The most recent rum model to maneuver upmarket is the Dominican Republic’s Brugal, which just lately dropped its first ultra-premium restricted version launch, the primary in a brand new line of rums referred to as Colección Visionaria.
The thought right here: use a brand new “Fragrant Cask Toasting approach” to infuse barrels with an surprising however complementary taste — on this case, chocolate:
Brugal rums are 100% Dominican, and this assortment is not any exception. The Maestros fastidiously chosen the best pure substances from their beloved homeland, the Dominican Republic to craft probably the most genuine ultra-premium sipping rum. For this primary version of Colección Visionaria, Brugal hand-selected one of many island’s most cherished treasures, cacao beans, and infused the toasted casks with their distinct nutty, velvety and fruity aromas.
“One in every of my most cherished childhood recollections is strolling amongst the cacao timber surrounding my household dwelling. I bear in mind the plush and inexperienced cacao fields, the bittersweet scent of the cacao pods, and the wealthy aromas of roasted beans,” says distiller Jassil Villanueva Quintana. “It’s this reminiscence I wished to recreate with the primary version of Colección Visionaria.”
The gathering, expertly crafted by the fifth technology of household maestros, embodies Brugal’s visionary spirit and over 135 years of wooden and cask experience. Every technology of Brugal household Maestros has performed a vital function in finishing up the model’s legacy and keenness for rum-making. Similar to her predecessors, Villanueva Quintana has devoted herself to creating actually distinctive rums, uncovering a brand new wave of rum making with Brugal’s progressive cask toasting approach used to craft Colección Visionaria.
Utterly distinctive to Brugal, the toasting course of begins with the choice of the best virgin European oak casks. Every cask is thoughtfully toasted with hand-picked Dominican cacao beans – infusing them with its natural, fragrant notes. The cacao beans are then eliminated earlier than the rum is added into the toasted casks, saturating the liquid with the aromas created by the toasting course of earlier than they’re aged to perfection beneath the Dominican solar. This new approach provides a layer of depth and complexity to the liquid with out the cacao beans ever touching the rum straight. The result’s a wealthy, elegant, and well-rounded sipping rum, with none added sugars or components.
We assessment this new launch alongside a recent take a look at one in all Brugal’s most basic expressions, 1888, within the protection that follows.
Brugal Coleccion Visionaria Edicion 01, Cacao – I used to be anticipating a chocolate bomb with this launch, however the actuality is one thing rather more refined. Chocolate barely makes an impression on the nostril, which comes throughout with notes of cinnamon-dusted cappuccino paired towards dusky barrel char and a touch of raisiny Port wine. Advanced and welcoming, you’ll discover the cacao making extra of an look on the palate, the place the rum evokes a heavier Dutch course of cocoa powder character, backed with well-toasted caramel and notes of dried plums, then smoldering notes of allspice. That raisin high quality pushes into the end, giving the fade-out a darkish, fruity sweetness. That in fact pairs fantastically with chocolate throughout the board. Raisinettes, anybody? 90 proof. A- / $100 [BUY IT NOW FROM RESERVEBAR]
Brugal 1888 Doblemente Anejado Gran Reserva (2023) – We final encountered 1888, the highest shelf of Brugal’s normal lineup, again in 2011 when it was first launched. The packaging has modified since then — it’s now wrapped in a string netting — as has the title, barely, which now focuses on its double barrel ageing course of. The manufacturing nevertheless appears roughly the identical: aged for as much as 8 years in bourbon casks, then completed in oloroso sherry (time unspoken). Oxidized sherry notes hit the nostril instantly, alongside a espresso bean high quality and a well-charred oak character. This can be a daring, aggressive rum that feels prefer it may overwhelm the palate, however ample sweetness right here tempers the punch. Raisiny fruit, brewed tea, and a few toasted coconut notes all add an island high quality to the combo, with a squeeze of torched orange peel throughout the highest. Toasty and oaky on the again finish, there’s a reprise of espresso and a slight tropical edge late within the recreation. The sherry affect lingers however not as strongly as I prompt again in 2011. Whether or not that’s my palate or an evolving spirit is left as an train for the reader. Both means, it’s nonetheless strong stuff. 80 proof. A- / $42 [BUY IT NOW FROM CASKERS] [BUY IT NOW FROM THE WHISKY EXCHANGE]
Brugal Coleccion Visionaria Edicion 01, Cacao
$100
