Naked Turtle Rum
www.nakedturtle.com - This rum is produced in St. Croix and they have developed a partnership with the Sea Turtle Conservancy, http://www.conserveturtles.org.Naked Turtle Rum
Produced in St. Croix, Naked Turtle Rum is distilled five times using sugarcane molasses. Blended to 80 proof and bottled, they pride themselves on the fact that their rum never touches the inside of an oak barrel; hence, the “Naked” aspect of their rum.
Appearance/Presentation
The 750 ml custom designed bottle is secured with a screw top. The flat front of the bottle presents a well designed label featuring a turtle lazing in a hammock. With the logo “Don’t Worry - Drink Naked,” the back label touts that the rum is good neat or mixed. The rum is crystal clear in the bottle and glass. Agitating the spirit creates legs that descend quickly down the side of the glass, leaving a pattern of sweat- like beads behind.
Nose
When I poured the rum in the glass there was an initial rush of sweet alcohol vapor. As I let it settle and returned to the glass, I picked up notes of vanillin and sugar. There was a light undertone and alcohol burn to the nose, but the sweetness of the aroma quickly overwhelmed it.
Palate
Sipping the rum neat confirmed the vanillin I picked up in the aroma. There was a rock-sugar sweetness to the spirit that was a bit much for my palate. As the sweetness settled, a medium burn developed carrying a bitter alcohol note that lingered into the finish.
Review
After sipping the rum neat I played with it in orange juice, pineapple juice, and Coke. I did not enjoy the way it mixed with the orange juice as it only seemed to accentuate the bitterness of the spirit. Pineapple juice was much better and it was fine in the Coke. I think anyone who enjoys sweet spirits might enjoy this rum neat. I personally did not enjoy it and am not comfortable recommending its consumption via that method.
I wholeheartedly support the companies partnership with the Sea Turtle Conservancy and was pleased to recently read about their efforts in the St. Pete’s area of Florida. If you are curious about the product, pick it up and enjoy it as a mixer.
If you would like to learn more about the Sea Turtle Conservancy, please go to http://www.conserveturtles.org for more information.
Review by Mr. Paul Senft:
Mr. Senft currently serves as owner of www.rumjourney.com. He has a passion for rum and traveling. He has dedicated himself to describing to his readers about his travels through the Caribbean Islands and writing rum reviews. When he is not reviewing a rum, he is hard at work at trying different cocktail recipes.