4 Rums for February

Sweet thoughts abound this time of year. Romance seems to be the theme of February so we are going to make it HOT! Here at Rum Lab, we share fantastic Rhum/Ron/Rum; in this space, we pick 4 Rums to fit perfectly with each month. So for this month of warming embraces we are going to show you some Higher-Proof rums / rhums to “warmly embrace” you. These are excellent rums, and each will be exciting additions to your collection!

Plantation O.F.T.D.

This has been the highly anticipated rum of the last year. Since the details of its origin and the merit/caliber of it collaborators were announced rum lovers along with classic & tiki drink makers have been urgently waiting; their wait has been abundantly rewarded. Let’s get into it! O.F.T.D. is a blend of rums from Jamaica, Guyana, and Barbados, and shows up at 69% ABV (or 138 proof). It is replacing the Original Dark Overproof (which was from Trinidad and 73% ABV <or 146 proof>). I’ll be honest, I liked the predecessor, but O.F.T.D. Is a MASSIVE leap forward in flavor and structure—definitely an improvement to me. The aromas lead with funky molasses, baking spice and overripe fruit bound together with smoke, caramel, and rich vanilla. The flavors follow and develop articulating cinnamon, oak, nutmeg and smoke that bind with dried fruit and linger throughout the finish.

Lost Spirits Navy Style 61% 2016 Edition

Doggone talk about reinventing the wheel! Bryan Davis (Master Distiller at Lost Spirits) found a way to mimic the ester inducing aroma / flavor characteristic of the an ancient ‘muck’ pit (a place where distilleries in the Caribbean would ‘promote’ the growth of bacteria’s and volatile acids to create flavors in fermentation), hacked the aging process to build flavors in a 7 day, very complicated process, that you wouldn’t be able to normally find in a spirit under 20 years old. Everything about this rum is bold; aromas of pot-distilled molasses, grilled tropical <over-ripe> fruit, exotic spice and complex wood build to include oxidized nuts, desiccated fruit and intricate botanical nuances. The leathery flavors of dried fruit drizzled with baking chocolate, treacle-coated smoky nuts, spiced caramel and dried vanilla pods. This rum is an amazing adventure that is thrilling as the innovation that is demonstrated by its creation.

Rhum JM Blanc

Rhum J.M. Blanc is from Martinique. It is produced from estate grown, hand-cut, fresh pressed sugar cane juice that was planted on legendary volcanic slopes rich with soil that is loaded with flavor giving minerals and nutrients: it is fermented from fresh-pressed sugarcane, distilled in a Creole, copper column still, and rested for three months in stainless tanks before it is ‘reduced’ to 50% ABV (or 100 <full> proof). The unique micro-climate of the estate deeply influences the quality, aromas and flavor of this spirit. The aromas show an exuberant abundance of fruits like mango, tomatillo, banana, bell pepper, and papaya in various degrees of ripeness, elevated by floral notes like pineapple greens, citrus blossoms & leaves, and grounded with a fun earthy minerality that makes the nose so. The flavors profoundly mingle, flitting about with a myriad of flavors and resolve to a lengthy finish that restates the aromas with an emphasis on minerals and spice.

RUM FIRE

This is huge, AUTHENTIC, traditional, Jamaican style rum. Made at the historic Hampden Estate, in Trelawny, Jamaica. The sugar estate goes all the way back into the 1700’s and this distillery is famous for their high-ester rum. Rum Fire does not disappoint the Hampden legacy; this is a giant rum that is vibrant & pungent with aromatics that will intrigue & astound. Rum Fire is built with amazing structure, elegant depth and lovely warmth, which basically is the best of everything you expect in an excellent Jamaican Overproof rum. The funky/fruity aroma shows citrus, crab apple, grapefruit, herbs, plantain, fresh sugar cane, minerality, spice, rich molasses and warm, clean alcohol. The flavors follow, briskly dancing a jig, playing the aromas as a fugue of flavors with the main melody made with ardent fruit that climaxes and then fades in a perceived sweetness that reveals again the minerals, floral and mild spice that resolve in a vigorous, warming aftertaste.