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Virago Four Port Rum
So, I am standing in the liquor store looking at the Virago line of rums. Not familiar with the line and being a label reader, it took a while to puzzle out my first selection. Ultimately, I selected Virago Four Ports a blend of pot and column still eight-year-old rum from Barbados, four-year-old Jamaican pot still rum, five- to eight-year-old column still rum from Nicaragua, and six-year-old column still rum from Panama. The team at Virago blends these rums to 43% ABV and bottles the product in Richmond, Virginia.
Virago Four Port Rum
Appearance
The short necked 750 ml has a wooden cap with synthetic cork sealed with a transparent security wrap. The burgundy label has white script with silver and black accents. The information on the bottle covers the basics about the spirit with tasting notes on the back label.
The rum holds a golden amber color in the bottle and glass. Swirling the liquid creates a thin ring that drops a few fast-moving legs, then beads up and drops another set of slower moving legs. After the legs settle into the liquid the ring and legs thicken and evaporate leaving a residue on the glass in their wake.
Nose
On the nose the rum leads with caramelized vanilla and baking spices, followed by toasted coconut, cooked pineapples and bananas, and tart fresh orange zest. There is a moment where a hint of Jamaican funkiness drifts in and out of the profile punctuated by a note of old saddle leather, black and white pepper, and char.
Palate
The first sip of the rum is a lush swirl of vanilla driven alcohol laying the foundation for what is to come. Additional sips reveal cinnamon driven Crème Brule, orange citrus acidity, ripe fig, and when the funk swirls in the grilled pineapple and banana notes dominate both the high and low notes of the flavor profile. As the rum begins to fade the old leather notes manifest, then the pepper drifts in, with charred oak and copper lingering in a long finish.
Review
While reviewing this rum and discovering all the flavors in the profile it has to be noted that they hit fast in a swirl and are gone just as quickly. There is a nice balance between the sweetness, fruit acidity and earthiness of the product. Easy to sip, there is also a versatility that makes is serviceable in a variety of classic and tropical cocktails. This is the only private rum blend made by Virago spirits at this time and I think the 86 proof of the spirit really helps punch the fruit flavors up. I personally enjoyed it and am curious to see what they come up with in the future. They currently produce a line of rums, gins, as well as a coffee liqueur. I will share more details about their rum line in future reviews.
