A 12-year-old rum made using raisin wine barrels has been brought to the UK for the first time by Emporia Brands.
El Ron Prohibido, or “The Forbidden Rum”, is made from a blend of column-still rums and aged using a traditional solera system which mixes spirits of different ages through a series of barrels.
Produced in Mexico, it is based on the original “ron prohibido” which was shipped to Spain in the 17th century in former sweet wine barrels that was so popular that Spanish drinks producers persuaded King Felipe V to ban it.
The rum is made from sugar cane juice and fermented, partly in the used raisin wine barrels, to create the must. This goes through column stills and is aged and blended in oak barrels using the solera system, again using raisin wine barrels.
The resulting rum has intense aromas of dried fruits, raisins and prunes followed by tones of vanilla, walnut, butter, chocolate and toffee. On the palate, it brings raisins, prune, walnut wood and hints of chocolate and coffee in a bitter-sweet combination. It has a long silky finish with a touch of caramel and a pleasant hint of bitterness on the end.
James Rackham, chairman of Emporia Brands, said: “Ron Prohibido is a premium Latino rum and as such is traditionally drunk straight to appreciate its unique wood and bittersweet tones.
“When we offered top bartenders in Edinburgh and Manchester the chance to taste and experiment with it, they persuaded us that Ron Prohibido offers a completely new and exciting taste profile for building cocktails.
“So we are expecting Ron Prohibido to be available soon in many top cocktail bars as well as leading wine and spirit specialist retailers and in the high street.”
Its first customer is the leading wine and spirits wholesale and retail specialist Drink Finder.
Click here to see the latest news stories from Barmagazine.co.uk
