Rum In The News
November 2015- Rum In The News
KIRK & SWEENEY RUM
Back in April of 2013, Got Rum’s resident rum reviewer Paul Senft gave high marks for the just released Kirk and Sweeney 12 year old rum. August Sebastiani, owner of 3 5 Maple Street Spirits, worked with the Bermudez family of the Dominican Republic to develop the successful blend. The Sebastiani family star ted their wine business in California in 1895 and the Bermudez family started distilling rum in 1852. This summer they teamed up again to create an 18 year old and a 23 year old version. By the way, if you look at the neck label on the 12 Year Old Rum, you will see a picture of the original Kirk and Sweeney schooner. http: //www.35maplestreet. com/spirits/kirk-and-sweeney- rum/
DESTILERIA SERRALLES
Don Juan Serralles distilled his first batch of rum in 1865. To celebrate their 150th Anniversary, Robert Serralles, the sixth generation distiller at Destileria Serralles, has hand selected 20-year old rums for a unique blend called Reserva de la Familia Serralles. This special bottling comes in a custom, three-piece solid wood box designed by MW Luxury Packaging. There will only be 1,865 bottles released and they will sell for $ 1,865.00. http/www.destileriaserralles.com/
MASTERS OF MALT
Last month I talked about a great holiday gift from Rum Blender – the chance to make you own custom blend. The folks at Masters of Malt have come up with another incredible gift – the 2015 Rum Advent Calendar. Traditional Advent Calendars are cards or boxes with 24 compartments. Starting on December 1st, you count down the number of days before Christmas by opening one compartment each day. Inside each compartment you find a prayer or small gift. This is the Advent Calendar for rum fans! Imagine the thrill of opening a compartment each day to f ind a small bottle (3 cl) of incredible rums like El Dorado 25 Year Old, Ron Zacapa Centenario, Plantation Barbados Grande Reserve, Flor de Caña 12 Year Old, Botran Solera, St. Teresa 1796, Clément 1976. See the whole list of 24 rums on their website. If you don’t want the calendar, but want to create your gift assortment of fine rums, Masters of Malt offers over 400 sample size bottles (3cl) of rum. Ever wanted to try El Dorado 25 Year Old? Appleton Estate 50 Year Old Jamaican Independence? Dictador Solera XO? English Harbour 25? They have them all, plus many names I have only read about. However, I did not see 17 Year Old J. Wray & Nephew. As the name implies, Masters of Malt does carry other spirits as well. www.mastersofmalt.com
KOLOA RUM
Kaua`i’s award - winning Kōloa Rum Company announces its new Kaua`i Coffee Rum, the result of a licensing agreement between the Kaua`i distiller and Kauai Coffee Company. Kaua`i Coffee Rum blends locally grown and dark- roasted Kauai Coffee® with Kōloa White Rum and pure Hawaiian cane sugar. It has a rich flavor with bold notes of coffee and cocoa.The new offering expands Kōloa Rum’s portfolio of rum and rum- related products and includes a striking new bottle and label design. It has been released in time for the 2015 Holiday Season. “Kaua`i Coffee Rum is a true Kaua`i -made product that exemplifies the remarkable diversity of agriculture on Kaua`i and the potential for innovation in creating exceptional value - added products,” said Kōloa Rum Company President and CEO Bob Gunter.
Kauai Coffee Company is Hawai`i`s largest coffee grower. Kauai Coffee is proud to be Kauai -grown and their coffees are hand- roasted in small batches to ensure optimal flavor and quality in every cup.The Kauai Coffee Company, LLC, is part of the Italy-based Massimo Zanetti Beverage Group. www.kauaicoffee.com
Kōloa Rum Company produces artisanal, single - batch Hawaiian Rum and ready-to-drink cocktails at its distillery in Kalāheo, Kaua`i and perates Kaua`i’s first and only distilled spirits Tasting Room & Company Store on the grounds of Kilohana Plantation, near Lihue. The Company’s award winning port folio includes its premium Kaua`i White, Gold, Dark, Spice, Coconut and now Coffee Rums in 750ml and 50ml bottles. The firm also produces Kōloa Ready-to-Drink Mai Tai, Rum Punch and Pineapple Passion cocktails. www.koloarum.com
MONTANYA DISTILLERS
Your next bottle of Montanya Rum might cause a double take. That’s because Montanya Distillers’ new logo and packaging redesign is starting to appear on store shelves. The craft rum distillery, located in the heart of the Colorado Rocky Mountains, has elevated its image, giving the same handcrafted rum a whole new look. The packaging refresh and new logo is found on all Montanya products, including its Platino Light Rum, the Oro Dark Rum. The new design, by Jared Jacob of Sunday Lounge, captures Montanya’s uniqueness by focusing on its high elevation. The peak in the new shield represents Mt. Crested Butte in Crested Butte, Colo., home of Montanya Distillers. It also becomes a family “crest ” for the Hoskin family, which owns the company. “ It’s been about eight years since I started Montanya with my husband, Brice, and during that time, Montanya has matured and grown. We wanted a new look to reflect that evolution,” said Karen Hoskin, Montanya’s co-founder and owner.
From the beginning, Montanya Distillers has been as much about making great rum cocktails as it is about making great rum. Karen decided to capture the imagination of the cocktail, along with the beauty of the Colorado mountains, in her new book, “Elevated Cocktails: Craft Bartending with Montanya Rum.” The book includes more than 30 rum cocktail and infusion recipes, along with food pairing ideas and beautiful photography of cocktails and spectacular mountain scenery surrounding the distillery.“This book captures what I adore: the beauty of Colorado, rum that breaks the mold and cocktails that elevate rum to the esteem it deserves,” said Hoskin. “The recipes in this book are a reflection of the creative environment in which we work every day at Montanya.” The recipes found in “Elevated Cocktails” are tried and true, tested on thousands of drinkers in Montanya’s bar each year. They are approachable for home bartending novices, as well as experienced bartenders looking for new ideas to those who are just discovering rum. “Elevated Cocktails: Craft Bartending with Montanya Rum” is available in hardcover, softcover and eBook versions at Amazon (http://amzn.to/1LB4MeH). http://www.montanyarum.com/
RON BOTRAN
To celebrate their 75th Anniversary, Ron Botran joined forces with design house Appartement 103 to create a special bottling/package called Botran & Co. Inside the fancy wooden box are three bottles. The bigger, 50 cl bottle is a blend of rare marks from the Botran Family private reserves. Using their own version of the Solera method, Ron Botran has combined rums, some up to 30 years in age, that have matured in various casks (white-oak bourbon, toasted oaks, export barrels, ex-sherry casks, South American wine barrels) to create Botran & Co.. Also in the box are two smaller, 5 cl bottles, one marked Spiced Rum and one marked Citrus Rum. The package also includes a pipette and explanatory notes that encourages the customer to create their own taste combinations. This special release will be limited to 9,972 boxes. http://www.botranrums.com/