I love rum. It’s got a beautiful flavour of caramel and molasses that make it a great spirit to just taste ever so slowly and savour every drop.
Even better, when you think of rum and its uses, all I can think of are fun cocktails. Daiquiris, Mojitos, Pina Coladas. I can’t think of another spirit that I’d love more on a nice summer holiday on the beach.
Rum is a lot more than just a spirit in your favourite cocktail, though. It’s got a serious side too. Aged rums are slowly catching the eyes of discerning drinkers, and bars like Sugarhall which specialise in rums are starting to pop up. Not just that, but the Rum Jam was held a few weeks back, joining Whisky Live and Wine Fiesta to serve the drinking needs of the public. We want more excuses to drink!
Thanks to the lovely folks at Fiji Water, I had a chance to visit the Rum Jam and see it for myself. While modest at the moment, there was plenty of fun to be had anyway. It definitely wasn’t about low quality mixing rums, but the aged dark rums that deserve a place next to your bottles of scotch. Like whisky, I prefer my rum neat, and the cold, clear water came in really handy when it came to releasing the flavours in the rum (dropwise) and cleansing the palette (a lot more than dropwise).
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Ian Burrell, the Global Rum Ambassador, was in town to introduce a tasting flight of rums, and he turned out to be a pretty funny guy! While he covered far too many rums to cover blow-by-blow, there were some highlights that definitely stood out.
First up was the Mount Gay Extra Old, from Barbados. I lean towards drinks with a honeyed, citrusy taste, and this one had spice, vanilla and wood on top of everything else. Of particular note was the finish, which was stronger than expected. Overall, a very beautiful drink with excellent flavour and bouquet- that comes with a very affordable price tag compared to what you might pay for some over-marketed spirits!
Clément VSOP was another standout for the afternoon. A French-style rhum agricole, made from cane juice instead of molasses, distilled in a column still, and matured in American Oak barrels, it had all the characteristics that the method of its production would suggest. In contrast to the Mount Gay, it was light and herbal, with vanilla, oak and some spice standing out in the bouquet. The mouthfeel was definitely a touch lighter than I’m used to with rum, but the taste was clear and sweet, with some apples coming through strongly. If there’s a flaw in the drink, it’s that the finish of apples, spice and sugar was too short.
The Abuelo 12 Year Old was an absolutely beautiful drink. An intoxicating scent of banana, oranges, ginger, oak and spices was immediately apparent with the merest whiff. Tastewise, it was fruity, with citrus being forward, but combining well with a wood and ginger notes. The very light mouthfeel was somewhat surprising considering the heaviness of the bouquet; I’d expected it to be somewhat syrupy. Oak was the dominant in the finish and it was a well-rounded spirit overall.
And finally, the Diplomatico Reserva Exclusivo, a Venezuelan rum and my second favourite, after the Abuelo. A dark amber spirit with a nose of orange, bananas, raisins and toffee. It was thick and sweet, with texture and colour like rich honey. Taste of caramel, creme brulee, burnt vanilla cake, cherries and a touch of wood. If that reads like confectionery, that’s no coincidence, as it was served as our “dessert” after a hearty “meal”. Finish of caramel and toffee was almost as thick and full as the initial taste. If there’s one criticism that can be made of this fine drink, it’s that its a little too sweet.
While these are great rums, there’s so much more out there to savour- and we should! Rum is a great spirit and I’m going to go even more in-depth about rum in the coming weeks, so if you’re a big fan of the fun spirit, stay tuned.
