Angel's Share Title
Arundel 10 Year Cane Rum
During 2022, my wife and I were visiting Tortola, BVI, and found a shop offering a variety of spirits, among which we found Arundel Cane Rum made at the historic Callwood Distillery in Tortola. Unfortunately, our visit was too brief to visit the distillery, but we were happy to find their rums and pick up this bottle as one of our souvenirs from the vacation. The Callwood Distillery and sugar cane plantation have been operating for over 200 years, and they produce rum using juice from the sugar cane they grow around the distillery. The juice is fermented, then distilled using a pot still that produces 25 gallons of rum a day. The rum is aged in used oak barrels and blended to 40% ABV.
Arundel Cane Rum
Appearance
The bottle is a standard 750 ml bottle with a white and black label on the front. The bottle does not have a back label. Basic information about the rum and the distillery can be found on the label. The bottle is secured with a gold plastic screw top cap.The rum has a pale amber color in the bottle that lightens slightly in the glass. Swirling the rum creates a thin ring around the glass that slowly thickens before releasing two slow moving series of tears down the side of the glass before evaporating.
Nose
The aroma of rum delivers a strong dose of vanilla and butterscotch up front. As those notes fade, a vegetal note drifts in with a hint of toasted almonds, rock fruit, along with astringent alcohol and charred oak.
Palate
Sipping the rum begins with a light butterscotch note that transforms on the midpalate into a savory, mineral rich experience with a hint of rock fruit. The flavors are muted and it takes time to discover the additional notes of vegetal cane, toasted almonds, as well as the light oak char notes I spotted in the aroma. The subtle oak and fruit flavors mingle with the mineral notes, creating a low-key funkiness I would expect from a Jamaican rum. These flavors converge and swirl before settling into a short, smoky, dry finish.
Review
This rum intrigued me with its subtle flavor sequence that builds to a nutty-oak savory experience that I did not expect to find. There is nothing robust about this rum’s flavor profile, I suspect the barrels are overused and needs to be charred again. However, it was a truly unique exploration that has piqued my interest in what this rum would be like at higher proof in fresher casks. This product is one that I will enjoy sharing with fellow rum aficionados, and I hope that if I ever make it back to Tortola, I will be able to visit the distillery and try their other offerings. I would not recommend this rum for cocktail creators it is not dynamic enough and I am told Arundel has other products that are better suited for that purpose.
