Wigle distillery Landlocked Spiced

Are these real rums? Is a chocolate flavored Bistec de Palomilla a steak? Maybe. Some are of lower proof. Some use real flavoring. And as for some, may we never drink worse than this!
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edgarallanpoe
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Wigle distillery Landlocked Spiced

Post by edgarallanpoe »

Ok...first review here so be gentle on me. lol

A note on the distillery... Wigle is a distillery located in Pittsburgh, Pa. My hometown. They made a name for themselves locally with some fantastic organic whiskey. Their Rye whiskey is one of the best I have ever tasted. IMHO, these guys know their stuff so when I saw they were making a rumlike spirit, I was obviously interested. Here is what they have to say about this product...

We set out to create a Pennsylvania interpretation of Rum and to celebrate its region's prolific apiaries. Made from scratch and pot-distilled from Pennsylvania buckwheat honey, this distilled mead is a uniquely inland approach to island spirits. Landing somewhere between a rum and a brandy, Landlocked does not fit neatly into either federal category. Wigle has infused this expression of Landlocked with whole, organic botanicals--roasted orange peel, cocoa nibs, whole vanilla beans and cinnamon--to complement the buckwheat honey's distinctive character, redolent of smoky earth and rich aromatics. The result is a spirit with a vanilla nose and a complex body of pepper, cocoa and fig. Sip over ice or mix in your favorite rum or brandy cocktails.

Ok, now a little about me in order to put the review into context. I do not drink my rum neat. I can, but prefer to have my rum in cocktails...not mixed drinks like pina coladas...real cocktails. I am also a bit of a cook so I am pretty good at spotting artificial flavors.

Presentation - Very nice, squat bottle...not much of a label. Spirit is a dark amber color.

Nose - Holy cinnamon/vanilla!! Absolutely beautiful aromas from the bottle that get stronger once poured. Again...I am a bit of a cook, if this is artificial then it is the finest artificial flavoring I have ever smelled. The aroma is deep and complex, not a doubt in my mind that this is the real stuff.

Flavor- Sipped neat, this is absolutely delicious. Very full bodied with a *massive* cinnamon that is tempered by real vanilla/cocoa and then balanced further with just enough citrus to keep it from being too rich. Not like any spiced rum I have ever tasted.

Just out of curiosity, I tried making a fresh (from scratch) daiquiri with it. Nope...too complex and rich. Not awful but, as I suspected, it got in the way of a daiquiri's clean, crisp profile. Mixed in a rum and coke (not my thing but I know spiced rum is often mixed this way) it really shines. The coke is rich enough to stand up to it and you have the most complex and interesting rum and coke you'll ever taste.


I realize this style isn't for everyone...especially the purists on this board. But this is a *very* well executed spirit.
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Capn Jimbo
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Post by Capn Jimbo »

Edgar, thanks for the post...


...much appreciated. I would only add that the term "purists" implies that all that is labelled "rum" is fine and proper, with the "purists" preferring dry rums. As posted elsewhere, the addition of sugar, et al, is done secretly and intended to mislead the customer into paying premium dollars for what are really lesser rums that have been phonied up and "premiumized".

A sad practice, dishones and misleading and which does not happen at all with single malts and bourbon for example.
edgarallanpoe
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Post by edgarallanpoe »

Agreed...and that isn't what I meant by purist. By purist I simply meant that most of us...myself included...prefer pure rum and not the spiced variety. I don't consider the doctored stuff rum. lol

BTW...this is a fantastic site. Well done sir. I have already purchased Scarlet Ibis, Pussers, and Bacardi Heritage based on the info I have taken from this site.
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