Angel's Share Title
Over the years it has been interesting watching rums produced in the Hawai’i Islands establish their place in the rum industry. The Koloa Rum Company began producing rums from locally grown sugarcane. Within the past decade they began growing cane close to their Kaua’i distillery and using it to make their products. This single-batch product is their second release in the Kaua’i Reserve line. The first was a single barrel release, and this one refers to their production practice of producing rums in batches and then aging them in charred American white oak barrels. After aging the rum for a minimum of 5 years, they blend it to 46% ABV.
Appearance
The short-necked 750 ml bottle has black and gold labels and a security wrap. The neck wrap secures a black plastic screw cap to the bottle. The labels provide some details about the rum and the company’s practice of making their rum from pure cane sugar. The rum holds a dark golden amber color in the bottle and glass. Swirling the liquid in the tasting glass generates a medium band and multiple waves of fast-moving legs. It takes several minutes for the band to evaporate, leaving a trace amount of residue around the glass.
Nose
The aroma is a rush of honeyed sugarcane, toasted vanilla, citrus zest, and oak spices-ginger and allspice are dominant. The experience is punctuated by light grass and wood char notes.
Palate
The first sip delivers a rush of smoky vanilla flavor as the proof of the rum scorches the palate. After the heat of the rum subsides, a strong black pepper note manifests and lingers. Additional sips reveal astringent oak tannins, orange zest, and caramel, with a strong pop of ginger midpalate. Charred oak notes and a hint of tobacco leaf, cardamom, and mango linger in a long, spicy, sweet finish.
Review
In 2024, I reviewed their Kaua’i Reserve Single Cask product, and while the products are similar, there are noted differences. The flavor profile of this expression is more volatile and oak-forward. The spice and oak notes balance the sweetness of the vanilla, while smoke and char add nicely to the opening and create a dynamic finish for the rum. At its core, this rum still feels immature to me and is very hot. It will be interesting to see how this brand evolves their reserve products, as more time in the barrel at their distillery’s aging warehouse is only going to tame some of the immature wood notes and add more to the flavor profile. For now, I would recommend using this rum in Prohibition-era cocktails, as the proof and flavor profile need to be married with other ingredients to properly explore this expression.
