Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/832383
DEPARTMENT HEADER june 2017 / the tasting panel / 1 1 1 june 2017 / the tasting panel / 1 1 1 Once this stage is finished, the rums are shipped to Spain where they are blended and put for a further three years into 520-liter American oak Sherry casks previously used for Dos Cortados, Williams & Humbert's 20-year Palo Cortado Sherry. The dry hot climate in Jerez helps concentrate the rum (again, think angels' share) and deepen its color and flavors. At this point, Dos Maderas 5+3 (SRP $34), a rum now eight years old and perfect on the rocks or in cocktails, is ready for bottling. To make the P.X. 5+5 (SRP $45), Dos Maderas puts the rum through an additional two years aging in casks previously used for Don Guido, a certified D.O Jerez-Xérez-Sherry Pedro Ximénez aged for 20 years. This third process layers in richness and sweet notes, and makes the now ten-year-old P.X. 5+5 perfect for sipping neat. The Luxus (SRP $180), while it shares the same methodology, is aged in the Caribbean for ten years before heading to Spain where it then spends another five years aging solely in casks previously used for Don Guido. A rich, densely layered rum of the highest caliber, Luxus is akin to Williams & Humbert's Grand Duque d'Alba Brandy de Jerez in its velvety mouthfeel, and is meant to be savored. So how does the Dos Maderas line fair in the on-premise sec- tor? The Tasting Panel asked Michael Rooney, Beverage Director at Vaca Restaurant in Costa Mesa, CA, who carries the full range, to weigh in on how and why it works well for his needs. "We opened Vaca with the intention of transporting Spanish drinking culture to Southern California by having a Spanish-centric cock- tail list that includes traditional Gin & Tonics and Spanish-style rum cocktails," he said. "Having Dos Maderas, a rum actually produced in Spain, only adds another layer of authenticity to signature drinks like our Iberian Old Fashioned, which contains the Dos Maderas P.X. 5+5." —David Ransom Dos Maderas Rums are imported by Palm Bay International. www.palmbay.com Dos Maderas 5+3 A beautiful, balanced rum aged in rum barrels and Sherry casks, which influence the heady aromas and flavors of raisin and orange peel. Satin smooth on the palate, a lilting wave of salinity urges on toffee, cedar and sarsaparilla tones. Elegant all the way. 98 —Meridith May Dos Maderas P.X. 5+5 This rum merges Caribbean rum and notes of Pedro Ximénez grapes from Sherry casks to bring forth a deep, rich, dark amber spirit. The sweet parts of figs, dates and raisins are soaked up and anointed with a brown-sugar finish. The liquid's perfume is sensual: a savory sandalwood with a hint of tamed spice. 98 —M. M. Dos Maderas Luxus Ron Añejo Doble Crianza Luxus captures the exotic nature of the Caribbean with the slow, system- atic complexity of solera Sherry from Jerez, Spain. With its mysteri- ous espresso color that translates to a dark roast coffee bean flavor, the liquid drenches the palate with dried fruit notes, taro root and a thread of salinity. 99 —M. M. PHOTO: MARGARET SOSS PHOTO: MARGARET SOSS Michael Rooney, Beverage Director at Vaca Restaurant in Costa Mesa, CA. Tasng Notes