One Barrel

I reviewed this rum during the early days of RumJourney in 2010.  While attending the 2012 Miami Rum Festival during one of the judging sessions it was a pleasant surprise to come across it.  I noticed that the flavor profile had changed, creating a more robust product.  After meeting with the Traveller's team at the Grand Tasting, they were kind enough to provide me with a bottle to explore the differences between old and new.

The rum is aged two years, then blended and bottled in Belize. 

Appearance/Presentation

One of the first things I noticed is that the rum in the bottle is no longer pale but a rich dark amber.  The label has changed since my first bottle.  Three medals align at the top; gone is the Traveller's name from the logo, replaced with "Product of Belize" and with the familiar 1 Barrel logo across the front.  In the glass the color mellows slightly forming thin legs that race down the glass as I give it a swirl.

Nose

Swirling the rum releases a pleasant aroma of molasses with some astringent notes.  After letting it air, when I swirl it again I pick up caramel, cocoa, sweet grass, vanilla, with the slight hint of pepper.  All signs of the rougher notes are gone strengthening the pleasant aromas.

Palate

When I sip, the tongue is washed with a robust caramel-vanilla sweetness. Underlying cocoa, coconut, and slightly astringent pepper notes carry the baseline.  As I continue to sip the rum, roasted nut notes develop creating a pleasant praline juxtaposed by the  pepper notes in the finish.

Review

1 Barrel won best in class at the 2012 Miami Rum Renaissance Festival.  It displays surprising complexity for such an immature rum that distinguishes it among its competition. The astringent tannin notes that display the immaturity of the rum are counter balanced by a fun robustness that did not exist the first time I tried it.

I look forward to visiting Belize and acquiring the others in the line.  At the festival I had the opportunity to try an innovative and super tasty cocktail by Daniel Warburton, Mixologist with BMC Fine Spirits.

Belizian Bunny

1.5 oz 1 Barrel Rum

.5 oz Carrot Juice

.5 oz Mango Juice

.5 oz Orange Juice

pinch cinnamon

pinch nutmeg

pinch allspice

shake and strain

garnish with pinch of cinnamon

The cocktail plays to the strength of the rum demonstrating its diversity as a solid mixing rum.  The rum is currently available in 11 states; go to www.onebarrelrum.com or  facebook.com/onebarrelrum for availability. It is definitely worth experimenting with to see what it brings to your cocktail creations.

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