September 2014- Rum in the News

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Rum in the News

by Mike Kunetka

AVALON GROUP’S WILD GEESE RUM COLLECTION

The Avalon Group has had tremendous success with their Wild Geese Irish Whiskey bottlings. Now they are exploring the rum market with their Wild Geese Rum Collection. The first in the collection is their Golden Rum, aged in bourbon oak barrels for up to five years and bottled at 37.5% ABV. Next is a Spiced Rum, a mixture of golden Caribbean rum, tropical fruit and spice, bottled at 40% ABV. The Wild Geese Premium Rum is a blend of rums from Barbados, Jamaica and Guyana, some aged up to eight years, and is bottled at 40% ABV.

EL PROHIBIDO RUM

Fraternity Spirits, known for their fine Tequilas and Zaya rum, have introduced Ron Prohibido, a premium, artisan rum produced under a 12 year solera system. Its truly distinctive sweet and bitter taste is acquired by combining rums of different aging profiles and adding a touch of raisin wine.This blend results in a wide range of delicious aromas and flavors. During the 18th century, the Spanish ships reached America with sweet wine reserves in barrels. Instead of going back with empty barrels, they filled them with Chinguirito, known as Mexican rum. During the trip, the rum absorbed the aromatic characteristics of the barrels, which resulted in a high quality product. Prohibited during the reign of the King of Spain Felipe V De Borbon for the disastrous effects caused on society by its excessive drinking, this alcohol beverage known as Habanero comes back to light in its original recipe for the lucky fans of the real rum.

CH DISTILLERY’S AMARO

The folks at Chicago’s CH Distillery have created their take on the classic Italian digestive by combining their CH Rum, made from pure molasses, with a proprietary blend of ingredients, including Gentian Root, Cocoa Nibs and Clover Honey. CH Amaro is bottled at 40% ABV.

DEEP ISLAND ORGANIC HAWAIIAN RUM

Starting September 1, Hawaii will have a new rum in the market: ultra premium, organic Deep Island Hawaiian Rum from Hawaii Sea Spirits, LLC, the makers of Ocean Organic Vodka. Made from organic sugar cane and blended with deep ocean mineral water, Deep Island Hawaiian Rum is produced at Hawaii Sea Spirits Organic Farm and Distillery in Kula, Maui, Hawai‘i. The rum will be available for purchase and sampling at The Farm starting September 1 and will be available for distribution throughout Hawai‘i starting October 1. Hawaii Sea Spirits Organic Farm and Distillery in Kula, Maui highlights the company’s commitment to socially and environmentally conscious business practices, utilizing solar panels to power 100% of the operations and sustainably farming and harvesting organic sugarcane.

APPLETON ESTATE RUM

Gruppo Campari has announced the first major new marketing campaign for Appleton Estate in the US since acquiring the distribution rights for the Jamaican rum brand last year. “From Jamaica With Love” focuses on the “authentic, undiscovered Jamaica”.  Andrew Floor, Senior Marketing Director, Dark Spirits at Campari America, said: “This new marketing campaign allows us to offer consumers a window into an authentic Jamaica – a Jamaica that delivers rum with a distinctive, rich and complex flavor found nowhere else in the world.” Check out the hot video on YouTube.

WEST INDIES RUM & SPIRITS PRODUCER’S ASSOCIATION

The Authentic Caribbean Rum (ACR) Marque was developed as a symbol of authenticity, provenance and quality for rums within the WIRSPA family. As usage of the marque grows it will act as a visual symbol to help trade and consumers identify ACR brands, but in the short term it will be used to promote the development of Authentic Caribbean Rum as a distinct sector within the drinks industry, again both for trade customers and consumers. Eighteen rums have been awarded the Marque; the most recent include:

HAMPDEN GOLD

The Hampden Estate in Jamaica dates back to1753, and still specializes in the making of Heavy Pot Still Rum. Hampden use fermenters that are over 100 year old, culture their own yeast and utilize traditional pot stills but combine the set traditional practices with the latest technology and laboratory techniques to carefully control the final output of its rums. Hampden Estate rum is widely used in the blending of other rums throughout the world but they have recently developed their own brand.

WESTERHALL VINTAGE

The Westerhall Estate in Grenada dates back to the 1700’s and remains a family owned business. The original sugar mill and pot stills are preserved within the Estate grounds and its focus now is on the ageing, blending and bottling of rum. Westerhall Vintage Rum is made from rums aged for a minimum of ten years it is rich in flavors and superbly smooth.

MONYMUSK PLANTATION SPECIAL RESERVE RUM

National Rums of Jamaica Limited, now the NRJ Group, comprises Clarendon Distilleries Limited (Monymusk Distillery), Long Pond Distilleries Limited and an ageing facility at the former Innswood Distillery. For many years the company has provided the rum that makes some of the world’s best known rum products but it has also recently developed its own brand utilizing the vast and diverse resources at its disposal.  Monymusk Plantation Special Reserve is a blend of the finest, matured Jamaican rums, carefully handpicked by the Master Blender from select barrels. These rums are aged in charred American oak barrels to allow maturation and the taste to mellow.

PLANTATION STIGGINS FANCY PINEAPPLE RUM

Alexandre Gabriel, proprietor of Cognac Ferrand, with help from the spirits and cocktail historian David Wondrich, has created Plantation Pineapple Rum Stiggin’s Fancy. Gabriel and Wondrich relied on several ancient recipes to recreate it, and added a few traditional techniques from their own bag of tricks. The 1824 English Journal of Patent and Inventions and the 1844 Journal of Agricultural Society were their main sources of inspiration. They infused ripe Queen Victoria pineapple in rich, aged PLANTATION ORIGINAL DARK RUM for 3 months. Meanwhile,they macerated, also in rum, the bare rind of the fruit (where the pineapple’s essential oil chiefly resides) and then distilled it, creating a bright pineapple essence to blend with the lushness of the infused Plantation rum. Stiggins was introduced at this year’s Tale of the Cocktail in New Orleans.

TIPPY COW RUM CREAMS

Midwest Custom Bottling, the folks that bring us Rum Chata, have introduced Tippy Cow Rum Creams. They are made from Caribbean rums and Wisconsin cream and the packaging will bring back memories of old school milk bottles. The flavors are a flash from the past as well. Orange Cream – think Dreamsicle; Chocolate –a Wendy’s Frosty; Vanilla Soft serve – an adult Dairy Queen cone in a bottle. Tippy Cow Creams are bottled at 14% ABV in 50 and 750 ml bottles.

DON PAPA RUM

Don Papa is a premium aged small batch rum from the isle of Negros Occidental, the Philippines. Distilled from some of the finest sugar cane in the world, Don Papa is first aged 7 years in oak barrels in the foothills of Mount Kanlaon before being blended to perfection. Negros Occidental is and has always been the sugar capital of the Philippines. Due to the perfect combination of climate, geography and the rich volcanic soil on the island, Negros is ideally suited for sugar cane production. The rum’s name comes from PapaIsio, one of the leading figures in the Phillippine revolution on the island of Negros. Don Papa’s amazing packaging was designed by Stranger & Stranger and the rum is bottled at 40% ABV.