Angel's Share Title
Rhumb Runner Fernandes Trinidad 18 Year Old Rum
In 1973 the Angostura Holding Company acquired the Fernandes family distillery and incorporated it into their operation and this rum was created in honor of that historic distillery. For this Rum the Angostura distillery purchased molasses from Trinidad fermented and distilled it using two of its five industrial column stills. The rum in this bottling was distilled on March 1973 and bottled in October of 2017 at 67.3% ABV and is a single cask product limited to 237 bottles. No coloring agents, additives or water was used when making this product.
Rhumb Runner Fernandes Trinidad 18 Year Old Rum
Appearance
This short necked 750 mL bottle is sealed with a black security wrap protecting a wooden capped synthetic cork. The dark amber liquid lightens slightly as it is poured in the glass. Agitating the liquid creates a thin band that slowly thickens and almost reluctantly drops a few beads before taking a great deal of time to evaporate.
Nose
I spent quite some time just savoring the aroma of the rum. I discovered notes of brown sugar, dried orange peel, Madagascar vanilla, allspice, dried fruits and an interesting range of smoky oak tannins.
Palate
Sipping the rum revealed a surprising array of flavors. The first sip was a rush of caramelized vanilla and alcohol conditioning the palate for what came next. Additional sips revealed notes of apricots, honeyed dried banana chips, crisp red apple, black and red pepper, anise, allspice, ginger and dark toffee. As the rum begins to fade the oak tannins, char and mineral notes provide a long pleasant finish to the experience.
Review
My experiences with rums with this kind of age statement are pretty limited and I found a good many of them to be dominated by the flavors of the wood and little else. With that expectation, the aroma and flavor profile completely surprised me. I found myself savoring the experience of nosing and sipping the rum and adding a tiny amount of water just opened it up amplifying the fruit notes. The oak flavors are nicely balanced, always present, but only coming to the forefront during the fade of the finish. The company states that the Rhumb Runner line is a homage to the original sailors, pirates, and traders who transported rum between the Caribbean, American Colonies and Europe and for me personally this was a great exploration and well worth tracking down for your personal enjoyment.
