Angel's Share Title
Bones Virgin Island Rum
Recently, my wife and I were traveling the Caribbean and, while visiting Charlotte Amalie on the island of St. Thomas, we stopped in a souvenir shop, lured in by a large wall of rum. Most of what we found were bottles that we could get at home, but they had a selection of Bones Rums that, while available in some states, were not available in Georgia. The Bones line of five rums celebrates the islands’ pirate history and each expression is themed accordingly. For our visit, which involved, among other things, a visit to the islands’ Pirate Treasure Museum seemed a fitting souvenir of our trip. Sources not related to the company report that Bones Virgin Island Rum is comprised of a blend of four to six year old rums sourced from the Virgin Islands that have been aged in American White Oak, French Oak, and sherry casks before being blended and bottled at 40% ABV in St. Thomas.
Bones Virgin Island Rum
Appearance
The rum comes in a short necked 750 ml bottle that has a clear security wrap as well as a strip anchoring a wooden cap to the bottle. The wooden cap holds a synthetic cork with the neck wrapped in a black piece of fabric. A black wax seal sits under the neck just above the label. The label provides the basic information about the rum and little else.The liquid has a solid golden amber color in the bottle and glass. Agitating the liquid creates a medium band that thickens and drops a single wave of legs before quickly evaporating, leaving a ring of beads in its wake.
Nose
The aroma of the rum has a balance of caramelized vanilla, baking spices, toasted almonds, cooked banana, with hints of charred oak.
Palate
The flavor of the rum leads with a rush of alcohol laden vanilla, and as I evaluated the rum, I discovered notes of rock fruit, medicinal cherry, nutmeg, baking spices, toffee, almonds and cocoa. As the rum begins to fade, a light acidic charred oak note flattens the sweetness and lingers in a woody finish.
Review
Some rums are easier to evaluate than others. This one was a bit challenging as each sip unlocked different flavors, with the initial vanilla sweetness and the woody finish creating points of continuity while the other flavors hit inconsistently. Which is why I think it is appropriate that in the menu section of the Bones rum website they have it in an array of recipes demonstrating that it is a good utility cocktail rum. As mentioned earlier, the rum is currently available in 15 states as well as the U.S. Virgin Islands. Check their website for details. I found the blend to be interesting and only wish we had more reliable information about the rum from the company. Like the label, the website is a bit vague with details and is a missed opportunity for educating consumers about the product.
