rU m i N th E NEW s

by m ike Kunetka

a PP l E to N E stat E l ast month, Appleton e state announced the launch of the limited-edition 17-Year- o ld l egend, an exclusive and faithful recreation of the legendary 17-Year- o ld rum crafted by J. w ray & n ephew on the e state in the 1940’s. The J. w ray & n ephew 17-Year- o ld is known around the world as the storied inspiration for the creation of the m ai Tai cocktail. l egend has it that this exquisite spirit caught the imagination of one notable bartender in particular, v ictor Bergeron, founder of the famous Trader v ic’s bar in s an Francisco. w hile experimenting with friends, it’s said that he reached for a bottle of the 17-Year- o ld rum, blended by J. w ray & n ephew, which would become his rum of choice. m edium-bodied, beautiful, and golden, the hues were evocative of the Jamaican sun. Protective to not overpower this special blend, v ictor paired it with a subtle range of ingredients, to complement the rum’s top notes. s hared with his friends from Tahiti, it was declared ‘ m aita’i roa a’e’, or simply translated, ‘the best’, and thus, a legend was born. The rum has become one of the most sought-after bottles in the world, and today, a tribute to this legend of cocktail history returns to the world stage as a limited offering, good news for both rum connoisseurs and classic cocktail enthusiasts alike. r eferencing original manuscripts and formulas, legendary m aster Blender Joy s pence created this one-time release using four very rare distillates set aside to rest on the e state to best recreate the taste profile of the prized golden blend. “ w ith our 17-Year- o ld l egend, we knew we had a special story to tell,” said s pence. “This project has been years in the making and truly one of the most challenging of my career. i n carefully re-creating the beautiful taste profile of the original rum, we’ve created an expression that is a tribute both to our own heritage, and to the heritage of the classic cocktail craft.” s pence told Forbes contributor, Tony s achs, “ w e had the formulation, we had the specification, so we know what the technical composition was, and what the sensory flavor profile is. w e worked assiduously to develop these special marques of rum. There’s one particular marque that is so unique, and you had to set the ferment in a particular way and distill in a particular way, which is not what we’re doing now for the other estate marques.” 1,500 bottles of this special expression have been produced and are available for sale. l ast month, 36 n FTs redeemable for bottles of Appleton e state 17-Year- o ld l egend were made available on BlockBar.com. Appleton e state has collaborated with Jamaican v isual Artist, o neika r ussell to develop the artwork for each n FT exclusive to BlockBar, a first from Appleton e state. The 17-Year- o ld l egend will also be available at select premium retailers starting in June, in the u nited s tates, Jamaica, the u nited Kingdom, France, i taly, Czech r epublic, s witzerland, Belgium, n etherlands, l uxembourg, Austria, d enmark, s ingapore, Taiwan, s outh Korea, n ew Zealand, Japan, and h ong Kong. 17-Year- o ld l egend is a 100 per cent pot-distilled rum, bottled at 49% AB v https://appletonestate.com/ holm

E s cay

h olmes Cay r um is releasing two distinct styles of unaged rum, r hum Agricole and g rand Arôme, from d istillerie de s avanna of r éunion i sland, as a part of its s ingle o rigin collection. r eunion, a tropical island in the i ndian o cean off the coast of m adagascar, is a French overseas department. i ts fertile volcanic soil has yielded sugarcane for centuries. The s avanna distillery produces both cane juice and molasses rums. r éunion i sland Agricole r um is made from fresh pressed cane juice distilled on a s avalle copper column still. i t is bottled unaged at 50% alcohol by volume. r éunion i sland g rand Arôme r um is a molasses high ester expression produced after a ten-day fermentation period. Also distilled on the s avalle copper column still, it is bottled unaged and at a high proof, 57.5% alcohol by volume. h olmes Cay r um founder e ric Kaye says, “These unaged expressions from r eunion have never been sold in n orth America before. Both are special, small batch rums distilled from native sugarcane. The r hum Agricole and the g rand Arôme very much fit the profile of the h olmes Cay s ingle o rigin line, offering exciting and accessible younger expressions to broaden serving opportunities. These two expressions cannot be mistaken for one another, nor could they be mistaken for light-flavored white rums made in other distilling styles. The r éunion i sland Agricole and g rand Arôme expressions are delicious and distinctive expressions of the terroir of r eunion, ready to be sipped or used in cocktails that highlight their special qualities.” e ric Kaye founded h olmes Cay r um in 2019. Frustrated that access to cask strength rums without additives was limited in the u nited s tates, Kaye saw an opportunity to focus on the hard-to-obtain aged expressions that he had encountered in e urope and the Caribbean, while championing increased transparency across the category. Kaye’s extensive knowledge of rum and relationships with highly regarded distilleries worldwide enable him to select, bottle and import rare casks, unusual expressions and exciting blends. https://www.holmescay.com/

KU l E a N a

The folks at Kuleana describe themselves as Farmers, d istillers and Blenders. As Blenders, Kuleana sources rum from distillers around the globe for their h uihui, Nanea and Hōkūlei core products. Every once and a while they are offered a gem, a rare single barrel of some forgotten rum. s ince a single barrel is not enough to create a core product, Kuleana has offered these special rums as s pecial r eleases. w hen i was on the Big i sland in d ecember, they had just released 200 bottles of Jamaica 11, a bold, funky Jamaican rum that was delicious. l ater this month, Kuleana will be releasing 200 bottles of Panama 15 at the Kuleana r um s hack in w aikoloa v illage on the Big i sland of h awaii. The journey of Panama 15 began in February 2004, when it was distilled in Panama using a molasses fermentation. i n 2014, the barrel was emptied, and the rum (about 157-liters of rum) was transported to the u nited Kingdom, where it was rebarreled and nurtured for five additional years. i t was not until 2019 that this hidden gem was discovered via barrel sample in a warehouse in e urope by Kuleana r um w orks, waiting to be shared with discerning rum enthusiasts around the globe. “ w hile we don’t know much about the origins of this particular barrel, we do know that it exudes an extraordinary level of deliciousness,” says s teve Jefferson, Founder and C eo . Jefferson added “ i n addition to making one of the world’s finest rum agricoles from fresh-pressed Hawaiian heirloom kō (sugarcane), we search the globe for world-class rums to create innovative blends. o ur s pecial r elease program is how we share the most rare and remarkable rums we find, directly with you, as we find them.” i n other news, Kuleana is off to quite a start in 2023. Their Hōkūlei, which is a blend of seven rums from h awaii, Panama, n icaragua, Barbados and Trinidad, won a Platinum m edal from the Beverage Testing i nstitute (BT i ), a prominent authority in the beverage evaluation field, and a g old m edal from the s an Francisco w orld s pirits Competition. Their h awaiian r um Agricole earned a g old m edal and an impressive score of 93 points from BT i . This recognition from BT i further cements the h awaiian r um Agricole’s status as a world-class rum that showcases the unique terroir and culture of h awaii. Kuleana’s h uihui, a blend of their h awaiian r um Agricole, a m artinique r hum Agricole and a light rum from Papua n ew g uinea, also won a g old m edal in the s an Francisco w orld s pirits Competition. “ w e are immensely proud of the recognition and awards received by our rums,” said Jefferson. “These accolades validate our unwavering commitment to quality and authenticity. w e take pride in our process and in our products which are gluten-free and have no added sugars, flavors, or coloring. w e aim to deliver exceptional spirits that embody the spirit of aloha. These awards serve as a testament to the hard work and passion of our team.” https://kuleanarum.com/

P la N tatio N r U m

Plantation announced the release of the second series of the Plantation r um v intage Collection called ‘ u nder the s ea,’ featuring six exceptional bottlings produced in limited quantities, all selected by Alexandre g abriel, o wner and m aster Blender of Plantation r um. e ach bottling is from a different rumproducing country, distinguished by the iconic colors and local marine animals native to six of the great terroirs of rum, inviting fans to plunge into a new world of rum.

• PA n A m A 2008, 45.7% AB v (91.4 proof) – Panama is the home of Alcoholes del i stmo distillery, which produced this 2008 vintage. Panama 2008 is made from molasses from the locally grown sugarcane. d istilled in a column still and aged for 12 years in ex-bourbon barrels in Panama’s tropical atmosphere, it was transported by boat to France to mature an extra year.

• JA m A i CA 2007 – Clarendon ms P, 48.4% AB v (96.8 proof) - Jamaica is the home of the venerable Clarendon d istillery, which produced this vibrant expression. m ade with molasses from locally grown sugarcane, this vintage was distilled in a v endome d ouble- r etort copper pot still that produces an elegant aromatic profile, lighter than the traditional pot still Jamaican rum.

• F i J i isl A nds 2009, 49.5% AB v (99 proof) – Fiji is the home to the r um Co. of Fiji d istillery. This 100% pot still rum is the product of an exceptional terroir combined with artisanal savoir-faire and traditional production methods. After a four-tofive-day fermentation, the molasses is distilled in a traditional copper still. The rum is aged for 10 years in the tropical climate, followed by three additional years in the continental climate of France.

• gu YA n A 2007, 51% AB v (102 proof) - This exceptional g uyanese rum is a blend of rums resulting from one-week fermentations distilled in three historic stills, including the Port m ourant double wooden pot still. First matured for thirteen years in 200-liter ex-bourbon casks in the tropical climate, it is then further aged for two years in France.

• BA r BA dos 2013 (50.2% AB v, 100.4 proof) - This exceptional rum was selected from the cellars of w est i ndies r um d istillery by Alexandre g abriel, with the help of Andrew h assell, m anaging d irector and rum historian, and d on Benn, m aster d istiller at wird . A combination of rums from both pot and column stills, this blend was first matured for 8 years in the cellars of w est i ndies r um d istillery, then further aged for another year in France. https://www.plantationrum.com/

• vene Z uel A 2010 (52% AB v, 104 proof) –v enezuela is home to d estileria s ofa, a familyowned distillery with more than 200 years of rum making expertise. d istilled in a column still and aged for eight years in their cellar, carefully selected casks were then aged for an additional four years in France.

mo N ta N ya D istill E rs

m ontanya d istillers is celebrating its 15-year anniversary in 2023. w hat began as a small, familyrun business is now a successful brand selling rum across the u nited s tates and in 7 countries in the u K and e urope. The original d istillery (2008-2011) was on Blair s treet in s ilverton in a 100 year-old, 800 square foot building. The complete operation took place on three levels: fermentations in the dirt-floored basement, distilling and tastings on the main level, and aging and bottling upstairs. The Tasting r oom was often packed shoulder to shoulder with skiers and hikers drinking double w hite r oom cocktails. i t was a grand adventure. i n 2011, Karen h oskins and her family decided to move to Crested Butte to open up more opportunities for the whole family and their businesses. Today, m ontanya d istillers occupies over 10,000 sq. ft of commercial space and is poised for continued growth after a challenging few years of expansion and pandemic. There have been many challenges and set-backs along the way. “Access to capital, competition against larger companies, and the fact that we don’t have a famous celebrity representing us are a few of the many hurdles,” says h oskin. “ i n addition to the fact that rum was so far outside the norm, American mountain rum no less, when we started.” d espite the odds, h oskin has scaled her business and increased production tenfold. m ontanya will release various limited-edition anniversary items throughout the year, including limited-edition glassware, hats, and t-shirts. They will also be releasing their first-ever rum liqueur this summer (only available in their tasting room initially), which will feature a burst of vanilla, clove, orange, and lemon. https://www.montanyarum.com/

K ilchoma N D istill E ry

i slay s cotch whisky maker Kilchoman announced planning permission has been received to build a rum distillery on the island of Barbados. n ine acres of land and a derelict mansion house were purchased at Bentley m ansion in the Parish of s t. Philip in August 2021. The plan is to erect buildings to house the distillery, mill and cask warehouse, purchase sugar cane from the fields surrounding Bentley m ansion, crush it on site and produce rum from sugar cane juice and cane syrup. Production will be from two copper pot stills followed by maturation and bottling on site. Anthony w ills will be teaming up with Frank w ard, former m ount g ay m anaging d irector, who will be consulting on the project and advising on specific rum production methods. This will offer a combination of existing expertise in single malt whisky production and m r. w ard’s vast knowledge in rum production. Kilchoman has developed a network of distributors around the world and plan to utilize the same distributors for our premium rum. Anthony w ills commented, “this is an exciting development for Kilchoman and we look forward to sharing more news as the project takes shape.” https://www. kilchomandistillery.com/ mo

UN t gay r U m

m ount g ay r um has unveiled the latest addition to its m aster Blender Collection series, The PX s herry Cask e xpression. The limited-edition rum series debuted in 2018 and celebrates m ount g ay’s heritage and expertise in rum making. The first release in the series was the X o : The Peat s moke e xpression, created by former m aster Blender Allen s mith. i n 2019, when m aster Blender Trudiann Branker took over, she released the expressions Pot s till r um, The Port Cask e xpression, Andean o ak Cask, and The m adeira Cask e xpression. For this year’s release, Branker chose barrels from Pedro Ximenez s herry that previously held fortified wine. The PX s herry Cask e xpression blends both pot and continuous still rums that have spent at least twenty years in American whiskey barrels and aged them another year in the sherry barrels. Branker said “ g oing through some of our oldest rums to find the right ones was an incredible journey, tasting rums that have been placed in our bonds two decades ago. i was thrilled to find 20-year-old rums that stood up in terms of body and character to benefit from being finished in PX s herry casks, and i ’m honored to add this to our m aster Blender Collection.” https://www.mountgayrum.com/

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K ama K a r U m

d rinks i nternational reported that Takamaka r um from the s eychelles has released the second round of two of the most popular expressions from its s t Andre s eries, Pti l akaz and g rankaz. m aster Blender s teven r ioux worked closely with co-founders Bernard and r ichard d’ o ffay to reimagine the liquids as part of the natural evolution of the collection.

Takamaka creates blends using their own cane and molasses rums, their own pot and column distilled rums and Caribbean aged Bajan r um. Pti l akaz (45.1% abv) blends traditional, pot-distilled s eychellois cane rum, lightly aged in new French oak and ex-ruby port barrels, with a three-year-old pot and column distilled molasses rum aged in first fill exbourbon and an eight-year-old ex-bourbon molasses rum from Barbados’ acclaimed Foursquare. g rankaz (51.6% abv) blends traditional pot-distilled s eychelles cane rum with column and pot-distilled molasses rum, respectively aged four years in medium toast virgin French oak and three years in first-fill ex-bourbon barrels. These are blended with an eight-yearold Bajan Foursquare molasses rum. https://www. takamakarum.com/

K a V o r U m

The CoreBev g roup announced the release of its latest brand, Kavo, the world’s first g reek rum. m ade with locally sourced g reek-island ingredients, Kavo is a new rum brand that promises to deliver a unique and premium rum experience unlike any other. The product will be available in g reece starting in June and will later expand to the u nited s tates and Canada starting summer of 2023. “ i wanted to create an authentic product that was unique to my roots and upbringing,” says CoreBev founder and C eo s telios s tavrianos, whose parents are g reek immigrants. “ i ’m very passionate about where i came from, and i wanted to take that passion and put it into a bottle. And this is the first of its kind.” Kavo is a premium, white rum that takes inspiration from the rich cultural heritage and natural beauty of g reece’s picturesque islands. The use of unique fruits and botanicals, such as mandarins from s antorini and mastic from Chios, in addition to sugar cane and other herbs and spices found only on g reek islands, give Kavo a distinct fresh and sweet flavor and aromatic profile that sets it apart from other rums on the market. Kavo is perfect for those seeking a new and exciting experience in the rum category. “Kavo has been almost 3 years in the making, and we obsessed over every single detail.” d imitrios Zahariadis, CoreBev’s Chief o perating o fficer, who worked closely on the Kavo brand, added “this is a proud moment for us to finally release this product.” https://www.corebev.com/

Koloa r um Company has partnered with Allied Beverage g roup to expand distribution of eight premium rum products into the n ew Jersey market. Available now for purchase, rum enthusiasts and patrons can choose from a diverse portfolio of flavors including w hite, g old, d ark, s pice, Coconut, Cacao, Coffee, as well as the five-year, Kauai r eserved s ingle-Barrel Aged rum. Koloa r um products are artfully distilled, blended and bottled in Kalaheo, Kauai. Pure cane sugar and pristine rainwater from Mount Waiʻaleʻale come together to produce single-batch rums with remarkably rich flavors and smoothness that capture the essence of “The g arden i sle” in a delicious range of premium rum products. “To meet the steadily increasing demand for our premium rum products, it is critically important that we align with the absolute best distribution partners in each of the markets we serve, and n ew Jersey is no exception,” said Bob g unter, president and C eo of Koloa r um Company. “ n ew Jersey is our latest project launch and we’re ecstatic to share The s pirit of Aloha from The g arden i sle to The g arden s tate. “ w e’re excited to represent Koloa r um, known as h awaii’s s pirit of Aloha,” said s ara h armelin v P of d igital & i nnovation at Allied Beverage g roup. “Koloa r um fits perfectly into our brand portfolio with its uniquely crafted premium rums. The response from our customers is remarkable and the company has truly exceeded our expectations.” https://koloarum.com/