If you’ve been following, we have been talking about rum quite a lot during summer in the Rambunctious Series of summer refreshing cocktails. But rum unlike many other spirits can go from light mixing rums such as Havana Club Blanco evolving into slightly deeper, golden rums like Appleton Estate and then finish at bold, almost syrupy, midnight colored rums. The diversity of rum makes it the perfect mixer in summer and sipper in the winter.

Sipping rums have slowing been growing on back bars, in liquor stores & in enthusiasts cabinets the world over in the last few years. With the depth and breadth of rum, each country, each distillery having their own style, taste and production method; it is a rabbit hole that once you fall down, it is hard to get out of. If you enjoy sipping whisky or cognac by an open fire during winter, then you should give a few of these lovely sipping rums a try. They are all available at your local government & private liquor stores; it is a start to exploring the world of rums.

El Dorado 15 year old (Guyana)

A blend of selected rums aged up to 25 years with no rum in the mix younger than 15 years old. It is a combination from 4 different stills owned by Demerara Distilling. The sweetness of dried fruit, Christmas spice & molasses is balanced with dry tones of grassy notes and warm spices.

Diplomatico Reserva (Venezuela)

Deep amber colour; vanilla, oak and pronounced spice aromas of cinnamon, cloves and a hint of orange; medium-bodied and tasting off-dry; flavours of allspice, vanilla, dried fruits, orange, cacao, oak and spice; long finish with chocolate orange notes.

Angostura 7 Year (Trinidad & Tobago)

This rum is aged for a minimum of seven years in ‘once used’ bourbon casks. This rum is packed with mouth watering flavours that include maple, chocolate, honey and toffee and presents a rich full-bodied taste that tapers off in to the classic rum finish of tight vegetative and burnt sugar.

Ron Barceló Imperial (Dominican Republic)

Lush, buttery toffee, dried fruit and delicate floral aromas surround this brilliantly copper colored rum. A lively entry leads to a medium-to-full-bodied palate with sweet toffee, dried apples, pears and brown spices. Long in its fruity, buttery toffee fade with a touch of tobacco leaf and pepper.

 Rum Nation 10 year 2001 (Barbados)

Baking spice, marzipan, cola on the nose with orange marmalade and butterscotch on the palate. Rubbery tar and briny kelp finish along with baking spice, vanilla

TREACLE

The Treacle is a nouveau classic dark rum cocktail created by Dick Bradsell in London in the late 90’s. Dick was the bartender behind the Espresso Martini & the Bramble along with his take on a rum Old Fashion. The Treacle takes time and there are no shortcuts but the end result is nothing short of spectacular. You can also play around with the rum or try doing an ounce each of two different styles of rum to get the desired flavour that you are looking for.

2 oz of dark rum such as Appleton Estate 12 year

½ oz of simple syrup

½ oz cloudy apple juice

2 dashes of Angostura Bitters

Glass – Old Fashion

Method – Stir bitters and syrup with two ice cubes, add rum and stir, add more ice and stir. Float apple juice on top.

Garnish – Lemon twist