Back in 2007, Berkshire Mountain Distillers, Inc. (BMD) owner Chris Weld started distilling spirits in a barn on his renovated apple farm in Great Barrington, MA. Chris’ original goal was to distill apple brandy but his biochemistry background led him to experiment with multiple spirits including rum, vodka, gin, whiskey and corn whiskey.
Ragged Mountain is a traditional pot still style rum that is hand-crafted in small batches. Distilled from molasses, BMD starts with an over-proof raw spirit which is aged in used, oak whiskey barrels before blending it with ultra-pure, granite-based spring water that flows right on site.
Presentation:
Ragged Mountain’s fiery red label is clean and uncluttered. It includes a small oval image of the distillery. Ragged Mountain ships in a bilge-style, corked bottle with the letters “BMD” embossed into the bottle’s neck. The label states that their rum is “hand crafted and bottled by Berkshire Mountain Distillers, Inc.” in Great Barrington, MA. Their rum is distilled and shipped at 40%BV/80 proof. Its MSRP is $34.99; I paid $28.99.
Ragged Mountain has a dark copper, rust red coloring which almost matches the label color.
Aroma:
Uncorking Ragged Mountain releases a noticeably bold, sherry and whiskey nose. Within its semi-sweet aroma I notice undercurrents of cinnamon and oak.
Neat:
Nice. Ragged Mountain is sweet with a nice warm palette. I detect a slight whiskey flavor that is surrounded by a light wood and copper flavor. I also note a pleasantly sweet, cinnamon linger.
Over ice:
More sweetness. Chilling Ragged Mountain definitely brings out a strong cinnamon/toffee liqueur taste. The whiskey flavor, imparted by the used oak barrels during ageing, is easily detectable. I am not sure how long Ragged Mountain is aged but it seems to be a fairly young rum. Ragged Mountain has a very unique flavor which was enhanced by the ice/water. Next time, I might try using a couple of drops of water instead of ice.
In Coke Zero:
Nope, way too sweet. The heavy cinnamon flavor is overpowering when mixed with the heavy sweetness of the Coke Zero. I still notice hints of sherry even when mixed.
Cocktails:
For my reviews, I prefer to use cocktail recipes recommended by the producer when available. By providing cocktail recipes, I feel distillers are informing consumers of the best way to enjoy their rum.
RAGGED MOUNTAIN RUM
DARK AND STORMY
Ingredients
2 oz. Ragged Mountain Rum
½ tablespoon simple syrup
3 to 4 oz. chilled ginger beer
2 lime wedges
Preparation
Serve over ice in an old fashioned glass.
I love Dark N Stormy cocktails and…yes, I really like the Ragged Mountain Dark N Stormy. Ragged Mountain serves a nice substitute for a dark molasses rum (like Goslings Black Seal). The mixture of heavy ginger, molasses and cinnamon is tasty. Berkshire Mountain’s recipe uses simple syrup as an ingredient but I found it made the drink a little too syrupy. I would probably skip the simple syrup next time.
Mojito
Ingredients
2 oz Ragged Mountain Rum
1 oz fresh lime juice
1 tblsp superfine sugar
6 to 8 fresh mint leaves
3-4 oz chilled club soda
fresh sprig of mint
Preparation
Muddle the mint, sugar, and lime juice in the bottom of a highball glass. Fill with ice. Top with club soda and a fresh sprig of mint.
This mojito needs more sweetness. I should have used simple syrup instead of the sugar. Ragged Mounting provides a unique flavor for mojitos but the rum gets over-shadowed by the mint and lime. Next time I probably would muddle an actual lime and use simple syrup.
Rating: 7.5 of 10