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Rum Reconsidered
Rum Makers Are Elevating Sugar's Nectar to Higher Levels
Jack Bettridge
From the Print Edition:
Bo Derek, Jul/Aug 00
(continued from page 6)
(Jamaica) Another delicate rum, Appleton is full of honey, apple and pear notes, with a ginger finish that's a bit rough. It paired very well with the La Flor, giving the cigar a creamy almond flavor. The pairing wasn't as fortunate with the Hoyo, however. While the Cuban seemed to bring out cedar notes on the rum, it became gassy itself. The marriage was better with the Ashton, which brought out the depth of the Appleton's floral notes and became nut-like and well rounded in return.
CRUZAN SINGLE BARREL ESTATE RUM (St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands) To the nose, Cruzan seems like Cognac with a pronounced oakiness. On the tongue, it is nowhere near as full-bodied, manifesting orange, cinnamon, licorice and honey. A middling partnership with the La Flor, in which rum and cigar seemed not to relate at all, was followed by an excellent match-up with the Hoyo. The rum made the cigar cedary and leathery and the cigar returned the compliment by giving the rum fruit and honey notes. While the marriage with the Ashton was very good, the Cruzan got the better of the deal, gaining apple and caramel notes.
GOSLING'S BLACK SEAL (Bermuda) Licorice and molasses are the up-front impressions from this dark rum, but beyond the initial cough-syrup assault are subtle flavors of nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves. It was a very good partner with the La Flor, giving it a leathery quality and taking on spice. It wasn't quite as good with the Cuban, which dried out a bit even as it gave the rum spice. There was a good synergy with the fruits of the Ashton, but some heat on the finish.
RON FLOR DE CANA CENTENARIO 21 EDICION LIMITADA (Nicaragua) A complex medium-bodied rum, the Flor de Cana greets the palate with a big sugarcane taste and syrupy texture, then expresses notes of honey, vanilla, caramel and cream, before finishing with a taste of camphor. As good as this rum is, it did not fair well with the cigars tasted. It overpowered the milder-bodied La Flor. It didn't seem to be communicating with the Hoyo. The Ashton and Flor de Cana created a medicinal aftertaste.
RON DEL BARRILITO THREE STAR
(Puerto Rico) A rich core of maple syrup and caramel inform this medium-bodied rum. Its nose hints at candied fruit and toast, and it delivers on the tongue with a velvety full body. While the Barrilito generally overshadowed the La Flor, there was a moment of caramel on the cigar that made it a worthwhile tasting. It was a little better than fair with the Cuban, showing more of its pear qualities. This rum was probably best with the Ashton, giving the cigar a taste of apple and nuts, but losing something in the exchange.
RON BARCELO IMPERIAL
(Dominican Republic) An aggressive, fiery rum, the Barcelo calms down somewhat with water and shows its simple charms: citrus, honey and caramel. It seemed to balance well with the cigars, but didn't give any extraordinary results. It was a good complement with the La Flor, giving it a cedary quality. It stood in, but faired a little worse, with the Hoyo, which became gassy. The rum gained some improvement from a match-up with the Ashton. --JB
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