Bumbu Rum

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Bumbu Rum

Bumbu Rum is distilled and aged on the island of Barbados at the West Indies Rum Distillery. Using sugar cane sourced from the Caribbean and South America the distillery uses a yeast strain dating back to 1840 during fermentation and their continuous column stills for distillation. The rum was then aged up to 15 years in once used Bourbon barrels. The rums are then blended with natural flavors before bottling. The Company states they use no artificial flavors or coloring in their product.

Appearance/Presentation

Visually, it really distinguishes itself from other rums on the shelf with the X logo drawing your attention to the bottle from across the room. The 750 ml bottle for Bumbu has a nice heavy weight to it with a tarnished pewter X on front with the words Bumbu Rum with natural flavors written across the X along with the proof statement. On the back they provide information about the product, the required legal information and a map of the Caribbean islands. The natural cork has an X across the top and is secured to the bottle with a clear security wrap. The rum in the bottle and glass holds a gorgeous chestnut color. Agitating the liquid creates a thick band that spins off fast-moving legs that slowly evaporate leaving a ring around the glass. Rum

Nose

When I poured the rum in the glass the aroma reminded me of Bananas Foster: Banana, lush vanilla, cinnamon and brown sugar with just a hint of char.

Palate

As the rum hits the palate with the brown sugar and banana notes from the aroma blends with a strong vanilla flavor. In the baseline I discovered notes of allspice, cinnamon, orange peel, roasted walnuts and anise, with a quick pop of bitter tobacco leaf. This juxtaposes nicely with the sweetness of the banana that carries into a sweet finish.

Review

The rum has a lot going on and it was interesting to figure out where the rum flavors from maturation end and the added flavors begin. For review purposes I considered this a spiced-flavored rum hybrid that states it has up to 15-year old rum in it. The flavor combination reminded of a spicy banana foster and was pleased to discover some of the layers of flavor with the rum. The rum was enjoyable to sip, but would do well in a classic Rum Old Fashioned or in citrus based cocktails. At this time, Bumbu is available in Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Texas and Washington D.C. as well as some online retailers.

-Rum Review by Mr. 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 bar tenders, 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 tr y the rums and make your own opinions. The world is full of good rums and the journey is always best experienced with others. Cheers!