The “Rum Ambassador” Ian Burrell recently announced the release of unadulterated molasses-based Equiano Rum, a partnership between himself and Foursquare Distillery‘s Richard Seale. The rum marries the best of both the Eastern and Western hemispheres by blending some of the world’s best rums from Africa and the Caribbean.
The blend begins on the small, African island of Mauritius. The molasses-based rum, produced by Gray’s Distillery, was aged for 10 years in French Limousin Oak and Cognac casks.
This rum is then blended with rum from Foursquare Distillery (Barbados) which has been aged for a minimum of eight years in used Bourbon American White Oak barrels. These two rums have been “carefully cultivated in two different yet distinct tropical climates”
From Equiano Rum’s website:
TASTING NOTES WRITTEN BY IAN BURRELL
On the nose: Like any quality premium rum, Equiano subtly delivers tropical warmth as soon as its aroma touches your nose. Rich, notes of dried fruits such as raisins and sultanas combine with sweet toffee, butterscotch and caramel culminating with a suggestion of orange peel, vanilla and buttered wood.
On the palate: Equiano delivers all the natural sweet notes of a well-aged rum from American white oak ex-bourbon casks. It has a warm toffee and butterscotch mouth-feel, with chewy raisins and brown sugar flavours that emerge from the liquid as it caresses your tongue.
To finish: Although Equiano is a naturally sweet rum with no added sugar or spices, it has a medium to sweet ending with touches of oak, anise, sweet pepper with a hint of bitter orange peel.