I bought this rum out of curiosity. On this site I have reviewed another Guatemalan rum which is produced for UK food retailer Marks and Spencer. The notes on the Marks and Spencer led me to believe that the rum was possibly supplied by Cognac Ferrand who own the Plantation brand of rums.
For those unfamiliar with the Plantation brand the basics are as follows. Cognac Ferrand procure (possibly in exchange for the wine and sherry casks used in the ageing of spirits) aged rum from a variety of distillers around the world. They do not publicise who the distillers are (a little research can often narrow the possibilities down). The rum is then usually “double aged” or finished in other casks to give the rum a distinctive profile. So basically they get good rum and give it a bit of a twist. That’s the theory anyway.
Bacardi Black. Along with Bacardi Gold, the two rums have recently been re-released into the UK market at 40% ABV rather than 37.5%. For whatever reason Bacardi Black is not as readily available as the White Superior or Gold. In most supermarkets and many off licenses the White Superior and Gold can be picked up at entry-level prices. However, the Black is largely absent from these outlets.
I first came across this rum when travelling on a Thomson (TUI) cruise. I was on an all inclusive package no dark rum’s listed on the menu. I thought I may as well chance my arm and see what they would give me if I just asked for a dark rum and cola. I was quite surprised how quickly the bartender understood my request (getting anything other than a Bacardi and Coke when you mention rum is still a problem in the UK!). I was equally surprised how quickly he poured the measure and returned the bottle to below the bar. I got a quick glance at the bottle and noticed only the “medals” at the bottom. There was no charge for the drink so I sat down quite smugly thinking I might have been onto a bit of a winner.
Bacardi 8 rum was the “sole preserve of the Bacardi family for over one hundred and thirty years” it is a “unique blend of the finest Bacardi Rums matured for no less than eight years”. Whilst the first part of the of the statement may be slightly fanciful the second part indicates to me that ALL the rum in the bottle is at least 8 years old. Still this hasn’t stopped the Bacardi Bashers and the Rum Conspiracy Theorists (there are some absolute crackers to be found online) from suggesting otherwise…….
I purchased this rum mainly due to the demography. I hadn’t tried a rum from Belize, simple really. One Barrel also boasted of a number of gold medal awards, in major spirit competitions. A Gold Medal in the Dark Rum category at the second International Cane Spirits Competition in 2007. In 2007 and 2008 Gold Medals at the International Rum Festival.
La Hechicera pronounced etch-ee-see-rah is Spanish for enchantress. The rum is a product of Colombia. I have previously given a very favourable review to a Colombian rum – Dictador 12. The rum is produced by Casa Santana Ron Y Licores. The rum is marketed as fine aged premium sipping rum. Information available suggests that the rum is produced using the “solero” method. With rums aged between 12 and 21 years. No age statement is present on the bottle or alluded to.