In the practice session we first taste the rums neat, and later we taste how it works in some cocktails.

We taste the following rums, making all together notes about taste and aroma :

1- Brugal Extraviejo

Country: Dominican Republic

Made from: 100% molasses

Distillation: 100% column still

Fermentation: –

Aged: White american oak barrels and Pedro Ximenez Sherry Casks

Tasting notes:

Colour:  -Dark amber

Nose: Honey, dried fruits, caramel. Light woodiness.

Palate: First sweet notes. Vanilla, chocolate, subtly fruity (apple notes). With a dry finish and leather notes.

 

2- Chairman’s Reserve

Country: St Lucia

Made from: 100% molasses imported from Guyana

Distillation: Double distillation in pot still and continuous still

Fermentation: Between 24 and 30 hours.

Aged: American oak barrels (Jim Beam, Jack Daniels and Buffalo Trace) separately by still, then blended and reintroduces to oak for a further six months to marry.

Tasting notes:

Colour: Dark brown amber

Nose: Honey, dried fruits, vanilla.

Palate: Dried fruits, vanilla, tobacco, spices (pepper). Honey sweet and fruity (apple) notes.

3- Rhum Barbancourt Réserve Spéciale 8 years

Country: Haití

Made from: 100%  fermented sugar cane juice

Distillation: Double pot still

Fermentation: –

Aged: Limousin oak barrels

Tasting notes:

Colour: Pale amber

Nose: Vanilla and pepper.

Palate: A buttery sensation texture in mouth. Cocoa, orange peel, dried fruits.

4- Ron Barceló Imperial

Country: Dominican Republic

Made from: Sugar Cane produced in Dominican Republic

Distillation: 100% column still

Fermentation: 48 hours

Aged: Bourbon oak barrels from Kentucky

Tasting notes:

Colour:  Dark amber

Nose: Dried Fruits, vanilla.

Palate: Vanilla, chocolate, dried fruits. I detected a final flour flavor that was unpleasant for me.

5- St Nicholas Abbey White

Country: Barbados

Made from: Sugar Cane produced in Barbados

Distillation:  A combination pot/column hybrid still named Annabelle for a double distillation.

Fermentation: –

Aged: Unaged

Tasting notes:

Colour:White

Nose: Vanilla and tropical fruit (specially banana).

Palate: Sweet and fruity. Vanilla, banana, ripe tropical fruit. Spicy finish.

6- Clarke’s Court Old Grog Rum 

Country: Grenada

Made from: 100% molasses

Distillation:  Column still

Fermentation: Natural

Aged: Oak barrel

Tasting notes:

Colour: Pale Amber

Nose: Caramel and tropical fruit (specially banana).

Palate: Ripe tropical fruit, spices, caramel. Short finish.

7- English Harbour 3 years 

Country: Antigua

Made from: 100% molasses

Distillation:  Column still

Fermentation: with bakers yeast

Aged: Jack Daniel’s barrel

Tasting notes:

Colour: Amber

Nose: Smoky and fruity aroma.

Palate: Ripe fruits, cocoa, coffee.

8- Angostura 1919

Country: Trinidad and Tobago

Made from: 100% molasses

Distillation:  Column still

Fermentation: 36 hours

Aged: Bourbon oak barrels

Tasting notes:

Colour: Pale Amber

Nose: Vanilla, chocolate.

Palate: Sweet Vainilla,Butterscotch, chocolate.

9- Borgoe 8 years

Country: Suriname

Made from: 100% molasses

Distillation:  Column and pot still

Fermentation: –

Aged: American white oak barrels (Bourbon)

Tasting notes:

Colour: Dark Amber

Nose: Raisins, dried fruits, dark cherries.

Palate: Walnuts, dried fruits, raisins. Very light taste.

10- Doorly’s XO

Country: Barbados

Made from: 100% molasses

Distillation:  Double distillation in column still

Fermentation: –

Aged: Used bourbon barrels and then finished in Oloroso Sherry barrels.

Tasting notes:

Colour:  Amber

Nose: Caramel, tobacco, orange marmalade.

Palate: Caramel, fruits, tobacco, orange peel, dried fruits, spices.

11- El Dorado 15 years

Country: Guyana

Made from: 100%  local molasses

Distillation:  Wooden Coffey Stills and wooden pot stills

Fermentation: 22-26 hours

Aged: Bourbon oak casks

Tasting notes:

Colour:  Dark Amber

Nose: Caramel, coffee, orange, dark chocolate, spices, dried fruits, vanilla.

Palate: Toasted spices, orange, tropical fruits, dark chocolate.

12- Mount Gay Extra Old

Country: Barbados

Made from: 100% molasses

Distillation:  Double copper pot stills

Fermentation: –

Aged: American white oak barrels (Kentucky Bourbon)

Tasting notes:

Colour:  Dark Amber

Nose: Caramel, spices, ripe fruits.

Palate: Molasses, ripe fruits, raisins, caramel, tobacco.

 

I missed some rums of the ACR Portfolio like Cockspur, Travellers Five Barrel, Westerhall Vintage, Hampden Gold, Monymusk Plantation Special Reserve Rum and Captain Bligh Rum XO, but I hope I’ll have the chance to taste it on the future.

Talking about the cocktails, Alberto Pizarro makes different versions of the same cocktail with different rums, to observe how each rum works in each recipe and the different nuances of flavor and aroma that brings each of them to the drink.

Cocktails of the session:

-Old Fashioned with Brugal Extraviejo, Rhum Barbancourt Réserve Spéciale, El Dorado 15 years and Mount Gay Extra Old.

-Daiquiri with Ron Barceló Imperial and St Nicholas Abbey White.

-Planter’s Punch with Clarke’s Court Old Grog Rum and English Harbour 3 years.

-Mojito with Clarke’s Court Old Grog Rum and Borgoe 8 years

In one of the breaks, they delighted us with a refreshing and delicious Mount Gay Eclipse with Ginger Ale and a wedge of lime.

I think this is a very interesting initiative to help promote and expand the world of rum and, in turn, for give further information about their product to professionals.

ACR will continue making these formations worldwide, so if you are interested in them you can visit their website to see if there are any training sessions available in your cities.

Now, I can only wait to see if I could do the second part of this certification program and obtain the ACR Official Certification.

 

This post is also available in: Spanish