January 2012 re-cap ~ don't miss out on Vizcaya or the February Rum Bums celebration!

Rum Bums, please forgive me for the delayed re-cap of the January gathering. It surely was not for the lack of a great experience - we tasted some delicious rums!

Rob Ahrens was in the house to introduce us to Vizcaya, a label that is distilled and bottled in the Dominican Republic. The folks over at Vizcaya employ the solera method of aging their rums, which means that they are continually filling the barrel to replace the rum that dissipates in the tropical climate. This results in a rum that is a mixture of ages, with the average age increasing over time. Vizcaya recycles charred white oak bourbon barrels from distillers in Kentucky, which makes for sweet and flavorful spirits.

I was shocked by Vizcaya Cristal - aged only an average of two years, this rum was amazingly smooth and vanilla sweet. Although perfect for mixing, the Cristal could definitely stand alone as a sipping rum. Rob said that the Vizcaya Cask 12 was a favorite with the ladies and that held true with me. It was a caramel delight that ages an average of seven years. The final taste of the night was the Vizcaya VXOP. The average age of this big daddy is 18 years and it proved to be consistently sweet with a scotch-like finish.

Lee provided another delicious spread for the evening. The starter was a garlic-infused papa rellena de queso (potato filled with cheese). The main course was a savory treat of pork and garbanzo bean soup with a side of coriander buttered toast. If it sounds decadent, that is because it was! This was some of the most flavorful soup that I have ever tasted (side note: all of the soups that I’ve had at La Isla are really tasty - you should order one the next time you stop by!). For dessert, we enjoyed a chilled arroz con leche.

The Vizcaya Cask 12 has a firm spot in my rotation of sipping rums. These rums were not just a hit with me - Cameron, Ramon, Dustin and Jesse (all of the friendly faces that you see working behind the bar) were talking them up before I even grabbed a seat at the bar.

Just a reminder - Rum Club is coming up tomorrow night, Tuesday, February 28. We will be celebrating La Isla’s seventh anniversary by tasting some seven-year-old rums as well as a glass of Don Q Gran Añejo. Join us as we raise a glass!

December 2011 Rum Bum re-cap

The Rum Bums closed out 2011 with a four-round tasting of Clément Rhums. I had the pleasure of chatting with Rocky Yeh, the portfolio master that represents Clément, both before the tasting and as he made his way around the bar to enlighten us about Rhum Agricole.

Rocky Yeh in action

We kicked off the tasting with Clément VSOP. Clément ages the VSOP for an average of five years in a similar fashion as they would a cognac. It was dark, silky and sweet - a great rum for sipping. We followed the VSOP with a taste of the Premiere Canne. Served with a lime wedge for squeezing, the Premiere Canne was smooth and dry, which Rocky attributed to the high water and alcohol content in this barely-aged spirit.

If sipping rum is not your thing, I would recommend ordering a millionario (Cameron’s choice on the drink menu). This cocktail is a delightful mix of Clément VSOP, vermouth, orange bitters and an orange twist. The millionario was chilled and crisp - really refreshing!

We finished up the night with a taste of the Clément Creole Shrubb paired with a mini passion fruit cheesecake. The Creole Shrubb is a rum-based orange liquor that is über sweet for sipping. The La Isla crew got creative with this gem and instructed us to create a tiny well in the cheesecake to hold a small serving of the Creole Shrubb. It was a tropical fruit explosion!

Lee knocked the food pairings out of the park in December. He served up Puerto Rican-style ‘potstickers’ filled with pork, shrimp, shredded carrots, green onions and flamboyan (red pepper garlic sauce) alongside vegetable escabeche. This was a light plate that was a great lead in to the passion fruit cheesecake. One of the things that I love about Rum Bums is that we get to try small bites of dishes that are not always on the regular menu.

Thanks to Rocky for introducing us (or, at least, me) to Clément and to the La Isla crew for hosting another great evening of Rum Bums.

Rum Bums December 2011 ~ a taste of Rhum Clément from Martinique

“I love rum because it is one the most unique spirits around. It can be light and neutral like vodka or rich and woody like bourbon.” So says Rocky Yeh, a self-described bon vivant and lover of all spirits. Yeh will headline the upcoming Rum Bums gathering on Tuesday, December 27 at 9pm.

Yeh represents Rhum Clément, the leading producer of Rhum Agricole in Martinique. You may be wondering, ‘what is Rhum Agricole?’ - don’t worry, I have cliff notes. Rhum Agricole is the process of distilling rum from sugarcane juice (rather than molasses, which is a sugar by-product) that was first adopted by Homère Clément in Martinique in 1887.

In the late 1800’s, the French began to produce sugar from sugar beets. As a result, Caribbean sugar producers had to find a new stream of income as sugar prices plummeted. The French islands in the West Indies began distilling and fermenting fresh sugarcane juice in to rum.

Yeh says that Rhum Clément embodies both the history and culture of Martinique. “Un-aged Clément is pretty indicative of the Rhum Agricole style with its funkiness.” In addition, the rich notes and evolution of the aged spirit reflect its distinct interaction with the climate and premium wood.

The rums that we will be tasting on Tuesday sound delicious. The Clément Créole Shrubb is a rum-based orange liquor, while the Clément VSOP is described as an aged rum with a smooth, mellow flavor. As if that wasn’t enough, La Isla’s crew will be mixing a couple of rum-infused cocktails as well as serving up appetizers.

Please join us as we make our last toast of 2011!

Appleton Lovers!

Tomorrow, November 29th, marks the last Tuesday of the month, and we are proud to be offering samples of Appleton rums! Come early and get to know your fellow Rum Bums!

RUM OF THE MONTH

CHESTERFIELD BROWNE

    

 A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO WE HAD THE HONOR AND PLEASURE OF HOSTING CHESTERFIELD BROWNE FOR OUR LATEST EDITION OF RUM BUMS.  HE CAME OUT TO TALK ABOUT THE HISTORY AND PROCESS OF MAKING MT. GAY RUM.  CHESTER IS THE INTERNATIONAL AMBASSADOR FOR THE MT GAY COMPANY AND TRAVELS THE WORLD TO TEACH AND INFORM PEOPLE ABOUT THIS WONDERFUL SPIRIT.  HIS BIO IS AS FOLLOWS:

     Chesterfield Browne joined Mount Gay Distilleries Ltd 15 years ago as the bartender at the Mount Gay Rum Visitors’ Centre.  He has created many recipes which have left lasting impressions with his guests, including his own rum punch which has become known as the best tasting rum punch in Barbados.  In 1997 he was nominated in the Barbados Minister of Tourism Awards and won the coveted title of ‘Bartender of the Year’.  This outstanding achievement was accomplished again in 1998, making him the only bartender in Barbados to have ever won bartender of the year on two occasions.  Today, Chester is the International Brand Ambassador & Mixologist for Mount Gay Distilleries’ brand, Mount Gay Rum and travels throughout the world promoting this fine rum.  At home, he continues to represent the passion and pride of the people who work at Mount Gay Distilleries and adds a personal touch par excellence!

CHESTERFIELD BROWNE

     THIS MONTH WE ARE FEATURING MT. GAY XO AS THE RUM OF THE MONTH.  THIS IS AN EXCELLENT RUM FROM BARBADOS THAT IS COMFORTABLE REGARDLESS OF ITS COMPANY.  AND BY THAT I MEAN IT SITS JUST AS WELL IN A MIXED DRINK AS IT DOES AROUND SOME ICE OR JUST ALL BY ITSELF WHEN BEING DRANK NEAT.  IT IS AN 8-15 YEAR OLD BLEND THAT STANDS OUT FOR ITS FULL BODY AS WELL AS BALANCE WITH A NOSE AND PALATE THAT’S SPICY AND FRUITY ALL AT ONCE.  WE HAVE FOUND IT GOES REAL WELL ON A MANHATTAN IN CASE DRINKING RUM NEAT IS NOT YOUR THING.  :)

     IN ADDITION, WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN THE RECIPE TO CHESTER’S RUM PUNCH AND ARE GOING TO BE OFFERING IT AS A DRINK AT THE RESTAURANT DURING THE SUMMER.  WE ARE VERY EXCITED ABOUT HAVING IT BE A PART OF OUR DRINKS MENU, IN FACT SO EXCITED WE ARE GOING TO BE OFFERING IT IN PITCHERS AS WELL AS INDIVIDUALLY.