T HE A NGEL’ S SH A RE by Paul S e nf t
Ron del Barrilito Three Stars Ro n d e l B a r r i li to was e st a b li s h e d i n 18 8 0 by Pe dr o Fe r n a n d ez at t h e H ac i e n da S a nt a A n a i n B aya m o n, Pu e r to R i c o. T h e c o m p a ny l ays c l ai m to b e i n g t h e o l d e st r um p r o du c e d i n Pu e r to R i c o a n d st ate s t h at t h ey h ave c o nt i nu e d to us e t h e s a m e m et h o ds to c r e ate t h e i r p r o du c t s i n c e i t was f o un d e d. T h e T h r e e S t a r S up e r i o r Es p e c i a l i s a b l e n d of r um s a g e d b et we e n s i x a n d te n ye a r s i n w hi te o ak ba r r e l s t h at we r e us e d f o r a g i n g O l o r o s o S h e r r y i n J e r ez, S p ai n. A s m a ll p o r t i o n of t h e r um i s i nf us e d w i t h dr i e d f r ui t s a n d s p i c e s to h e lp g i ve t h e s p i r i t i t s s i g n at ur e f l avo r a n d a r o m a p r i o r to a g i n g. A f te r t h e r um m at ur e s to t h e b l e n d e r ’s s p e c i f i c at i o ns, i t i s b l e n d e d to 4 3% A BV. T h e c o m p a ny c l ai m s i t us e s n o a r t i f i c i a l f l avo r s o r c o l o r i n g w i t h t h e i r p r o du c t , a n d t h e wate r us e d f o r t h e b l e n di n g of t h e r um c o m e s f r o m r ai nwate r c o ll e c te d at t h e h ac i e n da. Appearance T h e r um i s s o l d i n a w hi te, c y li n dr i c a l t ub e w i t h b l ac k a n d g o l d s c r i pt . T h e i nf o r m at i o n o n t h e t ub e a n d t h e l a b e l s of t h e b ot t l e a r e t h e s a m e a n d di s c l o s e mu c h of t h e s a m e i nf o r m at i o n s h a r e d i n t h e i nt r o du c t i o n. T h e sy nt h et i c c o r k i s s e c ur e d to t h e b ot t l e by a c l e a r s e c ur i t y w r a p o n to p of t h e c o r k c a p, a n d t h e l a b e l r e ads “e st . 18 8 0.” T h e li qui d i n t h e b ot t l e h ad a da r k r e d di s h a m b e r c o l o r t h at r e m i n d e d m e m o r e of a s h e r r y t h a n a r um. T h e r um li g hte ns c o ns i d e r a b ly w h e n p o ur e d i nto t h e g l as s. A f te r sw i r li n g i t , a t hi c k r i n g f o r m e d, a n d as i t ex p a n d e d, i t dr o p p e d s eve r a l r o un ds of l e g s d ow n t h e s i d e of t h e g l as s. A f te r a few m i nute s, i t eva p o r ate d, l e av i n g b e hi n d t hi c k b e ads a n d r e s i du e i n i t s wake. Nose T h e a r o m a of t h e r um l e ads w i t h a li g ht et h a n o l n ote t h at r eve a l s n ote s of va ni ll a, r ai s i ns, r o c k f r ui t , c o o ke d ba n a n as, a ll s p i c e, a n d to aste d o ak .
Got R um ? March 2 0 2 3 - 8
Pa l a t e T h e f i r st s i p of t h e r um o p e ns w i t h n ote s of c a r a m e lize d va ni ll a, ba n a n a, c i nn a m o n, a n d a ll s p i c e. M i dp a l ate: a n ast r i n g e nt o ak n ote d o m i n ate s b r i ef ly as i t f ad e s, a n d t h e r ai s i n a n d r o c k f r ui t f r o m t h e a r o m a c o m e i n a l o n g w i t h n ote s of g r a p hi te, h e r ba l te a, wa lnut s, a n d dr i e d to bac c o l e af. A s t h e r um b e g i ns to f ad e, t h e ast r i n g e n c y a n d o ak t a nni ns r et ur n, l e adi n g to a l o n g, dr y f i ni s h. Rev i ew O ve r t h e ye a r s, t h e i nf o r m at i o n c o n c e r n i n g t h e s o ur c e of Ro n d e l B a r r i li to’s r um h as c h a n g e d, b ut t h e o n e t hi n g t h at r e m ai ns c o ns i ste nt i s t h at i t i s a l ways s o ur c e d f r o m a Pu e r to R i c o bas e d di st i ll e r y. T h e r um i t s e l f i s a n i nte r e st i n g p r o du c t i n t h e s e n s e t h at t h e r e a r e qui te a few f l avo r s g o i n g o n, t h e h e av i n e s s of t h e s h e r r y i nf lu e n c e i s un d e ni a b l e, a l o n g w i t h t h e st r e n g t h of t h e f r ui t f l avo r s. T h e j u x t a p o s i t i o n of swe et f r ui t a n d t h e s p i c e n ote s a n d o ak t a nni ns was a b i t ex t r e m e at c e r t ai n p o i nt s dur i n g t h e eva lu at i o n p r o c e s s, w hi c h l e d m e to un d e r st a n d w hy s o m e f o lks a r e hu g e f a ns of t h e p r o du c t s a n d ot h e r s a r e n ot . B e c aus e of t h e us e of m at ur at i o n of f r ui t s a n d s p i c e s to h e lp c r e ate t h e f l avo r p r of i l e, m a ny c o ns i d e r t hi s a s p i c e d r um p r o du c t . Fo r m e, t h e ast r i n g e n c y was a b i t of f - p ut t i n g, b ut I e nj oye d t h e ba l a n c e a n d i nte r p l ay of t h e f l avo r s. T h e s e f l avo r s l e ad to i t b e i n g a qu a li t y i n g r e di e nt i n s o m e t r o p i c a l a n d f r ui t bas e d c l as s i c c o c k t ai l s t h at c a ll f o r a Pu e r to R i c a n o r S p a ni s h st y l e r um i n t h e r e c i p e. I h ave b e e n to l d i t p ai r s we ll w i t h c i g a r s, a n d I k n ow i t g o e s we ll w i t h Fo r tez a m i lk c h o c o l ate c a n dy. O ve r a ll, t h e r um i s a g o o d c h o i c e f o r ba r te n d e r s l o o k i n g f o r a wo r k h o r s e i n g r e di e nt as we ll as a nyo n e l o o k i n g to s i p o n a r um w i t h a n i nte r e st i n g c o m p l ex i t y.