"Got Rum?" October 2022

Got Rum?

Printed in the u s .A.

A publication of r um r unner Press, i nc. h utto, Texas 78634 - u s .A.

Tel/Fax +1 (855) rum -T i P s © 2022 by r um r unner Press, i nc. All rights reserved.

October 2022

e ditor and Publisher: luis@gotrum.com

e xecutive e ditor: margaret@gotrum.com

Cigar and r um: philip@gotrum.com

Angel’s s hare: paul@gotrum.com

r um h istorian: marco@gotrum.com

r um in the n ews: mike@gotrum.com

Cooking with r um: sue@gotrum.com

w ebmaster: web@gotrum.com

d irector of Photography: art@gotrum.com

i f you would like to submit news or press releases, please forward them to: news@gotrum.com

You can download the free electronic version (low-res) of this magazine, or purchase the high resolution printed version at:

WWW. g OTR um .CO m

The printed version of “ g ot r um?” is produced with F s C-certified paper, which means it is from responsibly managed forests and verified recycled sources.

F ron

nlightened Angels

F

rom T he edi T or Romance vs. Reason

w hy are we passionate about the things (or people) we love? i s it because we understand them logically and that pleases us or because of the irrational or unexplainable way in which they make us feel?

d id our favorite rum gain that title through our understanding of every scientific facet of its creation or because it makes our taste buds happy, or because it helps us recall pleasant memories from our past?

i think that John d enver put it best, in his song “Perhaps l ove”:

“Oh, love to some is like a cloud, To some as strong as steel, For some a way of living, For some a way to feel, And some say love is holding on And some say letting go, And some say love is everything And some say they don’t know.”

o ur reverence towards our heroes is much like our passion towards our favorite drinks or foods. w hy then, do people advice against meeting our heroes? i n the case of human heroes, meeting them in person often results in the discovery of traits previously obscured to us (“oh, he is sooo short”) and in the case of food and drink, learning how they are actually made can uncover unpleasant facts that are hard to ignore later (“is T h AT how sausage is made?”).

d istilled spirits in general, and rum in particular, are no exception to the rule

about meeting our heroes. i often hear comments after people visit their favorite distillery, remarking how unpleasant the smell of the oxidation ponds was or how dunder pits are “so gross”.

Perhaps this is why people also say that “love is blind,” because the blindness allows us to enjoy life’s pleasures without being bogged down by the aspects we find annoying or irritating.

To love and to reason are human, but to do both at the same time is divine! Cheers!

l uis Ayala, Editor and Publisher

http://www.linkedin.com/in/rumconsultant

do you want to learn more about rum but don’t want to wait until the next issue of “got rum?”? Then join the “rum lovers unite!” group on linkedin for updates, previews, Q&A and exclusive material.

T he A ngel’ s sh A re

by Paul s enft

Canerock s piced r um

At this year’s Tales of the Cocktail, Canerock was prominently featured by m aison Ferrand at the “ m eet the d istillers” event. There are not many spiced rum products on the market from Jamaica, and this one is a blend of rums produced at Clarendon and l ong Pond distillers. The rums in this expression have been aged between five and ten years and blended with natural spices with no synthetic flavors. The rum is finished in Pedro Ximenez s herry Casks and then bottled at 40% AB v

m y name is Paul s enft - r um r eviewer, Tasting host, Judge and w riter. m y exploration of r ums began by learning to craft Tiki cocktails for friends. i quickly learned that not all rums are created equally and that the uniqueness of the spirit can be as varied as the locales they are from. This inspired me to travel with my wife around the Caribbean, Central America, and u nited s tates visiting distilleries and learning about how each one creates their rums. i have also had the pleasure of learning from bartenders, brand ambassadors, and other enthusiasts from around the world; each one providing their own unique point of view, adding another chapter to the modern story of rum.

The desire to share this information led me to create www.RumJourney.com where i share my experiences and reviews in the hopes that i would inspire others in their own explorations. i t is my wish in the pages of “ g ot r um?” to be your host and provide you with my impressions of rums available in the world market. h opefully my tasting notes will inspire you to try the rums and make your own opinions. The world is full of good rums and the journey is always best experienced with others.

Cheers!

a ppearance

w alking the aisles of one of my local stores, this bottle practically pops off the shelf with its unique design. The 700 ml bottle has a wooden turtle in the center with embossed ripple effects and the words Canerock across the middle. The label covers the bottom and provides the basic details about the rum.

The cork is secured with clear wrap and has the turtle logo imprinted on the top. The liquid is solid gold amber in the bottle and glass. s wirling the liquid creates a thick band that releases several waves of legs that, over time, steadily become slower and denser, eventually leaving a ring of beads in its wake.

n ose

The aroma of the rum begins with a strong, borderline overpowering, vanilla frosting note that lightens after the glass rests for a few minutes. r evisiting the glass after letting it settle for a few minutes, i detected notes of baking chocolate, coconut, dried orange peel, ginger, allspice, cloves, and a hint of nutmeg syrup.

Palate

The initial sip of the rum releases a rush of caramel-driven flavor balanced by the earthy nutmeg syrup notes that cover the palate. Additional sips reveal the spice flavors from the aroma are present, but the chocolate note is much sweeter than the aroma would lead one to believe. The flavor notes in the middle hit fast, a pop of ginger, a hint of toasted coconut, vanilla, and sweet raisins. Black pepper and oak tannins take over and transition into a sweet, spicy finish that is balanced by the light burn of the alcohol.

Review

For a spiced rum, there is a lot going on with the flavor profile, which made it interesting to evaluate. The sweetness at times can be a bit over the top, but eventually the other flavors do take over and tame it down. For those who are curious, there is no hint of Jamaican funk, but the oak tannin notes are more intense than most spiced rums, and you can definitely pick up on the influence of the sherry cask finish throughout the flavor profile. w hile i am sure this will be perfectly serviceable in any cocktail that calls for a spiced rum, i found myself wanting to make a spiced rum trifle dessert with it because of all the flavors imbedded in the liquid. m ixing it with Coca-Cola, i found the vanilla really dominated the flavor of the drink. m y recommendation is that if you enjoy spiced rums, this one is worth giving a try and experimenting with. i f you do not enjoy spiced rums, this is a hard pass, and you should seek your imbibing pleasures elsewhere.

T he A ngel’ s sh A re by Paul s enft

g host Coast Tiki s piced r um

i t was difficult to resist something with the word “ghost” in the title when choosing a rum for o ctober reviews and h alloween on my mind. g host Coast d istillery of s avannah, g eorgia is known for producing a diverse line of spirits, from their whiskies to fernet. Part of their portfolio is their Tiki s piced r um, which is a molassesbased rum that has been distilled using their copper pot still. The rum is aged in used bourbon barrels for an unspecified amount of time before it is blended to 40% AB v and infused with spices to create their signature flavor.

a ppearance

The entire g host Coast d istillery line uses the same 750 ml bottle design, each with its own distinct color pattern. The spiced rum label is primarily red, white and brown, which works nicely with the color of the rum and clearly states, “ r um with all natural flavors and caramel color.”

The rum in the bottle has a dark hazy amber brown color. i n the glass it lightens slightly, losing the haziness in the bottle. Agitating the liquid creates a razor thin band that thickens slightly before releasing a single wave of legs. As the band evaporates, a ring of residue is left in its wake.

n ose

The aroma of the rum is intensely spicy, with notes of ginger, red hot candy, cinnamon and clove. i picked up a bit of lime zest, toffee and cola

before the alcohol dominated the experience.

Palate

The first sip coated my mouth with a sweet caramel foundation, while the clove, ginger, and candied cinnamon took the mid and high points of the flavor experience. Allspice, citrus, and cola notes round out the flavors before the alcohol takes over in a bitter, spicy finish.

Review

e valuating this rum was a brutally quick experience as it delivers its aroma and flavor profile in a rapid-fire experience. There is nothing complex about the liquid, as it hits hard, takes no prisoners and fades quickly. i have no idea why “Tiki” is in the name other than to perhaps get the attention of certain customers. There is nothing in the profile that would lead it to be particularly functional in that genre of cocktails. i n Coca-Cola, the cinnamon notes just intensify, making the fireball cola effect flavor interesting but not necessarily enjoyable. As far as other drinks go, if you have a cocktail that is naturally flavored with ginger, clove, and/or fireball cinnamon, you may find this an interesting spice rum to experiment with. o therwise, handle it with care and let curiosity or caution be your guide. w hile this spiced rum’s aroma made me think of fall, the flavors did not inspire me.

w ould you like to see your rum reviewed here?

w e don’t charge fees to review rums. You don’t even have to advertise. s o... what are you waiting for??? For more information, please send an email to: margaret@gotrum.com

COOKING WITH RUM

Bringing the Spirit of the Cane Into the Heart of the Kitchen!

by Chef Susan Whitley

s piced Rum- g lazed s hrimp

i ngredients:

• 1 1/2 lb. s hrimp, peeled and deveined

• 3 Tbsp. o live o il, divided

• 1/3 C. s weet Chili s auce

• 1/4 C. s oy s auce

• 1/4 C. s piced r um

d irections:

• 2 Cloves g arlic, minced

• Juice of 1 l ime

• 1/2 tsp. Crushed r ed Pepper Flakes

• 1 g reen o nion, thinly sliced, for garnish

• Place shrimp in a large bowl. i n a medium bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons olive oil, sweet chili sauce, soy sauce, rum, garlic, lime juice, and red pepper flakes. Add 3/4 of the marinade to the bowl of shrimp and let marinate in refrigerator for 15 to 30 minutes.

• h eat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large pan or grill pan over mediumhigh heat. Add shrimp and cook on one side until golden, about 2 minutes. u sing tongs, flip shrimp, then brush with remaining marinade. Cook 1 to 2 minutes more.

• g arnish with green onions and serve immediately. Yields: 4-6 servings.

Photo credit:

Pumpkin Rum Cake

Cake i ngredients:

• n onstick Cooking s pray, for the pan

• 3 C. All-Purpose Flour, plus more for the pan

• 2 C. s ugar

• ¼ tsp. s alt

• ½ C. Buttermilk

• 2 tsp. Baking s oda

• 2 tsp. v anilla e xtract

i ngredients for r um s yrup:

• 2 sticks (1 cup) s alted Butter

• 1 C. s ugar

• 1 ½ C. s piced r um

• 1 tsp. v anilla e xtract

d irections:

• ½ tsp. m aple e xtract

• 2 l arge e ggs

• 2 sticks s alted Butter

• 2 C. Pumpkin Puree

• 2 tsp. Pumpkin Pie s pice, plus more for serving

• ¾ C. Boiling w ater

1. For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350°F. g rease and flour a 10-cup bundt pan, shaking out the excess flour.

2. i n a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar and salt and set aside. i n a separate bowl whisk together the buttermilk, baking soda, vanilla and maple extracts and eggs.

3. i n a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. s tir in the pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice until well combined. n ext, add the boiling water and whisk until the mixture is smooth.

4. Pour the pumpkin mixture into the dry ingredients and whisk together until the flour is just mixed in. s lowly add the wet ingredients and stir until just combined. Pour the cake batter into the bundt pan.

5. Bake for 45 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. r emove the cake from the oven and allow to cool in pan for 15 minutes. w hile cake is still in the pan, poke the cake with a skewer and drizzle ¾ of the rum syrup (see below recipe). Allow the cake to absorb the syrup. About 30-45 minutes. o nce cooled, invert onto a serving platter. Poke the cake all over with a skewer and pour the remaining rum syrup on cake, make sure to get the sides as well.

d irections for r um s yrup:

1. i n a large saucepan over medium heat, combine the butter, sugar and 2 tablespoons water and bring to a boil; cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Turn off the heat. Pour in the rum slowly while stirring and then stir in the vanilla extract. s et saucepan aside until cake is ready. s lice and serve each piece with the s piced r um s auce (below).

s piced r um s auce i ngredients:

• 4 Tbsp. Cornstarch

• 1 quart 40-percent w hipping Cream

• 2 C. g ranulated s ugar

• 1 s tick Butter

• 1 C. s piced r um

d irections:

Blend the cornstarch with 1/2 cup water in a small saucepan. Add the cream, granulated sugar, butter and rum and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until thick.

g ot Rum? October 2022 - 13

Aging

RUM Aging Science

French Oak vs. American Oak

i ntroduction

i n v olume 1 of Rum a ging s cience (published from January through d ecember of 2020), we explored the aging of rum in American o ak, ex- w hiskey barrels. i n v olume 2 (published from January through d ecember of 2021) we explored the aging of rum in new American o ak barrels. This year’s v olume explores the aging of rum in French o ak barrels.

The Rum : Just as we did in v olumes 1 and 2, this new series starts using a lowcongener, column-distilled rum, made from fermented h T ( h igh Test or “ miel virgen ”) molasses. w e use low-congener rum so that we can focus more on detecting the wood extractables and their impact on the rum’s profile.

The Barrel : w e selected barrel number 20-0016, made by i ndependent s tave Company, with toasted staves and char #1 heads (see photo on page 18).

The Wood Extractives : The compositions of both American o ak and French o ak have a lot of things in common. They are, after all, both oaks. But the proportions of the components that are extractable by alcohol differ between one and the other. These extractives include:

• Cellulose - is the most abundant natural polymer on earth. i t consists of linear chains of glucose units and remains relatively intact even after wood curing and toasting.

• h emicellulose - also known as a “wood sugar” is a two-dimensional polymer comprised of many simple sugars, including: Glucose, Xylose, Mannose, Arabinose, Galactose and Rhamnos e.

• l ignin - despite the fact that it is also one of the most abundant nature-produced materials on earth, lignin remains one of the least understood. o ak ligning consists of two building blocks: guaiacyl and syringyl . The former is responsible for producing coniferaldehyde , vanillin and vanillic acid , which -especially the vanillin- are easily recognized in cask-condition spirits.

• Oak tannins - these plant polyphenols derive their name from the l atin word tannum , which means “crushed oak bark,” since in early times oak trees served as a major source of tannin for the leather-tannin industry. Tannins improve aged rum’s character by increasing the perception of balance, complexity and roundness.

s cope of s tudy

e ach month we will evaluate a sample of the rum collected from the barrel and will report its p h , AB v and color. w e’ll compare these results agains those obtained from the rums in v olumes 1 and 2.

RUM Aging Science

s hown above are the rum samples, taken out of the barrels on the 1st day of the month. These samples are aged in (left to right):

a) new French oak barrel (this series) b) new American oak barrel (2021 series) and c) used American oak, ex- w hiskey barrel (2020 series). The concentration of wood extractives is evident to the naked eye.

Rum aged in a new, f rench oak barrel, after 10 months o ur rum has now spent ten months inside its barrel at r um Central’s aging cellar. The temperature during the month of o ctober was very hot and unusually dry. w e only received a bit of rain at the beginning of the month.

French Oak vs. American Oak

RUM Aging Science

French Oak vs. American Oak

Organoleptic Changes

Acidity continues to increase, resulting in additional esterification. The aroma has more intense leathery and spicey tannic notes, from the French oak barrel and the taste continues to develop fruitiness, complexity and depth.

Physical Changes

These are the p h readings, as recorded on the 1st day of each month, compared to the rums from the previous v olumes, which were aged in American o ak barrels.

Above: the barrel that is the subject of this 12-month, rum-aging study. m ade from French o ak, by i ndependent s tave Company. The barrel is being kept at the r um Central d istilled s pirits Plant in Texas.

RUM Aging Science French Oak vs. American Oak

p h n ew French o ak Barrel n ew American o ak Barrel u sed American o ak Barrel

January 7.04 7.04 7.04

February 5.16 5.01 5.67

m arch 4.88 4.80 5.32

April 4.54 4.54 5.23 m ay 4.52 4.45 5.10 June 4.42 4.41 5.03

July 4.28 4.29 4.96

August 4.28 4.09 4.95 s eptember 4.27 4.22 4.84 o ctober 4.27 4.22 4.66

And these are the changes in AB v % readings (as of first day of each month), also compared to the American o ak barrels:

AB v % n ew French o ak Barrel n ew American o ak Barrel u sed American o ak Barrel

January 62.35 62.35 63.43

February 62.30 61.80 63.42 m arch 61.92 61.61 63.43

April 61.89 61.50 63.43

m ay 61.87 61.50 63.40

June 61.89 61.30 63.40

July 61.79 61.19 63.40

August 61.80 61.14 63.50 s eptember 61.96 61.12 63.62 o ctober 62.06 61.25 63.72

Join us again

aging!

month, as

continue

explore the fascinating world

T h E mus E O f mi XO l O gy

by Cris Dehlavi

m y f avorite Cocktail

h ello g ot r um? readers!

i have had a busy couple of months! i was in n ew o rleans in July for Tales of the Cocktail for a week and a half, our first one live and in person since 2019.

i came home for a couple of weeks and then spent a week in m innesota in August taking wse T l evel 3. (A very intense high-level spirit certification).

i t was an incredible experience, tasting nearly 100 spirits in 5 days and learning all of the rules/laws of almost every spirit in the world. i can now easily describe and instruct on how any style of still on the planet works and what style of spirit it produces. Currently, i am writing to you on an airplane headed to e dinburgh, s cotland for a week of distillery trips and the wedding of two of my dearest friends.

m y name is Cris d ehlavi and i am a native of Arizona, but have lived in Columbus, o hio since 2002. i just took on an exciting new role as the Brand e ducator for Columbus for d iageo brands. i ran the bar program at “ m ”, of the Cameron m itchell r estaurant group from 2002-2020. i am currently the v ice President of Columbus us B g and was one of the founding members of the chapter.

i n 2013, i attended the rigorous B.A. r . 5 d ay s pirits Certification and have been recognized as one of the top mixologists in the u s .A. i am one of the senior managers of the prestigious apprentice program at Tales of the Cocktail and work as a mentor to many bartenders around o hio.

m y contribution to g ot r um? magazine will include everything from reviews of national cocktail events, articles on mixology, garnish trends, recipes and techniques, to interviews with some of the leading bartenders in the industry.

Rum?

2022 -

People always ask “ what is your favorite cocktail ?” o r, my favorite- “ If you were on a deserted island and could choose a spirit, what would it be? ” ( w e could only be so lucky to have that choice while stranded on an island). m y answer is always the same, “it depends on the time of year and my mood”. But what is it that makes up the dn A of a “favorite cocktail”? w hen mentoring bartenders on how to create cocktails, these are the key points i impart to them: f lavor, a roma and a esthetic l et’s break them down:

f lavor —Your cocktail has to taste good, that is the most important part. i t can look great and have a wonderful story, but if it doesn’t taste good it will not be re-ordered or remade. Balance is the key here and can be achieved by following recipes and measuring properly. i f you are a home bartender

using instructions from a book, be sure to use a jigger for everything. Another way to find that perfect balance is the 2-1-1 method which covers dozens of classic sour recipes such as the g imlet, m ojito, d aiquiri, s our, Collins and m argarita. This is the concept of using 2 parts base spirit (rum, gin, bourbon, etc.), 1 part sweet and 1 part sour. The “sweet” part can be anything from standard simple syrup to honey to agave nectar to maple syrup. For the “sour” part, think of citruses like lemon, lime, grapefruit or yuzu. This 2-11 formula will create a balanced cocktail every time.

a roma – The aroma of a cocktail is very important and can add so much to the overall enjoyment of the drink. Picture yourself walking into someone’s home that is filled with the scent of the dinner they are preparing. For some, this may even bring back memories of childhood and holidays. This can be done when making cocktails as well by zesting a citrus peel, grating fresh cinnamon and spices, or using fresh herbs. Another fun way to add aroma is a few dashes of your favorite bitters, such as black walnut, cherry, or even celery. i love it when i order a drink and it smells amazing before i have even tasted it. d on’t skimp on this at home either! i call these functional garnishes and they are a critical part of many recipes.

a esthetic – This is the LOOK of the drink. h ave you ever ordered a m ojito and when it is brought to you the mint is wilted? This drives me nuts. i f you are going to use herbs, fruits, or veggies in a cocktail make sure they are crisp and fresh. Another way to add to the visuals of a drink is ice. i n restaurants and cocktail bars you often see large ice cubes and this is something you can absolutely do at home as well. There are also many different shaped ice cube molds available so you can really get creative with them. Fresh edible flowers, spices such as star anise or cinnamon sticks, garnish picks and paper straws are all wonderful options to enhance the aesthetic of your cocktail.

i n closing, i will answer my first question, what is my favorite cocktail?

m y favorite cocktail right now is a r um m anhattan. i prefer it with an aged Jamaican r um and just a hint of something funky like w ray & n ephew to add that incredible aroma of banana. The rich rum flavors of brown sugar, baking spices, and maple work beautifully with sweet vermouth, and as you can see, i prefer the split base of using both Angostura and o range Bitters in mine. For the garnish, i do enjoy the traditional cherry, but i also like to zest orange peel as it not only adds to the aesthetic factor but also the aroma. e njoy!!

J amai C an R um manha TT an

i ngredients:

• 2 oz. Appleton e states r um

• ¼ oz. w ray & n ephew r um

• 1 oz. s weet v ermouth

• 2 dashes of Angostura Bitters

• 2 dashes of o range Bitters

d irections:

s tir well with ice, strain into a coupe glass. g arnish with a cherry and the peel of an orange zested over top then added to the cocktail.

All drinks featured in this section were previously published at: https://www.thespruceeats.com

Jack-O-Lantern

Several Halloween drink recipes use the name jack-o-lantern. Yet, few are as simple or eye-catching as this one. While it’s not a pumpkinflavored cocktail, it certainly looks like one. Inside this glass, you’ll find a pleasant drink of cognac, orange liqueur, and orange juice topped with ginger ale.

1/2

1. In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, shake the cognac, orange liqueur, and orange juice.

2. Strain into a large old-fashioned glass over fresh ice. Top with the ginger ale.

Zombie

There are many cocktail recipes named for things that go bump in the night. A favorite among those is the classic zombie, which is a little different than the zombie punch. Both are old-school tropical cocktails, and either of the fruit-filled, rum-heavy drinks will keep the party going all night.

Ingredients:

• 1 Oz. Light Rum

• 1 Oz. Gold Rum

• 1 Oz. Unsweetened Pineapple Juice

• 1 Oz. Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice, from 1/2 Lemon

• 1 Oz. Freshly Squeezed Lime Juice, from 1 Large Lime

• 1 Oz. Passion Fruit Syrup

• 1/2 Oz. Simple Syrup

• 1 Dash Aromatic Bitters

• 1 Oz. 151-Proof Dark Rum

• Fresh mint sprig, for garnish

Directions

1. In a cocktail shaker, pour the light and dark rums, pineapple and citrus juices, passion fruit syrup, simple syrup, and bitters. Add the high-proof rum now, or reserve it for a float.

2. Fill the shaker with ice. Shake well. Strain into a tall glass filled with fresh ice.

3. Optionally, float the high-proof rum on top of the drink by slowly pouring it over the back of a bar spoon. Garnish with a sprig of fresh mint.

Swamp Water Surprise

Ingredients for the optional “Plasma”:

• 1 (3-Oz.) box flavored gelatin

• 1 C. Water, Boiling

• 3/4 C. Vodka

Ingredients for the cocktail:

• 2 Oz. Rum

• 1/4 Oz. Orange or Blue Curaçao Liqueur

• 1 Oz. Orange Juice

• 1/2 Oz. Lemon Juice

• 2 Tbsp. Gelatin “Plasma” (see above)

Directions

4. In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, pour the rum, curaçao, and lemon and orange juices. Shake well and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

5. If making the “plasma: in a mixing bowl, dissolve the gelatin in boiling water. Stir in the vodka and set the bowl in the freezer. Just before the gelatin sets up completely, whip it with a whisk to form lumps. Let it set for at least 5 minutes. Carfeully spoon the “plasma” into the cocktail.

2022

LIBRARY

r eviews of books related to sugarcane, milling, fermentation, distillation, aging, blending and other topics related to the production or history of rum.

www. r um u niversity.com

s pirit of the Cane – The s tory of Cuban Rum by Jared m . Brown and a nistatia R. m iller

(Publisher’s r eview) n ine years after they first published their first history of Cuban rum, authors Anistatia m iller and Jared Brown have finished scouring libraries, archives, and databases gleaning as much of the truth about the origins of Cuban rum. Their findings include some rather eyeopening discoveries about the contributions made by s panish, French, British, and d utch sources that positioned this seductive spirit ahead of other Caribbean spirits by seeking and adapting new technologies and techniques to its production which is appreciated around the globe.

m iller and Brown have also unearthed new evidence as to the origins of classic Cuban mixed drinks including the m ojito, d aiquirí, e l Presidente, Cuba l ibre, and Piña Colada. This revised and expanded discussion offers a fresh approach to the study of both Cuban rum’s remarkable history and the people who created a genre of mixed drinks that have achieved universal appeal.

As the category continues to grow and mature, the authors present compelling reasons why Cuban rum does not live only on its past merits but shines with a brilliant future in the hands of a new generation of international bartenders.

Publisher: m ixellany l imited (July 30, 2017)

l anguage: e nglish Paperback: 208 pages is B n -10: 1907434488 is B n -13: 978-1907434488

i tem w eight: 14.1 ounces d imensions: 6.14 x 0.57 x 9.21 inches

T h E R um his TOR ian

by m arco Pierini

i was born in 1954 in a little town in Tuscany ( i taly) where i still live. i n my youth, i got a degree in Philosophy in Florence and i studied Political s cience in m adrid, but my real passion has always been h istory and through h istory i have always tried to understand the world, and men.

l ife brought me to work in tourism, event organization and vocational training. Then, already in my fifties i discovered rum and i fell in love with it.

i was one of the founders of the firm La Casa del Rum w e began by running a beach bar in my home town, but soon our passion for rum led us to select, bottle and sell Premium r ums all over i taly.

i have visited distilleries, met rum people, attended rum Festivals and joined the r um Family: the net of distillers, professionals, experts, bloggers, journalists and aficionados that is alive every day on the i nternet and on social media and, before Covid-19, met up every now and then at the various rum events all over the world. And i have studied too, because r um is not only a great distillate, it’s a world. Produced in scores of countries, by thousands of companies, with an extraordinary variety of aromas and flavors, it is a fascinating field of studies. i began to understand something about sugarcane, fermentation, distillation, ageing and so on.

s oon, i discovered that rum has also a terrible and rich h istory, made of voyages and conquests, blood and sweat, imperial fleets and revolutions. i soon realized that this h istory deserved to be researched properly and i decided to devote myself to it with all my passion and with the help of the basic scholarly tools i had learnt during my old university years.

s ince 2013, i have been running this column.

i n 2017 i published the book “A meri CA n rum – A s hort h istory of r um in e arly America”

s ince 2018, i have also been contributing to the m adrid based magazine Rumporter.es , the s panish edition of the French magazine Rumporter

i n 2019 i began to run a Blog: www.therumhistorian.com and decided to leave La Casa del Rum

i n 2020, with my son Claudio, i have published a new book “F ren C h rum – A h istory 1639-1902”.

i am currently doing new research on the h istory of Cuban r um.

his T or Y o F C u BA n rum

4. leg A li ZAT ion

i n this fourth article on the h istory of Cuban rum, i ’m going again to dedicate ample space to Big h istory, and not only to rum. i apologize, but i assure you that the fortunes of our favourite distillate are closely intertwined with h istory in general and you need to know something about the latter, to truly understand the former. m oreover, for our new readers i have to repeat that aguardiente de caña (sugarcane burning water), is what in Cuba they called the spirit made from sugarcane, our r um.

The s even Years’ w ar 1756–1763 (better known in the us as the French and i ndian w ar) is now almost forgotten, but it was of fundamental importance and shaped a great part of our modern world. i t began as a colonial conflict between g reat Britain and France in 1754, when the British sought to expand into territory claimed by the French in n orth America. Then the war involved the major e uropean powers, many i ndian nations and even various Asian powers. s pain joined the war in 1762 siding with France; the

decision was taken after much hesitation, but apparently with full awareness of what was at stake. i n fact, in the preamble to the Treaty of Alliance with France is written: “All of e urope must be aware of the risks that the maritime balance is exposed to, if we consider the ambitious projects of the British Court and the despotism which it tries to impose in all the seas. The e nglish nation has shown, and shows clearly in its proceedings, especially over the last ten years, that it wants to make itself absolute master of the navigation, and does not intend to leave to all the others anything but a passive and dependent trade.”

The war involved all the continents, it was maybe the first real w orld w ar, and it ended with the final victory of g reat Britain, due mainly to its naval superiority. The power achieved by the British n avy allowed it in 1762 to win the biggest prize of all, dreamed of by e nglish pirates and privateers since the times of Francis d rake: capture h avana, seize the Key to the i ndies from s pain.

o n 7th June 1762 60 warships, 150 cargo vessels and 27.000 between soldiers and sailors attacked h avana. For the only time in its history h avana lived the experience of a siege and a bombardment. Two months later, on 12th August, the city surrendered with a number of conditions. i n g reat Britain and in n orth America the enthusiasm was enormous, but the city was handed back to s pain little more than a year later. i n fact, in 1763 with the Peace Treaty, Britain obtained the recognition of its conquest the French e mpire in n orth America, but handed back to France and s pain l ouisiana, Florida the French s ugar i slands and h avana: British w est i ndian planters did not want dangerous competitors within the British e mpire.

The British occupation of the city, although it lasted only 10 months, left an indelible mark. The s panish monopoly was suspended and port traffic experienced a spiralling growth. l ondon did not give h avana complete freedom of

trade, but the freedom to trade within its empire, which was much richer than the s panish one. Perhaps, in actual fact, this great commercial surge was due, at least in part, to the simple fact that smuggling came to light; anyways, it shook things up and had far-reaching consequences.

The short period of booming business activity which British h avana experienced generated, as years went by, a kind of nostalgia that, emphasised by Cuban liberals and by the supporters of independence, influenced the opinion of historians to the point that they considered the year 1762 the real beginning of Cuban development, and indeed the year since which its history deserved to be studied. For example, according to Francisco de Arango y Parreño, the greatest champion of the h avana planters of the next generation: “ i t was a period of true resurrection for h avana ... w ith their negroes and their free trade, the e nglish did more than we had done in the previous sixty years”. Actually, in 1762 Cuba was already a complex, comparatively developed society and the seeds of the progress that in a few decades would make Cuba the richest plantation island in the world had already been sown.

Anyway, one of the most enduring effects was the widening of the divide between peninsulares (that is, people born in s pain) and criollos (that is, people of e uropean origin but born in Cuba). Among the conditions stipulated for the surrender, the British had agreed to respect the customs, religion and property of the inhabitants. And more or less they did with regard to the property of the inhabitants of the city, that is, basically, the Creole bourgeoisie. h owever, they seized the assets of the Crown and of the peninsulares merchants and landowners who had economic interests in h avana, but lived in s pain. The latter were numerous and often were business partners of local merchants, by whom they felt betrayed. The Creole bourgeoisie defended their own interests well, consorting and even collaborating

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with the occupants, so much so that a s panish official wrote, after the end of the occupation: “ o ne flag or the other was secondary, because the Cuban felt assured that he already had his homeland.”

i n 1763 Cuban population was approaching 165.000 people, one third living in h avana and many others concentrated in the other towns, which made the island a predominantly urban society, a feature that, it seems to me, it has retained until the present. d espite immigration and births, the number of inhabitants was kept low by the high mortality rate. The two main scourges were smallpox and the yellow fever, known as black vomit. The former was of e uropean origin, the latter of African origin. The criollos were relatively immunised, but the peninsulares , soldiers, sailors, officials etc died by the thousands. The exports were mainly hides, tobacco and sugar and, as we now, a bit of clandestine rum.

Alejandro o ’ r eilly, born in d ublin around 1725, was an officer in the service of the King of s pain Charles iii . Posted to h avana, he was commissioned to visit the whole island in order to reorganise and strengthen the local militia. But the g overnor also instructed him to report to him about the general situation of the island, the problems and the possible solutions. h e was a cultivated person, steeped in the ideas of the e nlightenment then hegemonic in e uropean culture. A wonderful general culture, far away from the hyper specialization which, in my humble opinion, is one of the weaknesses of our present. o ’ r eilly wrote a short report on his visit, in which, in a discerning, concise way, he described the situation of the island, its main predicaments and the possible solutions. The fundamental problem of the Cuban economy, he wrote, is the commercial monopoly of Cadiz and the consequent, massive spread of smuggling, unquestionably impossible to counter. The inhabitants cannot receive the goods they need, first of all clothes, from s pain,

g ot Rum? October 2022 - 38

and at the same time they cannot export the fruits of their land and of their labor. The situation is particularly serious away from h avana: “ o ver a period of ten years, only what was enough for six-month consumption has reached s antiago, Bayamo, Porto del Principe (present day Camagüey) and the other villages of the interior.” Therefore, as in every prohibition, smuggling, illegality and crime rule, causing serious harm both to private citizens and the s tate. The solution offered by o ’ r eilly is clear: to open Cuba to free trade with all the ports of the s panish e mpire and, in part, to foreign ports too. “The advantages for the King, for s panish trade and the development of the island deriving from the liberalization of trade are countless. They were experienced first-hand during the e nglish domination in h avana. Customs duties increased enormously and, in one year only, about 1.000 ships, carrying all sorts of commodities, entered the port.”

From 1763 on, the opening of Cuba to the world would be an irreversible fact, albeit slow and gradual. e ventually, in 1764 the liberalization of the production of aguardiente de caña was achieved in exchange for the payment of a duty on production and another, specific one on the alembics. The duty on aguardiente de caña was established with r oyal d ecree on 26th m arch, 1764. i t consisted of 2 pesos for every barrel of distillate produced, or a sum that the planters had to agree with the officials of the r oyal Treasury, by signing a sworn report. The following year it was replaced by a duty of 2% a barrel.

But what was this rum like? o bviously, we will never know, but we can say something. For all we know about the production of rum in the past, in all likelihood no drinker would enjoy it today (see “ The Golden Age of Rum ” in the d ecember 2020 issue). And yet, considering its extensive use as medicine, it couldn’t have been that “hot, hellish and terrible liquor” of the previous century either. d efinitely the

quality of the raw material changed and distillation could be more or less accurate, therefore the quality of the rum produced varied; there were those who added flavors and aromas and those who simply adulterated it.

The legalization of 1764 was a special privilege granted to Cuba, whereas in n ew s pain (roughly present-day m exico) the absolute prohibition remained. i n 1788 s ilvestre d iaz de la v ega wrote his great, antiprohibition “ Discurso sobre la decadencia de la agricoltura en el Reyno de Nueva España ” ( e ssay on the decline of agriculture in the realm of n ew s pain) claiming the need to legalize the production of rum in n ew s pain, he also asked that the law specify how it should be produced:

“Aguardiente de Caña will have to be produced with good molasses, known as Curing, and water of good quality, without mixing it with any other things, not even honey; it will have to be made with the utmost cleanliness, and its quality will have to be among those known as oil-proof, h olland y bubble.”

i think oil-proof and bubble tests were more or less the same ones i came across when studying rum in contemporary British Colonies. The former consisted in the addition of a small quantity of olive oil to the spirit: if the oil stayed on the surface it meant that the rum had a low alcoholic strength, below proof; if the oil sank, it was good, above proof. The latter involved the shaking of a small glass tube of the spirit and the subsequent examination of the disappearance of the bubbles. i f they were small and disappeared slowly, the spirit was below proof; it they were large and disappeared rapidly, the spirit was above proof.” About h olland proof i have no idea.

P os T s C ri PT um

Allow me now to make a brief digression which does not concern rum, but h istory in general. g reat Britain’s victory over France in the s even Years’ w ar was above all the result of the victories of the British n avy over its French counterpart. l ater, against n apoleon, naval supremacy preserved g reat Britain’s very existence by preventing its invasion by the unbeatable French army. s o, i wonder what the reasons are for this long British supremacy in naval warfare. French ships were not technically inferior to those of the British, nor were French crews, French merchants, corsairs and pirates second to none. w hy, then, did the French navy suffer so many defeats? Perhaps the answer lies in a different relationship between the navy and society. i n France the highest ranks of both the army and the navy were reserved to the nobility, a warrior caste, but little inclined to the sea, producing great commanders of the army, but not of the navy. i n Britain, on the other hand, the navy was more meritocratic, giving career opportunities to talented young men from (relatively) low social background. s o its captains and admirals tended to be by far more capable. i haven’t researched the question, but i have found at least one credible source: Jane Austen. Persuasion was published in 1818; in the novel, s ir w alter, a conceited, vain nobleman, puffed up with pride due to his social class, but impoverished and weighed down with debt, does not like the navy “as being the means of bringing persons of obscure birth into undue distinction, and raising men to honours which their fathers and grandfathers never dreamt of”

m arco Pierini

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Presents

The Sugar Mill: Origins and Evolution

i ntroduction

s ugarcane ( Saccharum officinarum ) is a perennial grass of the family Poaceae i t is primarily cultivated for its juice, from which alcohol (through fermentation and distillation) and sugar (through dehidration and refining) can be obtained. m ost of the world’s sugarcane is grown in subtropical and tropical areas.

i t is commonly accepted today that sugarcane originated in Papua, n ew g uinea, where it was initially domesticated. The plant was then taken to other lands by traders, where its sweet virtues quickly made it a sought-after commodity.

i t is also commonly accepted that around 10,000 years ago, the original inhabitants of Papua did not have tools to process the cane, meaning that they likely chewed it raw to extract the juice, which was consumed as-is ( n oël d eerr, The History of Sugar: Volume One ).

n ot much written history exists that documents the early extraction of the juice for the purpose of dehydration and formation of sugar crystals until the publication of De Materia Medica , a pharmacopoeia of medicinal plants and the medicines that can be obtained from them, which was written between the years 50 and 70 of the current era by Pedanius d ioscorides, a g reek physician in the r oman army. This is the oldest record documenting the existence of crystalized sugar, which was used at the time to “treat indigestion and stomach ailments.”

h ow did people manage to extract the dissolved sugar from the juice? The answers to this question are at the core of this series. s o join us, as we explore this fascinating topic!

Part 10: a Time-Tested Design, Revisited

i n Part 4 of this series (April 2022), we explored the v ertical Three- r oller m ill, invented in the 1600s and which was constructed from wood. d epending on the source of power (human, animal, water or wind), additional overhead wooden structures were also required to engage the vertical rollers. Those operations required a lot of space and labor, but the materials available at the time left very little choice.

As iron replaced wood as a construction material, the size of the apparatuses decreased, while their tolerances increased, making iron the perfect catalyst for modernization and optimization.

i t was only a matter of time before the original vertical threeroller mill was “upgraded” and this month’s issue explores one such approach made by w . B. Belknap & Company.

The Belknap h ardware Company was originally founded in 1840 in l ouisville, Kentucky. From 1860 to 1880 it changed its name to W. B. Belknap and Company

From 1880 to 1907 it became W. B. Belknap and Company, Incorporated and after 1907 it called itself Belknap Hardware and Manufacturing Company, Incorporated . The company was in operations until 1986.

d uring all those years, Belknap earned a reputation as a fair-dealing, quality merchandiser with a progressive vision.

Belknap was responsible for making the “Blue g rass” and “John Primble” brands household names across America. The company sold several models of cane mills, their most popular being the “ n ew Blue g rass 1896 m odel.” s hown here is the cane mill m odel n o. 2, designed to be animal-powered.

s ugar m ill s potlight

s ugar m ill ruins at the r eef Bay s ugar Factory. r eef Bay s ugar Factory h istoric d istrict is a historic section of s aint John, usvi , located on the south central coast adjacent to r eef Bay. The land is the site of a sugar factory. The property was added to the u s n ational r egister of h istoric Places on July 23, 1981.

Join us again next month, as we continue to explore this fascinating topic!

Rum in T h E n EW s

by m ike Kunetka

C an EROCK J amai C an s P i CED R um

Canerock Jamaican s piced r um is a blend of 100% Jamaican aged rums from two legendary distilleries, l ong Pond and Clarendon, enhanced with delicious natural spices and finished in ex-Pedro Ximénez sherry casks. The new brand offers a spiced rum of rare complexity and character that is meant to be enjoyed slowly and serenely. Jamaica, the third largest island in the Caribbean, is renowned for its powerful, highester rums, combining aromas of ripe tropical fruits with spicy and camphorated notes that are highly appreciated by connoisseurs. m aison Ferrand, creator of fine spirits, was inspired by the inimitable profile of Jamaica’s rums to produce its first spiced rum expression. i n a complete departure from the neutral base spirits often used in rums of this category, Canerock is above all, the expression of its terroir, a product with Jamaican roots crafted according to traditional methods. m aison Ferrand makes the most of the expertise of two of the island’s legendary production facilities, l ong Pond and Clarendon distilleries, both proud representatives of the diversity of Jamaican rums with centuries of expertise between them. A blend of rums distilled in pot and column stills, including high-ester rums aged between 5 and 10 years, Canerock Jamaican s piced r um achieves the perfect balance between elegance and power.

Canerock is infused with carefully selected natural spices, as opposed to synthetic flavors. i t took three years and more than 90 experiments to find the best combination of ingredients to highlight the rum’s unique character: vanilla beans from m adagascar, coconuts from the Caribbean and a touch of ginger from Jamaica. e ach ingredient is infused individually to ensure the best extraction of aromas before being blended with the rum. Cultivation of vanilla, one of the world’s most precious spices, is extremely complex. Coconut flesh sweetens the mélange with texture and richness. g inger, frequently used in the culinary specialties of the island, completes the recipe with a fresh and spicy touch of herbaceous notes. The final step in the production of Canerock is maturation of the blended rum for several months in ex-Pedro Ximénez sherry casks. This s panish sweet wine has intense notes of honey and raisins that add complexity and length to this delicious, spiced rum. https://www.canerock.com/

D is T ill VE n T u RE s and KRO man T i R um

s ince launching its Pre-Accelerator Program in July, 2021, d istill v entures (‘ dv ’), the world’s first independent drinks accelerator devoted to building and scaling the drinks brands of the future, has invested its initial goal of $5 million to entrepreneurs from underrepresented communities. r ecently, dv announces its aim to invest an additional $5 million in global funding committed by d iageo, dv ’s sole funding partner, over the next year. Through the Pre-Accelerator, dv has created a more accessible runway to unlock seed funding, a key barrier reported by entrepreneurs from historically underrepresented communities. s ince its launch, it has attracted more than 300 applications from a broad range of applicant backgrounds, with nearly 50% of applicants identified as women, 50% as Black/African/Caribbean, 17% as l atin, 16% as having Asian heritage and 11% as lg BTQ i A+. i n year one, dv backed 10 drinks brands in the u nited Kingdom, u nited s tates and The n etherlands, and their 19 founders, alongside d iageo, including Kromanti, a spiced Caribbean rum founded in 2020 by a father/daughter duo, Cashain d avid and d anielle d avid, who are descended from a group of enslaved Africans known as Kromantis. The Kromanti people lived off the land and understood how to use the natural ingredients around them to treat disease and care for themselves and each other. Through stories, folklore, and family secrets, this knowledge has been handed down and the d avids hope to honor the Kromanti history with their range of rums infused with Caribbean herbs, spices, and fruits. Cashain and d anielle have created a signature rum infused with the sweet and sour notes of the Tamarind fruit, along with cinnamon and nutmeg. They won a Bronze m edal at last year’s iws C Awards. Frank l ampen, C eo , d istill v entures, said: “ w e’re incredibly proud of the work we’ve done over the past year, identifying and partnering with highly impressive entrepreneurs from underrepresented communities, but we recognize that this is just the beginning. o ur focus has been, and will continue to be, helping founders unlock seed

funding, and we look forward to working together to achieve further growth.” The Pre-Accelerator offers an initial investment of up to $500,000 and six to twelve months of bespoke acceleration support to prospective founders. Afterwards, the company can seek further investment from d istill v entures and d iageo, or from other capital sources or strategic partners without restriction. Applications to join the Pre-Accelerator are open from now to s eptember 30 for prospective founders in the u nited s tates, and from now until d ecember 1 for founders globally. The 2023 program is slated to begin in February and m arch, respectively. www.distillventures.com/pre-accelerator/, https://www.kromantirum.com/

D i P l O ma T i CO

d iplomático is ranked among the finest premium rums all around the globe, but the question is where in the globe is ranked best to savor d iplomático? The perfect rum deserves the perfect place. To help answer that question, d iplomático has chosen six of the world’s best bars:

• s almon g uru - m adrid, s pain. s pain’s most idiosyncratic bar is a space where anything is possible. s almon g uru is a quirky concept bar with a heady fusion of bright color that’s nothing if not a weird and wonderful escapism (not that you need escaping from the beautiful streets of central m adrid). The venue holds three distinctly dazzling rooms: an exotic 1950s tropical speakeasy section, a glamorous h ollywood night market den and a neon lit comic book themed lounge area. i t might sound like there’s a lot going on, but in fact the place is surprisingly intimate and cozy amidst the madness with relaxed, good vibes all round. And the interior is just the start of the creativity. s almon g uru’s cocktail menu knows no boundaries. e xpect your liquid creations to come bursting with quirky, exotic flavors and to arrive in custom glassware like you’ve never seen before, think treefrogs, bumblebees, piranhas, and dragons. And the menu is categorized not by spirit but by flavor (fruity, powerful, sour, refreshing). d on’t let the eccentricity fool you because the food and cocktails are some of the best in the world.

• The American Bar at The s avoy h otel - l ondon, u nited Kingdom. h olding the impressive crown of the longest surviving cocktail bar in l ondon, the American Bar at the s avoy pays homage to the incredible lifetime of dedication of the bar’s infamously talented bartenders and guests. Take a look at the walls adorned with photographs and drawings of the many famous clientele from the last 129 years. A mixture of bespoke glamor and traditional style with sweeping curtains, mirrors and original cocktail tables. Known for its 1930s elegance, the bar serves vintage classics with a twist. o rder from The s avoy s ongbook – a cocktail menu featuring 20 cocktails inspired by those that have performed at the bar.

• Café l a Trova - m iami, us A. The neighborhood’s most vibrant spot where locals and tourists hijack corners of the bar to chat about the world passing

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by whilst they sip on Cuban cocktails and nibble on world-class Cuban bar snacks. d esigned like a scene straight from the streets of h avana, you’re surrounded by hanging plants, old wooden tables, ramshackle terracotta walls with little balconies and windows and even washing hanging up on clothes lines on the ceiling above you. Café l a Trova specializes in the elite ‘cantinero’ style of bartending that iconized Cuba’s heyday in the early twentieth century, so expect to find handsome waist-coated bartenders theatrically showing off their mixology skills as you listen to the live Cuban band on the intimate stage in the middle of the bar.

• h uerta Coctelería Artesanal - Bogotá, Colombia. l ocated within the Bio h otel o rganic s uites (the first fully self-sustainable hotel in Colombia), h uerta’s interior is inspired by its ethical menu concept. Think weathered wooden crates, rustic doors and tree branches weaving in and around the rooms. This ultra cool cocktail bar offers a unique experience. i t offers flavors that showcase regional spirit and culture and also uses artisanal processes to craft their own ingredients grown right on-site in the bar’s very own garden (which also provides a beautiful place to sit).

• 28 h ong Kong s treet - s ingapore, s outheast Asia. 28 h ong Kong s treet lies concealed behind an inconspicuous and unfussy 1960s shopfront. w ith no signage on the door, it relies on word-of-mouth for its clued-up clientele, giving it an exclusively cool and exciting atmosphere. i nside takes a different angle, shiny, sleek black interiors, a neat display of lit-up liquors, secluded booths, and mellow lighting reminiscent of a bachelor pad. d rink along to the sounds of nineties hip-hop classics which also provide the names of some of the exceptional drinks on the list.

• m aybe s ammy - s ydney, Australia. Probably one of the chicest bars on this list, m aybe s ammy is an opulent Art d eco paradise full of pink velvet banquettes, grand gold lamps, palm tree wallpaper, marble tiles, pastel pinks and greens, indoor plants, and swing jazz music. i t’s 1950s h ollywood glamor down to a T. The bar’s signature serves are named after the era’s favorite haunts from along the l as v egas strip and the spirits list goes on endlessly. w hen you do finally reach the rum section, you’ll notice the menu is divided by the origins of the spirit (choose from s panish style, British style or French style). From there you can decide what specialty rum cocktail you’d like and what brand of rum you’d like it to be made with. A super personalized rum cocktail to say the least.

a PP l ETO n E s T a TE s

The Jamaica g leaner recently reported that Appleton e state recently launched its Appleton e state d ecades in the Cayman i slands. “ w e have always made efforts to secure the best for our consumers and we are here to tell all rum collectors that a new asset will be making its way to the shores of Cayman. w e will

g ot Rum? October 2022 - 50

be distributing Appleton e state d ecades. s o far, the product has drawn much interest in the industry, and we anticipate that it will do well here,” said Beverage d ivision m anager for Jacques s cott w ines and s pirits l imited, John Alban. r um collectors and enthusiasts from the Cayman i slands got a chance to obtain their own bottle of Appleton e state d ecades at the Kimpton s eafire r esort and s pa, where the rum was launched in fine style. “Appleton e state’s premium expressions are celebrated as some of the finest rums in the world, comprising an award-winning core range. h owever, it is also a well-known fact among rum enthusiasts globally that the brand’s continued commitment to launching limited-edition, super prestigious offerings have also put them in the spotlight. i t is with this that we announce the latest prestigious exclusive offering, Appleton e state d ecades,” said m aster Blender and Tourism Ambassador for Jamaica, d r. Joy s pence. “ i am delighted to share my deep passion for rummaking with this new release. As one of the oldest rum distilleries in Jamaica, we continue to make history with the introduction of this never-before-done blend of rums from each of the last six decades. i am honored to have played a part in the creation of this unique, premium expression, a celebration of my country’s 60th anniversary of i ndependence. i am also deeply honored to represent Jamaica in the Cayman i slands, a territory with which we share a deep, storied history,” s pence added. o nly 1,962 bottles were produced, in tribute to Jamaica’s year of independence. At the Appleton e state d ecades Jamaica r um launch at the salubrious s unken g arden at h ope Botanical g ardens in Kingston, bottle number 1,962, signed by m aster Blender d r. Joy s pence, was auctioned for usd $16,000, almost 10 times its original retail price of usd $1,700. All the iconic brand’s released limited time offers are crafted by d r. Joy s pence, the world’s first female master blender, who this year celebrated her 40-plus years as chief creator of the brand. i n 2022, Appleton e state showed its power in the premium rum category when it released not one but two lT o s, the first being the r uby Anniversary e dition created in celebration of the master blender herself and the second being the tribute rum for Jamaica’s 60th year of i ndependence, d ecades. https://appletonestate.com/

KO hana

The newest release of Kō Hana’s KOA Hawaiian Agricole r um has been aging for just shy of 3 years in American o ak and h awai’i’s endemic Koa wood barrels. K o A is the most elegant expression of barrel aged agricole rum Ko h ana offers. As the staff goes through their cask selecting process, certain barrels have a perfect balance of flavor and body. s ome of those rums are so balanced they are chosen to finish aging them in Koa casks, h awaii’s most famous endemic hardwood. Touched with a reddish hue, K o A is bottled at cask strength at 50% alcohol by volume with floral hints of orange blossom and crisp apple notes playing in the background behind sweet black tea and warm baking spices. K o A uses the Kea heirloom h awaiian sugarcane to create the base for this rare and luxurious spirit. https://www.kohanarum.com/

ha V ana C lu B

r um drinkers are invited to put their own spin on the h avana Club 7 label via a new digital platform, called h avana Club Create. The digital platform has been designed to offer three ‘distinct visual universes’ inspired by the streets of h avana. The three ‘universes’ have been divided into ‘ g raphic s cenes’, ‘ n eon w aves’, and ‘Blooming w alls’. Consumers can play with 81 design combinations in the graphic universes to design both front and back labels. There is to be an option to add a personal message to the front label. u sers can then download their design for free and share it on social media networks directly from the platform. h owever, when i searched for the digital site i was able to locate a You Tube video, but could not find the site itself. h opefully, by publication time, h avana Club will have this corrected. https://havana-club.com/en/#hc-create-push

la mais O n & VE li ER

w ith its varied portfolio of expertly crafted rums, l a m aison & v elier was highly awarded this year at the i nternational w ine & s pirits Awards. iws C announced them as winners of the iws C 2022 r um Producer Trophy, sponsored by v etroelite. w ith 10 iws C 2022 medals to its name, and products from across the rum-producing world, l a m aison & v elier clearly demonstrated its expertise in this year’s competition. “ w e have this desire to reveal hidden gems of the rum world,” says m anaging d irector Francesco s igna. “ w e strive to reflect the great diversity that can be found around the world of rum production,” he says. “ w e are continuously inspired by the world of producers, offering the best rum expressions with a rigorous selection.” w hile l a m aison & v elier rums from h aiti, Panama, Barbados, France and Australia garnered awards, it was their Jamaican rums that claimed the highest scores. The judges were especially impressed by Transcontinental r um l ine Jamaica 2016 5-yearold, commenting that it was: “Bursting with complexity on the nose, with a fascinating tropical fruit and chocolate character.” The Transcontinental r um l ine is a collection of spirits, all bottled in 2021, which offer pure expressions of rum with no colorings or sugar added. The philosophy behind the range is to pay homage to rum’s storied history, travelling between continents. The rums are matured both in their country of origin and in e urope prior to bottling. This line has hand-selected rums that feature the purest, most exciting spirts you’ll find,” says the team.

https://www.lamaisonandvelier.com/

in TER na T i O nal W in E & s P i R i T s CO m PET i T i O n

o ther g old m edal winners at this year’s iws C include Bacardi 10 Y o g ran r eserva d iez r um; Cutwater s pirits Bali h ai Tiki d ark r um; o xenham Craft d istillery Bougainville v ieux d omaine s pice r um; Taxi s pirit Company Cabby’s o verproof r um; d istillerie l ongueteau Classic Collection l e 62 r hum Agricole; Trois r ivières Cuvée du m oulin vo r hum v ieux Agricole and Triple m illésime 2001 2005

2011 r hum v ieux Agricole; r l s eale & Company l imited d oorly’s 12 Y o r um and d oorly’s 14 Y o r um; h olyrood d istillery 98 e lizabeth Yard d iamond d istillery 10 Y o r ed w ine o ctave r um, e lizabeth Yard d iamond d istillery 10 Y o u ngrogged American o ak o ctave r um, e lizabeth Yard l ongpond 21 Y o r um, e lizabeth Yard s avanna d istillery 8 Y o PX s herry o ctave r um and e lizabeth Yard s avanna d istillery 8 Y o u ngrogged American o ak o ctave r um; The e quiano r um Co e quiano r um; m aison l a m auny e xtra old r hum v ieux Agricole and vo r um; m aison Peyrat m oko r um; The g ower g in Company m orl adron g ower h oney s piced r um; s ugar h ouse r um o verproof r um; h ampden e state Pagos e x s herry Cask r um; and w orthy Park e state r um-Bar w hite o verproof r um; Pot s till d rinks r unaway Bay r um; https://iwsc.net/results

ang O s T u R a

i n the early 1900’s, m anuel Fernandes and his family made the destined journey to Trinidad from m adeira, Portugal. i n the century that followed, the Fernandes family cemented their roots in this beautiful Caribbean i sland and made their name as a connoisseur of spirts worldwide. Ferdi’s Premium r um was launched in the 1930’s and distills the joys of that era’s successes into a drink best reserved for life’s most meaningful climaxes. Considered a premium Fernandes rum, Ferdi’s delicately woody aroma belies its contrasting fire and ice taste, providing a wholly enriching experience that honors its golden hue. m ade for T&T’s mature rum lovers, this limited edition run of Ferdi’s Premium r um was expertly crafted to commemorate Trinidad & Tobago’s 60th independence; a liquid love letter to the palette reminiscent of T&T from the 1930’s, impeccably maintained in the esteemed Fernandes style. h is rum is Angostura’s gift to T&T, the shining reincarnation of a classic rum to commemorate T&T’s diamond anniversary. https://www.angostura.com/ferdis-premium-rum/

P lan T a T i O n

Plantation g uyana 2007 is the fourth bottling in the m aison Ferrand-owned brand’s u nder the s ea v intage collection n o 2. i t features a blend of rums produced in column and pot stills that were aged in both g uyana and France. i t was selected from the cellars of d emerara d istillers l imited, where it had been maturing for 13 years in ex-Bourbon casks, by the managing director and rum historian at w est i ndies r um d istillery, Andrew h assell. i t was then transferred to French oak casks to finish in Javrezac, France, to age for an additional two years. The expression is the result of one-week fermentations that were distilled in three historic stills: the Port m ourant double wooden pot still, the French s avalle four-column metal still and the e nmore w ooden Coffey still. i t was bottled at 51% AB v and contains no added sugars.

https://www.plantationrum.com/

g ot Rum? October 2022 - 51

E XC lusi VE in TERV i EW

s ugarcane-growing tradition, an idyllic island, fermentation and distillation knowhow and tropical weather perfect for a barrel aging cellar, these are all key components for a perfect rum dream. And best of all, the dream came true for h ilton h ead d istillery, thanks to a lot of hard work and dedication. i am extremely pleased to share this amazing story with all of you, hope you can visit them in person soon. Cheers!

m argaret Ayala, Publisher

Q: Please state your names, titles and distillery location.

m att m anning, w holesale d irector, h ilton h ead i sland

w hitney m eriwether, g eneral m anager & m aster d istiller

w e are h ilton h ead d istillery. l ocated on picturesque h ilton h ead i sland, s C.

Q: m ost people do not associate the state of s outh Carolina with rum, yet here you are with a rum-centric operation. Can you explain how h ilton h ead Distillery came into being and why rum plays such an important role?

m att : h ilton h ead d istillery came about from a combination of two age-old

by m argaret Ayala

l eft to r ight: m att m anning, w holesale d irector and w hitney m eriwether, g eneral m anager/ m aster d istiller, h ilton h ead d istillery, h ilton h ead i sland, s outh Carolina, us A.

traditions. Caribbean rum making and Appalachia whiskey distilling. And what goes better than r um and an island! w e seek to plant the flag in h ilton h ead as America’s r um d istillery.

Whitney : That’s a great question. The rum focus is one of the things that attracted me to h ilton h ead in the first place. There are not many craft distilleries who are focusing on rum production. i t’s a bit of a mystery to a lot of makers. s outh Carolina has a rich history in growing sugar cane, the base of all rum. Couple that with the fact that rum is truly the original American spirit that started on the eastern seaboard, and you may agree that Coastal Carolina is the perfect location for a rum distillery.

Q: m att, this is not your first job at a craft distillery. you were previously overseeing operations at Dark Corner Distillery, correct? h ow are your current day-to-day responsibilities different now, compared to your previous job?

m att : Yes. m y job responsibilities have always been a revolving hat of many things. Both with d ark Corner and with h ilton h ead. i always seem to go where i am needed most. w ith h ilton h ead my main focus is pushing our portfolio forward in wholesale distribution and product development.

Q: Whitney, you too are a veteran in the craft spirits industry, correct? Please tell us more about your experience in

g ot Rum?

the West Coast and what brought you to South Carolina.

Whitney : Since late 2020 I have been here in SC, but before that I had been distilling professionally for over a decade in Seattle, WA.

Q: Operating a distillery on the mainland is hard enough, but doing so on an island adds an additional level of complexity. Can you tell us how being on an island affects your daily activities? (environmental issues, transportation logistics, weather, etc.)

Whitney : While we are off the beaten path, Hilton Head Island is a vacation destination so the infrastructure is pretty well developed. We truly are on island time, however, and things can take a lot longer than what we would expect in a larger city.

Matt : Yes, there is one way on and off this island so traffic can be a nightmare. But other than that, the pros always outweigh the cons.

Q: But being on an island also has benefits not available to land-locked distillers, right? What are some of the benefits that come with your territory?

Whitney : There are so many benefits to our location, for making rum in particular. The heat and humidity are very helpful for maturation, in the rum world we might call it “tropical aging” vs. “continental aging.”

While we lose more to the angels, our spirits mature much faster than what is typical. Also, the vast biodiversity that is ever present, even in the air we breathe. It wouldn’t be good for wine making, but for making rum these wild yeasts and bacteria help to create the tropical and fruity flavors we love in a good rum. I can

Photo credit: @samphen

go on for days about the dunder, the muck pit, the coffin, and the ultra funk we are creating, but I’ll spare you the paper.

Matt : There are plenty of benefits to being on an island. We have a captive audience of just over 3 million visitors each year. Not to mention our soft sandy beaches and warm salty air which helps in the aging process of our spirits.

Q: Are you fermenting molasses, cane juice, or something else? How long does your fermentation last and is it the same for all your rums?

Whitney : Yes, yes, yes, and it depends. We make some light rum from a combination of molasses and cane syrup, this is a very quick and clean fermentation lasting 3-5 days. On the other end of the spectrum we make heavy, full flavored rum with 100% molasses. This fermentation can go for over two weeks and can include

some fun additions such as dunder and muck to increase the flavor potential. One of our most special rum recipes uses one of my favorite substrates, Panela sugar. Panela is like a whole sugar, basically dehydrated cane juice. We source ours from a small family farm in Columbia. It yields a rum that is fresh and earthly like an agricole rhum, but still creamy, sweet, and savory like a demerara.

Q: What about your stills, can you tell us who designed them for you?

Whitney : Our still house was designed with help from some rum makers in the Cayman Islands, and input from the legendary Michael Delevante. We also have our first still ever, an 85 gallon legit Apalachan copper pot still welded by our founder and his father, her name is Bertha. I added a double retort system to juice up my Hogo rum, and we still use it regularly. Between us, Bertha is my favorite.

Rum?

Photo credit: @samphen

• Toasted Coconut - Our Platinum white rum with all natural coconut flavor and lightly sweetened with cane sugar. This sweet and tasty rum makes a great island cocktail.

• Platinum White - Platinum is the workhorse of our rum house. Made with molasses as golden cane syrup, this pre-cask spirit is copper pot distilled to be smooth, subtly sweet, with notes of vanilla and molasses.

• Spiced Rum - Our spiced rum is handcrafted using our custom spice blend including whole Tahitian vanilla beans, orange peel, cinnamon, allspice, a touch of caramel, and more. Only real spices, no extracts or flavorings.

• Bananas Foster - Our house-made Platinum rum, macerated and distilled with caramelized banana, Tahitian vanilla, a dash of cinnamon, and finished with a brown sugar banana syrup.

• Solera Rum - Started in 2015, every bottle of our Solera Rum has a portion of our oldest rum. The Solera aging system ensures consistency while allowing quality to improve with age. Our Solera starts with Port casks and finishes with former Bourbon casks. Characterized by notes of vanilla crème brûlé, toasted oak, baking spice, and tropical fruit. While our rum has a notable sweetness, no sweetener or additives are ever added. By the end of 2022 our solera will consist of 50 barrels, from what we can tell that makes ours the largest and oldest Solera in the Continental US.

• Dark Pineapple Rum - All natural pineapple juice is used to flavor a combination of aged and white rums. To this we add rum that has been aged with fresh pineapples that are chargrilled and caramelized over open flames.

• Panela Rum - Panela is the least processed of any granulated sugar. In essence it is Whole Sugar, the fresh

pressed cane juice is gently heated to evaporate and remove the water. This process leaves behind not only the sucrose, but all of the nutrients and flavor essence of the sugar cane. Our Panela Navy Strength Rum showcases the essence of sugar cane. The flavor is delicate and complex, with floral notes and Bartlett pear, vanilla, caramel cream, fresh sugar cane.

• Atlantic Bourbon - Hilton Head Atlantic Bourbon is a unique whiskey expression only possible in the coastal southeast. Straight bourbon was aged in a continental climate and moved to our tropical zone for a total of 3-6 years, then finished in barrels that formerly held Hilton Head Distillery’s Solera Rum. This bourbon is notably sweet on the outset, then develops on the palate with rich flavors of caramel, vanilla, and baking spice. The essence of tropical fruit and floral notes are undeniable effects of the rum barrel finishing. At 92°, this non-chill filtered bourbon is an excellent sipper and will stand out in all of your favorite cocktails.

Q: Wow! You have such an array of unique and interesting rums, hence many cocktails to offer guests, right? Do you have a favorite cocktail and why?

Whitney : I love a good daiquiri, but not the blended thing with cheap syrup. I’m talking Rum, Lime, and Sugar, that’s the holy trinity of rum. That said, there are too many variations to count. These three ingredients are the foundation on which so many beautiful cocktails can be built.

Matt : For me it’s hard to have just one favorite. My curious and adventurous nature leads me to seek the unexplored and try the unusual. If I had to make a choice though I would say the old fashioned - or some riff on the classic - is probably my go to drink in just about any bar.

Q: I love coconut, so if I were to visit your distillery, what cocktail would you recommend for me?

g ot Rum? October 2022 - 57

Q: What rums and flavored rums are you currently producing?

Whitney : I have to send you towards a delicious classic, the timeless pina colada. So tasty, and when done well it can really showcase a quality rum.

Matt : It would depend on the time of year for me. In the summer our coconut mojito is one of my favorite cocktails. Boozy, light, refreshing and totally crushable. For the holidays, Coquito is the way I’m going everytime.

Q: Do you have plans to add new rums to your portfolio soon?

Whitney : We just added three new products which we are incredibly proud of. Our Panela Navy Strength, the Solera Rum, and the third is our Rum Cask Finished Bourbon. These just hit distribution in SC, and we intend to bring them to some neighboring states next year.

Q: Where are your products currently available for purchase?

We are currently available at spirits retailers across South Carolina, as well as hundreds of bars and restaurants.

Q: Do you offer tours at the distillery? If so, are reservations recommended or required?

Yes we do! We offer them daily from 125pm. Reservations are recommended, but not required. You can book your tour right from our website:

www.hiltonheaddistillery.com/experiences

Q: Can you tell us a bit about what a customer will experience when they arrive at the distillery?

An immersive, multi-sensory experience for those looking to geek out and deepen their love of craft distilled spirits. From an informative distillery walk-through to an exclusive sampling of our finest spirits, the Distillery Tour & Tasting is sure to keep you engaged and entertained.

1. Learn about rum and our location

2. Feel the heat from the still.

g

Rum? October 2022 - 58

3. Smell the molasses, panela, or grain in the kettle..

4. See the bottle filling process.

5. Mix and mingle with our team.

6. Redeem $5 Bottle Bucks towards purchase of your first bottle.

7. Take home a free souvenir shot glass.

8. After your tour, enjoy a tasting flight of neat samples that you’ll sip overlooking the Distillery and stacked barrels of our aging spirits.

Q: In addition to the tour, tastings and cocktail bar, you also offer classes, correct? Can you tell us more about the classes?

Yes, we host fun and informative classes a few times each month. Cocktails range from FlamingTiki drinks to the All-Time Classics, as well as, some seasonally themed classes. They have been a really fun experience for our entire team. Guests are greeted with a welcome cocktail as they arrive. We set each group up with all the necessary cocktail tools needed to create 3 distinct and unique cocktails. We then take our guests on an exploration into the history, science, and theories behind craft cocktails. Most importantly though, we take the time to enjoy each handcrafted cocktail and talk about the nuances of each one. Everyone gets to leave with a bottle of their choice and souvenir glass!

Q: I am a HUGE fan of sea turtles and I understand that the island’s hatching

season is happening right now (from May through October). Are you all involved with helping out the sea turtles or are there other social/community programs where you are actively involved?

Whitney : Yes! I am also a little obsessed with the sea turtles. We have started donating to a couple great organizations, Sea Turtle Patrol Hilton Head, and Turtle Trackers of HHI. Everyone on the island takes extra special care not to disturb our sea turtle population.

Q: If people want to contact you, how may they reach you?

The best way to reach us is through our website, hiltonheaddistillery.com. Also follow us on instagram!

Whitney : We are just so excited to see where American rum is going, and to be a part of the new guard. We have some really unique, creative, and delicious spirits on the horizon and we can’t wait to share them all with spirits lovers everywhere!

Margaret : Again Matt and Whitney, thank you so much for this opportunity and I wish you and your entire team all the best of luck.

Cheers!

Margaret Ayala, publisher of “Got Rum?”

Q: Is there anything else you would like to share with our readers?

C iga R & R um P ai R ing by Philip i li Barake

m y name is Philip i li Barake, s ommelier by trade. As a result of working with selected restaurants and wine producers in Chile, i started developing a passion for distilled spirits and cigars. As part of my most recent job, i had the opportunity to visit many Central American countries, as well as, rum distilleries and tobacco growers.

But my passion for spirits and cigars did not end there; in 2010 i had the honor of representing Chile at the i nternational Cigar s ommelier Competition, where i won first place, becoming the first s outh American to ever achieve that feat.

n ow i face the challenge of impressing the readers of “ g ot r um?” with what is perhaps the toughest task for a s ommelier: discussing pairings while being well aware that there are as many individual preferences as there are rums and cigars in the world.

i believe a pairing is an experience that should not be limited to only two products; 2022

it is something that can be incorporated into our lives. i hope to help our readers discover and appreciate the pleasure of trying new things (or experiencing known things in new ways).

Philip # gr CigarPairing

s weet Old f ashioned

As all of you know very well by now, i love the o ld-Fashioned cocktail technique applied to rum. i ’ve tried with several different approaches and have been pleasantly surprised by some of them. o ne such recent surprise was that of refreshing/ infusing the ice with coffee, then using that ice to make the cocktail. The coffee-flavored ice greatly contributes to the cocktail.

For this pairing, instead of using an espresso, i opted to refresh/infuse the ice with a coffee rum liqueur. There are several brands you can chose from, hopefully you’ll find options that use sugarcane alcohol, which is a great starting point.

This is the recipe i followed for the s weet Old f ashioned :

• 2 ½ oz. Zacapa 12 Ambar

• 1 oz. Flor de Caña Coffee l iqueur

• Angostura Bitters

• Fresh slice of o range, as garnish

As i explained earlier, you will need a cocktail shaker or a large glass, fill it up with ice and then add the coffee liqueur. s tir the ice with a bar spoon (or a long spoon) for approximately 30 seconds. Pour out the coffee liqueur, saving the infused ice for the cocktail.

You can now proceed and prepare the r um o ld Fashioned with the Zacapa Ambar, do not stir the ingredients in the ice too much or you’ll have a watered-down cocktail. r emember to add a few drops of Angostura Bitters before transferring the cocktail to the serving glass. Finally, garnish with a fresh slice of orange, to get the refreshing citric notes that are perfect for this preparation.

Photo credit: @Cigarili

For the cigar i selected a r obusto (5 x 52) n atural l ote 23 from Perdomo, from the e stelí v alley, n icaragua. This is a tobacco that comes from a new parcel, the leaves are then aged between 4 and 6 years, resulting in a creamy character, medium body with hints of peanut, coffee and dried fruits. This geographical area produces three different wrappers: Connecticut, m aduro and n atural, this last one is the one we’ll be smoking in this pairing.

The wrapper is exquisite, well-worked and with a natural toast. After cutting and lighting the cigar, i noticed that the draw was excellent, which magnified all the notes i perceived prior to the lighting.

s ome notes were enhanced more than others during the pairing, such as, the

coffee notes and the orange peel, this last one being a combination of dry orange peel and fresh zest from the garnish. To sum up, the pairing was very well rounded where neither the cigar nor the cocktail dominated.

As i progressed from the first to the second third of the cigar, i noticed that the transition was very smooth and seamless, the cigar kept balancing the cocktail with its warm notes and hints of dry fruits. i t is truly a simple and enjoyable pairing, perfect for a dinner party with friends. i hope you are able to recreate it at home.

Cheers! Philip i li Barake # gr CigarPairing