American Rum Report #24 — February 14, 2020
~ In This Report ~
#1: A bar opened an 1892 bottle of Old Medford Rum. Two American Rum Report readers tell us how it tasted. 😯
#2: Drinkhacker lists a Maryland rum as one of its Top 10 of 2019
#3: Two American rums land on Gear Patrol's "14 Best Bottles of Rum" list 🚀
#4: Quick links on Fred Minnick describing "the future of American rum," Lyon Distilling, Kuleana Rum Works, and Privateer Rum 🔥
#1: What does an 1892 bottle of Old Medford Rum taste like? 😯
Back in January, I mentioned that Rumba, Seattle's renowned rum bar, would be hosting an event centered around a 128-year-old bottle of Old Medford Rum on February 7.
Attendees would be able to taste a relic of the lone pre-Prohibition American rum producer that was consistently and widely praised for its quality. The bottle contained rum likely to have aged at least four years (but possibly many more) before it was bottled in 1892.
Though I did not attend the event, two American Rum Report readers did, and graciously shared their notes on the experience. I think you'll find them as delightful as I did—even if they do bring on some FOMO. (Although I guess you can't exactly call this FOMO since it already happened. We'll call it SAHMO—sadness at having missed out.)
Below, you'll find notes and photos supplied by Janet Kenney, along with some additional thoughts from the second reader in attendance. All shared with their permission.
The 1892 bottle of Daniel Lawrence's Old Medford Rum, pictured in what is surely the most precarious of settings inside Rumba for a photo op. Photo credit: Janet Kenney
Janet describes the moment the 128-year-old bottle was uncorked:
"Chris [Helford, the bottle's owner] removed the foil cap. It was actually a lead foil covering the neck and cork. The top of the cork looked like it was in pretty good condition. Next, Chris used a special 2-part Durand opener used for old wine bottles. If you’re not familiar with it (I wasn’t) it has a thinner than normal corkscrew you insert first, followed by the 2 side prong “Ah So” type opener which connects to the corkscrew to become a single unit. With the cork being pulled from the center but supported on the sides, Chris easily but carefully removed the cork. Everyone ooohed with appreciation.
"When Chris smelled the cork, he smiled and said, 'It’s rum!' Then he passed the cork and we all had a chance to sniff it. There were many favorable comments. It was a wonderful first sign that the rum inside would likely be at least good if not great."
What was the nose like?
"Chris was going to decant the bottle, but only a white ceramic fish pitcher was available. He (and we) all wanted to see the color, so instead he poured some in a glass and decided to leave the rest in the bottle to air. The glass was passed along with warnings not to spill it and not to taste it! It was treated with reverence as we each passed the glass. It was a beautiful rich golden copper color. You could tell by the nose on it that it had aged well, and was a relatively high proof. That heady, fermented and distilled molasses aroma!"
Old Medford Rum, breathing after over 100 years in the bottle. Photo credit: Janet Kenney
How did it taste?
"Given the early clues from passing the cork and the glass, it was not a surprise but was a welcome confirmation that the rum was not only still drinkable, it was fantastic! Dates, butter, spearmint, honey, copper, apple butter, citrus peel, and bananas. It was surreal knowing that what was in the glass had been distilled over a century earlier, and there was not a single “off-note” present. Nothing to detract from a beautiful, rich, slightly sweet but dry, long aged rum full of the flavors rum is best known for.
"We had all been guessing whether the proof would go up or down after such a long aging period. It at least easily matched the 50% Bottled in Bond proof of the Privateer, possibly higher."
Quick note (from Will): Janet is referencing Privateer because the event also featured a tasting of Privateer rums as a modern New England reference point.
Janet's notes compared favorably to the second reader's, who had the following to say:
"The Old Medford rum turned out to be better than anyone expected. There was a lot of talk about how it would be a 'historic' rum, not necessarily a good one. The seal and cork held up well (though it would've apparently been considered corked if it was wine) and came out as one piece. The rum itself was astounding. No firm metrics, but it seemed well aged (someone said to be 'Old' Medford it had to be at least 4 years) and cask strength. Maybe around 110-120 proof? Very dark in color. Deep brown with a reddish hint. No funk at all. Hot rich, sweet, a little spicy. Like a very old El Dorado without that slight note of being overoaked.
"There was a definite note of sweetness from something. My thought was maybe they added molasses back in after distillation (or aged in an 'ex-molasses' barrel), but some thought it could've been a sherry finish.
"Very rich and maybe a bit... spicier, but the closest contemporary rum I could think of would be like a really nice Guyana rum. Or between a Barbados and a Guyana rum. Somehow reminded me of the Plantation Extreme No. 3 or one of the old Caronis. That sort of chewy / thick / dehydrated note you can get in forgotten rum (maybe from losing volume in the bottle?)"
Finally, Janet had a wonderful way of putting the entire event in perspective:
"We had also each privately acknowledged that when buying tickets there was no way to know whether the rum would even be drinkable. It was a gamble, but would still be a worthwhile experience. So there was a festive air of jointly realizing that our collective gamble had paid off, we were experiencing a one of a kind treasure. It was older than anything that anyone had tasted pulled from a cask in the dark recesses of an aging warehouse. Older than us, our parents or our grandparents. It was a historic artifact with all of the relevance and flavor of today’s most prized collectible rums."
Damn it, that's beautiful. I should've flown to Seattle.
Janet also mentioned, however, that about 1/3 of the bottle remained at the end of the night. The plan was to seal it with argon gas and paraffin wax and make it available for tastes at Rumba until it's gone. At a premium price (higher than a taste of the mythic Black Tot), of course.
So if you find yourself in Seattle anytime in the near future, it sounds like it's worth the cost—however high it may be.
#2: Drinkhacker lists a Maryland rum as one of its Top 10 of 2019 🏆
MISCellaneous Distillery of Mount Airy, MD, came in at #9 for its Popi's Finest Rum on Christopher Null's list of the best 10 rums Drinkhacker reviewed in 2019.
For context, Drinkhacker reviewed 20 rums in 2019. Here's what Null had to say about Popi's Finest at its #9 listing:
"Rum from Maryland? Popi’s Finest shows that American rum can be just as delightful as more southern stuff, and it strongly makes the case for craft rum production on our shores. This earthy, herbal creation goes from savory to sweet over a long, hot ride – and feels well-designed for cocktailing. 100 proof. $60"
You can read Drinkhacker's original full review of the rum (published in October 2019) right here.
(I'll also quickly mention that Null's #1 pick, Holmes Cay Barbados 2005, was discussed extensively in Episode #2 of the Rumcast, in which we interviewed Holmes Cay founder Eric Kaye.)
#3: Two American rums land on Gear Patrol's "14 Best Bottles of Rum" list 🚀
First, we have Koloa Rum Company's Kaua'i Dark Rum as the representative for best dark rum:
"Much like its spiced sister, dark rum doesn’t typically make it onto a rum connoisseur’s hit list, but this bottle from Hawaii’s Koloa Rum Company is worth trying (for a solid Dark ‘n Stormy, at least). Distilled in a copper pot still from crystallized sugar, it’s left unaged and instead infused with an extra serving of caramelized sugar for a sexy espresso-toned exterior and a dry, vanilla-laden finish."
From an education standpoint, it's nice to see Gear Patrol mentioning that Koloa's dark rum is unaged and infused with caramelized sugar, given the all-too-common misconception that dark rum = aged rum. However, it would have been even better to see them devote a paragraph or two to explaining the dark/amber/gold/aged confusion that's muddied the category's waters for so long.
Note: I'm not knocking Koloa for how they make the rum, as it's a common approach and they're transparent about it. I'm just acknowledging the real confusion that exists in rum due partially to nebulous, color-driven categorization conventions.
If you're going to have "Dark Rum" and "Gold Rum" as categories in a "Best Of" list, it would be wise to explain what those categories mean—even if the answer is inexact and confusing. Better than leaving the reader in the dark (yikes, pun not intended, please forgive me).
Meanwhile, Privateer Rum took the article's "Best Craft Rum" category for its Navy Yard Rum:
"It’s no exaggeration to say that Massachusetts’s Privateer Rum is putting out some of the country’s most impressive and inspired small-batch spirits. Derived from 100 percent Grade A Molasses under the watchful eye of Master Distiller Maggie Campbell, the copper-colored charmer rests for a minimum of two years on new American oak before landing in the bottle at a deceptively quaffable 55 percent ABV. It smells like vanilla and tastes like Dr. Pepper."
I can't say "Dr. Pepper" is how I would describe the taste of Navy Yard. Particularly if I were trying to convince someone it's good! (It's wonderful, by the way.) But hey, palates are different!
You can check out Gear Patrol's picks for the remaining 12 categories here.
#4: Quick Links 🔥
Let's hit a few items rapid-fire before we go today:
Lyon Distilling Company is releasing the final batch of rum in its collaboration with the Eastern Shore Land Conservancy — The partnership contributed over $7,000 to the ESLC, and close to $14,000 with matching donors factored in (Lyon is located in Saint Michaels on the coast of Maryland, so it's natural to see why they would partner with a conservancy to protect the shore). The final batch is around 200 bottles of black rum, which seems to be similar to the distillery's dark rum, but finished on oak and with less spirit caramel added.
Nuvo Magazine highlights Kuleana Rum Works' philosophy of sustainability on Hawaii's Big Island — It also includes a photo of Kuleana's sugarcane farm, which I have included below for its sheer beauty. In the words of Liz Lemon: I want to go to there.
Habitation Velier's release from Privateer Rum has been bottled and labelled — I heard many great things from folks who were able to taste it at Miami Rum Congress last weekend:
Photo courtesy of Privateer's Instagram
A beautiful sight to see! For more context on the significance of this release, listen to the interview with Maggie Campbell on Episode #3 of the Rumcast.
On another Privateer note, Fred Minnick (author of Rum Curious, but more known as one of the leading voices in bourbon) reviewed one of the distillery's cask strength Distiller's Drawer releases: Watch the full video to get all of his thoughts, but I'll leave you with a couple of quotes that include reflections on the whole category of American rum:
#1 (Before Tasting): "Privateer I believe is probably the best American rum. They do consistently a lot of great things. Now, Richland Rum in Georgia was actually my pick for best American rum a few years ago...but Privateer, Richland, and a few others are always neck and neck for me. But American rum is kind of making a little bit of a comeback."
#2 (After Tasting): "This is the future of American rum. This is incredibly exciting. American rum used to be a great category, and then it turned to shit. If this is what all rum tasted like, rum would own the category. It would own spirits drinkers."
That's all for this week.
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