Don Q’s New Premium Rum Got a Cognac Kiss
Puerto Rican rum brand Don Q is getting back into the cask finishing game with a trio of high-end new expressions—and the first, the new Double Aged Cognac Cask Finish, brings a Gallic sensibility to this Caribbean spirit.
Destilería Serrallés is the distillery that makes Don Q, and it is located in the city of Ponce where it has been making this rum, the number one seller on the island, since 1865. In addition to the flagship Gold and Cristal expressions, there are a host of flavored rums and the higher-end Serrallés collection of aged and cask-finished rums. The brand-new Cognac Cask Finish is a limited-edition release that was conceived of and created by master blender Liza Cordero and maestra ronera Silvia Santiago, the first female rum blender in Puerto Rico’s history who has been with the company for nearly half a century. There are several other cask-finishes in the Don Q catalogue, including vermouth and sherry, but these new rums will explore types of secondary maturation that the brand has not done before.
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The Double Aged Cognac Cask Finish is a blend of rums made from single and multiple-column distillations, and the liquid initially spent five to eight years aging in American white oak barrels before being transferred to French oak cognac casks for an additional two years. That’s really more of a “double aging” than a finish, as the brand terms it, considering just how long it spent in those secondary barrels. It’s bottled at a much higher 99 proof and tasting notes include oaky tannins, molasses, dried fruits and an astringent finish on the palate. “We crafted the Double Aged Cognac Cask Finish with a blend of rare Puerto Rican rums and finished with the finest of cognac to create an elegant expression that’s ideal for sipping neat or served in a spirt forward cocktail,” said Santiago in a statement. “This new rum is a true gem and delivers beyond the expected.”
There are only 1,200 bottles (SRP $79.99) available in the US, so this is truly a limited edition offering. But keep the faith, rabid rum fellows, you should be able to find a bottle for sale online in the coming weeks.
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