Pusser’s Rum, British Virgin Islands, West Indies

www.PussersRum.com

Pussers Rum Public House, Tortola

I’m a man who craves routine; yearns for some semblance of pattern in the chaos that is life with a two-year old, and so, it is with no small amount of nervousness that I recount the tale of 330 years of tradition, routine and pattern, shattered.

The British Navy had issued it’s fighting men a daily dose of rum for centuries and, suddenly, while reading this I can understand the allure of leaving home to sail the sea for years at a time. Waves, the tropics and a bottle of rum? Heck yeah! But in 1970 that all changed when the Navy quoted Bob Dylan by stating that “The times had changed…” though I’m sure even Bob didn’t know they were changing this much. And so to this day sailors re-enact the dark day the rum stopped in an annual ritual which is well attended and draws the finest sort of people. My kinda people.

So it’s 1970 and the rum ends, but a few sailors keep the odd bottle and such in a footlocker for a rainy day. Enter to the story a Mister Charles Tobias ( www.CharlesTobias.com ) who crossed the British Navy on a (metaphorically) rainy day in 1978: taking his ship from Gibraltar to Barbados, a small pump stopped working. Not an optimistic way to start a long voyage, the Navy is close by and so Charles hails them, hoping for a spare part. Whilst convening with the ship’s captain, said captain offers Charles a parting gift to soften the rough trip ahead: a 2-gallon cask of Pusser’s Rum. Now remember: this had never been sold privately before, and had been “off the market” for 8 years! It’s a challenge for me to keep rum in my house for a year… so a treasure to be certain.

Well the rum didn’t last as far as Barbados and Charles ended up with the happiest crew in the Atlantic that month. But beyond that, Charles had an experience; for he had never tasted rum with such depth, such dimension, such character.How, how could he get more???

He couldn’t. The producer had closed, the patent locked, the recipe in the hands of the Admiralty. Hopeless. Well, being a rummy myself, I understand all too well the impetus for Charles to march himself to said Admiralty and ask for the recipe in order to restore the vintage Pusser label back-to-life. As anyone who has ever dealt with government, much less military government, will understand: I admire Charles Tobias for his tenacity, and must believe that he has angels looking out for him that it only took 2 years for the British Navy to accept Charles’ proposal.

And the part that clinched the deal for Charles and the re-born Pusser label was the commitment from Charles to donate a significant portion of every sales dollar back to the Navy sailor’s fund. How significant? Over a million pounds Sterling since 1980, making it the biggest source of income for the Fund outside of it’s seed-money. That’s not window-dressing, that’s not publicity, that’s genuine, responsible business… to give back to our community is one of the truest marks of profitability.

But let me get off the soap-box and back to the rum!

wooden pot still, circa 1792

What makes it so flavorful? So full of life and energy? Well a little secret, that I’ve written about before, with two parts: the pot-still and the wooden-still. Pot-stills are shunned by many (read: most) large distillers due to it’s low efficiency and slowness of production. On the flip-side, master-distillers and connoisseurs adore pot-stills for their ability to evolve the production of a spirit into a work of art. Column stills, in general, produce a lack-luster product that is bereft of dense flavors, but technical sound, and do so in a matter of minutes as opposed to hours.

And then there is the matter of wood over metal: as anyone who knows wine will well understand, wood imparts flavor on liquids be they wine or spirit. A wooden still which has some age to it can then impart nuances of flavor from each and every successive vintage before… Pusser’s Rum is not the only distillery to adopt this practice, but they certainly are in the upper-echelon of practitioners with this behemoth which has been in constant production since approximately 1792. It’s craftsmanship like this which yields a rum so full of flavor and dimension that there are no additives. 100% natural product. And what difference, really, can such tools and such dedication make to the end result?

The results are in the glass~!

British Navy Pusser’s Rum

92+ points

$50+ CAD in BC

Gold Medal Winner, Best Dark Rum, London 2001
Gold Winner, San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2005
Double Gold Winner, San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2003
Gold Medal Winner, IWSC International Wine and Spirits Competition, 2011
Double Gold Winner, The Fifty Best, New York 2012
Double Gold Winner, The Fifty Best, New York 2012
Gold Medal Winner, IWSC International Wine and Spirits Competition, 2011
Gold Winner, San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2005
Double Gold Winner, San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2003

• TO THE EYE:   beautifully rich amber/gold liquid, light apricot tones
• ON THE NOSE:   full bodied aromas of Winter spices, molasses, hard-candy, ripe peaches and apricots
• ON THE PALATE:   Intense! Big, bold flavors ranging from aged tobacco to warm apricot compote to salt-water toffee. Brilliant structure and balance, I find that at 42.5% ABV it benefits from a dram of water like great single-malt
• How to serve it?:   rum like this needs no fruit juice or soda to make it quaffable and I delighted in this bottle on its own, with the barest whisper of water. Ice I find dulls the aromas. I sat on the veranda many times with the rum and a good cigar, and with a friend was the perfect treat at the end of the week.

British and Russian sailors celebrate Victory Day

So what the heck does Pusser’s mean anyways? It’s slang for purser: the officer on-board who was responsible for handling the ship’s money. And while this bottle certainly was a bit of money, it was a worthy investment. All the more so now that I learn that I’m not alone in my appreciation of the decidedly artisanal approach this company has taken. I’m also not alone in appreciating that, quietly, they have also been supporting the men and women of the British Navy for decades. I don’t pretend to be vigilant enough with my consumer dollars… I need to research more and spend less much like many (read: most) North Americans. That being said, it made me smile to see the photo of a few crusty sailors having one last kick-at-the-can with a bottle or three of Pusser’s rum. It’s a privilege, to me, when we can repay those who have served our society selflessly. That I can help by choosing a great bottle of rum – well that’s just dandy with me!

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

on Twitter @AStudentofWine

on Facebook @www.facebook.com/TheChefandTheGrape

Ron Barcelo "Imperial" Dominican rum

http://www.ronbarceloimperial.com/english.html

When I read that the BTI (Beverage Tasting Institute) of Chicago has rated a rum 97 points not once, but twice, then I take notice. You see, 97 points is the highest score they have ever given a rum.

So I do some digging, find out that they guys at Ron Barcelo have accumulated a succession of medals that would make any distiller dizzy with pride: 10 gold medals, a double-gold medal in Miami where it was also voted "Best in Class". The list goes on... pretty good legacy for the company that Julian Barceló started in 1929 when he emigrated to the Dominican Republic from Spain.

The company grew out of a vision of quality, quality, quality. So much so that even the locals ditched their hither-to favorite libations in deference to the Barcelo brand. Time passed and the natural progression of a company with strong vision and the support of the community: Barcelo rum became the most popular brand in the country! Impressive! But there's always room to grow, right?

In 1980, Miguel Barcelo (?grandson to Julian?) created the new icon: "Imperial" label. A testament to the family/company values, only the best would do and the company invested heavily in their infrastructure: from the sugarcane plantations to the molasses refinery to the labs to the aging cellar. Quality because more then a catch-phrase for the Ron Barcelo company (Barcelo Export Import S.R.L.), it became the Prime Directive.

The led to great accomplishments: the company earning the first ISO 9001:2000 Certification in the Dominican Republic spirit industry and the second in all of the Caribbean, international expansion to 10 countries in the 1990s,  the company winning a team of highly skilled, highly motivated Spanish rum professionals and by 2010 a distribution plan the extends to over 50 countries world-wide.

The massively accelerated growth can be directly linked to that 97-points I started talking about: it's the octane in the Barcelo fuel. But obviously grandson Miguel would never have been able to push such dramatic expansion without the leg-work of grandfather Julian. When a company starts with such a determined vision or goal then anything is possible.

My one challenge with the Barcelo company propaganda is that they state the "Imperial" is made in "limited quantities to maintain its mystique... its uniqueness". The Barcelo company is immense, employing many thousands of people, and exporting its own ocean of distillate to over 50 countries. To a country-lad such as myself, this doesn't seem much like "limited production". That being said, the spirit is quite good, so let's move straight to the tasting-notes:

"Imperial"

no age given: research shows from 6 to 10 years, but flexible depending on the year

91 points

$42+ CAD (Quebec)

$35+ US (Washington)

• TO THE EYE: a pretty rum, it shows so well in the glass with it's dark coppery hued amber tones
• ON THE NOSE: it displays rich, unique salt-water toffee, young pineapple and mild Szechuan pepper aromas
• ON THE PALATE: is where the score starts to dip for me: clean flavors of dark toffee, coffee and warm wood-tones are reminiscent of great Bourbon (positive) but some of the spirit in the blend is a tad juvenile/rough and clumsy and burns (negative). The structure is quite good, but not all of the flavors truly seem to marry together and this particular vintage seems to have some bits and pieces sticking out on their own. Well made but perhaps benefiting from further maturation.
• How to serve it? Too good as a blender with cola or fruit-punch, too much ice will also dampen the more subtle aromas and leave it somewhat mono-dimensional. I found that room temperature, with a splash of water allowed it to open more in the nose and left the palate in better balance.

So a good little sipping rum, from a company with a strong history of over-delivering. Just the type of company I like to support! This rum is a great gift for you celiacs out there who find yourselves missing a splash of Bourbon or Kentucky whiskey... similar flavors and will do in a pinch on your veranda one lazy afternoon. 

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

on Twitter @AStudentofWine

on Facebook @www.facebook.com/TheChefandTheGrape

Cristalino Cava, Garcia Carrion wines, Spain

www.GarciaCarrion.es

 What can I, peasant that I am, say about a company that has won the prestigious award for Best Winery of Spain not once, but twice in a row? A winery that has been growing, developing, challenging the status-quo since the 1890's. A winery that has garnered more awards then a strong man could carry with ease.

I don't think that there's much I could say about such a winery that others haven't stated in a hundred different ways, and so I shan't even try. What I will do is express my admiration and respect:

All who read my work know that I have a "penchant" for telling the family story, the story of working for more then just one's self. How inadequate then I feel, reading the story of this family which in 1890 built it's first commercial winery in Spain. And why should I feel inadequate? How can a man who can barely trace his lineage back 100 years begin to understand a family business that in 1890 had already been in viticulture for centuries... in fact, the Garcia Carrion family has no idea how long they had been making wine because the records don't go back far enough.

And here I sit just outside of Vancouver, British Columbia, which in 1890 got it's first steam clock, laid the first foundations for the sugar refinery and had a population of 1,000 souls. It was only 100 years before that (1892) that Captain George Vancouver set foot here for the first time.

And the Garcia Carrion family had already been in the wine business for centuries.

But it's one thing to be in business, and quite another to become the largest winery in Europe, fifth largest in the world~! And how does a family facilitate such a massive feat of business engineering? Well in their own words (to paraphrase), one needs to: "Be adaptable, listen to the customer, and be willing to Risk."

And risk they did when they sought financial backing in the early 1990's to expand their production of fruit juices, soda and fruit products. The risk paid off though when the backers sold their shares within a few years for 1.9 times the purchase price and Garcia Carrion had re-established itself as a Player. 

Gazpacho and wine? You're confused by the line of thinking? Well in business one hand scratches the other and the families growth in this segment strengthened its position to chase down growth in the wine industry. Fulfilling that objective, Cristalino Cava has now grown its sales in North America by 50% per year for two consecutive years. This translates to 60 million bottles of Cava for 2014.

Small wonder in my mind. In fact, I'll be stunned if the story doesn't remain much the same for the next year and possibly beyond. And why such a heavy prediction? Seriously: 50% growth for any company in any year is amazing, so why predict it three years in a row? It's because of something that a truly gifted businessman and winery own (John Skinner @ www.paintedrock.ca ) taught me... I'll paraphrase a bit again when I recollect John saying "Many people can make good wine, and that creates good business. But selling great wine at a great price creates a family legacy. And that's completely different."

But enough of my ranting. There's only one place to find true proof of quality and  that, my friends, is in the glass~!

Brut Nature, n/v

89 points

under$15 in BC, as low as $7 in some North America markets

• this sparkling wine is a sommelier's dream; aged for 15 months at the winery it has developed layers and nuances far beyond its' modest price-point... aromas of green olives, apples, chalky minerality are followed by a bone-dry palate of creamy/mousse-like bubbles and lingering flavors of green apple and lemon zest. Great balance and structure - it has power to handle complex food and sophistication to be sublime on it's own. Certainly appeals to an older palate as youngsters may find it too dry on its own

Brut n/v

89 points

under$15 in BC, as low as $7 in some North America markets

• well if the BRUT NATURE is for the sommeliers, then the BRUT is for the ladies. Yes Sir, this cava opens very similarly to the predecessor, but whilst the aromas contain brine/green olive/almonds notes, they are warmed by tones of ripe peaches and apricots. The palate is dry, obviously, but not strikingly so and can easily... far too easily... be quaffed on it's own. The structure, balance and length are excellent as is the Value For Money~! Your girlfriend/wife/sister/Mom's new favorite sparkling wine - buy an extra bottle or two to have on hand because really, at this price, anyone can afford Sunday Mimosas :)

Rose Brut n/v

91+ points

Under $20 in BC, as low as $10 in some North American markets

• My choice for Top Bubbly of 2013~!!!
• A stunning wine: crisp aromas of red berries (raspberries, cranberries) and clean mineral tones permeate my glass, transcended by a palate awash in fresh acid drenched in the same crab/raspberry flavors and always, always that distinct and utterly precise mineral focus. Much longer length on the palate then the other two wines (which are beautiful), this rose has capacity to develop on the taste-buds for 30 seconds and longer... truly an exceptional find for the price, I admit that I haven't been able to find its equal. A delight with your fish and seafood meals, it is an utter joy to consume on it's own. 

And so I conclude another year of Swirl, Sniff, Sip and Spit (optional).

These three wines represent, to me, some of the absolute best value in wine that I know of. They are eloquent, full of concentration and balance, and resonate both with food and without. But... But the part of all of this that would make my Dad most proud of the work that I do is that all three of these wines are under $20.

It's (relatively) easy to find quality in wine, sparkling or not, when one flourishes $50 or $100. For $100 I should be getting good wine! But it takes a bit more resourcefulness to track down gems such as these. And it's wine like this that can become a regular part of regular lives in the New World, where we're only just coming around to the notion that sparkling wine (in whatever form you choose: Cava, Prosecco, Champagne, etc) isn't just for special occasions. Drink bubbly with Sunday brunch! Drink bubbly with Tuesday pizza! Drink bubbly as you take the train home from work :)

As a mentor once encouraged me: Don't save your special bottles of wine for special occasions. Use your special bottles to create special occasions.

To me, Cristalino is always a special bottle, and anytime I open it becomes a special time for those I share it with.

Many thanks to the Christopher Stewart Wine Agency, representatives in Canada, for the sample bottles. www.christopherstewartwineandspirits.com

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

on Twitter @AStudentofWine

on Facebook @www.facebook.com/TheChefandTheGrape

Evolution wines by Sokol Blosser Winery, Oregon

1971 was a very good year, just ask the Sokol Blosser family.

For it was in 1971, long before anyone had lofty notions of an "Oregon Wine Industry" that the Sokol Blossers planted the self-named vineyards about 30 km (20 miles) south of the city of Portland in the county of Dundee. Started by Stanford graduates, and newlyweds, Bill Blosser and Susan Sokol, these two must have either been incredibly stubborn or truly certain of their vision. I say that because the business-law of averages states that any new company will take about seven years to start making profit.

For this vineyard, the big break took more like eight years when the intrepid couple sent their wine to the  International Wine and Spirits Competition in London winning six awards, including several golds. I can't imagine waiting eight years to receive validation from my peers that I'm doing the right kind of work... it takes a very special person to struggle to create something that flies in the face of "mass-opinion". I mean, really, at heart we're all still in high-school  waiting to see what everyone else is going to wear for the first day of class, and then running home to ask our parents for money so that we can buy the same clothes.

Well obviously Bill and Susan weren't those kind of kids. They built a winery where virtually no one else thought World-Class wine could be made. They sent that wine to one of the most prestigious competitions of the day, and won gold. They then expanded the vineyard the very next year and Bill left the stability and comfort of a well-heeled planners position to take the reins as the Sokol-Blosser winemaker full-time. Bravely forging into the unknown...

But Bill and Susan were never afraid to push into the unknown; they were innovators with the use of cover crops to preserve top-soil, they reduced and eliminated the use of pesticides and herbicides to preserve the local salmon streams, they became recognized as one of the top-100 companies to work for in the state of Oregon (the only winery that year). In short, this couple spent  their careers striving towards a different direction then the mainstream.

But why?

underground wine cellar

Why forge so ardently for organic principles long before it became popular, or even fiscally prudent to do so? Why install solar panels for energy on the WestCoast, where it rains enough to make even ducks uncomfortable? Why create the first U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified underground barrel cellar? Why work so darned hard when so many others were doing the opposite?

I believe it was to preserve their terroir. 

Inspired winemaking and stunning land weren't the only reasons that The Wine Spectator featured Sokol Blosser and their Pinot Noir in 2001. No... awards, accolades, adoring consumers all happened because these wines tell a story.

I was fortunate enough to have a colleague at PMA Canada send me some samples of the new release from this vineyard; their mid-tier wine which hovers just below the $20 price in British Columbia. Excellent price for certified organic wines in this part of the world, but what about the flavors???

A fresh take on Oregon!

Evolution n/v white

Dundee hills AVA, Oregon

$19.99 www.bcldb.com

90 points

www.PMACanada.com   importers

16th edition

varietals:   Muller-Thurgau, White Riesling, Semillon, Pinot Gris, Gewurztraminer, 

Muscat Canelli, Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, Sylvaner

maturation:   100% stainless steel

• visual:   clear; pale gold core with watery rim, silver highlights
• nose:   clean; medium+ to fully intense youthful aromas bursting with exotic floral and lush fruit, yellow and pink grapefruit zest, white flowers, apricot, roses... layers of bouquet
• palate:   clean; dry, medium+ grapefruit acids, medium- body, medium- ABV (12%), medium+ youthful flavors mimicking the nose... there truly are layer upon layer to this wine and yet in presents itself in a very approachable manner. Full of fruit and floral this wine uses the Gewurztraminer brilliantly and will appeal to any Spring/Summer patio/beach/deck. Excellent balance and very good structure, medium+ length
• conclusion:   imminently thirst-quenching, this bright little number drinks well now and will not develop appreciably with age. Best 2013-2017/19
• FOOD PAIRINGS:   as the Gewurztraminer was one of the most prominent varietals in the blend (for me) - I would use that as my anchor and try Dijon marinated grilled chicken with BC apricot relish, steamed quinoa, fresh rosemary sauteed apples and baby bok-choy... the sweetness in the wine will respond well to some savory tones in your food, the apricot accentuates the ripe stonefruit notes whilst playing acid (relish) off sweet fruit, I'm on a quinoa kick so there's that - but  really this wine carries multiple layers and can handle multiple layers in the accompanying food

Evolution n/v red

Dundee hills AVA, Oregon
$19.99 
89 points

2nd edition

Bronze Medal Winner - Dallas Morning News Wine Competition

Bronze Medal Winner - New York International Wine Competition

• visual:   clear; deep garnet core with distinct cherry rim
• nose:   clean; moderate+ youthful aromas bursting with cherries, cherry blossoms, roses, savory earth background and light spice
• palate:   clean; dry, moderate+ red currant acids, moderate+ green/grippy tannin  moderate- body, moderate+ ABV (13%), moderately intense youthful flavors much like the nose: fresh and cheery with a hint of savory backbone but not overly complex. Very good balance, good structure, medium length
• conclusion: fresh young wine best consumed young. Will not develop appreciably in bottle but tannin will soften over the next 12-18 months and will drink more easily without food (for those who enjoy a soft red). Enjoy 2013-2017
• FOOD PAIRINGS: I would use this Syrah based blend much like an inexpensive Chianti or perhaps Primitivo... pasta bolognese with prosciutto chips, grilled sausage and portobello mushrooms, shaved Parmesan... it needs no explanation - a juicy wine for some juicy food!

"All things unto themselves" I've heard it said... to me, as I grow in the wine-industry, I find that is still a rarity. It's rare to find people I guess in any walk of life who dare to express themselves as they are, rather then how they wish they were. For a winemaker to express grapes the way that they want to be expressed- well- that's not every winemaker.

Winemakers are proud. Winemakers are bold. Winemakers want to put their stamp on a wine so that people half-way around the world will say: "Oh - that was made by Winemaker X!". It takes more strength of character to allow a wine to travel halfway around the world and someone says: "Oh - that was made in Dundee Hills!".

The Evolution line of wines is still introductory, but certainly walks a long way towards expressing more of where it came then of who made it. These wines may well change the way consumers look at Oregon wines... from lofty Pinot Noir commanding top-level prices to these which are easy drinking and (relatively) easy to afford. I look forward to tasting more of the wines that made Sokol Blosser famous.

As always, I welcome your comments and questions.

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