Every month I get the opportunity of sharing my impressions of rums in the Angel’s Share section of this magazine. Usually I select them because there is something interesting or different about the rums or they f it the seasonal mood of the issue. For the October issue I selected two very different spiced rums; Baron Samedi and Lake House Spiced Rum. In their own ways they personify what I think about when October arrives, which is the autumn harvest and the holidays honoring our departed friends and family such as Halloween, Samhain and Day of the Dead. The Lake House Spiced rum with its regional spices reminds me of the harvest and it should be no surprise that Baron Samedi reminds me of the holidays.
Wishing you a great October! -Paul
Lake House Spiced Rum
Cardinal Spirits began operations in February of 2015. Located in Bloomington, Indiana, this craft distillery produces a line of spirits including liqueurs and seasonal offerings. Their spiced rum is distilled using a combination of fermented molasses and sugar cane juice. They use a selection of whole spices and other botanical ingredients to create their flavor profile. They claim no artificial flavors, sweeteners or color has been added to their product.
Appearance/Presentation
In the bottle and glass the rum has a dark caramel color with amber hues as the light refracts through it. The 750 ml bottle labels provide basic information on the front and fun trivia and other information on the back label.
Nose
As I poured the rum the aroma of orange peel, cardamom, and cinnamon waft from the glass. I let the glass sit for a couple of minutes and found the spice notes had mellowed slightly allowing a hint of anise to enter the profile.
Palate
Sipping the rum delivers an interesting mix of flavors up front- vanilla on the tip of the tongue, while the bitterness of the orange peel forms a light base with cardamom, light pepper and cinnamon taking over and forming the midline. The vanilla transforms into an accent flavor mingling in and out of the profile. As the midline flavors fade the orange peel remains with the anise becoming more dominant until a hit of black pepper takes over lingering into a long spicy finish.
Review
As I explored this rum, it was enjoyable to see a company going in a different direction and not being overly predictable with their spice profile. I also enjoyed that it was not an over sugared concoction and felt no chemical residue on my hands or palate during the review process. The lack of sweetness and the citrus base opens it up to not only fit within traditional spiced rum cocktails, but makes me want to play around with it in some punches and fall/ winter seasonal drinks to see how it stands up. You definitely want your other cocktail ingredients to handle the sweet part of the flavor profile and be mindful of other bitter ingredients as the orange peel already does a nice job of lending that flavor experience.
Currently Cardinal Spirit products are available only in Indiana.
-Rum Review by Mr. Paul Senft-
Paul Senft, rum reviewer for "Got Rum?" magazine
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!