I’m as guilty as the next person of seeing someone get a tequila rocks or vodka neat and passing judgment, but that all changed when I had the pleasure of sampling Mount Gay Black Barrel rum. I was in the camp that rum should be used for Tiki style drinks, but then again I’d only had garbage rum that required copious amounts of sugary mixers to hide the taste. Needless to say I was skeptical when I was told this rum could replace whiskey in classic drinks like a Manhattan, but sure enough it did and it was better than an original (disclaimer: I don’t like whiskey based mixed drinks, just a couple cubes). Then came the moment of truth, rum neat. Swallowing my initial gag reflex, as all my prior mistakes were trying to escape, I took a sip, held it in my mouth and reluctantly took it down, but for the first time in my life this reluctance stemmed from enjoyment. A door was opened and there was Gene Wilder singing to me, “come with me / and you’ll be / in a world of pure imagination.”

I suddenly had a lot of living to do and next up was to take on my arch-nemesis, tequila. My tequila experience is different from rum in that I’ve had ones I’ve regarded as nice, such as Patron, but I was left speechless by the tequila a friend chose for me to sip. It was as though it was a new type of liquor altogether and my biggest regret of the night was that I can’t recall the name on the bottle in that dark basement bar.

And while my life was forever changed during this week span and my palate awakened to flavors never before experienced my love of scotch persevered. It’s not just the taste, but also the accompanying historical aspect. It’s like reading old literature where the historical context is equally as important to the words on the page. A glass of Syndicate 58/6 over a single cube tells a story of slightly fruity notes on the tongue. While the story of re-discovered casks in Edinburgh and a recipe dating back to the early 1800s stimulate my mind.

Experiment with different liquors and don’t be scared to spend a little more money. No matter what you’re drinking at the end of the night you‘re only going to be left with the memories of the evening. So you might as well go outside your comfort zone and try new spirits and learn about their rich history along the way.

The post Enjoy Your Liquor Neat (Or On The Rocks) appeared first on FactoryTwoFour.

Let’s get things straight; Flaviar sells you an experience as much as it does spirits. It’s a tasting service which allows you to sample from the basics: scotches, gins, rums to more unique experiences such as Japanese whiskeys and the top 5 spirits of 2013. I kept it classy with the Five Flavours of Scotch pack and within a week had a Lagavulin 16 YO, Singleton of Dufftown 15 YO, Auchentoshan 12 YO, The Glenlivet 18 YO and Laphroaig Quarter Cask. Given each tube is only about a shot (1.5 oz)  it serves anywhere from 1-3 people depending on how generous you’re feeling, but I’d recommend you and two others. After all, you’re not looking to get hammered and you’ll want to discuss what you taste with friends.

Don’t worry, Flaviar won’t leave you high and dry (certainly not dry) when it comes to your tasting. Each pack comes with instructions on how to serve each spirit, how to taste and a professional detailing of each of the specific spirits in your pack.

Flaviar packs range from $33-$49 depending on your spirit choice. My scotch pack was $42, though not cheap at first glance I was able to taste five great scotches with two great friends in the comfort of my living room for just $14 a person.  And like I said, they’re selling an experience as much as spirits and it’s an experience I’ll certainly be buying into time and time again.

The post Flaviar Spirit Tasting Packs appeared first on FactoryTwoFour.

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Eighty years, three months and twenty-three days ago, the 21st Amendment to the US Constitution was ratified. This amendment repealed the 18th Amendment and marked the end of Prohibition, a 14 year period where the manufacture, transport, and sale of liquor was outlawed in the United States.

To commemorate this important moment in our booze loving country’s history, Cutty Sark recently released a new blended Scotch whisky which they call the “Prohibition Edition”. Here is a bit more information about this new expression which was taken directly from their website:

Released 90 years after the end of the era which it celebrates, Cutty Sark Prohibition Edition has been crafted as a salute to the notorious Captain William McCoy, who smuggled Cutty Sark blended Scotch whisky into America during the Prohibition era of the 1920s.  Captain McCoy’s impeccable reputation for fairness and dealing only in the finest, genuine and unadulterated liquor gave rise to Cutty Sark being referred to as “The Real McCoy”. Prohibition Edition is bottled at 50% ABV (100 Proof – USA Measure), whilst our regular Cutty Sark blend is 40% ABV. This is a “small batch” blend of the finest single malts and top-quality grain whiskies.  Hand-selected American oak casks give subtle signature flavours of vanilla and citrus fruits, whilst the overall flavours and finish are extremely smooth and thrillingly complex. The black glass bottle has a cork seal – reflecting the traditions of the time.

And now for our thoughts on this whisky…

• Appearance: Golden yellow with a slight amber tint.
• Aroma
  • Limpd: Astringent and buttered toffee. Hints of butterscotch, mint and cough drops.
  • G-LO: Lightly sweet and fruity when I first stick my nose in the glass. Vanilla, almond paste, orange zest, coconut, some light brown sugar, and a touch of dried fruit. If you give it a bit more time, a hint of tobacco and menthol comes through.
• Taste
  • Limpd: Not overly sweet with a bit of citrus tartness (orange zest) and some pepper. A bit like a scotch-soaked Red Hot. Mid-palate, the flavors cascade more than blend to form an interesting procession of sugars, cinnamon and heat. This ends with a long, warm, caramel finish.
  • G-LO: Medium bodied with a touch of oiliness. All of the flavors are concentrated on the front third of my tongue. A touch of sweet smokiness at the start with a warming spiciness of the cinnamon variety that builds slowly as you approach mid-palate. Definitely getting a Sherry vibe on this one with lots of dried fruit coming through. It all comes together at the finish with some sweet tobacco, dried fruit, and cinnamon flavors.
• ABV: 50%

The Verdict

Limpd: In a bit of a panic purchase, my mom had grabbed a bottle of Cutty on her way to my house one Christmas. While this might not have been my preferred blend, suffice it to say the contents were thoroughly enjoyed and the bottle properly recycled. That said, the Prohibition edition is leaps and bounds beyond Cutty. Maybe it was the higher ABV; maybe it was the healthy pour, but this was a surprisingly good blend. Not overly sweet or peaty or briny, just a nice blend of flavors and a really nice finish.

G-LO: I gotta admit, my expectations weren’t very high for this whisky. While there’s nothing really wrong with standard issue Cutty Sark, it’s a bit too light for my taste. Thankfully, the Cutty Sark Prohibition Edition is a completely different animal. Given it’s suggested retail price of around $30/bottle, I’d say that this is one hell of a Scotch whisky bargain. And when you factor in the relatively high octane and smooth, rich flavors, this is an absolute steal! I really like this whisky and would definitely buy a bottle.

The post Whisky Review – Cutty Sark Prohibition Edition appeared first on FactoryTwoFour.

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Not all that long ago, Mrs. G-LO left me home alone with The Boys (aka our two sons) on a Saturday night so that she could attend a bridal shower / bachelorette party for my future sister in law in Atlantic City. As luck would have it, The Boys were a bit tired that night, so both of them were asleep by around 9PM. Since I knew that Mrs. G-LO would be out for quite some time, I decided to take advantage of the situation and sat down to finally review the two Papa’s Pilar Rum samples shown in the above photo which I received from RoBro Marketing.

Although I have always been a fan of a well crafted Rum cocktail, I can’t say that I’ve spent much time drinking it straight, so when I started to do a bit of research about these Papa’s Pilar Rums (i.e. a bit of Googling), I was curious to see how they would hold up on their own. Here is what I was able to find out:

• Pilar was the name of Ernest Hemingway’s boat, a customized 1934 Wheeler Playmate Cruiser.
• The Papa’s Pilar Rum brand was co-created in 2009 by Miami advertising agency Crispin Porter + Bogusky.
• There is no Papa’s Pilar Rum distillery. The Rums used to make Papa’s Pilar are sourced from distilleries in Florida, The Caribbean, and Central America.
• Papa’s Pilar Blonde and Dark Rums are created using a Solera aging and blending process that involves aging in Bourbon barrels and Port wine casks followed by finishing in Spanish Sherry casks.

At around 9:30, I started nosing the Papa’s Pilar Blonde and was instantly intrigued by the aromas. As I have already mentioned, I don’t have any experience with Rum tasting, so I quickly decided to recruit Limpd for some help and a second opinion. After a quick round of back and forth text messages, Limpd popped over at around 10:30 to assist with the review.

Here are our results…

Papa’s Pilar Blonde Rum

• ABV: 42%
• Appearance: Pale blonde color that reminded us of a Pinot Grigio or perhaps a Ginger Ale. Lots of thick slow moving legs form after giving it a swirl in the glass.
• Aroma
  • Limpd: Slightly medicinal with a witch hazel or menthol like quality. Once you get past the alcohol, it turns sweet with hints of simple syrup, vanilla, and caramel.
  • G-LO: Very sweet and citrusy with lemon and lime zest, vanilla, whipped cream, and light brown sugar.
• Taste
  • Limpd: A fair amount of cinnamon and black pepper spice at the onset. Syrupy sweetness kick in at mid-palate. Ends with a lingering Red Hot candy finish.
  • G-LO: Light and somewhat watery mouthfeel. A bit of alcohol burn at the start. Once you get past the alcohol, you get a vanilla buttercream sweetness. Lemon zest shows up at mid-palate along with a mild chile pepper heat. It all comes together in the end, i.e. vanilla creaminess, citrus, and a bit more heat. Medium finish with a lingering light brown sugar and vanilla sweetness.

Conclusion: We both found the Papa’s Pilar Blonde to be much more interesting than we expected. Most white Rums that we’ve tried straight tend to be a bit one dimensional, but this stuff has a delightfully layered flavor profile which we’re sure has a great deal to do with the Solera process. We could totally see ourselves sipping this Rum on occasion, or using it to create a really delicious cocktail.

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Papa’s Pilar Dark Rum

• ABV: 43%
• Appearance: Antique copper or chestnut color. Again, lots of thick slow moving legs form after giving it a swirl in the glass.
• Aroma
  • Limpd: Medicinal at first followed by toffee, cinnamon, and vanilla.
  • G-LO: Rich and aromatic with hints of dark brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, allspice, and dried fruit. Very Banana’s Fosterish.
• Taste
  • Limpd: Tastes a lot like the aged rums that I’ve sampled. The Port Wine and Sherry influence is readily apparent. A little woody with sweet vanilla, cherries, and then a little licorice showing up in the finish which doesn’t last very long.
  • G-LO: Somewhat thicker mouthfeel with a touch of oiliness. Very sweet with an almost nutty quality. I’m thinking roasted hazelnuts. Mellow and easy drinking with just a hint of cinnamon bite showing up in the finish. Picked up some dried figs in the aftertaste.

Conclusion: It’s funny how expectations work! We thought for sure that we would have preferred the Dark Rum over the Blonde Rum, but it turns out that the opposite is true. While there was absolutely nothing wrong with the Papa’s Pilar Dark Rum, we both found it to be a touch too sweet for our taste.

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I guess when it comes to Papa’s Pilar Rum, the gentlemen preferred Blonde.

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