Single Prop Rum Takes Flight

August 16^th is National Rum Day. Yet rum suffers from the perception as a meager beverage only good for the ubiquitous rum and Coke, and sticky sweet cocktails sipped at idle vacation resorts. Clearly most people think of rum as a mass-produced, sweet spirit with a cartoony character on the label. But rum, not unlike wine, actually can have a sense of place, assuming you drink the good stuff. The sugar cane, the water source, the barrels, all have an impact on how rums can taste.

Taking that a step further Single Prop, a new rum on the market named for the type of plane that scoured the Caribbean Islands in search of rum, uses coconut water as its base. It’s a novel idea and one that works. This is white rum, not aged in barrel. Using coconuts from Nicaragua and rum from both Nicaragua and the Virgin Islands, the use of coconut water might, at first, seem like it would overwhelm the rum. But here the coconut water lightly registers so for folks who want a tropical island feel, this works well, not to mention that the coconut water provides a smoother viscosity. There is a definably sweeter profile, but it’s not overwrought. Though this sips nicely on its own, with a single ice cube, it will also make a great mixer for cocktails - a few ideas are presented below. SingleProp Rum retails for $22.99 and would a make a great addition to your cocktail rotations.

Air Mail

2 Parts Single Prop Rum

1 Part Honey Syrup*

1 Part Fresh Lime Juice

Sparkling Rose

-Add Single Prop Rum, lime and honey syrup into a cocktail shaker. Add ice and shake until chilled. Strain over ice into a Collins glass. Top with Rose Champagne. Garnish with a lime or orange twist.

*Honey Syrup made with equal parts water and honey

Melon Daiquiri

2 Parts Single Prop Rum

1 Part Cantaloupe Juice

1 Part Simple Syrup

1 Part Fresh Lime Juice 

-Combine all ingredients into a shaker with ice. Shake vigorously and strain into coupe glass. Garnish with a cantaloupe sliver and dash of orange bitters.

Sun Soother

2 Parts Single Prop Rum

1 Part Aloe Vera Juice

¼ Part Rose Water

½ Part Honey Syrup

1 Part Fresh Lime Juice

-Add all ingredients into a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a coupe. Garnish with a lime wheel.

Mount Gay Rum, Black Barrel

Rum gets little respect - far too often used as a ubiquitous blender for cheap cocktails. But rum needs more respect and the sugar cane-based Mount Gay Black Barrel helps to elevate rum as a stand alone rum. Using charred bourbon barrels (referring to the black barrel) for a second maturation this rum from Barbados offers brown spices, sweet caramelized almonds, honeysuckle, apricot, brown sugar and cinnamon, sweet resin and spicy floral notes.  There’s a nice maturity that does not burn the throat but warms the heart.  It's the kind of rum you can easily slip neat, actually the way it should be enjoyed. At a mere $33 it’s a bottle worthy of its price and one you should look to adding to your spirits portfolio. I strongly recommend this.

Welcome to Cuban Rum: Now Go Home

Rum is not just for pirates. Rum has a history dating to the 1600s around the Caribbean including Cuba, and I’m sure some pirate somewhere was drinking rum and the image stuck. Yes, Captain Morgan was a real guy, but the cartoony image was created only in the 1940s. Anyhow, Cuba is no stranger to rum either, given their vast sugarcane plantings. So when in Havana, and on a budget, what to do? These rums are not sipping rums, they are average liquor store bought rums, simple but effective, flavorful and enticing in their own right. The rums here are all 375 ML and will pack easily into your suitcase (yes, please declare them) for your trip back to the States.

Havana Club Añejo Especial

Light and sweet, this rum is all caramel and butterscotch, cedar, roasted almonds, resin, campfire smoke, and toffee. This is a pretty basic rum, and not overly balanced. Fine for a mixer with a kick, it’s sweet and sugary. (40% ABV)

Havana Club Añejo Reserva

A more mature expression of the Especial, with more time in wood aging. Therefore the caramel and butterscotch notes - think Werther’s Originals – is richer. The nutty aspect begins to fade out and there are thick caramel notes, but over a short amount of time the toffee notes become more pronounced. (40% ABV)

Santiago de Cuba Añejo

A softer entry on the palette, there is mature honey suckle, resin, slight citrus notes as well as mild butterscotch and lemon zest. This offers a silkier viscosity, charred campfire wood, almost a subtle bitterness and certainly less sweet. (38% ABV)

Ron Cubay Añejo

More lithe and subtle, there is a maturity here, less of a mixer than the other rums listed. A potent brown sugar note is followed by burnt caramel and campfire smoke, English Toffee and toasted almonds. The best of the group as a stand alone rum to drink neat. (38% ABV)

Scary Sweet: Your Definitive Halloween Candy and Spirits Pairing Guide

Gird your loins – the average American consumes 24 pounds of candy each year, a huge portion of that coming at Halloween. Problem is there’s always so much of it leftover, which you might feel compelled to snack on, bake with, or pass on to unsuspecting co-workers. This year make your candy crush a little more compelling with these 10 spirits and candy pairings. (NOTE: This article first appeared in The Hollywood Reporter)

Skittles w/ Caliche White Rum: Skittles has a rainbow of flavors (actually they’re all pretty indistinguishable) but the sugary citrus of the Skittles is balanced out by the semi sharp alcohol of this rum (Cindy Crawford’s other half Randy Gerber is co-owner), which offers its own subdued citrus and lemon punch when consumed after the Skittles. It’s a like a happy citrus explosion.

Butterfinger w/ Cointreau: Butterfinger’s brown butter and chocolate crunch with toffee is widely known, so the orange notes of the Cointreau boost the simple flavors of the Butterfinger to a bit more sophisticated level. The viscosity and creaminess of the Cointreau works with the aggregate nature of the Butterfinger and the sweet alcohol suppresses the sweet of the candy.

York Peppermint Patty w/ Ketel One Vodka: The sheer potent mint of the York patty fills the palate and like a good chaser the Ketel One, with a hint of its own minty background, provides a citrusy counterpoint, muting the mint and allowing the resin and eucalyptus flavors of the vodka to come through. This combo is pretty much seamless flavors as if they were made for each other.

Milky Way w/ Tap 357 Maple Rye Whiskey: Milky Way bars have been around since 1923 and everyone knows they are gooey caramel, nougat and milk chocolate. By contrast this new Canadian-made maple whiskey with its substantial maple and rye bourbon notes compliments the multi-flavored bar while the slightly sharp pinch of the rye balances out and partly cuts the caramel in the Milky Way.

Candy Corn w/ Pernod Absinthe: The clear leader in terms of Halloween candy (some 20 million pounds of candy corn are sipped into kid’s bags) the unique sugary triangle shaped corn nearly replicates the essence of the absinthe. The licorice notes of the “green fairy” (sans wormwood) stabilizes the one note flavors of the corns We suggest a sip of the slightly chilled absinthe first, then pop the candy corn for a truly peculiar but intriguing combination.

Reece’s Peanut Butter Cups w/ FEW Bourbon Whiskey: 

No matter the shape it takes everyone loves Reese’s to pieces. This bourbon whiskey offers deep penetrating citrus and wood notes, and accents the peanut butter and chocolate. The slight peat and char in the FEW makes a palate sensation both savory and tingly, and the sugary nature of the candy is cut by the Few making this the most.

Peeps w/ Aga-Vie: The citrus sweet of this unusual distilled agave (tequila but we can’t call it that since it’s made in France) and cognac blend offers subtle notes of resin, mint and orange. The Peeps are surprisingly not overtly sugary-sweet but you do get the marshmallow and the aggregate sugar granules on top of this candy, but it's a basic flavor, which is why the Aga-Vie works so well because its own sweetness actually highlights your Peeper.

Wax Lips w/ Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur: The overtly sweet liqueur, best used as a cocktail mix given its ripe and potent cherry, is the counter point to the subdued strawberry/cherry-ish perfume chewing gum flavor of the (surprisingly soft) voluptuous lips. And frankly after this paring who wouldn’t want to kiss you? You’ll smell fabulous.

M & Ms w/ JR Ewing Bourbon Whiskey: You can't not love M&Ms but the reality is that they are pretty basic sugar and chocolate concoctions. So the smoky citrus oaky resin of this bourbon inspired by the Dallas TV character, and actually made in relationship with Warner Brothers, pulls down the sugar from the M&M's but also highlights the sweetness of the bourbon with a muted rye back note.

Apple w/ Calvados Boulard VSOP: The old standby, the apple (yes real fruit) is not as common as it used to be, but you still might get this witches’ favorite in your basket. If so the sweet crisp nature of the apple sets up the palette for the softness of this apple brandy as the alcohol mitigates the texture of the apple. The VSOP contains a balance between vanilla and apple compote and the real apple and apple distillate blend together seamlessly.

Rum Running: The Bat from Cuba to Puerto Rico

Everyone knows Bacardi – the Cuban rum company, forced out of Cuba in the 1960, and now based in Puerto Rico, and their signature bat symbol. They are the world leader in rum, making a wide variety of iterations, from the basic white rum, all the way to their newest revelation, the Facundo line of aged sipping rums. They have been at rum making since 1862. These are the top tier of the Bacardi line and their master blender had over 200 blends to work with. 

The Facundo rums are highly allocated and prices range from $45 to $250, so you need to be a rum lover if you’re going to fork over that amount of cash. I had the great fortune to obtain these rums originally for a Father’s Day Gift Guide in The Hollywood Reporter (see that article here: THR) of which I wrote about the Exquisito. But all of these dark rums (the Facundo line also has a white rum called Neo) are wonderful in their own right and I highly recommend them.

Eximo - A 10 year aged smooth rum with a nutty quality,
mocha and toffee, sweet almond and a slight citrus back note.

Exquisito

A blend of rums aged from 7 to 23 year this medium bodied iteration is silky smooth with toasted almonds, sweet oak, a deep resin note and a playful bite.

Paraiso
After laying down for 23 years this is ready for sipping. There is sweet oak, molasses and brown sugar, almond and resin culminating in a silky and earthy rum.

Additionally, if you ever visit Puerto Rico , San Juan specifically, you can tour the Bacardi facility across the bay. The tour is a little theatrical in parts but it’s still worth the time to get a feel for the history of this company, sample some rum and enjoy the island. 

BACARDI 
FACUNDO 

The Private Life of Rum

Word association:

I say “Rum.”

You say, “Pirate!”

Maybe you say, “Jamaica, the Virgin Islands,” right?

No one ever says “Rum?” And the response is, “Oh yeah, Massachusetts.”

What the …?

Well, that particular state has entered the rum lexicon. Some may argue that rum made in the U.S. isn’t really rum, but then, why not? Rum is not limited to Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and spots like that. The Amber True American Rum from Privateer is rum from, ahem…America. Aged in whiskey and brandy barrels it starts with a nose of almond and dark citrus, it actually leans toward the flavor profile of a mild, rich scotch. Once imbibed there is sweet toasted almond, a hint of cinnamon, molasses and browned sugar. It does run a wee bit hot in the mouth, something perhaps a bit more aging could mellow out. On the back label is listed the batch that each bottle came from, in my case Batch 10. This allows you to get on their website and see the convoluted journey and blending program of your rum, because the goal here is a blended final product. Regardless, the pirate spirit has come to America, and I do like this rum so I would suggest you find yourself some of this and kick back, imagining the privateer’s who helped settled this great land. Privateer Amber Rum

ORIGIN: Massachusetts, USA

PRICE: $34.99 / 750/ml

ALCOHOL: 46%

BOOZEHOUNDZ SCORE:  88 POINTS

At Cross Purposes: Cross Keys Rum

Cross Keys, a rum from Barbados, claims they have aged their rum for 5 years. But aging anything doesn’t necessarily make it better, it merely makes it older. And this rum is fine, but forgettable, a toss away which if you drank it you’d get a buzz, and if you didn’t then you’d find something else. I love rum, and attending the Taste of Rum Festival in Puerto Rico a few years back started me on this discovery. Rum is misunderstood and these guys aren’t helping. According to the very limited, and vague (I don't like vague - tells us about your product!) information on their website: “Our goal at Distiller Sales Company is to develop comprehensive corporate brand distilled spirits programs to help expand your liquor department sales and profits.” And that really sums up any thoughtful approach to this bottle of rum. It’s not bad, but the mild burn, overtly sweet oak, and candy-like citrus element of this does no favors for the rum world. Not sure what’s happening on Barbados, but if they are consuming too much of this, well, then “island time” means they won’t accomplish much of anything. Terribly amusing to me is that the president of Distiller Sales is Bruce Alvino and his bio states: “When Mr. Alvino is away from the office, he enjoys golfing.” Ah, Bruce, rather than golfing and worrying about corporate profits, try making some quality rum. Let’s “cross” our fingers they get it right in the future.

$23/ 750 ml – Alc: 40%

BOOZEHOUNDZ RATING: 75 POINTS

Mai Tai One On

It's easy to equate the Mai Tai with Waikiki and the tropical cocktail is ubiquitous around the Islands and unfortunately it has little respect precisely because most mai tais taste pretty crappy - all sweet and no substance. Therefore I have been on a search every time I visit Hawaii to find the absolute best. My quest has ended. Located inside the Aston Waikiki Beach Hotel, the 1944 Mai Tai made by the good folks at Tiki’s Grill & Bar will be waiting for you – so go get one. Using Cruzan Estate Light Rum, Myers Dark Rum, Orange Curaçao, Orgeat Syrup and fresh lime juice, this stellar concoction is then topped with what they call a Naval Passion Fruit Foam. I love passion fruit but I'm not a fan of foamy stuff in my drinks or on my food, but, this foam, made with Licor43 (a Spanish liqueur made of fruit juices and vanilla, among other ingredients), passion fruit puree, pasteurized egg whites, and the juice of a lemon, is killer. This iteration avoids the sticky sweet cheap versions you find everywhere (believe me, I found them) and it ain’t a fruity one sip wonder: you get the mellow rum, a hit of tangy citrus from the juices and the delicate addition of passion fruit seals the deal, adding a flavor dimension, and makes this mai tai immensely drinkable. It's an excellent libation which celebrates the tropical nature of Hawaii, but with mature non-touristy flavors. I love this version and I drank it every chance I got. So make your vacation better by visiting Tiki’s in Waikiki and savor this excellent Mai Tai. Tiki's Grill and Bar

$9/ 8-9 oz – Alc: Who’s counting, but after two of them you’ll be seeing sunsets.

BOOZEHOUNDZ RATING

5 Bonz – Man’s Best Friend

Walking the Dog

I ski only occasionally, but a recent visit to Taos Ski Valley brought me face to face with St. Bernard (the hotel not the dog). Located 20 minutes outside of the town of Taos in New Mexico, Taos Ski Valley is one of the top skiing destinations in the U.S., and the St. Bernard Hotel has a very cool (no pun intended) outside deck where skiers hang out and get a drink while pondering their next move. Beer? Sure they have that. Mixed drinks? Oh yeah, but the St. Bernard Special caught my eye, so, still nearly immobilized in my bulky ski boots I ordered it. Hot cocoa is mixed with Meyer’s Rum, Kaluha, topped with whipped cream and then a floater of Wild Turkey. Damn! It’s potent, but perfectly created to warm you up after a chilly run down a mogul. The cocoa is the dominate flavor here, though the floater of Wild Turkey makes the first impression and the rum and Kaluha seamlessly fill out the background. They’ve been making this for 30 years and it’s an excellent happy, warm beverage. I wanted a second one, but thought it best to walk this dog just once. You can always come back for seconds. So when in Taos Ski Valley, stop by the St. Bernard outside deck and yes, get the Special.

$9/cup, Alc. ?% (who knows, who cares)

BOOZEHOUNDZ RATING:  90 POINTS

A Rum Diary

I fell in love with rum when I visited Puerto Rico and blended my own rum at the Destileria Serrallés, which is, alas, not open to the public (yes it’s way cool!). The Ron Matusalem Gran Reserva Rum uses a blended 15 year recipe, which only means it’s really a blending of a bunch of different aged rums. That can work, and that cannot work, depending on the master blender and the final product. Matusalem makes a point of saying their rum was produced in Cuba originally, and who cares as it’s now made in the Dominican Republic. (Bacardi too was first made in Cuba, but now it’s Puerto Rico. And?). The point is this: should you spend your money on it? The nose is all caramel, toasted wood, maple and molasses and this is pretty smooth, with a slight burn, and you will get similar flavors in the mouth as what you smell. But I’ve had better, smoother, more complex rums for a similar price. It’s your money, you worked hard for it, so spend as you will. This is a good sipping rum, solid and dependable, but it’s not going to knock your dreadlocks off.

$30/750, Alc. 40%

BOOZEHOUNDZ RATING:  85 POINTS