Rum Runner Press, Inc.
Dancing Pines Cask Barrel Aged Rum
Paul Senft reviews Dancing Pines Cask Barrel Aged Rum in the "Angel's Share" section of the 2014 December issue of "Got Rum?" magazine.
Dancing Pines Cask Barrel Aged Rum
In Loveland, Colorado, there is a small batch family distillery called Dancing Pines, owned by Kristian and Kimberly Naslund. They produce a line of 13 spirits, among them: bourbon, gin, brandy, three rums, and four liqueurs. Their Cask Barrel Aged Rum is fermented from molasses then distilled twice in a copper pot still. The rum is then aged for an unspecified amount of time in charred oak barrels. It is then bottled at 80 proof and distributed around Colorado.
Appearance/Presentation
The squat 750 ml bottle is capped with a white security wrap protecting a plastic cork. The front label provides some basic information about the rum and has the batch and bottle number handwritten on the front. My bottle is from batch 15, bottle 375. The back label has the mandatory legal requirements and retail bar code. The rum has an amber-straw color in the bottle and glass. Swirling the liquid created a thin ring that spawned fast moving legs that evaporated quickly. Other than the color, there is no indication of oak aging leading me to believe the rum is aged for months, not years.
Nose
The rum fills the air with a lovely host of aromas; vanilla, light butterscotch, toasted oak with a slight hint of char, citrus and berry, and faint baking spices.
Palate
Light caramel, toasted oak, and citrus notes dominate the palate during the first sip, with the berry and spices coming into play and leading to a rough and tumble finish. Additional sips continue to light up the tongue with the immature spirit as the flavors remain consistent with the opening sip. The berry and alcohol combined leave a medicinal impression, but the other flavors balance these notes for the finish.
Review
I have experienced other rums from the region and was curious to see what Dancing Pines would bring to the table in comparison. Overall I am pleased with the product as its flavor profile is unique among small batch distillers and has a lot of character.
Try this expression in a rum old fashioned and enjoy the play of flavors. This rum would be a smart fit in any classic cocktail, especially one with citrus.
I have added Dancing Pines to my distilleries to watch list and will be curious to see how their product lines evolves in the hopes of a more mature aged product in the future.
Review by Mr. Paul Senft:
Mr. Senft currently serves as owner of www.rumjourney.com. He has a passion for rum and traveling. He has dedicated himself to describing to his readers about his travels through the Caribbean Islands and writing rum reviews. When he is not reviewing a rum, he is hard at work at trying different cocktail recipes.