Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/990824
june 2018 / the tasting panel / 93 Established in Jerez, Spain, in 1877 by brothers-in-law Alexander Williams and Arthur Humbert, Bodegas Williams & Humbert produces world-class Sherries, brandies, and rums. While the latter might seem like the odd one out, the company puts a twist on its rum that seamlessly ties it in with the rest of the portfolio. In a riff on the old saying "two heads are better than one," Dos Maderas brings several global locales together—the Caribbean, internationally dis- tinguished for its rums; South America; and Jerez de la Frontera, a city in southern Spain famous for its Sherry bodegas—to develop unique rums with complex notes from various regions. The rum's sugarcane comes from Guyana and Barbados, where the rum ages in the barrel for five years in its respective country before being shipped and aged further in Sherry casks at Williams & Humbert's home base in Jerez. Experienced rum drinkers will welcome the twist this double cask aging technique adds to the category, while those just now starting out with the spirit will love the smooth style of Dos Maderas. After aging in casks in the Caribbean for five years, Dos Maderas Rum 5+3 ages for three more years in casks previously used to age the international award–winning Dos Cortados Sherry, which carries a guaranteed age of 20 years as certified by the Denomination of Origin Jerez-Xérès-Sherry. After following the same initial process as the Dos Maderas Rum 5+3 expression, Dos Maderas Rum 5+5 ($45) undergoes a third stage of aging for an additional two years in casks that previously housed Don Guido, a 20-year-old Pedro Ximénez Sherry. As for additional expressions, Dos Maderas Selección Rum ($71) blends together Dos Maderas 5+5 and the company's finest 10-year-old Bajan and Guyanese rums, which have matured in old bourbon casks. Finally, Dos Maderas Luxus Double Aged Rum ($180) ages for ten years in Barbados and Guyana with another five years of aging in American oak casks that previously contained the internationally renowned Don Guido 20-Year-Old Pedro Ximénez Sherry. Dos Maderas rums acquire tastes and nuances from two ancient cultures while putting an innovative twist on the concept of a "sense of place" within a spirit—which explains their popularity among the most refined palates. A Worldly Blend: Dos Maderas Tasting Notes Dos Maderas 5+3 ($34) offers a strikingly rich and approachable nose. The bouquet of caramel cedar, sassafras cream, tangerine, and orange pekoe tea is exquisite. The liquid reflects the creamy nature of this tamed beast with a warmth and presence of utmost elegance. 98 —M.M.