Monday, May 12, 2008
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It's that time again. Time to hunker down and join the rest of the cocktail blogosphere in celebrating our monthly libation worship. This month's MxMo (graciously hosted by Blair over at
TraderTiki.com) is one I couldn't miss. No really, how bad would I look if I - the host of
RUMDOOD.com - did not participate in the MxMo with
RUM as the topic? Somewhere there is a giant computer crunching the numbers to make that determination, but it may take a few years before the sheer magnitude of badness will be calculated. Let's just settle on, "The Dood would look pretty bad if he skipped the rum MxMo."
Now, you would think that this being a rum blog, a Mixology Monday focussed on rum would be ideal. How much easier could it get?
In reality, there was a great deal of pressure pushing down on me to make this a good entry. My reputation is at stake...but what to write about? I'll be completely honest here...it was a little daunting when I went to pick a rum to write about and ended up staring at this:
That picture is actually a little old...it's missing about 6 bottles (I have an addiction and
BevMo and
Hi Time Wines are enablers). All told, there are 54 rums on my shelf as of Sunday night...and no, I did not decide to do a tasting of all of them.
As I've mentioned before, one of the benefits of writing reviews of rums is that - sometimes - makers of rum (or their marketing firms) will contact you and ask if you'd like some samples (with the idea being that you will then turn around and write a review of the sample). I recently received samples of
Depaz Blue Cane Rhum Agricole (look for a review later this week) and their Pure Cane Syrup. While thumbing through the marketing materials included in the package, I stumbled across a recipe for a "Depaz Midnight Mojito". A mojito! There we go! It's getting in to the summer months, and I just so happened to have a package of fresh mint sitting in my refrigerator,
begging to be used in a refreshing cocktail.
Most people make mojitos with white rums.
Oronoco, Matusalem Platino, Flor de Cana White, Bacardi Silver (ew)...all make great mojitos. Personally, I don't drink a lot of white rums, and there's only so much room on my shelf, so I tend to dabble with the gold rums. Because of this, the idea of a "midnight" mojito made with a non-white rum didn't scare me one bit.
Per Depaz, a Midnight Mojito is thus:
Depaz Midnight Mojito
8-10 Fresh Mint Leaves
1 oz Fresh Lime Juice
1 oz Depaz Cane Syrup
1.5 oz Depaz Blue Cane Amber Rhum
Squeeze fresh lime wedges into a cocktail shaker. Add ice and all remaining ingredients into the cocktail shaker.
Shake vigorously. Strain contents into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a sprig of mint.
Pretty basic mojito recipe...I have all of the ingredients...and it gives me an excuse (like I need one) to use my mojito set! Of course, I didn't follow it to the letter. No mentioning of muddling the lime and mint? SACRILEGE!! Only 1.5 oz of rhum? No no no no no...none of that will do. Plus, no one really uses or even needs fresh lime juice anyway.
JUST KIDDING! Put away your bar knives! I'm talking to you,
Jeffrey! Put it down and step away slowly...it was just a joke.
One of the key things with a mojito is the use of a muddler. I have a nice muddler that came with my mojito set, and so after tearing about 10-15 mint leaves and dropping them into my shaker along with my fresh lime juice, I went to work pounding and twisting and grinding the menthol out of the leaves and into the juice. I then added 2 oz. of rhum (that's French for "rum"), 1 oz of the cane syrup and some crushed ice (thanks to Stu & Alida for the used blender - it's already coming in handy).
I've had debates with people over the use of crushed ice for mojitos. I don't always do it, but I really think that I should for one very important reason: containment of mint bits. With crushed ice floating at the top of your glass, you very rarely end up with a mouth full of foliage as you suck down the refreshing Cuban goodness of a great mo'. When you use cubed ice, there's a higher degree of difficulty in getting a clean draw from the glass unless you cheat and use a straw.
The ingredients sufficiently shaken, I poured them into a tall glass, and then topped with soda and garnished with lime.
I have to say, the Depaz makes a really tasty mojito. I may have indulged in an additional 1 or 2 after the first one...and I may have tried adding muddled/blended banana in to one of them at some point...maybe.... If I did, it was probably excellent...
Monday, May 05, 2008
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So, I once again went over a week without a post here. I swear that every time I miss a week, it's for a good reason. I yearn for the day when my life will be less..."busy". Or at least, less busy in the manner that I've been kept busy for the past 3 months.
I recently wrote
a review of Cabana Cachaca and rated it a 3 out of 5. Now, this is not a bad rating. I would estimate that at least half of my rum shelf is occupied by rums of a 3 rating. In fact, one of my most commonly used and favorite rums in the world is a 3 out of 5 (Appleton Estate V/X).
With the Cabana however, I found myself torn as I determined my completely arbitrary and subjective rating. My rating system, being my own, has built-in flexibility that I like to call the "How do I feel today" variable...but I try not to invoke it. As I stated in the review, I don't typically drink cachacas. I tend to find them industrial and grassy, and not as enjoyable as most rums, and therefor it's harder for a cachaca - just by the nature of cachaca itself - to get a high rating in my system because it's being compared to my favorite and most highly-rated rums. If, by its very nature, a spirit contains flavors that I don't particularly care for, how can it possibly ascend to the upper echelons of the pantheon of Dood's Rum Ratings? HOW? I ASK YOU HOW!?!?!?!
One thing I've been considering is modifying my rating system. Actually "modifying" isn't the correct word..."subdividing" would probably be more accurate. Of the cachacas that I've had, the Cabana is easily one of the top 5 (granted, I haven't had nearly as many different cachacas as I have more "standard" rums - if there is such a thing). So, if you're a fan of cachaca, or you're looking for a rating of this cachaca against other cachacas, then the 3 out of 5 rating can be a bit misleading. If I were rating Cabana strictly against other cachacas and not the entirety of the rum category, I could easily upgrade it to a 4 out of 5 - just under the sought-after 5 out of 5 rating (I've only ever had one cachaca that I would rate as a 5 out of 5, and it would rate that on the overall rum scale on its own, no extra scale necessary).
My concern is that once I start dividing up my rating system, it could become too confusing. Where do I draw the line? Do I only give cachacas a separate system? What about molasses rums versus rhum agricoles? What about demerara rums? What about Jamaican versus Barbadian versus Cruzan versus Cuban, etc?
For this reason, I'm turning to you, dear readers. I write these reviews for you (mostly...I do have to admit that I enjoy the sound of my own typing and getting to sound like I know what I'm talking about at parties when I denounce Captain Morgan and the Bacardi Silver as swill unfit for my consumption), so your input could prove valuable. Should cachacas get their own rating system? How granular should I go? Should spin-offs such as cachacas have two lines of rating, their "cachaca rating" and their "overall rating"? How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could drink zombies all night without ending up with a hangover the next morning?
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
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Got the announcement last week, but I'm just getting around to posting it today because I'm lazy. Apparently my favorite distiller of rum,
Appleton Estate, is releasing a new super-ultra-mega-mucho premium rum. I love Appleton Estate. I think I own one bottle of everything they offer with the exception of the Master Blender's Legacy (note:
Dood now accepting gifts of the Master Blender's Legacy). The V/X, the Extra, and the Reserve are probably the rums I use most often for an evening cocktail, and the 21-year-old is one of my favorite sippers (no need to point out that I haven't reviewed any of these rums, I'm well aware of my deficiencies in sucking up to my favorite rum company). Anyway, it looks like Appleton Estate is going to be introducing a 30-year-old rum that I will be forced to buy as mandated by my religion.
Appleton's press release is below.
Limited Edition Appleton Estate 30 Year Old Jamaica Rum to be Introduced in Select Markets Across the Globe.
April 1, 2008; Kingston, Jamaica. Appleton Estate Jamaica Rum has introduced a limited edition 30 year old rum.
Only 1,440 bottles of Appleton Estate 30 Year Old Jamaica Rum has been produced, and according to David McConnell, Managing Director of Global Marketing for Appleton Estate Jamaica Rum, this limited edition rum will be available in select markets across the globe.
“Appleton Estate 30 Year Old Jamaica Rum is a very rare and special rum that has been aged in oak casks for 30 years. It is a limited edition product and we are only producing 1,440 bottles which we will release in select markets across the globe where it will be available in duty free and luxury or boutique accounts.”
Appleton Estate 30 Year Old Jamaica Rum is packaged in a proprietary bottle whose design was inspired by the Appleton Estate signature bottle that has been a hallmark of the brand since it was launched 20 years ago. The bottle has a cork finish and each bottle has a hand-numbered certificate of authenticity.
McConnell noted that the Company was very excited about introducing the first Appleton Estate Limited Edition brand. “We are thrilled to be able to introduce a Limited Edition Appleton Estate rum. The Appleton Estate is recognized around the world for producing premium aged rums of the finest quality and we are very excited about the prospects for our Very Rare 30 Year Old. This rum will appeal not only to persons who are passionate about rums, but also to all spirit connoisseurs.”
The brands that make up the Appleton Estate Jamaica Rum range include the flagship brand, Appleton Estate V/X Jamaica Rum, the super premium Appleton Estate Reserve Jamaica Rum, the ultra premium Appleton Estate Extra 12 Year Old Jamaica Rum, and the luxury rums, Appleton Estate Master Blenders’ Legacy and Appleton Estate 21 Year Old Jamaica Rum.
The Appleton Estate Jamaica Rum range is produced exclusively on the Appleton Estate which is located in the Nassau Valley in the parish of St. Elizabeth, Jamaica. The first known documentation of rum production on the Appleton Estate is dated 1749 and it is the oldest sugar estate and distillery in Jamaica.
Appearance
Bright and shiny colour with a coppery hue
Nose
Baked pear, maple, spice and orange peel notes with hints of ginger and vanilla
Palate
The subtle oak character is wrapped with delicate spices and vanilla
Finish
Its clean finish lingers with molasses
Saturday, April 19, 2008
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Since I started down this adventurous path of rum blogging several months ago, a goodly number of people have asked me, "Why, Dood? Why do you blog about rum?"
It's a fair question. I think I started for two reasons: 1. It's fun and 2. Because occasionally you can get free stuff. So imagine my glee when I came home from work one day to find a large package sitting on my porch! Ok, so I wasn't quite gleeful at just the package...I'm not that easily gleed (is that a word?). When I opened the box however, that's when the glee started, as inside was a bottle of
Cabana Cachaca, along with a note from their marketing group saying that they hoped I would enjoy it.
Oh I will...oh yes, I will.
I don't know if this quite qualifies as having "arrived" in the world of blogging. I likely received the box because I'm taking part in the
Tales of the Cocktail Blog this year, and Cabana is a sponsor of said blog and related blogging activities. And while there was no real request for a review, I find it hard to imagine that they sent a bottle of their cachaca to guy that writes rum reviews without it crossing their minds that, "Hey, maybe he'll write one of our stuff! And then the BIG BUCKS start rolling in!"
And for those who are concerned that my desire to continue to receive free booze by courier will influence my review, tssk tssk. I have integrity...or was it an Integra? The one without power steering. On to the review!!
Cabana Cachaca is a relatively new entry into the world of spirits, having been launched in 2006 by Matti C. Anttila of New York City (suddenly I find myself thinking of those BBQ sauce commercials with the cowboys..."This stuff's from New York City!?!?!"). Don't worry...this isn't made in New York City...it's made in Brazil, otherwise it couldn't be called "cachaca". Says Matti in the materials provided me, "We set out to introduce something American consumers had never experienced - a truly super-premium cachaca."
A noble goal, to be sure. I do take a minor issue with the label "super-premium". What is it with spirit-makers trying to outdo each other by saying their premium is more premium than the other premium? Listen, you're either premium, regular, or well. The avalanche of "ultra-premium", "super-premium", "mega-premium", and "premium-premium" labels is getting out of hand people. Let's try to keep things in perspective.
Cabana is distilled, aged, and bottled in Brazil before being imported into the US with the trendy "super-premium" label (note: "Super Premium" does not appear anywhere on the label, but the phrase is used 3 times on one page in the materials provided to me). The marketing spiel says that the spirit is hand-crafted, and is double-distilled in copper pot stills as opposed to the more ubiquitous column stills. After distillation, the cachaca is aged for six months in Jequitiba barrels, bottled, and then shipped.
Appearances
Cachacas tend to be "white" or clear, and Cabana does not stray from this. The spirit looks clean and clear in the glass. A swirl reveals a spirit that clings tightly to the sides of the glass, only slowly relenting and returning to the bottom.
Nose
I'm not typically a huge fan of most cachacas. I tend to find them grassy and a bit unrefined in a way that is totally different from my classy unrefinedness - almost industrial. After another swirl of the glass I held the Cabana up to my nose and inhaled. The scent was not what I had been expecting. It was fruity and warm. Notes of banana and lime, along with honey. There was a bit of a grassy hint to it, which is typical of Brazil's national spirit, but not as strong as I've seen in most other cachacas. I found myself already doing a mental inventory of my liquor supplies, wondering if I could make myself a caipirinha.
Palate
As I've already stated, I don't tend to be a fan of cachaca. I usually find the offerings I see in liquor stores to be harsh, grassy, and industrial-tasting...like a mix of lawn clippings, rum, and tequila (if you ever want to know what that tastes like, go get yourself the cheapest bottle of cachaca you can find and you will know pain). Cabana's goal was to "[refine] cacaca from its overly vegetal and harsh taste to a smooth and versatile elixir." In this effort, I think they have largely succeeded - while this is not the best cachaca I have ever tried, it is one of the better ones.
The entry is a mildly harsh, with a bit of burn on the tongue. The spirit is dry, but fruity. Flavors of overripe banana and citrus mingle together nicely. There's a subtle sweetness here, but nothing overpowering. Overall it's quite pleasant. There's a tad more burn in the chest than I normally like, as well as a grassy aftertaste. Neither of these is so bad as to make the spirit undrinkable neat, but it is unlikely to become a regular sipper for yours truly.
The Long & The Short Of It
Overall I have to say....I like it. This is a bottle of cachaca I will happily keep on my shelf and offer to friends, relatives, and strangers who somehow find their way into my house. I find that the flavors are more...cohesive than other cachacas I've had...better blended and balanced. I, personally, wouldn't label this a sippable spirit, but I can't wait to try this in a caipirinha or a mojito. The number of cocktails that could use this are probably close to limitless.
The only thing that concerns me a tad is the price: $34.99 according to the marketing materials. That's about what I pay for Ron Zacapa 23 Anos, and that's one of the best rums in the world and something I happily sip neat. Other than that though, this seems like the kind of Spirit of Brazil that will do you right, regardless of how premium you are.
Doods Rating: 3 Bottles of Rum Out of 5
Tuesday, April 08, 2008
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Man, I am so far behind the curve these days. With many apologies for my tardiness, I have a note from my doctor saying that moving, a death in the family, and various other sundry issues all happening within 4 weeks of each other is a reasonable excuse for not posting. Of course, I realize that my readers try to hold me to a much higher standard...but I'm kind of heavy, so they can't hold me there for long.
It's April now, and that means that tickets are now on sale for
Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans. That's right, you can now go get your tickets. Do it. Stop reading, go back and click on that link and get your tickets. How could you NOT get your tickets.
You still need motivation? You need incentive? You need prodding to go to New Orleans for the biggest, baddest spirits event in the US in July? Seriously?
Just check out this
list of events. Check out the
list of VIP's that will be speaking and delivering fantastic demonstrations on everything from this history of rum to molecular mixology. What more do you need?
How about this: The Dood, himself will be there. There you go, now you've got no excuses. In fact,
several of my fellow cocktail bloggers and I will be there contributing to the official
Tales of the Cocktail Blog. We'll be easy to spot because instead of wandering around imbibing various cocktails and spirits, we'll be wandering around imbibing various cocktails and spirits while typing. I'm thinking this is the perfect occasion for introducing my laptop holder + drink holder apparatus. OK, I don't really have one, but it would be an awesome thing.
If you simply can't make it, or if you still need motivation, keep your RSS reader pointed to the TalesBlog over the next few months, as in addition to blogging at Tales, there will be sneak-previews of various sessions and other goodies to help entice you.
Hope I see you guys in NOLA!