Angel's Share Title
Equiano Rum
Working as a writer for the Spirits Industry has taught me a good many things over the years. One of those being is the importance and value of real relationships/friendships with people in the industry. These relationships forgo competition and create opportunities for collaboration and creativity. A partnership between Global Rum Ambassador Ian Burrel and Distiller Richard Seale of Barbados Foursquare Rum has led to the creation of the first African and Caribbean rum. Equiano is a blend of two rums, the first is created at the Gray’s distillery is Mauritius. Made from local molasses, the rum was aged in French Limousin Oak and ex-Cognac cask for ten years before being transported to Barbados to the Foursquare Rum Distillery. There the rums were vatted and blended to 43% ABV with Foursquare rums that have been aged in ex-Bourbon casks for a minimum of eight years.
Appearance
Equiano Rum
The rum is packaged in a squat 750 mL bottle that shares the basic details on the front and back of the bottle. It is sealed with a synthetic cork held by a wooden cap. This is secured to the bottle with a green security strip that notes Equiano is a limited edition product.The liquid holds a lovely chestnut color in the bottle that only lightens slightly in the glass. Agitating the liquid creates a thick band and drops a series of medium legs over several minutes before the rum finally beads up.
Nose
The aroma of the rum delivers an interesting range of experiences. Nosing the glass I found notes of dark caramelized vanilla, raisins, butterscotch, cooked bananas, toasted walnuts, sweet toffee, cherry, fresh cut pineapple, lemongrass, strawberry, orange zest, lightly charred oak and punctuated by cinnamon and ginger spices.
Palate
With the first sip the alcohol paves the way with a swirl of caramel and lemon/orange zest. Mid palate, there are an array of spice notes of cinnamon, light ginger, allspice, subtle twist of anise, as well as baking spices balanced with cherry, strawberry, raisin and pineapple notes I found in the aroma. The wood notes are manifest as light char and a mix of oak tannins causes a black pepper note to fade in and out of the profile. The wood notes, transitions into a bitter-tannin rich finish with toffee and banana nipping around the edges as the rum slowly fades.
Review
There is eloquence in the balance of this rum that is hard to achieve in a normal blend, let alone from rums from two distinctly different distilleries. One of the things I judge rum by is how well the aroma and the flavor profile compliment each other. Sometimes there is a real disconnect between them, but in this case the promise the aroma makes to the senses is kept by the flavors discovered on the palate creating an elevated tasting experience. The rum is named after Olaudah Equiano (famed Nigerian born writer, abolitionist and freedom fighter) and part of the proceeds of every bottle sold goes to the Equiano foundation in his honor. I encourage anyone who is interested, to read up about this man’s life and his impact on the modern world.Currently this rum is available in the United States and Europe and is worth picking up for the unique experience it delivers to anyone who enjoys rum.
