantly differ from yours (it's all a matter of taste, isn't it?), but, whether you agree or disagree with us, I hope it will be useful in some way, if only to introduce you to drinks or brands you didn't know existed. If you should have any comment on what you read here, please feel free to drop me a note at smassy at sdf dot lonestar dot org. For context's sake, know that we are currently living in Halifax, Nova Scotia, where we arrived from Montreal in August 2005; hence, when we refer to something as local, it more or less means NS or, at its broadest, the Atlantic provinces. It also means that all prices reported here are in Canadian currency, unless otherwise specified. Price are also non-inclusive of taxes (15% in Canada), once again, unless otherwise specified. But that's boring stuff… Click on any category or subcategory to read entries more relevant to your interests and tastes. Happy drinking! Wednesday, November 16 2005
English Harbor Aged Antigua Rum (5 years)
One tragedy of drinking spirits I keep coming across is that many do not experience it straight, nor know how to, even though there's not much to it. One need NOT be a connoisseur or a tough guy to do so; no, in fact, it's very simple: it's a matter of quality! If what you're drinking this evening is a decent spirit (which, by the way, is often not much different, if any, in price), then you needn't add much of anything to it other than, perhaps, the traditional ice or soda water) to have an enjoyable experience. I implore you not to! Anyway, badly mixed drinks can dull the senses (in this instance that of taste and smell), not to mention give you a killer hangover when you've had too many. Just try smartening up those senses by smelling it straight, tasting it, sip by sip, straight, and you'll see, with a bit of patience, a whole new world open up to you. I know it'll be weird and difficult for those used to something else, but If you have trouble, have some water on the side, chill it for a bit, or add an ice-cube. The rule of thumb is, just take it slow and keep it all-around SIMPLE. This was a birthday present from my guy; it came in a curvy, long-necked bottle with a very plump bottom, had a little cork stopper, and it was wrapped sweetly at the top with a foil seal; the labeling was cute, too! Although the packaging is a little over the top for its contents, this is still a nice rum that's a notch above Appleton's Special Reserve rum. The aroma is quite strong, filling the nostrils with the usual scent of cane, only with a bit of a bite; it's softened with a hint of vanilla, mellowing the sweetness, something I appreciate, as I can have a problem if that's all I can read from a spirit. Swish it around in the mouth and it'll have something akin to sultana raisins. This one must be taken slowly, or you might easily miss out on its subtleties, and if you decide to have it just after dessert as an digestive, I will warn you, this baby will bite your stomach if you're sensitive to overly sweet things, such as I am, but thankfully, this doesn't happen as easily as it does with the Appleton rums, Reserve or otherwise, which is the main reason I say it's better. However, if you have a sweet-tooth, I think you'll find this a highly enjoyable rum that you might think you could quaff all night. And so, a happy birthday it was; I recommend it for yours, too! |
||||