Hamilton Overproof 151 Demerara River Rum
Beginning in May of 2014 Ed Hamilton of the Ministry of Rum worked to find the perfect blend of rums for his Hamilton Overproof 151 Demerara River rum. To achieve this goal he sampled blends of pot and column still rums from Guyana until he found the combinations that he wanted to achieve for his product. Considering the way Demerara rums are used in Tiki Cocktails, Ed Hamilton called on the opinions of Paul McGee and Jeff Berry before finalizing his products.
Hamilton then imported the rum to the United States using 1000 liter tanks at 77% abv. He then used well water from West field, New York at the Five and 20 Distillery to blend the rum to 75.5 abv. The rum is then filtered using a five micron filter to remove any charcoal suspended in the liquid. The bottling is handled by Five and 20 using a six bottle gravity feed filler.
Appearance/Presentation
The opaque 750 ml bottle is sealed with a burgundy safety wrap with Hamilton’s signature around the neck wrap. The front and back labels are loaded with details about the product.
The rum has a dark copper color with lighter amber highlights shooting through the liquid. Agitating the liquid created a razor thin line around the glass that produces legs that descend very slowly down the side. The rings and legs bead up and evaporate quickly demonstrating the “proof ” of the spirit.
Nose
When I poured the rum in the glass there was a rush of molasses and ethanol vapors filling the air. I let the rum settle and several minutes later revisited the glass. The molasses note from the pour is very present with other notes nipping around the edges. It is there that I discovered notes of dark chocolate, maple syrup, tobacco leaf, and a hint of dried orange peel.
Palate
This is rum you take tiny sips to evaluate. Like the aroma, the first sip provides a rush molasses but this time it is highlighted with dark toffee nipping around the edges of the tongue. Additional sips deliver the tobacco leaf and dried orange peel from the aroma, but I also discovered a touch of roasted pineapple that plays mid-palate. As the rum begins to fade there is a small bit of acidity as the charred oak notes take over fading with the other flavors in a nice long finish.
Review
When Ed Hamilton began his quest to create this product he wanted to find a blend that surpassed the other 151 proof products in the market. It is so easy to let the heat of the rum take over and dominate the palate. It was very interesting to explore it with the respect the proof deserves and decipher the flavors hidden in the profile. Overproof rums are loved and heavily used in drink recipes in the Tiki cocktail community especially flaming drinks. It would be quite easy to float this on a Mai Tai, but I could see using it in a Zombie and certain bowl drink recipes. With other cocktail recipes consider that a little bit of this rum goes a long way, one ounce as opposed to an ounce and a half or two ounces. Keeping this in mind, explore responsibly and enjoy!
-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!