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Bacardi Añejo Cuatro
During 2018 Bacardi released two new products Añejo Cuatro and Grand Reserva Diez. Both rums were created by Bacardi’s team of Maestros de Ron who supervise the creation of all of Bacardi products.
The blend of rums that makes up Añejo Cuatro is distilled in Puerto Rico using their column still system, charcoal filtered, and aged in used American White Oak Bourbon Barrels for a minimum of four years. For the North American market, the rum is shipped to Jacksonville, Florida and bottled at 40% ABV.
Bacardi Anejo Cuatro
Appearance
The 750 ml bottle provides the basic information about the rum and the liquid is secured with the standard metal screw top. The rum has a bright amber color both in the bottle and glass. Swirling the liquid creates a thick band around the glass that spins off and drops fast moving legs. After a good bit of time the rum began evaporating leaving behind a ring of large pebbles.
Nose
When I poured the rum in the glass a strong spicy vanilla notes filled the air. After the rum settled I found notes of toffee, cloves, ginger, with a hint of charred oak tannins.
Palate
The first sip delivered a swirl of sweet vanilla, alcohol, and bitter cloves that is smoothed out by a honey note. Additional sips reveal toffee, pencil lead, black pepper, and subtle cooked banana notes. As the rum begins to fade the caramelized vanilla note takes over with a dry baking spice twist in a medium fade.
Review
At Tales of the Cocktail, I met with Bacardi representatives and they discussed that Cuatro was designed to be the first in the portfolio’s age range that went beyond being used solely as a cocktail ingredient, but could be easily sipped as well. While I thought the rum was a definite step up from Bacardi Gold, I am really not sure how well received it will be as a sipping rum. I have had a few Tiki and classic rum cocktails that used Cuatro and it seemed to work well across that spectrum. Reasonably priced with a distinct Puerto Rican rum flavor profile, I think this is a good addition to the Bacardi portfolio.
------Rum review by Paul Senft------
Paul Senft
My name is Paul Senft - rum reviewer, tasting host, judge and writer. My exploration of rums began by learning to craft Tiki cocktails for friends. I quickly learned that not all rums are created equally and that the uniqueness of the spirit can be as varied as the locales they are from. This inspired me to travel with my wife around the Caribbean, Central America, and United States visiting distilleries and learning about how each one creates their rums. I have also had the pleasure of learning from bartenders, brand ambassadors, and other enthusiasts from around the world; each one providing their own unique point of view, adding another chapter to the modern story of rum.
The desire to share this information led me to create www.RumJourney.com where I share my experiences and reviews in the hopes that I would inspire others in their own explorations. It is my wish in the pages of “Got Rum?” to be your host and provide you with my impressions of rums available in the world market. Hopefully my tasting notes will inspire you to try the rums and make your own opinions. The world is full of good rums and the journey is always best experienced with others.
Cheers!