Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/990824
june 2018 / the tasting panel / 91 Tasting Notes Deadhead Cask Aged Rum, aged six years in oak casks, sports a deep amber hue and awakens the senses with scents of cinnamon, burnt orange peel, and almond brittle. The smooth texture allows flavors to slide along the tongue with flavors of sandalwood, black tea, peach, new leather, and peanut toffee. Killer character! 93 —M.M. ICONIC BRANDS INC. While many look to Mexico for its agave spirits, Rones de México, the family-owned distillery behind Deadhead Rum, has been producing rum in Finca Venecia, Chiapas, Mexico, for three generations since 1948. Deadhead Rum aims to respect the heritage of this region and captures its spirit from the bottle to the glass. Creating spirits worthy of praise takes incredible ingredients, and one of the most important is the person steering the flavor profile of a liquid creation: in this case, the master blender. Jorge Pérez Rafael, Master Blender for Rones de México, brings passion and decades of experience to the rum-making process. After growing up in Cuba and receiving a master's degree in fermented, distilled, and aged alcoholic beverages, as well as a Ph.D. in science and technology, he became the Technical and Production Deputy Director at Havana Club previous to his ten- ure as the Director of Research & Development of the Cuban Rum Industry. According to Rafael, "a great rum is an amalgamation of great raw materials, a great and delicate process of art, and the presence of a great master blender who had the ability of designing and blending some- thing that satisfies us—something that accompanies us through great moments in life." When creating Deadhead Cask Aged Rum, Rafael carefully blends rum crafted from molas- ses and pure sugarcane juice from estate-grown sugarcane— which happens to be Mexico's third largest export—with about 824,000 hectares devoted to its planting. The rum is then aged six years in Chiapas and toasted American oak barrels to produce a subtle yet intricate flavor profile full of rich notes that stand out whether you enjoy the spirit neat or in a cocktail. Housed in bottles resembling tsantsas, or shrunken heads— which many believed were kept as trophies for honor and spiritual renewal—it looks as unique on the shelf as it tastes in the glass. Rafael clearly has all the components necessary for success: Deadhead Rum has won 13 tasting awards and is distributed in 22 countries, with sales increasing 100 percent in the past year. Its flavor makes it a spirit that can be enjoyed on the rocks or in a number of tiki drinks and classic cocktails. "[Rum] is more than an indus- try," Rafael says. "It is art and science; it represents history and culture and great moments with family or friends. I want to posi- tion Mexican rums among the best in the world and continue to satisfy the demands of traditional rum lovers and new consumers, getting them to fall in love with this extraordinary spirit." True to his word, Rafael makes it easy to fall in love with Deadhead Cask Aged Rum. Jorge Pérez is the Master Blender for Rones de México, producers of Deadhead Rum.