NAGA Indonesian Rum

When it comes to Rum, it’s time to think of the EAST Indies again.

When we think of Rum, we naturally think of the Caribbean or Central America — the West Indies. But it’s time to remember that sugar cane is native to the East Indies and before there was Rum, there was Indonesian Batavia Arrack — a Rum by a different name. Naga has adopted to the word “Rum” to remind us all that sugar cane spirits have been a part of the history and culture of Indonesia generation before the plant and distillation spread to the West.

Naga Indonesian Rum comes from the Island of Java — the hot spot of beach-loving eco-tourism. Their Rum really does have a distinctive taste. It is molasses-based, but the yeast is derived from a fermentation of Javanese red rice and is distilled in both pot and column stills. The aging is different too. Instead of oak casks, they age their spirits first in local Jatti wood — a member of the teak family — followed by finishing in ex-Bourbon casks. The result is lightly sweet with hints of cacao and pepper.

Smartass corner
“Naga” is a word that has significance in the ancient religions of the East Indies — including Hindu. Nagas are mythic serpent-dragon guardians of earth, water, and the treasures of nature.