The Extra Mile Rums

Rum through the finish line!

We heard a rumor that will knock you on your rump. As you ruminate about what treat you should indulge in next, we have a whole pack of rumble and tumble waiting to cause some rumpus, with the unprecedented joy that a healthy dose of vice can bring. We are of course talking about orange juice. Just kidding, it’s Rum!

The untamed Spirits in this collection have different origins and unique touches. They come from various places. They’re finished in diverse ways. And it's the finishes that we really care about this time.

Finishing is a relatively modern shebang, but it's a valuable one that goes an extra mile to create new and intriguing flavors. The trick is to transfer Rum from one type of cask into another. This is sometimes called 'secondary maturation' (by nerds) and it enriches the Spirit with complexity. But it all comes down to the type of cask used.

When it comes to finishing, there’s no such thing as rules. The typical finishing cycle is between six months and two years, but there are no prescribed limits. Although we do know what the secret sauce of this sorcery is: when they empty a barrel, three percent of the previous Spirit remains in the wood - and that’s what messes around with the new potion as the wood “breathes”. Okay, two things: don’t tell anyone about the sauce. It is a secret after all. Second, the wood doesn’t actually breathe, so relax.

Explore new flavors with your glass as a corsair ship!
Saison Rum’s a delightful Celtic Rum aged in Cognac casks;

One cardinal tune, but so many beautiful interpretations. It’s an absolutely decadent party of experimentation and exploration! You don’t need a map, though – we’ll lead you.

To the extra mile!

Smartass Corner:

1) The word “Rum” also means funny, peculiar, unique, or “the best,” some believe it’s the origin of the Spirit’s name. Others think the word comes from Romani word that means "strong,” or from the Dutch word for a drinking glass. But frankly, nobody really knows. Also, it’s cool that you can call your friends Rum instead of GOAT.

2) Finishing, also known as secondary/double maturation is an ostensibly magic procedure, but it's really a very scientific one. The Spirit is matured in one cask of certain origin, then moved to another of different pedigree, and sometimes even to a third one. We’re not aware of anyone wild enough to move it to a fourth barrel.

3) When maturing the Rum, the most important things are time, wood quality, and climate (and having Rum, of course). Heat in the Caribbean intensifies the hullabaloo between the Spirit and the wood, where the latter contributes complexity, character and softness to the relationship. (The Spirit takes care of the fun part.) The liquid in the cask interacts with the wood and absorbs different compounds that affect the flavor -- things like tannins, lactones, and other awesome chemical stuff.

4) Distillers do have their favorite types of finishing barrels and right now the following ones are the hottest stuff: Bourbon, Californian red Wine, Canadian Maple, Caribbean Rum, Argentinian Red Wine, Madeira, Port, Portugal Red Wine, Bordeaux, and Cognac.

5) Finishing is popular all over the world, but the phenomenon became the next best thing only in the Eighties when Whisky producers such as Balvenie started giving their Whiskies a second maturation in ex-Sherry barrels. Others soon followed suit and a trend was born. No word if techno had anything to do with it, though.

6) When Admiral Horatio Nelson died of lead poisoning (administered by a sniper), his sailors reportedly put him in a cask of Rum to preserve his body. When the authorities in England opened the cask, they found the Admiral sans Rum. The sailors supposedly drank the Rum through a drilled hole! (Hence the name Nelson's blood. Also, gross.)

7) You probably heard of the "angel's share." When an aged Spirit is left to mature, some of the Alcohol will inevitably evaporate and apparently angels get wasted on it. But there's more mysteriously disappearing alcohol and this time it's Lucifer's fault. The "devil's cut" is when Alcohol is lost to the barrel itself. Jim Beam found a way to gather that alcohol and steal it from the Wicked One. They bottle it at 90 proof and it’s notably more potent than the other sorts of Jim Beam. We hope Jim wears a crucifix, just in case.

8) Still confused about finishing? Let’s put it this way: It’s like living in different houses for a while to absorb the essence of previous owners. It isn’t just about randomly relocating liquids, though. First, the wood that the “house” is made of is also incredibly important. Second, the previous contents of a cask must complement the Rum's flavor: some Spirits may overpower its inherent taste while others may be completely lost.

9) Oh, wait, now they're saying the word "Rum" comes from the Latin word for sugar, which is saccharum. Make up your minds, word scientists!