You deserve quality nourishment to end the day right – mild enough to keep you sane, strong enough to set the mood right. Most people confine themselves to whiskies, brandy or a cognac as the proper end of day spirit- hardly considering the wide varieties on offer. An often overlooked spirit – rum, makes for a surprisingly premium addition to the selection.
It boasts a diverse category – produced in over 50 countries, a reflection of different histories, traditions and regulations – the diversity makes up for distinct flavours and tastes. Choices go far beyond Bacardi and Captain Morgan.
The next big spirit
Made with fermented sugarcane or molasses, rums are widely known for its tropical fruity notes that are typically mixed into cocktails, however premium aged rums, (best served neat) have been a growing trend in the last few years, catching the attention of discerning drinkers worldwide. According to US-based national trade association Distilled Spirits Council, rum had racked up a total of US$2.3 billion in sales in 2019 with a consistent growth in the ultra-premium category in the years that followed. Aged rums serve as a terrific alternative to the usual imbibes and makes for smooth tipple that are well deserving of a place in your mini bar alongside a good cigar.
St. Nicholas Abbey 22 Year Old Single Cask Rum
Kicking the list off with Barbados’s best – St. Nicholas Abbey. Its 22-year-old single cask rum is a fine unblended aged rum with a rare vintage and in limited stock. Not as simple to produce as gin, the process is complicated. The plantation uses coffee pot and column stills and ages on-site in oak barrels for about three years before the re-barreling and the the hand-bottling method can start.
Balanced with strong and soft tasting notes of cinnamon, fudge, vanilla and tobacco with a swirl of medium-bodied, dried tropical fruits and winter spices on the palate – this silky smooth tipple is a standout among many other rums on the market.
Grab a bottle from Andre L. Carey (HK’s exclusive distributor).
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Havana Club Tributo 2018
Moving to Cuban rum, an essential part of Cuban culture, Havana Club stands as the cornerstone of that culture, shaped by the country’s climate, geography, history and people. The production of rum in this distillery makes for a fine expression of the Cuban heritage – more particularly in the Maximo Extra Anejo – the distillery’s ultimate and most premium iteration of Cuban rum. It was ranked top in the 2021 International Spirits challenge and The Global Spirits Taste Master.
Handcrafted by blending the best and oldest rums in the reserves, it boasts an intensely rich yet well-balanced smokey oak. Hints of subtle notes of fresh pear, coconut and dried fruit blended with dark chocolate and vanilla come in a long finish.
Grab a bottle on their website here.
Diplomatico Ambassador
Next up, Diplomatico is an independent, family-owned Venezuelan distillery that prides itself in an authentic and sincere field-to-bottle process that is reflected in their top quality rums.
The Ambassador, in particular, is a prestige aged rum crafted from the distillery’s best rum reserves. Spending at least 12-years in white oak casks and then aged for additional two years in Pedro Ximénez sherry casks. The result? A complex and ultimately sensorial flavour profile that is unique to rums and more reminiscent of port wine. Featuring notes of dried fruits, tobacco, cinnamon, nutmeg and toasted oak with a long finish..
Grab a bottle at HK Liquor Store.
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Dictador Best of 1978
In 2017, the best rum of the year was awarded to Columbian premium rum distillery Dictator’s Best of 1978, a limited edition from the distillery’s private collection. It is a 40-years aged rum comprising a selection of the best and oldest American oak and sherry or port cask.
Released as a limited edition of only 300 bottles worldwide – all featuring handwritten labels and signed by the Master Blender himself, Hernan Parra – this exclusive tipple boasts a distinct flavour combination of chocolate, cherry, tobacco, tea, and ginger with a long finish.
Grab a bottle at the Daily Tot.
La Favorite Cuvée la Flibuste Millésime 1995
Rounding up with rhum, La Favorite is a French distillery that was first founded in 1842 as a sugarcane plantation before becoming the rhum distillery it is known as today. Unlike other rums, rhum agricole is a term exclusively used for sugarcane juice rum distilled in the French Caribbean islands. The Cuvée la Flibuste with a vintage of 1995 was aged in cognac oak barrels, giving it its complex combination of melted tannins and roasted aromas of vanilla, candied fruit, and a smooth liquorice finish.
Grab a bottle at the Daily Tot.
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