Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Generation

Spirited Conversations. . . For an 80 Proof GenerationSM

Archive for the ‘Rum’ Category

Ron Zacapa XO Centenario

Posted by 80proof On May - 8 - 2010

zacapaxoGuatemala. Ron Zacapa XO Centenario Solera Gran Reserva Especial Rum 750ml. 80 proof.

The Ron Zacapa XO is a blend of rums distilled from the sweetest first-crush sugar cane and aged between 6 and 25 years. It is matured using the Solera System - a traditional, dynamic aging process in which rums of different ages are blended, then stored in specially selected barrels to give them each a unique flavor profile. This rum was aged in barrels that previously held bourbon, sherry, Pedro Ximenez wine and Cognac. The resulting spirit is a perfectly balanced combination of sweetness, spice, and fruit.

On the nose, Ron Zacapa XO displays rich notes of toasted oak, burnt caramel, roasted nuts, marzipan and orange peel. Smooth and sweet on the palate, flavors of dark chocolate, dried fruit, and baking spice lead to hints of mango and ginger on the lingering finish.


This limited-release Zacapa XO Solera Gran Reserva Especial (in a stylish flat decanter) won Gold in the Super-Premium category at the International Rum Festival for several years after its release in 2000, and was given the Platinum award for the Super-Premium category in 2002.


Only now being distributed in the U.S., this is a one of a kind rum long awaited.

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Goslings Gold Rum

Posted by 80proof On July - 10 - 2009

goslings-goldBermuda. Super-premium Goslings Gold Bermuda Rum is a new addition to the Goslings product line. The recipe, which was years in development, combines the finest aged distillates to create smoothness and complexity.

Goslings Gold Bermuda Rum is a luscious amber liquid which delivers a full, rich, smooth flavor. Gosling’s Gold includes products of both pot still and continuous still distillates. One imparts flavor, the other yields a subtle elegance.

Nose: hints of vanilla, apricot, mango and a lightly smoked oak character

Taste: smooth yet robust with hints of citrus/tropical flavors and nutty undertones

Finish: smooth, soft and extremely elegant

Gold Medal - International Rum Festival



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Goslings Black Seal Rum

Posted by 80proof On July - 10 - 2009

goslings-blacksealBermuda. Super-premium Goslings Bermuda Black Rum, made from a 150-year-old Goslings family recipe, uses the finest distillates aged in charred American oak casks.

The smooth, full flavor is the result of a careful blend of aged pot still and continuous still distillates. One imparts flavor, the other yields a subtle elegance.


Originally called “Old Rum” and packaged in a champagne bottle capped with black sealing wax since the early 1900s, the product became affectionately known by consumers as “Black Seal” and in 1950 the name was officially changed and the barrel-juggling seal logo was born.


Tasting Notes: “Deep, assertive and highly flavoured. Very fragrant with herbal sharpness. At the finish there is a softness and elegance. A most complex, unusual spirit.” Beverage Testing Institute

First exported to the US in 1980, Gosling’s Black Seal Rum is now Bermuda’s largest export product. Enjoy neat, on the rocks, or as a mixer with juices or soda. “Dark’n Stormy”, the national drink of Bermuda, is made with Gosling’s Black Seal and ginger beer.

Platinum Medal and Best Buy award - World Spirits Championships


Gold Medal - San Francisco World Spirits Competition


Gold Medal - International Rum Festival


Are you a Gosling’s Dark ‘n’ Stormy purist? Check out
The Right Stuff (by Law) excerpted from the NY Times and posted

HERE



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Goslings Family Reserve Old Rum

Posted by 80proof On July - 10 - 2009

goslings-oldrumBermuda. Goslings Old Rum Family Reserve -

Ultra-premium, aged Old Rum is crafted from the same blend of ingredients as in our flagship Goslings Black Seal Rum, but it is aged longer in oak, to create an incomparable richness and complexity.

The unique packaging reflects the handcrafted essence of the product. Each black bottle is hand-filled, hand-labeled and numbered. Then, it is stopped with a cork and covered in sealing wax before it is placed in a straw-filled wooden box.

Tasting Notes: Deep, complex nose that awakens the senses to a variety of flavors such as leather, chocolate and a hint of citrus. In the mouth, there is an elegant delivery of these flavors that are perfectly balanced by just the right amount of oak aging. An excellent spirit that is nothing short of complete.

Double Gold Medal - San Francisco World Spirits Competition


Gold Medal - International Rum Festival



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R L Seales Rum

Posted by 80proof On July - 10 - 2009

sealesBarbados. This inviting R L Seale rum first strikes you with its burnished gold colour and enchants you with a unique, nutty nose.

The body is big but wonderfully smooth and well rounded. The delicious butternut taste has a light vanilla accent that comes from the oak and finishes with lingering hints of roasted almonds.

R L Seale’s - selected to bring you the best sipping rum made in the style of the Eastern Carribean.

The first quality recorded “rum” was produced in Barbados, probably during the 1620’s and today the first choice of the island inhbitants, known as Bajans, are the rums produced by R L Seale. The distillery is located in the south of the island, where the warm breezes of the Carribean gently lap at the oak barrels used for aging - and does much the same for the delectable contents as the ocean breezes add to the taste of a good Islay single malt. the finest rum Seale produces - an exquisitely smooth 10 year old has been selected to bring you the best sip made in the Eastern Carribean style of rum.



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Zaya Rum 12 year

Posted by 80proof On March - 24 - 2009

zayaConfirmed: Zaya Rum is no longer being made in Guatemala.

WHY TRINIDAD? Writes Phil Joffray, Infinium Spirits, “As you know, there has been a great demand for Zaya Gran Reserva Rum. In order to provide a plentiful supply of Zaya Rum without compromising on quality or taste, we moved production to Trinidad because of its long history (nearly a century) of producing luxury rums of exceptional quality and excellence.”

This is the same Zaya “recipe” as it has always been, developed by the same Master Blender. And all of the rum used for this release of Zaya Gran Reserva has been resting undisturbed, in medium charred white oak barrels, for a minimum of 12 years on the island of Trinidad.

“In initial tastings of Zaya Gran Reserva Rum from Trinidad, results were excellent; a side by side comparison with a bottle of ‘old’ Zaya was great with subtle differences, the differences being that the ‘new’ Zaya has an alluring butterscotch, brown sugar and maple nose. It is voluptuously full-bodied with great balance and a smoother palate. There are a lot of great and similar qualities as the ‘old’ Zaya, and experienced tasters have said that the taste is VERY similar, with many actually preferring the ‘new’ Zaya. These results prove that the proprietary recipe handcrafted by our master blender will be hailed as a rum of exceptional quality, prestigious awards will be forthcoming, and that Zaya is still the World’s Finest Sipping Rum. I have no doubt that Zaya Rum will continue to be a joy to drink”.

According to Robert Burr of www.GiftedRums.com: “Yes, Zaya is now made in Trinidad. Among rum experts, almost half prefer the new version, while others prefer the old. Over time, we think most rum enthusiasts will grow to appreciate the new blend. It’s a good rum, but obviously, it cannot be the same rum that was distilled and aged in Guatemala. Most people cannot discern the difference, but long-time fans of the Zaya brand will notice an adjusted blend. Have you tried it yourself? It’s very good.”



zaya-mojitoZaya Mojito

1 ½ oz of Zaya Rum

¾ oz Lime Juice

1 teaspoon of Sugar

Splash of Soda

2 to 4 Mint Sprigs

Combine mint sprigs, sugar and splash of soda.

Lightly muddle until you smell the mint.

Add lime juice and Zaya Rum.

Fill with soda and garnish with a mint sprig

Leave your own comments and review of the new Zaya Rum.

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Terra Vermalha Cachaca Organic

Posted by 80proof On March - 24 - 2009

terraTerra Vermelha Cachaça is a very special product, as it is certified organic by the IBD and is the first organic Cachaça (“ka-SHAY-sa”) to be certified by the USDA Organic and IFOAM. With limited production, Terra Vermelha attends to the needs of the most demanding consumers of this Brazilian spirit, and is considered the best Cachaça in the South American market.

The distillery, located in an area known for its rich red clay soil (Terra Vermelha means red land) is on the site of the largest coffee producer in the world during the 70’s, and was built exclusively to produce the organic Cachaça. In addition to that, the Engenho has highly qualified professionals working with a single objective in mind: to achieve excellence.


Its soft and smooth flavor and slightly sweet scent make the Terra Cachaça a unique product. The product has a sleever type label, produced in France, and also received the Technology and Quality prize for its innovative packaging from the Embanews magazine, specialized in the packaging and labeling segment.


Engenho Terra Vermelha cachaça is a Premium product, and represents a whole new concept in cachaça. Viva la Cachaça Revolution!



The organic sugar cane is hand harvested and the juice is organically fermented. This is then put through traditional copper pot stills. Only the ‘heart’ of the distillation is used in the production of Terra Vermelha. The cachaça is rested for between 6 and 12 months in barrels purposely made of jequitiba rosa, a noble Brazilian hard wood which is considered to be neutral in flavour.

Terra Vermelha has an incredibly fresh and fruity flavour profile. Clean, lively fruit and sugar cane dominate on the nose and then follow through onto the palate. The cachaça is very smooth and supple with a great fresh taste.

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Ron Zacapa Centenario 23 Year Rum

Posted by 80proof On March - 24 - 2009

ronzacapa23Ron Zacapa Centenario 23 Year Rum.

Rated: This fine rum was voted the “Number One Premium Rum in the World” for the last five years at Caribbean Week’s “International Rum Festival,” the quintessential competition in the world of rum.

Ron Zacapa Centenario 23-Year Rum. Hand wrapped in royal palm leaves and produced from a blend of vintage rums with up to 23 years of barrel age, Ron Zacapa Centenario represents the pride of Guatemalan rums, the pride of closely guarded recipes known only to skilled master blenders, and the pride of a government that strictly mandates the aging process.

Recognized as the “cognac of rums” since it first appeared, the Centenario took on a new dimension on winning its first Gold Award in the Premium Category in Barbados in 1998. Today Zacapa Centenario is still a limited production rum, but due to international demand, it is exported to the United States, Mexico, Central and South America, Europe and Asia. All the international prizes and rewards this rum has received and continues to receive make us in the industry proud, as they make all Guatemalans proud, committing us to continue to improve and create products and services which exalt the name of our country.

“Zacapa Centenario is like a butterfly encased in its cocoon, where it lives secretly for a long time, in an invisible process that for rum requires years, not weeks, in darkness, silence, peace and rest until it finally emerges from the cocoon and flies away, far from its homeland, showing the splendor that only time and patience can produce. Long years are devoted to caring for this particular chrysalis, which is able to produce such an extraordinary rum.”

The balance of bouquet and unique flavors is derived from a blend of aged rums of between 6 and 23 years old, originating from the “Solera System” aging process. These mature rums have been produced only from the sweetest first-crush virgin sugar cane honey. Ron Zacapa is matured at an altitude of 2300 meters in selected barrels that previously aged robust Bourbons, delicate Sherries and fine Pedro Ximenez wines.

Dark mahogany, dense with marvlous comlpexities of aroma and flavor, thick legs that fall slowly. For enjoying neat or on the rocks, a loyal and perfect companion for a quality cigar.

Have you had a chance to compare Ron Zacapa 23-Year Rum to the Trinidad Zaya? We’d love to have your opinion.

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Ron Santa Teresa Rhum Orange Liqueur

Posted by 80proof On March - 24 - 2009

rumliqueur1Ron Santa Teresa Rhum Orange Liqueur from Venezuela is a light brown, orange-flavored flavored rum distilled from molasses. Bottled at 40% alcohol by volume.


Rich honey and orange bouquet with a hint of nuts. The initial taste of orange is prominent but not overwhelming followed by more honey and nuts with a smooth finish attesting to the three years this rum has been aged. Try it instead of Triple Sec in your next Margarita!

Rated:
Silver Medal Flavored Rum

2006 International Sugar Cane Spirits Tasting Competition Ybor City


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Ron Santa Teresa 1796 Antiguo de Solera

Posted by 80proof On March - 24 - 2009

santateresa1From Venezuela, Santa Teresa 1796 Ron Antiguo de Solera Rum, a unique sipping rum, was launched in 1996 to commemorate the 200th anniversary of Hacienda Santa Teresa. Hacienda Santa Teresa is the first, and one of the few, distilleries to make use of this unique aging method to age rum today. The solera method was used for aging sherry in the mid 19th century, though it is believed it was developed sometime before then. The idea behind the process is for the rum to take different characteristics from older rums. Santa Teresa uses rums aged between 4 and 35 years in the blend.



Santa Teresa uses four levels of Limousin oak barrels in their solera process. The top three levels of barrels are called the Criadera and the lowest level is called the Solera, which contains the oldest rum blend. When the rum in the Solera level is ready for bottling about half of the rum is transferred into large American oak vats where it is batched to be bottled as Santa Teresa 1796 Ron Antiguo de Solera. About half of the rum blend from the first Criadera is then transferred into the Solera casks and the first Criadera is refilled with the rum from the second Criadera which in turn is refilled with the rum from the third and the last Criadera where the youngest of the rum blend is. This type of aging ensures that the quality of the rum remains consistent.

Vanilla, caramel and brown sugar are the first aromas in the myriad of aromas in this complex rum, followed by a delicate tequila aroma and occasionally the escaping notes of banana. Upon tasting, fruity and sweet flavors start at the tip of the tongue, evolving into vanilla and dry wood. Having swallowed the rum and received an encouraging burn in the upper chest, the taste of slightly bitter coffee beans make their presence known.

Santa Teresa 1796 finishes into long lasting smokiness and the already familiar vanilla and coffee. Altogether Santa Teresa 1796 Ron Antiguo de Solera is quite toasty, very round and very consistent to the last drop which makes it a very good rum.

Rated: 94 points (Exceptional) - International Review of Spirits Award: Gold Medal

Silver Medal Premium Rums

2006 International Sugar Cane Spirits Tasting Competition Ybor City


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