Angel's Share Title
Soggy Dollar Dark Rum
Visiting the British Virgin Islands, specifically Tortola, had long been on my bucket list, and our most recent cruise included a brief stop on the island. My wife and I both enjoy traveling in the Caribbean and discovering new rums, which is a fun element to any trip. Unfortunately, when we visited Tortola, it was an early morning (6 a.m.) port of call, so we departed the ship, walked the town, and shopped our way back because most of the stores were open by then. It was in one of these shops that we picked up our bottle of Soggy Dollar Dark Rum. The Soggy Dollar bar is world famous for being credited with creating the Painkiller cocktail and its unique location where patrons drop anchor and swim to the beach where the bar sits nestled among the trees. The rum is a blend of rums that is triple distilled, aged in used bourbon casks, and bottled at 40% ABV.
Soggy Dollar Dark Rum
Appearance
The custom designed 750 ml brown bottle has the Soggy Dollar embossed across the front. The label that wraps the bottle provides basic information about the rum. The plastic cap secures the cork to the bottle then covered and sealed with a wrap that goes down the short neck.Pouring the rum into the glass revealed a golden amber liquid that when agitated created a band that slowly thickened and dropped a few waves of legs. The first wave descended quickly, while the second and third waves were much slower. It took a few minutes before the band evaporated, leaving a ring of residue behind.
Nose
The first thing I noticed was the strong caramelized vanilla note, followed by ginger, baking spice and light oak tannins.
Palate
Sipping the rum, you immediately notice that this spirit has only been in the barrel for three or four years tops. The caramel and vanilla notes from the aroma are present, along with the ginger, baking spice and a hint of nutmeg. The bite and intensity of the alcohol is one of the core elements of the experience. The oak and char notes are much stronger in the flavor profile than in the aroma, contributing an acrid bitterness that flattens the sweeter notes of the profile and lingers on the palate and in the finish.
Review
Like the Bones Rum we picked up in St. Thomas, this product is annoyingly short on actual details about where and how the rum is made. The lightness of the rum makes me think of a column still, and the overall profile leaves no doubt that it is a young expression. One can only guess that, by its flavor profile, this product was made to be used at the bar and to be fixed with ingredients that were full of flavor and could subdue the oak notes and alcohol bite. Overall, while I have no regrets about picking it up on our trip, I was not overly impressed with it and hope the other rum in the line is better.
