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Yo Ho Ho

Rum Resource Provided by Erin Mahoney, Bar Manager (Updated 2/19/16)

Rum Selections

Appleton

Appleton has the distinction of being the oldest sugar estate and distillery in Jamaica.  The estate is located in Nassau Valley (“the heart of Jamaica”) in an area know as Cockpit Country specifically St. Elizabethan Parish.  In the 1600’s runaway slaves first settled there to establish communities away from the control of the Spanish and the British.  The area itself is a Rainforest and one point was pretty inhospitable however the lush and fertile environment provides a very unique terrior for its rums.  Very few rums can claim to have their own terrior.    Appleton is a blended rum made from 15 rums of different styles and ages with the average age being 4 years.  The rum has good clarity and is a harvest gold/amber color.  This rum is well balanced, fruity and sweet.  There are notes of orange peel, dried, apricot, fresh peach, and a hint of molasses and wood.  

Rhum Barbancourt

Barbancourt is a Haitian rum.  The particular one we carry is a reserve that has been aged for 15 years.  A double distillation method is used that is typically reserved for only the finest French cognacs.  This rum is also special in that it is made from pure cane juice rather than molasses also a method adopted by the French (Haiti was one a French colony) It has a complex nose with candied citrus fruits and roasted tannic flavors.  The taste is rich and powerful exploding with cooked pear, citrus fruits, cinnamon, and pepper.  It has a long finish that returns to citrus fruit and spices.  

Batavia Arack van Oosten

This is not rum.  Confused?  Batavia Arack is a cane spirit from the East Indies.  It is produced on the island of Java in Indonesia.  The fermentation process of this spirit includes the addition of local fermented rice, although it is still made from sugarcane, this is what sets it aside from rum.   The distillation process is carried out using traditional pot stills adopted from ancient Chinese methods.  This funky spirit has strong notes of citrus and spice.  It is great mixed with tea and for punches.  It is pretty pungent on its own  

Cruzan Black Strap

This rum is made in St. Croix and is nicknamed “the don’t hurry spirit”.  This is the motto for their way of life and is reflected in how they make their rum.  Their rum making process is never hurried.  They use high quality sugar cane shipped from their plantations and proprietary yeast cultures are added to begin the fermentation process. Once distilled the rum is age in charred American oak barrels to develop flavor.  The Cruzan Black Strap Rum features robust licorice and molasses flavors and pairs well with citrus, ginger, and pineapple.

Leblon Cachaca

This is not rum either.  It’s Cachaca another cane spirit native to Brazil.  Like Rhum Agricole it is made from pure cane juice but it’s manner of production is different enough to put it in its own category.   After the spirit is distilled the Cachaca is rested or aged in wood.  Some do use oak but many use wood indigenous to Brazil.  This particular spirit is rested in French oak barrels.  The cane is gently press to only get the best quality juice and different batches are carefully selected to be aged or rested.  Rich and complex on the palate with a burst of sugarcane sweetness, tones of fresh citrus and cucumber and a long smooth finish

Mount Gay

Mt. Gay is a rum from Barbados, known to be the birthplace of rum.  As with any spirit water is important.  The island of Barbados is made up of coral limestone a porous rock which acts as a natural filter for the groundwater found deep beneath the island.  The water is then filtered three more times making it some of the purest water available.  Barbadian molasses, some of the finest in the world, is used to make this rum..  The filtered water and molasses is then combined with a proprietary strain of yeast that has been specifically made for Mt. Gay rums.  For over three hundred years this rum has been developed in traditional double copper pot stills, a technique created in 1703.  On the nose this rum has distinct floral and fruity notes of apricot and banana with hints of vanilla.  It has a warm medium body with a bright finish.  There is a subtle smokiness imparted by the toasted Kentucky oak barrels in which the rum is aged.  

Ron Matusalem

Matusalem is a cuban rum made in the solera method like sherry.  They utilize a unique combination of  different varieties of aged rum.  The barrels are arranged in different tiers.  The oldest tier contains rum ready to be bottled.  When the rum is extracted from that barrel it will be replaced with the same amount from the next tier and on down the line.  This rum is a bright crystaline color with a silvery iridescence.  There is a sweetness on the nose with notes of vanilla,  a hint of brown sugar and a subtle floral aroma.  The taste is smooth and creamy on the palate.  It is sweet and fruity with a dry finish accompanied by a hint of vanilla.  

Smith and Cross

This Jamaican rum uses wild yeasts in the fermentation process indigenous to the region.  The end result is a rum of tremendous local character.  This rum is perfect for sipping but is also often used in making cocktails.  This rum has deep full flavors and pleasant aromas.  On the palate there are rich notes of spice and dried fruit blended with flavors of oak and honey.  

Ron Zacapa

This rum is from Guatemala and also uses the solera system.  It  is made on a mountain called Quetzaltenango at an elevation of 7544 ft.  This makes it one of the highest aging facilities in the world.  Here in the mountains the cool temperatures slow the aging process while the thinner air and lower atmospheric pressure helps intensify the infusion of flavors from the barrels.  Only the concentrated first pressed sugar is used to make this rum.  It has a light mahogany color and tastes of honeyed butterscotch, spiced oak and raisins.