Juan Santos 12-year rum

Juan Santos Rum

One of the best evenings I had in 2014 was with the fine folks at the Vancouver Cigar Company as we shared a host of genuine Cuban cigars and a terribly fine bottle of Colombian rum courtesy of Juan Santos. Latin music drummed in the background and the machismo energy was on overdrive as we savored the world-class spirits, smokes and slick rides. It was impossible not to remember the year before and the massively brilliant evening shared by hundreds of cigar aficionados.

Simon Yang of Vancouver Cigar Company

And it got me to thinking: there's an art to smoking great cigars! Notice my friend Simon Yang, customer service-extraordinaire at Van Cigar Co, and the way he lights this beautiful Cuban tobacco; the time he takes, the attention to detail... every bit as much an artisan as the inspired rum that comes from Juan Santos. I've long been a fan of their work and wanted this chance to share with you the why: why do I love the rum, why are they working so hard and why haven't you tried it yet?

But I can't do that.

It seems that, for all my research skills, I can't find any proof that the distillery for Juan Santos exists. Or, at least, that it exists in Colombia. I started wondering: "Why would the importer not want to link their website to the website of the distillery?" but it goes further than that... they won't even name the distillery, or the name of the family who theoretically own the business. Why would that be?

I know that the label Juan Santos has been created solely for the Western Canadian market and so, should you live outside of that, there is the very good chance that you will never try this rum. Or will you? It turns out that a colleague of mine who writes about rum prolifically was gifted a bottle of aged rum from Cuba. Now he ascertains that the company producing Juan Santos is Casa Santana and they claim to have started their company in Colombia in 1994 - having come from Cuba.

It's a good story and might very well be true and, yet, it immediately raises a red flag: how did a distillery started in 1994 start releasing a 21-year rum in 2012: 18 years later? And how did this colleague of mine, who was gifted the rum from Cuba, end up with a bottle that looked and tasted identical to Juan Santos? The Cuban distillery I speak of Ron Santero and they may very well be the producers of Juan Santos rum. Cuba does, after all, share a bilateral free trade agreement with Colombia.

Well enough of my "Conspiracy Theory"... at the end of the day all I know for certain is that an importer bringing beautiful rum to a population of 10,000,000 people (Western Canada) hasn't figured out that they need to share Who the producer is. As if, somehow, the Who and the Why aren't as important - or even more important - than the What. A shame... I'm betting money that there is a great story in this and one that I sincerely hope I get to share with all of you one day.

For today, I'll let the tasting notes stand on their own. Quality spirits, and quality cigars, are meant to be shared. Indeed, to me, that's where most of the pleasure comes from; seeing a friend, a brother, a colleague, your sister - try something truly special and savor the moment. Every time I've been to the Vancouver Cigar Company I have been wholeheartedly impressed with the consummate professionalism and the unquenchable enthusiasm these master tobacconists display. Their functions are memorable, as was the rum, and I hope I have the pleasure of bumping into you the next time I'm down there.

[cincopa AwFAMPsnrOGR]

the 90+ point Juan Santos 12-year

Anejo 12 anos / aged (for) 12-year

89+ points on its own/90+ points with a dram of water: Very Good Value

... warm caramel and toffee pudding. Summer flowers growing in the garden - the aroma wafts through the kitchen window as you snooze on the couch. These are the kind of  inviting aromas that surge from the glass; a plethora of sweet-welcome, like the beautiful girl you dated in college. Slightly hot alcohol hiding beauty; the palate conveys strength and discipline: the (expected) caramel tones warm the tastebuds to open for mineral tones, hints of peach and apricot and the savory edge of Macadamia nut. Very well balanced, with good structure and medium+ length, this has just passed the realm of mixed drinks and entered the "land-of-rocks" because, really, we should only enjoy this just with a glass or "on-the-rocks" with an ice-cube if you must (a dram of water does a better job). For rum aficionados this is a must to show yet another dimension to artisanal rum.

the smiling faces of Van Cigar Co have kept customers returning for years

And so what have I learnt through this? I admit, I was a little jealous of my friends and colleagues down at Van Cigar Co when they started talking about the Cuban cigars we were smoking. It seemed like for every cigar that was lit there was a story about "the last trip to Cuba" or "remember when that cigar-roller visited us a few months back?". I was so proud of the fine rum that I'ld brought but had no story to share. Maybe it shouldn't matter! Maybe I should be able to look beyond who made a product and where and just concentrate on the quality of what's in the bottle. Right?

But we human beings aren't like that; we aren't so analytical. In fact we're anything but. We make decisions impulsively and with our hearts. We yearn to hear a fantastic tale of a "David" slaying the mythic "Goliath"... without this human connection consumers are soon left cold and move on. This is a lesson that Van Cigar Co learnt a long time ago and is why, in a sea of non-smoking legislation, they not only survive but continue to thrive. My hope is that other businesses will learn from their success.

Many thanks to The Liber Group for the very generous sample bottle of Juan Santos and to (General Manager) Trevor of the Vancouver Cigar Company for their incredible hospitality. As always you can find more recipes, free wine reviews and my notes on premium distillates and cigars on:

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El Dorado rum, Guyana

www.TheElDoradoRum.com 

Rum used to be the providence of sailors, buccaneers and ne'er-do-wells... in the 1700's rum-drinkers were the fringe of society and were marked as such.

How much has really changed in 300 years? Well in some parts of the world, it would seem very little!

Imagine that, like me, you live in North America... in the northern part of North America. Little enough rum drinking here and, what there is, seems focused around mixing mediocre distillate with cola beverages and copious amounts of ice. The more adventurous may put a lime wedge in as well, probably to the derision of their cohorts.

I always cosied up to the idea of rum, buccaneers and sunny-climates, but never found a tribe of like-minded people who shared my passion until my wife decided that we needed a vacation, and Cuba was the place to go. The first thing we were told on the bus from the airport to the resort was that "Vitamin R" would cure all of our woes and the only thing better then rum was more rum.

I was in Heaven!

And I returned from that adventure a changed man; devoted to all things excellent in rum (much to the chagrin of my wife and my wallet). It took years, and over a hundred different bottles of the sugar-based spirit, but I began to develop not only an appreciation - but my own sense of palate. And this education took many forms: from the professional-level tastings at New Product Salons, to the very very informal sessions held on my front-porch late in the Summer evenings, where invitations were based on people's preference in cigars...

But both types of teaching had a distinct influence on me, and, I'm more fluent in the language of rum because of them. Do you prefer light, golden or dark rum? Aged? If so - how long? Cuban? Dominican? But to me just as important as deciphering what one likes, is learning the why behind it.

I've discovered that I usually prefer a dark rum with a hint of elegance to the structure, which often comes as a result of long aging (12 years or longer). I enjoy the notes of orange, exotic fruit, wild floral tones that only come from certain regions and certain styles. I learned this over the course of a few years and know that it will take decades to truly come to any deep level of understanding of the process. What then can I say about a region that has invested centuries in it's understanding of rum, and of it's own capacity to produce World-Class spirit?

When Christopher Columbus came to the Americas in the late 1400's, he came here with some very serious financial backing. The fiscal powers-that-be weren't just funding Old Chris for the sake of a Grande Olde Adventure... no, no. These people were in business, and their business was about taking a dollar and turning into two. Sugar was becoming a very lucrative commodity in Europe and was expected to keep doing so. If Columbus was sailing along the equator, he was bound to find land suitable to the production of sugar.

They didn't know the half of it!

Sugarcane made its way from the Canary Islands to Guyana in the 1600's, and soon the British and the Dutch were working their new-fangled distillation miracles with the sugar water. Well, by the 1700's there were over 300 sugar plantations in Guyana, each and every one of them with it's own distillery. And what came out of this new addition to the landscape? Not only did the distilled spirit start developing such rich characteristics and stable quality that the British Navy began a ration of rum, daily, to each and every sailor (starting a hundred years of drunken sailing... "No, No Admiral," they declared, "we have no idea how we crashed the ship!") but something else just as marvelous happened.

300 distilleries started developing their own sense of style! Some lighter, some darker, some aged longer, some bursting with freshness but all of them creating their own sense of self, their own identity. Flash forward a few hundred years and the Demerara Distillers Limited (parent company to El Dorado rum) decide to capitalize on this unique history. They develop a new brand of premium and ultra-premium rum starting the world's first 15-year aged rum.

Two things to remember about aged rums: 1) the age indicated is the youngest aged rum in the blend and 2) aging of spirits in the Tropics happens twice as quickly as in Northerly climates (ie: Scotland, Wales, Ireland, France)... meaning that a 15-year rum has many of the same characteristics as a 30-year cognac (in terms of its aged character). Significant facts my friends!

But wait a second! Isn't rum just for the ne'er-do-wells? The ruffians and vagabonds? Well the good people at Demerara Distillers had faith that the rum-connoisseurs of the world were just waiting for something new, something a bit more polished and a bit more... grown-up. Turns out - they were right! Now El Dorado has one of the most distinguished line-ups of aged rum anywhere. And arguably the largest warehouse of aged rums as well.

Let me show you one such example:

El Dorado 12-year special reserve

$35 CAD (www.BCLDB.com) 

91+ points 

• visual:   clear; medium+ golden amber core
• nose:   clean; medium+ intense orange/tangerine citrus tones infused with soft notes of exotic wild-flowers, caramel, aged honey and some exotic fruit such as mango/ripe strawberry-papaya
• palate:   clean; medium+ body, medium+ alcohol (40% ABV), medium+ intense flavors that match the nose quite well; there is a burst of bright orange citrus tones that is followed quickly by notes of exotic flowers and fruit... some dried apricot characteristics as well lend considerable complexity to a low/mid-priced spirit. Very good to excellent balance, great structure and length
• conclusion:   a stunning value for the money, I can see why the BC liquor board customer ratings are presently at 4.7 out of 5... simply one of the best rums for the price on the market. Period.

So now we know the what: That Demerara Distillers wanted to create a world-class line-up of rums and they succeeded. Brilliant! We're all applauding the result, but how did they make it happen? I could say that it was a result of generation upon generation of blood, sweat and tears and I wouldn't be lying. But? But there's more to it then that.

Passion, talent, dedication.

George Robinson

It was the Passion of people like George Robinson, Master Distiller and brilliant cricket player who was the guiding vision behind El Dorado's climb to heights unparalleled in the world of rum distillation. George is sadly no longer with us, but he had a deep faith that "If you build it, they will come" which proved to be more then true... El Dorado is now a global label and has truly set the standard for ultra-premium aged rums.

Talent took the form of  Amar Seweda, Master Blender who has the arduous task of combining the multitude of flavors into one coherent form... currently El Dorado has an arsenal of 8 different stills to create 8 completely unique styles, or marques, of rum. From this plethora it is Amar's job to create one unified vision for each of the separate age categories and colors and maintain its consistency year after year. This is a true master-craftsman's task and is exemplified in the 21 year rum which has been categorized by the Chicago Beverage Institute as being “A monumental aged rum that is one of the world’s greatest rum drinking experiences!”

I'm looking forward to my next taste of its little brother, the 15-year, which should be right about now :)

El Dorado 15-year 

$50++ CAD (in BC, only select private stores)

93+ points

•  visual:   clear; medium+ aged honey/golden amber core with copper highlights
• nose:   clean; medium+ intense aromas much like the 12-year but with more finesse... the exotic floral tones are abundant/layered/textured, the exotic fruit bouquet is opulent and has more guava tones as well as papaya and there is a savory sweetness to it - like candied yams
• palate:   clean; medium body, medium- alcohol (40%, enjoyable straight at room temperature), medium+ intense flavors brilliantly inline with the aromas; crisp exotic fruit drive a palate awash in floral tones, and with the salty-sweetness of salt-water-toffee... brilliantly clean finish and persistent. Excellent balance and structure, long length
• conclusion:   Stunning. I'm forced to ration myself with this bottle as the last bottle of this I had emptied itself in one evening with only a few friends and some great conversation

So I've explained how and why this company delivers exceptional quality and exceptional value, but I didn't tell you about their secret weapon! World-class staff are an integral part of the puzzle, but great craftsmen (or women) need world-class tools to work with...

"Say hello to my little friend..."

This is one of the oldest functioning stills in the world! Originally designed in 1832 by an intrepid Irishman by the name of Aeneas Coffey. The still, then, is know by the eponymous name The Wooden Coffey Still. This is the last one of it's kind still in operation, and is much the same as it would have been when first put into production around 1880... it's a kind of magic, when you think of it, that we are tasting from this piece of history much the same style of rum as people were over 200 years ago. Simply amazing.

Demerara Distillers (and El Dorado) have a combined total of 8 unique stills, all producing their own style (marques) of rum. This is the secret weapon; some old, some new, pot-bellied stills to produce ripe, round flavors and column stills to preserve freshness and some of the oldest stills in the world preserving a tradition that in this part of the world goes back centuries.

Blending the old and the new isn't a goal, it's a journey. I have the highest admiration for companies, like El Dorado, who are on this journey with such high intentions. In a time when "following suit" seems to be a requisite skill for growth, here is a company who bucked the social norms and created their own path. I only hope that when it's my turn to take a stand, I do so with as much finesse... and I hope there's a bottle of El Dorado waiting for me at the end!

As always, I look forward to your thoughts, comments and questions. Here, or:

on Twitter @AStudentofWine

on Facebook @www.facebook.com/TheChefandTheGrape

CINCIN~!!!     SLAINTE~!!!     CHEERS~!!!

---------------------------------------------------------------------

16th January, 2014

*addition

Today I found tucked away in a corner a wee dram of rum that I'ld saved for a rainy day. As it happens, the sun was shining and the birds were singing. But I figured to myself that somewhere it must be raining, and so I ended up with a few ounces of the ever-delightful El Dorado 5-year for my troubles.

In most portfolios, the 5-year would not only be an entry-level product in terms of price, but also in quality. Not so with this distillery! Though there is certainly less concentration, less layering and nuances of flavors and aromas, this is a spirit that drinks on it's own with ease and mixes like a dream... there's a reason I had to hide the bottle from myself, remember?

But enough talk! There's only one place to find empirical evidence: In The Glass.

5-year

Under $30 CAD in BC

89/90 points

TO THE EYE:   pale amber/honey core with light gold highlights

ON THE NOSE:   rich yet not overly complex aromas of honeyed apricots, vanilla, warm flowers

ON THE PALATE:   smooth, with just a hint of alcohol burn at the mid and end-palate (at room temperature). Flavors are much like the nose with some exotic honeyed fruit tones, mild vanilla and floral. Well balanced and enjoyable on it's own

How to drink it?   as in all things, this is personal taste. I don't personally mix rum with cola, but if I did - then this would be my stand-by. Inexpensive enough that I wouldn't care who mixed what with it and smooth enough that I could serve it to my father with a straight face.

Another feather in the cap for El Dorado and another reminder to myself why I keep a bottle of this in the house at all times... I may save the 15-year for my best friends, but I know for a fact that I've made more then a few friends pouring this at a party.

SLAINTE~!!!

Ron Matusalem, 15-year Gran Reserva

The tale of a family can almost always be counted on to be filled with mystery, intrigue and a litany of interesting characters. Rare is the family for whom this is more true then the family Alvarez who own, and have successfully run, the Matusalem & Co. distillery ( http://www.matusalem.com/ ).

     Dr. Claudio Alvarez, current owner, can trace his roots directly to his great-grandfather who started the company in 1872 with his brother and one other partner after they emigrated from Spain to Santiago, Cuba. Some internet research says that Matusalem was first distilled in Cuba as far back as 1792 but that is not verified by the company website. Dr Alvarez has now brought his son on board with the company, to continue a family tradition that they have worked zealously for through war, dictatorship and over a century of economic flux. Did you know that at one point (the 1940's), Matusalem was over 50% of the Cuban rum market?

     Ron Matusalem Gran Reserva is made using the solera system which is used primarily for the production of Sherry, and is made (much like cognac) by rules which state that in the 12-year label, 12 year old rums are the youngest age of rum in your bottle... the casks will be stacked on top of each other (on their side) 4 layers high. Every three years, a portion of the bottom cask is bottled and sold. At that point, a portion of the cask (barrique in French) above it is syphoned off and added to the cask below it (to thus refill it to its original level). The top-most cask is topped with new rum, and the process continues.

     Sounds like alot of work? It is, and there are even mathematical formulas to calculate rate of loss from casks per year, average age of rum per cask, etc. The result? Layers upon layers of flavor and bouquet. But I digress.

Ron Matusalem, 12-year Gran Reserva,

Dominican Republic

$60 CAN (BC), $35 US, 30 Euro (Western Europe)

Best of Class & Double-Gold at 2008 San Fransisco Spirit Competition

• very light caramel colors, hardly any orange/amber
• fully intense nose; oak is hitting me immediately... none of the aromas I usually associate with rums. I like a sweeter style of rum (Pyrat for example) and this has only the softest whispers of vanilla and caramel in the background. Front and center I find the oak, yes, and a myriad of citrus and florals (Meyer lemon, some thyme or Bay leaf, red currants also come into play for me) - but it is the nuances of oak that dominate for me
• an interesting palate: full flavored, the oak comes in with an easy drinking robust toasted almond flavor... lightly charred barrels I am assuming. Citrus is still there as well, and that slightly tart currant-like backdrop. Smooth finish, I'm drinking this sans ice or water, and feel the rum isn't suffering from any lack

     I feel like this is a Scotch drinkers rum; by which I mean, it is very well crafted, with alot of nuance that begs to be discovered (not hidden in cola and ice). I have just finished my first bottle of Ron Matusalem Gran Reserva, and never once did I feel the need to "water it down a little". It has marvellous balance on its own, and at room temperature, which I feel is a mark of master distilling. Well worth the money!

CIN CIN! SLAINTE!