Angel's Share Title
Calwise Blonde Rum
Calwise Spirits Company is located in Paso Robles, California and is known for making craft gin, rum, whiskey and liqueurs. The rum is produced in small batches using their custom still and U.S. sourced molasses, and in the case of their “Blonde Rum”, aged in used wine barrels for an unspecified amount of time. This rum is blended and bottled at 40% ABV in 750 ml bottles.
Calwise Blonde Rum
Appearance
The rum is packed in a long-necked 750 ml bottle with a synthetic cork. While I enjoy the whale artwork, the labels provide very little information about the rum or the distillery, which is a bit of a missed opportunity. The rum in the bottle and glass has a pale straw color. Agitating the liquid created a thin band that thickened and dropped fast moving legs down the side of the glass.
Nose
Pouring the rum into the tasting glass released an aroma of sweet floral notes into the air. After the liquid had settled, I detected vanilla flower, tropical fruit notes of bananas, ripe pineapple, a touch of lemon acidity, and subtle oak notes rounding out the experience.
Palate
The alcohol of the rum blasts the palate in a rush of caramel, brine. and tropical fruit flavors. Additional sips revealed the tropical notes to be pineapple, mango, and lemon zest. I also found notes of fresh almonds, anise, and a heavy bite of wood acidity that transitions into an odd buttery-bitter finish that lingers for quite some time on the palate.
Review
When I spotted this rum in a local store, I was curious because we do not often see “Blonde” rums in the marketplace. Adding to the mystery that the product was from a small California distillery, I just had to give the rum a try. Pondering the rum, I found that I enjoyed the aroma a tad more than the flavor, as the acidity and finish were not enjoyable. Checking the website, I discovered this rum was recommended to be used in cocktails like the Mai Tai and Daiquiri, which would be a good match for the flavor profile. The profile actually does well in most tropical cocktails or punches that can easily turn the more negative notes into positives as long as they are balanced properly. This is a good example of how not all rums are designed to be consumed neat and really shine when used in cocktails. Cheers!
