Flor de Cana 12 Centenario Rum Review

Flor de Cana 12 Centenario Rum (80 proof $32.99) I was very excited when perusing my local rum selections to see that Flor de Cana had upgraded their packaging.  I purchased a bottle of their Centenario 12 with great anticipation.  The first thing I noticed immediately is that the rum appeared to be a bit lighter brown and now more reddish than I remembered and upon further investigation online it appears the previous bottled product was darker in color. I would also like to add that while the number 12 and Centenario is on the bottle, it does not say 12 years nor does it say the word year anywhere on the bottle.  The website is reasonably ambiguous where it mentions it is a 12 year, but has very few details nor does it explicitly say all the rum has been aged for 12 years. In any event, the packaging is a huge improvement over the previous version.

Flor de Cana 12 Centenario Rum

Color is dark reddish amber, a little unusual for rum. The nose is full-bodied vanilla, caramel, macadamia nut, coffee and clove with a light alcohol burn. Flavors are very vanilla forward, with hints of orange peel, and chocolate. Long, powerful and sweet finish with an oily mild oaky finish and.

This is a wonderful 12-year rum, and a fine example of the column distilled molasses based Spanish Style. I preferred to drink it neat or with a single ice cube. If you are looking for nice clean quality aged rum Flor de Cana 12 Centenario Rum is a fine choice for your liquor cabinet.

Tim Smith’s Climax Wood Fired Whiskey Review

Climax Wood Fired Whiskey (90 proof $29.99) is Tim Smith’s century-old moonshine recipe aged and filtered with toasted oak and maple wood. The process includes southern Appalachian Oak-in tank staves. Hand selected to be without defect each stave is carefully cured to with +/-0.5% moisture content before undergoing a unique small batch open flame wood toasting, and aging process throughout the entire thickness of the whole stave and is allowing 100% of the oak to work on the maturation. The final process allows the whiskey to cool in Oak containers.

Tim Smith’s Climax Wood Fired Whiskey

If this description seems a bit vague it is because Climax Whiskey is an accelerated Moonshine and not a traditional age for many years Bourbon. I have had a few discussions with the head distiller and their proprietary process is top secret. I know many spirits industry professionals do not approve of accelerated whiskies, but I personally think it’s a fun and exciting trend.  I like that Climax isn’t trying to be a knock off of a traditional whiskey, it has its own unique flavor using both Oak and Maple wood in the aging process.



Climax Whiskey is dark amber, darker than most whiskeys in its price range. The aroma is moderately strong corn, turpentine, peat, and smoke, like wet wood in a fire pit. Taste is campfire smoke, cooked corn sweetness, burnt toffee and toasted pecans. Finish is lasting sweet and smoky with plenty of vanilla.

I sampled this to friends along with some traditional whiskeys in a blind taste test, and the response was overwhelmingly positive. Keep in mind I did not tell them it was an accelerated moonshine, as I am sure that would have tainted their responses. Climax Whiskey still has a bit of moonshine flavor to it, along with a fun combination of smoke and charred woods. At $29.99 Climax Whiskey does compete with some four years or older bourbons. In comparison, it did win the Platinum Best of Class award at the SIP 2017 awards as well as the Best Single Barrel American Whiskey under ten years old. In the same competition, the second highest rated whiskey was the eight years aged Chicken Cock Whiskey (their 160th-anniversary recipe) that sells for $79.95 a bottle. If you enjoy a Manhattan or an Old Fashioned with a bit of smoke on the finish Tim Smith’s Climax Wood Fired Whiskey is a fine choice to try.

Blueberry Grappa Recipe

I love Grappa.  It's such a unique and fun spirit made from the pomace; the skins left over from the wine making process.  The flavor is grape, pure and simple.  This simple recipe adds a lovely blueberry flavor that will amaze your friends.

Recipe:
1 Liter of Grappa (I used Piave Grappa)
3 cups of ripe blueberries
4 tbsp. honey
the zest of 2 lemons

Put the blueberries, lemon zest and honey in an airtight jar.
Expose the jar in the sun for 3 days.
Add the Grappa and let soak for two months in the sun, shaking every day.
Filter.
Let rest for one week.

This is one of these recipes that is even better than it sounds.  The blueberry and grappa flavors complement each other to make a bright fruity, zesty liqueur.

Cocktail suggestions:

Place a teaspoon of blueberries in a martini glass shake one ounce of the Blueberry Grappa in three ounces of Grand Marnier and pour on the fruit.

Place a teaspoon of blueberries in a martini glass shake one ounce Blueberry Grappa two parts honey liqueur and a splash of orange juice and pour over the fruit.

Place a teaspoon of blueberries in a martini glass shake one ounce of Blueberry Grappa in two parts pomegranate liqueur and pour over the fruit.