RumsOfTheLatitude

<p><em>Opening scene: A sultry, poolside night. Mojito and Daiquiri casually lounge on inflatable pool floats shaped like cherry garnishes.<p><p>Sam Luxardo casually strolls into view.</p><p>“Ladies, how’s it floatin’?</em><em>“</em></p><p><em>“</em><em>Oh, you mean the saucy stuff we’re lapping up? It’s Rum, Sam.</em><em>“</em><em> </em></p><p><em>“</em><em>You should try some, Sam. It’s damn good stuff.</em><em>“</em></p><p><em>“</em><em>Well… rums aren’t always what they appear to be. Don’t forget that, ladies.</em><em>“</em></p><p><em>Sam winks and mysteriously walks off into the night. </em></p><p>See, <em>Sam’s got some intel</em>: not all Rums come from Jamaica, Cuba or Barbados for that matter. Don’t get us wrong, those countries produce some<em> hella tasty Rum</em>. But so does <em>Guayana, Madagascar,</em> oh, and the <em>Canary islands</em>.</p><p>This box is <em>their story</em>, and we’re here to tell it. So raise your glass — ‘cause <em>tasting is believing</em>.</p><p>Let’s take a stroll on the wild side, shall we? The world of Rum is much bigger than what’s floating in your piña colada. In fact, these Rums from <em>off-the-radar locales are best sipped neat</em>. They hail from far-flung destinations known for their beauty as much as their <em>dangerously delicious Rum</em>.</p><p>Take <em>Guyana</em>, for instance. Located on the northeastern coast of South America, this tiny nation is known for <em>Demerara Rum</em>, a Spirit made on the banks of the Demerara River from locally-grown sugarcane. Since Guyana sits just north of the equator, the consistently warm temps and tropical sunlight work wonders for growing sugarcane with high sugar content — <em>a boon for boozin’</em>.</p><p>Over in <em>Madagascar</em>, the mineral elements and terroir of the land make it impossible to replicate the taste, which includes volcanic soil and essential oils produced by the ylang-ylang tree and other aromatic plants such as vanilla, clove, citrus and pepper.</p><p>The <em>Canary Islands</em>, however, are known for their honey rum, an exceptionally sweet liquor made from cane molasses and just a touch of honey.</p><p>And they all lie on almost the same latitude!</p><p>Inside this box you’ll find:</p><p>– Guyana’s<em> XM 15YO Supreme</em>, a molasses-tinged sipper with nutty, chocolate notes..– Madagascar’s <em>Dzama Cuvee Noir Prestige</em>, a roasty, toasty and spicy Rhum Agricole.– Canary Island’s <em>Arehucas Anejo Reserva Especial 18 YO</em>, an intense, yet elegant drop that starts spicy and mellows into smooth splendor.</p><p>Ready to experiment with some wild things? Join the party — you’re the <em>guest of honor,</em> after all.</p><p><em>Salud! </em></p><p><u>Smartass Corner:</u></p><p>1) A little bit of etymology; <em>nobody really knows</em> where the word Rum comes from.</p><p>2) Some of the <em>more popular guesses</em> are Rum (the Romani word for potent), Rumbullion (an uproar), Saccharum (sugar in Latin) and Rummer (a Dutch drinking glass). Some other names for Rum? Nelson’s blood, kill-devil, demon water, pirate’s drink, navy neaters, Barbados water, grog, and rumbullion.</p><p>3) Demerara Distillers runs <em>the last remaining distillery in Guyana</em> at Plantation Diamond on the east bank of the river. They produce over 20 different styles of rum from nine different stills.</p><p>4) There’s an <em>ongoing debate amongst historians on the origin of Rum</em>, but they agree on one thing: When molasses is mixed with water and yeast, fermentation happens. This fermentation creates a “Wine” that can be distilled and turned into Rum.</p><p>5) Sugarcane may get all the press, but <em>molasses plays a huge role in the Rum world</em>. Unless the distillery in question is a high-volume ethanol factory that’s adding flavoring agents to create the products they pass off as Rum (unfortunately, this is a thing), the quality of the molasses matters a lot to Rum producers and, yes, those of us who drink it.</p><p>6)<em> Dzama Rum</em> was born from a Scotch Whisky distributor in Madagascar. The couple that owned the company would sell the Scotch and use the remaining barrels to age the Rum being produced in the country. Win-win for everyone involved.</p><p>7) The old real estate adage holds true for Rum: <em>location, location, location</em>. Tropical aging is key for rum — because of the consistent heat offered in these climates, Rum aged in places like the Caribbean matures three times faster than a Rum aged in Europe.</p><p>8) <em>George Washington</em>, the first president of the U.S., was quite the mixologist — he was well known for his Mount Vernon eggnog, which he fortified with dark Jamaican rum.</p>