Happy national rum day Reef Warriors! The greatest day of the year. Time to celebrate the best spirit in the universe and the only spirit to be endorsed by pirates.
Category Archives: scury awareness
rum quest wednesday
Today we will be trying Montecristo Rum Spiced blend from Guatemala.
This is what a spiced rum should be.
A rich golden color, with decent rum legs.
Carmel , honey, and cinnamon and brown sugar nose , maybe over ripe fruit or raisins.
1st sip revels ginger and caramel
Tastes like a ginger bread cookie.
Smooth and warm, very little or no bite in the finish.
Add an ice-cube and more spices are awakened. Molasses and more of the barrel flavor.
This would probably make a great spiced rum and cola, but why waste this outstanding rum on that.
Keep this on the top shelf.
http://www.montecristorum.com/site.php
Over the past couple weeks Gail & I have hit our new favorite pub for dinner, www.BuffaloBrewpub.com,   where along with great food we have tried 2 aged in oak rum barrel beers. Both were very enjoyable and worthy of mention here. ( a quest, after all is about discovery, is it not)
The 1st is Innis & Gunn http://www.innisandgunn.com/?to=1 Rum Cask. This is a dark amber beer, with a nice head. I did not get a lot of oak or cask flavors when I tried it, but it was after my meal and I am sure my taste buds were no longer sharp. The finish had a sweet rum taste and hints of ripe fruit. A very fun find, I hope to have this again soon. And I did find it, well Gail found it for me at a local grocery store, so now we can really explore it.
I quote, from the label on the bottle, “A slow maturation using American oak and rum infused oak has imparted this beer with a delicious warming that is bursting with fruit and lively spices”. The beer is aged for 57 days in the oak and has a certain spiceyness to it. I would say the spice and fruit flavors are similar to that of mulling spices, apple, pear ect. The flavors are not overpowering or easy to pick out as you often can with rum.
Innis & Gunn also have a spiced rum cask beer.
The 2nd treat is Southampton Abbott 12
.http://www.southamptonpublickhouse.com/Default.aspx?redirect=/the-beers/750-series/Default.aspx   the 750 series
Here is a little video review as well.
It is described in the beer menu as “a strong dark ale with notes of raisins, figs, and caramel, and a pronounced “dark rum” character. Deceptively smooth.” I could not have said it better. I really enjoyed this beer, and could notice the rum characteristics.
I would consider both beers top shelf and worth the quest.
Last week a  question was asked re: Travellers gold rum and the tomato we noticed in the flavor. I did some thinking and drinking and research, so to further answer the question, yes tomato is sometimes used in rum. Goslings Black seal is a great example. I seem to remember a similar taste in the Goslings Family Reserve.
Finally, the rum loving pirate in me feels obligated to share this PSA with you. Today, May 2nd is Scurvy Awareness Day. Check these links for the facts, http://atlasobscura.com/blog/obscura-society-sf-smugglers-cove-scurvy-awareness-day
and make sure you add some lime to your rum tonight.
Thanks, Lou
The Reef Warriors and Casey's Hit the Lip Blog 