RUM. YUM!

Photography by Jon Neuschwander of Quad/Photo

David Morrison described his job as “very fun.” As the senior blender of Appleton Estate in Kingston, Jamaica, he blends — and drinks — rum. (Where do we apply?) On a five-city tour of the United States, Morrison shared his techniques of rum tasting. He started with a snifter of Appleton V/X, a blend of more than 30 types of rum that Morrison called “complex and very sophisticated.” Key to evaluating rum, he said, are your senses of sight, smell, and taste.

1. Hold the glass up to the light and look through the rum to judge its hue. The V/X has a deep, golden amber color. Morrison pointed to the surface of the liquid and an olive green hue. The more intense that olive green ring, the more aged the rum.

2. Take a deep breath and exhale, then raise the snifter to your nose and carefully inhale the aromatic vapors and rich, sweet aromas that are given off naturally. Morrison likens it to a “perfume.”

3. Place the glass on a flat surface and gently swirl the rum. This releases more of the complex aromas into the empty space in the glass. Again, take a deep breath and exhale; then inhale and examine the aromas. The aromas detected in the V/X included a blend of dried fruits (apricots, orange peel, and others) with an overlying hint of vanilla. Morrison also noted brown sugar, molasses, light spice, and buttered toast.

4. Take a sip of the rum and note the flavors. Note also the sensation left in your mouth after the rum has been swallowed. How does it taste and how long does it linger on your palate? Morrison said this is known as the “finish.” He assessed the finish for the V/X as “soft, creamy, and mellow.”

5. Compare your impressions of the aroma and taste.

6. Take another sip. Enjoy.

WORD OF MOUTH
Rum is produced across the Caribbean, but it’s become almost synonymous with Jamaica. That’s because the island once served as a main port for pirates and buccaneers who made rum their drink of choice — and apparently spread the word. Jamaica also was the first island to produce rum on a commercial basis.

Q&A
Why are there different colors of rum?
The longer a rum ages, the darker it gets. Therefore, the darker the rum, the more premium the quality. Lighter rums are typically used for mixing, while darker rums are usually preferred for sipping.

RUM DRINK RECIPES

ROYAL DAIQUIRI
  • 1-1/2 ounces Appleton Estate V/X Jamaica Rum
  • 1/2 banana
  • juice of 1/4 lime
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 scoop crushed ice

Mix in a blender. Serve in a cocktail glass. Garnish with a banana slice.

XTREME COLADA

  • 2 ounces Appleton Estate Extra Jamaica Rum
  • 2 ounces pineapple juice
  • 3/4 ounces sweet cream
  • 3/4 ounces coconut cream
  • 1 scoop crushed ice

Mix in a blender. Serve in a colada or rocks glass. Garnish with a pineapple wedge.

PLANTERS PUNCH

  • 2 ounces Appleton Estate V/X Jamaica Rum
  • 1-1/2 ounces orange juice
  • 1-1/2 ounces pineapple juice
  • 3/4 ounces lemon juice
  • splash of grenadine
  • 3 or 4 ice cubes

Mix in a shaker. Serve with ice in a tall glass. Garnish with orange wedge, rind, and maraschino cherry.

KINGSTON COSMO

  • 2 ounces Appleton Estate V/X Jamaica Rum
  • 1/2 ounces Cointreau

Combine ingredients, add a splash of cranberry juice, and a squeeze of lime.

HOT BUTTERED RUM

  • 1-1/2 ounces of Appleton Estate V/X Jamaica Rum
  • 4 ounces water
  • 1 teaspoon brown sugar or honey
  • 1 pinch of ground nutmeg
  • 4 drops vanilla essence
  • 1 teaspoon butter
  • 1 cinnamon stick

Heat rum, water, and sugar in a saucepan until almost boiling. Pour into a heat-proof glass mug. Add nutmeg, vanilla essence, and butter. Garnish with cinnamon stick and serve when butter is melted.

MOJITO

  • 3-4 sprigs of mint
  • juice of 1/2 lime
  • 1-1/2 ounces Appleton Estate V/X Jamaica Rum
  • 2 teaspoons of sugar or sugar syrup
  • 1-2 ounces soda water

Crush mint in the bottom of a cocktail or rocks glass. Add shell of the lime cut into tiny pieces and fill with crushed or broken ice. Combine rum, lime juice, and syrup in a shaker and mix. Pour into glass. Top with a splash of soda water and garnish.

JAMAICAN MARTINI

  • 1/2 teaspoon grenadine
  • 3 ounces Appleton Estate Extra Jamaica Rum
  • 1-1/2 ounces lime juice

Spoon grenadine into a chilled cocktail glass. Pour rum and lime juice into a mixing glass filled with ice and stir well. Strain into the cocktail glass and garnish.

STING WRAY

  • 1-1/2 ounces Appleton Special Jamaica Rum, or 1 ounce Wray & Nephew White Overproof Rum
  • 6 ounces Ting or other grapefruit soda or grapefruit juice

Combine ingredients in a Collins glass over ice and garnish.

JAMAICAN WAKE-UP CALL

  • 1-1/2 ounces Appleton Special Jamaica Rum
  • hot black coffee
  • whipped cream

Pour rum into coffee mug. Fill with coffee. Top with whipped cream.

CARIBBEAN COCOA

  • 1-1/2 ounces Coruba Jamaica Rum
  • hot cocoa
  • whipped cream
  • chocolate curls

Prepare cocoa according to instructions on package. Pour rum into heat-proof mug. Fill with hot cocoa. Garnish with whipped cream and top with chocolate curls.

SOURCE: Appleton Estate Jamaica Rum.