By Dori Bryant

     It’s a great time for Rum lovers, as more and more distilleries around the world are cutting cane and firing up their alembic pot stills.  When we hear the word ‘rum’, traditionally our thoughts linger on balmy ocean breezes and sand bleached white by the Caribbean sun.  However, noteworthy entries hail from other provinces including the US (Prichards, Rogue, Maui Rum, Sergeant Classick), Nepal (Khukri), Panama (Carta Viejo, Ron Abuelo), Africa (New Grove, Starr), Guatemala (Ron Zacapa, Montecristo), Nicaragua (Flor de Cana), Mexico (Ron Macombo, Ron Huasteco Potosi, D’Aristi), and even Australia (Inner Circle).

     The Polished Palate started hosting Rum events throughout the USA eight years ago. Through the years, more than 100 brands with +250 marks have dazzled sugarcane-spirits enthusiasts, with almost half of those represented made in the Caribbean.  However, what we may not have realized is the steady, heady invasion from south, south, south of the border, South America, boasting the 2nd largest number of rum brands (33%) in our RumFests.

     Jack Robertiello, of Drinks Ink, notes, “Rums from South America fall across the general rum spectrum, but it's their aged rums that really shine. In some ways, these rums deliver on the promise that sugarcane spirits can rival the qualities of good Cognacs and Armagnacs when aged”. 

     The history of Rum is the history of sugar.  Spanish conquistadors used sugarcane to make fermented guarapos (sugarcane liquor), the predecessors of rum. As the demand for this sweet plant grew, so the Spanish and Portuguese colonists planted it in countries ripe for cultivation, ultimately spreading it far and wide. 

     In the 17th and 18th centuries, more than 200 distilleries were operating in Guyana alone, known for its rich full-bodied Demerara Rums, which neighbors Suriname and French Guyana similarly produce. Introduced in 1992, Demerara Distillers’ El Dorado Rums have won numerous medals- and the hearts of sophisticated rum consumers worldwide. Rumor has it that we will taste some new entries from XM Rums later this year.

     In Venezuela, Hacienda Santa Teresa opened their doors in 1796. Santa Teresa produces several award-winning rums, including Selecto (the first extra-aged, premium rum in Venezuela), Gran Reserva, Rhum Orange Liqueur, and Ron y Araku Coffee Liqueur. In 1996, the Hacienda released Santa Teresa 1796 to honor its 200th anniversary and took home the Gold in subsequent competitions. The elegant and complex 1796 has a dense richness, with hints of toffee and dark chocolate. 

     Always crowd favorites, Diplomatico Reserva (Gold medal ’09) and Reserva Exclusiva Rums (Best of Category ’08 & ’09) are lush and inviting. Aromas of praline and marshmallow, vanilla, nutmeg, almonds, toffee, caramel, crème brulee, dates, and orange zest garnered these rums the first WOW from our judges.  Other Venezuelan rums to savor include Pampero Aniversario and Oronoco, both imported by Diageo.

     More than eight decades ago, in 1927, a Catalonian-born Cuban left his mark in the Andean mountains of Colombia, when the legendary Ramón Badia created Ron Viejo de Caldas. Today, Caldas Rum is by far the leading rum in the country. Caldas ages its rums in oak barrels at more than 6,500 feet above sea level. New in the USA are Ron Medellin Rums, available in 3, 8, and 12-Year Old age statements, relatively inexpensively priced and easily sippable.  Colombia is well known for its production of Aguardiente, an anise-flavored liqueur derived from sugarcane, that is very popular in the Andean region. Aguardiente Cristal, Blanco, and Antioqueno are among the top-selling brands. 

     To the south is Peru.  Best known for its production of Pisco, a non-aged brandy pot-distilled from fermented grape must.  Pisco, unlike grappa, is always made from the whole grape, not the skins, seeds, and stems, and the grape varieties are very specific. The Pisco Sour is the most popular of all cocktails at dinners in Peru, with the Pisco Punch, the most popular drink in San Francisco during the 1870’s, close at its heels. Only two countries, Peru and Chile, are allowed to produce Pisco, with the most popular brands being Ocucaje, Gran Sierpe, Montesierpe, Macchu Pisco, La Diablata, and Bar Sol.

     However, Peru is now quite the contender for the production of some stellar rums!  At the Rum Competition this year, Ron Millonario Solera 15 Reserva Especial took home the competition’s first-ever Best of Show Award. As Jack Robertiello states, “Millonario is definitely one worth seeking out if you like your rums rich, lush, and bodacious”.  Ron Peruano took home a Best of Category Award.  Ron Cartavio, produced in varying age statements, won Silver Medals at the 2009 San Francisco World Spirits Competition for their 12 Year Solera and 5 Year Aniversario rums.

     In 1993, Eduardo Felippo began an organic farming project, north of Paraguay’s capital, Asuncion, with the objective of helping improve the area’s living standards. Today, more than 800 families assist in cultivating the sugarcane that Papagayo’s Organic Rums uses.   

     Heralded by Business Week as ‘The Next Tequila’, perhaps the most outstanding rum revolution is taking place courtesy of our Brazilian friends. Prior to 2004, P51 and Pitu were virtually the only Brazilian rums marketed in the US.  In fact, there were no ‘Cachaças’ involved for the 1st three years of our RumFests. More akin to agricole rums made in the French Islands, Cachaças are made from sugarcane juice, rather than dark, heavy molasses. Cachaça is to Brazil what whiskey is to Scotland, and is the third most consumed spirit in the world (85% of which is consumed in Brazil). Historians date the initial creation of Cachaça somewhere between 1532 and 1550, purportedly predating rum’s first appearance (1651 in Barbados) by more than one hundred years.

     Cachaça has a distinctive, juicy, floral, sugarcane flavor. Some tingle or leave a slightly jarring vegetal aftertaste, while others are as smooth as honey.  Whatever your taste preference, there’s sure to be a cachaça for everyone. Brazil allegedly produces more than 4,000 varieties, with the most popular being the unaged and flavored styles such as Agua Luca, Leblon, Sagatiba, Rio-D, Cabana, Boca Loca, Ypioca, Beleza Pura, and Beija.  Cuca Fresca just released pre-packaged caipirinhas so you don’t have to muddle through the recipe on your own. Aged cachaças are the ones to watch as more arrive on US shores, including Moleca, Rochinha, GRM, Armazem Vieira, and Cuca Fresca. 

     From the land of gauchos and yerba mate, a spirited, exotic, herbal concoction, and the national drink of Argentina, comes two new and worthy entries.  Water from the Andes is used in the slow-distilled Isla N Rums, all of which age in French oak and contain no additives.  Moreover, from Master Distiller Emil de Balthazar, who started distilling in 2006, come three single, varietal, grape-based Primo Vodkas: Malbec (Gold Medal, SFO Wine & Spirits Competition), Chardonnay, and Cabernet Sauvignon.

     Rum, Pisco, Aguardiente, and Vodka. What will the resourceful cultures of South America think of next? Whiskey anyone?