January 2019- Rum in the News
Rum in the News
BACARDI
As part of their efforts to push their new premium rums, Bacardi has hired Black Panther star Michael B Jordan to co-direct a new film, Angel’s Share. The film, co-directed by Jordan and Emmy-nominated filmmaker Paul Hunter, follows three characters: Carlos, a rum master blender; Isabel, a bartender in a Caribbean bar; and Santiago, meant to be a member of the original Bacardi family. Each tell a story revolving around the angels’ share, a term for the amount of spirit which is lost while it is aged in barrels. Roberto Ramirez Laverde, Vice President of Bacardi North America, said: “We first connected with Michael last year when he attended No Commission, our art platform in partnership with The Dean Collection. Watching Michael on set during the shoot was amazing. He has an eye for storytelling and was extremely adept at bringing the story to life.” “This is an exciting time for rum, and as a rum guy, I knew I had to be a part of this project,” Jordan said. “I think rum is timeless. It’s always been there and it’s always been consistent.” The drinks giant launched Bacardi Añejo Cuatro and Bacardi Gran Reserva Diez in April this year, as well as repackaging private family blend Bacardi Reserva Ocho. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DAYavks3kro
FRED MINNICK’S BEST RUMS OF 2018
Fred Mininick, Sprits Contributor to Forbes Magazine, Editor-in-Chief of the new Bourbon+ magazine and author of last year’s great book Rum Curious, came up with his list of the best rums of 2018. Here are his choices and comments:
Foursquare Premise – “Foursquare is simply on a roll. The distillery releases the best rums year in and year out. This beautiful spice-forward rum exudes an in-your-face style more aligned with cask strength styles than 92 proofers.”
Foursquare 2005 – “This is quite simply one of the best spirits in the world. In the same league as its predecessors—2004 and 2006—Foursquare 2005 is a complex beast with flavors pouring out of the palate”
Appleton 21 year old – “Beautiful opening notes of baking spices, including clove, cardamom and nutmeg. Then a steady dose of molasses, bacon, maple syrup and crème brulee. It finishes long with a hint of sugar maple char.”
St. Lucia Distillers 17 year old John Dore – “It starts with mint, basil and rich molasses. Then, it’s tapioca, bananas and baked apples. On the palate, it really comes alive, just zinging the palate with spice and peppermint”
Caroni 2000, 100 proof – “Spirits lovers will love this: pepper, anise, blueberries, bread, floral, honey, earth, funk and earth. It’s rangy and everything about the unique flavors of rum you hope to find.”
Appleton 30 year old – “Absolutely amazing. This rum features coffee, hazelnut, taffy, chocolate, coconut, almond, walnut and more. It’s absolutely stunning.”
Transcontinental Guadeloupe 2013 – “This is on the sweeter side with a bit of funk and just enough kick. It’s bringing honey, marzipan, cinnamon, butterscotch, pepper, banana, licorice and pie crust.”
Transcontinental Fiji 2014 – “Lots of funk. In fact, get on that funky ride, with hints of peanut butter, clove, Jamaican jerk, nutmeg and apples. I can't say this enough.... this is funky.”
Barrell Craft Spirits Rum, 124.2 Proof – “Blended in the United States, this is a blend of stocks from Jamaica, Guyana and Barbados. It begins with chocolate, oak, coconut and molasses. Then its beautiful mouthfeel takes you down a flavor highway that walks a line between smoke, savory and sweet.”
Richland Rum Cask Strength – “Richland’s new charred oak style is quite evident. It noses similarly to a bourbon, with hints of oak, caramel, butterscotch and vanilla”.
DRAKES ORGANIC SPIRITS
Drake’s Organic Spirits announced today that it has signed a distribution agreement with Southern Glazer Wine & Spirits, the world’s pre-eminent distributor of beverage alcohol, that will make Drake’s award-winning premium organic vodka, white rum and other products available in multiple states throughout the country. Drake’s is the first and only spirit line in the world with all five health certifications. “We are excited to partner with Southern Glazer to rapidly expand our organic spirits line. Distribution is key for new brands to effectively reach consumers. This agreement will introduce Drake’s around the country and communicate our brand’s unique story,” said Drake’s CEO and Founder Mark Anderson. “As the only certified organic, non-GMO Project Verified, gluten-free, vegan and kosher vodka and rum in the world, Drake’s meets the growing consumer demand for health and wellness in every aspect of daily life.” Anderson added “The beverage alcohol industry is experiencing the same sea change of consumer preferences we have seen play out in food and other consumables over the last decade. This national partnership positions Drake’s and Southern Glazer to be the first to meet the overwhelming consumer demand for these certified products.” Drake’s has also expanded internationally into Puerto Rico, Canada, Guam, China and the Philippines. Proceeds from the sale of Drake’s Organic Spirits help support Long Lake Animal Rescue, an animal rescue foundation that takes in animals in need of a second chance at life. Minneapolis-based Drake’s Organic Spirits was launched in 2017. Drake’s uses the highest quality USDA organic and non-GMO Project Verified ingredients to create a line of ultra- premium spirits. Drake’s Organic Vodka, Drake’s Organic White Rum and Drakes Organic Spiced Rum offer no grain, no gluten, no GMO, ultra-premium, 12-times distilled handcrafted spirits at a better price than the leading premium brands. www.drakesorganicspirits.com
WESTER SPIRITS
Glasgow's first rum distillery in more than three centuries has arrived, Wester Spirit Co. Named after the original Wester sugar house in Candleriggs founded in the 17th century, the firm hopes to put the city back on the map for the much-loved spirit. Zander MacGregor teamed up with Allan Nairn last year to deliver their very own craft spiced rum, infused with nine delicious natural flavors, including ginger, orange peel, lime zest, star anise and nutmeg. Macgregor said: ‘After working tirelessly to turn the original, blank-canvas industrial unit into a fully functioning, innovative rum distillery in the heart of Glasgow’s West End, this gives us the opportunity to spread the news of, and our passion for, Scottish rum on a bigger scale. We have experienced such tremendous growth since inception in 2017, we’re excited to begin collaborating and experimenting with other brands to grow our product range and develop our ampersand concept in the months that follow. The Limited Edition Batch 001 bottles are unique and numbered, sealed with a wax top, to mark the first time rum is flowing in Glasgow in over 300 years. www.westerspirit.com
RUM JOURNAL’S RUM AWARDS
The Rum Journal, part of the popular blog The Caribbean Journal, just completed its seventh annual rum judging. This year’s slate of winners is as impressive as ever, hailing from across the Caribbean and the United States and demonstrating, again, the wonder of the world of rum. But remember, as they like to say at Rum Journal, the best rum in the world is the rum that’s in your glass right now.
Rum of the Year: Havana Club Seleccion de Maestros, Cuba - Havana Club’s Seleccion de Maestros, bottled at a robust 45 degrees, is a blend of reserve-stock rums, brought together by the company’s master rum makers. This is a delicate, luxurious rum that just kept holding up after repeated tasting, one that is consistent from start to finish and that simply begs you to pour another glass. Plainly, it’s an exquisite rum.
Rhum Agricole of the Year: JM Multimillesime, Martinique - A “Multimillesime,” or multiple-vintage, that blends the vintages of 2002, 2007 and 2009 into one of the greatest rhum agricoles you will ever try. It’s a true masterpiece, a must for any collector, an extraordinary spirit, and from a distillery like JM, that really says something. http://www.rhum-jm.com
Best New Rum: One Drop, Harbour Island, Bahamas - Toby Tyler, the master blender behind Afrohead, is at it again, this time with a blend of 10-year-old and 12-year-old Jamaican juice. The result is a rum (hand-bottled on Harbour Island) that is delightfully drinkable, with a fruit-forward flavor profile and a funky but velvety finish.
Best New Rhum Agricole: Rhum Depaz Cuvee Victor Depaz, Martinique - a blend of rums aged for three and four years in American oak, so something that’s effectively a mix of VO and VSOP rums. The result? Something surprisingly special, a bit smoother around the edges than most of Depaz’s stuff (at 40 degrees), with notes of vanilla and candied fruit and grilled pineapple, with another level of drinkability for the brand. http://www.depazrhum.com/
Rum Company of the Year: St Lucia Distillers - St Lucia Distillers consistently puts out a world-class range of expressions that is as authentically made as it is diverse. And it’s the latter that is perhaps most impressive: whether you’re trying the locally-popular Bounty Gold Rum, the Chairman’s Reserve Forgotten Cask, Admiral Rodney or 1931, every marque is unique. http://www.saintluciarums.com/
Best White Rum: Koloa Kaua’i White Rum, Hawaii – This white rum is unusually good. There’s just something remarkably clean about this cooper pot-still rum, something beyond the smoothness and the cane and-citrus-zest notes. It’s best used in a daiquiri, but it could hold its own on the rocks, too, the true test of any white rum. https://koloarum.com/
Best White Rum Agricole: A1710 La Perle Brute, Martinique - In a small plantation in the northeast of Martinique, a tiny distillery is quietly reinventing the world of white rhum agricole. The brand’s latest expression is yet another stunner: the 66-degree, simultaneously robust, funky, sophisticated, elegant La Perle Brute that is a journey right into the cane itself.
Best Spiced Rum: Clifton Estate, Nevis - Mark Theron has produced a delightful, honest, truly Caribbean spiced rum that simply wowed the folks at Rum Journal this year. It’s got some punch, but it’s also got the smoothness that so many spiced rums typically lack, making it, yes, sippable http://www.cliftonestaterums.com/
Best Gold Rum: Island Company Rum, Trinidad – It’s an eminently drinkable expression that’s quintessentially Trini, but also a bit smoother and refined, perfect for cocktails but one that can hold its own neat, something that can’t be said for the vast majority of “gold” rums. www.islandcompanyrum.com
Best Overproof Rum: Sunset Very Strong Rum, St Vincent and the Grenadines - Bottled at 169 proof, St Vincent Distillers’ overproof masterwork is powerful to be sure, but also smooth, so smooth that the locals in Kingstown will promise you there’s no hangover in the morning. http://www.sunsetrum.com
Best Bottle Design: Rhum Dillon Farandole - Rhum Dillon’s inspired, beautiful painted scenes of traditional culture and rum life in Martinique, with winding yellow stripes and multi-color sketches of rum lovers, it’s almost too beautiful to drink. Almost. www.rhums-dillon.com
Rum Person of the Year: Gregory Vernant, Rhum Neisson, Martinique - The man behind Neisson is CEO Gregory Neisson, who has been thrusting a historic distillery into the 21st century, making world-class rums and breaking new ground, too, whether he’s experimenting with different barrel char patterns or, more notably, launching the Caribbean’s first certified organic rum. http://www.neisson.fr/
SEBAGO LAKE DISTILLERY
Sebago Lake Distillery just released its fourth offering, Barrel Rested Portland Rum. Sebago has had success with its three other rums, Sebago lake Original Rum, KOPI Coffee Flavored Rum and Spider Island Rum. The Original Rum incorporates a blend of five carefully selected aromatics and a special Caramel infusion to give its distinctive color and amazingly fragrant notes. KOPI Coffee Flavored Rum uses custom roasted Indonesian Sumatra for a subtle coffee flavor that is intended not to cover up the rum, but to simply enhance it. Spider Island Rum is molasses forward and, like a very old whiskey, finishes with a wee bit of heat on the fat part of your tongue. Sebago Lake’s Head Distiller, Dan Davis, described the Barrel Rested Portland Rum as a “new rum with an old soul.” Davis added, “The spirit has all the oaky goodness of old Bourbon, some spiciness from the Rye that formerly inhabited the barrels, and the full mouthfeel and caramel goodness you would expect from this 100% pot still rum. While the rum has been aging patiently in barrels for over a year, we have been impatiently waiting for its awakening. We are thrilled to say, the rum has aged perfectly and we are now ready to share this distinct, handcrafted spirit with our fans and inquisitive consumers.” Sebago Lake Distillery, located in Gardiner, ME, crafts only high quality rums, in small batches, sourced from the best ingredients. Each step of the process, mashing, fermenting and distilling, is executed from scratch at the distillery and every batch is tasted and refined to create superior quality rums that can be enjoyed neat, over ice or mixed in classic or contemporary cocktails. Sebago Lake Distillery and its rum brands are the creation of five long time friends: Dave Tomer, CEO; Dan Davis, Distiller; Brock Tredway, COO; Allen Tait, CFO; and John Tyler, Sales and Investor Relations. www.sebagolakedistillery.com
NUSA CANA
Nusa Cana is a blended rum founded in 2016 by four friends with serious beverage experience: Andy Gaunt, Joe Milner and Marc Rodrigues, former Diageo executives, and bartender and consultant Sam Jeveons. Inspired by Indonesia’s long distilling heritage and 8,000-year association with sugarcane, the team wanted to create a new rum that re-connected the country to an era in the 17th and 18th centuries when the majority of sugarcane spirit consumed in Europe’s punch houses and taverns was Indonesian arrack, not Caribbean rum. Nusa Cana has Batavian arrack at its heart, one of the few Indonesian arracks based on sugar molasses, and is distilled on Java (Batavia is the colonial name for Jakarta), according to Chinese distilling traditions. According to Drink Magazine, molasses, water and fermented red rice cakes, plus yeast, are added to 20-litre clay jars (the cakes act as a fermentation starter, similar to the qu used for Chinese baijiu), then that wash transferred to another jar and more fermented rice added. This long, multi-stage fermentation generates plenty of congeners. It is distilled twice in steel Chinese pot stills before being matured in large, teak casks to give the rum a “drier” finish. This Indonesian spirit is then blended with fine Caribbean rums to produce Nusa Cana. Bottled at 37.5% abv, Nusa Caña Rum is available in Indonesia and now in the UK through sales, marketing and distribution agency Craftwork. http://www.nusacana.com/
MOTÖRHEAD RUM
Heavy Metal Band Motörhead has announced the launch of its new eight-year-old Dominican dark rum. Motörhead Rum has been aged for 8 years in ex-bourbon barrels, using the Solera process, meaning that as the oldest rum is pulled from the cask, younger rum is added to mature in the same cask. The result is a smooth dark brown rum with a balanced sweetness and notes of arrack, vanilla and dried fruits. In 2015, Motörhead teamed up with Swedish distillery, Mackmyra to produce their own brand of whisky, marking their 40th anniversary. The limited-edition Swedish single malt whisky was aged for five years in new American oak barrels and finished in Oloroso Sherry barrels for six months. Motorhead Rum has been developed by Sweden-based Brands For Fans. Yvonne Wener, business manager at Brands For Fans says: “We cannot begin to express how proud we are to have been given the opportunity to work closely with Motörhead over the years, releasing quality drinks in all forms. The most dedicated, wonderful guys one could ever ask for, and true gentlemen in every sense. While we miss them more than anything, we are thrilled to be able to contribute to the band’s legacy with the Motörhead Rum, which we hope the Motörhead fans and friends of rum will enjoy equally.”
www.brandsforfans.se/motorheaddrinks/
-----Article written by Mike Kunetka-----
