Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/101724
Shellback Silver Rum / Shellback Spiced Rum T he best way to assess the quality and inherent characteristics of a rum is to sample a distiller's silver expression. Unaffected by extended barrel aging, silver rum is brimming with lively aromatics and spry, luscious lavors, an exuberance that añejo rums just can't match. For those who savor silver rums over ice or prefer using them in their cocktails, recently released Shellback Caribbean Silver Rum is just the ticket. The rum is made from Caribbean cane at the century-old West Indies Rum Distillery on the island of Barbados. The unaged, 80-proof spirit is crystal clear with a sleek, lightweight body and an alluring loral bouquet. The clincher is its complex palate featuring the long-lasting lavors of vanilla, mangos, papayas and guavas. The inish is clean and crisp. It's a top-notch silver rum. Fortunately for rum lovers, the makers decided not to leave well enough alone. Welcome Shellback Spiced Rum. It's made with the same base spirit, only the rum is aged in American oak barrels for a minimum of 12 months. After it comes off the wood, the spirit is infused with a premium, all natural blend of vanilla, spices (nutmeg, allspice and cassis) and exotic oils (ginger oil from China and Africa, clove oil from Madagascar and India and cinnamon bark oil from Sri Lanka). Unlike many spiced rums on the market, Shellback doesn't contain added sugar. Shellback Spiced Rum is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. The amber/gold rum has a velvety medium-weight body and a marvelously spicy bouquet. Its aromatics alone make it indispensable for drink-making. The rum quickly ills the mouth with an intriguing blend of lavors that are at once slightly sweet and spicy warm. The inish is long lasting and thoroughly satisfying. Both Shellback rums are tailor-made for contemporary mixology. But before you crack them open and begin mixing drinks, do yourself a favor and take a long moment to savor them slightly chilled or served over ice. You might just put down the shaker and quit while you're ahead. Grande Antilles Cane Spirits/E&J Gallo january 2013 / the tasting panel / 81