Authentic Caribbean Rum - Welcome to the Islands Mon!

Brugal Anejo Rum

Photo Credit: 

Hoke Harden

Everything old is new again.  Things move in and out of fashion.  Cycles and trends change. Nostalgia brings things back, and new generations embrace old concepts.  Tiki is back, and so is rum.  But some things remain constant even in the middle of change.

(Re)discover a constant with Brugal Añejo Rum.  It’s an old, familiar friend to rum aficionados and just now being enjoyed by the new generation.  It’s neither expensive nor terribly cheap (at $26.10/750ml in Oregon).  It’s not particularly flashy or nouveau with its very traditional packaging and the kitschy (but charming) touch of the old-fashioned wire mesh around the bottle.

But Brugal is something of a success story for dedicated creators of fine spirits: a family product that has been made---and is still being made---by the same family in the Dominican Republic since 1888, and continues to enjoy the claim of “#1 Rum in the Caribbean”.  When you’re #1 in the place that makes the most and drinks the most rum, that’s saying something!

The history and process of authentic Caribbean Rum. Credit: Authentic Caribbean Rum--YouTube

 

Brugal Añejo is a traditional golden rum, a blend of aged rums from 4—5 year old American white oak casks.  The amber or golden style of rum has been much abused in recent years by the big concerns that simply use extra food coloring to connote age but offer up not much more than young white rum with color but very little flavor.  Brugal, though, harkens back to the original golden rum: the clean, soft flavors of rum enhanced with the flavors of burnt sugar, caramel, butter and toasty vanilla from the barrel aging.

Brugal Añejo is one of the best of the “multiple duty” rums.  It performs beautifully as a stand-alone sipper, but excels as a mixer, accommodating itself to a wide range of mixed drinks and cocktails, from rum punches to mojitos to mai tais.  With that versatility it is an ideal choice for a “go to” rum in anyone’s bar. If you are already a tiki fan, or in the process of becoming one, Brugal Añejo is an old standard that could become a new standard for you.

By Hoke Harden