Well, I’m finally back from a week in Texas. As we do every other year, Mrs. Dood and I went to visit my family in San Antonio for Christmas.
For this particular trip, we made a few extra stops along the way, including a visit to “Area 51” for Temptryst Rums: Daniel Watson’s lab. My brother, father, and I paid Dan a visit and he was very gracious. There are so many things I’d love to be able to tell you, but between the NDA and the fact that Dan could probably kill me 17 different ways in less than 30 seconds lends to me keeping my big trap shut. Some day, when all the patents are granted and Temptryst rums and whiskeys are available on store shelves, I’ll post a long and fascinating overview of how Temptryst rums achieve such excellence in short amounts of time. That day has not yet arrived.
What I can tell you about our visit is how fantastic Dan’s work really is. Anyone familiar with this blog knows that I’m a big fan of Temptryst rums. Getting to see how those rums come to be, and getting to see what’s in store for the future were even better. Dan was kind enough to show us his process for developing his blending recipes. He even allowed us to sample a few infusions/blends prior to their completion. We sampled Apple Wood, Orange Wood, Sugar Cane, as well as a few others. We also sampled a few completed formulas, including a special blend called “Angel’s Share” which Dan mixes specially for his wife, as well as Maple Wood, and Burnt Orange. Dan also took us on a tasting tour of his vast collection of “flavor research” – a massive collection of commercially available rums and cachacas from around the world.
We left with a little booty…my brother with a bottle of Maple Wood, my father with a bottle of single-malt whiskey, and I with bottles of Coconut Shell (no, not Coconut, although the Coconut was fantastic), and Burnt Orange. I’m so excited at the prospect of mixing the Burnt Orange and Dark Chocolate that already sits on my shelf into some cocktail, I can hardly express it. The Burnt Orange is so good – sweet and fully flavored – that it could easily substitute for curacao or cointreau in any cocktail. Deeee-lish.
I also returned with a special invitation. Ed Hamilton, of the Ministry of Rum, has invited me to be a judge in the 2008 Ministry of Rum Tasting Competition at Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans. I am thoroughly honored to be invited to sit with a panel of people who are quite likely far more qualified to judge the offerings. I’m also really looking forward to hopefully meeting a few of my readers and fellow bloggers while at the festival. Oh, and I might indulge in a cocktail or fifty…