CORUBA RUM

This is one of my comfort mixing rums for Tiki drinks.

There are a dark and a gold type of this rum and a few different agings. I have tried 3 of them, the original dark, the 12 yo and the overproof (74% /148 proof) There´s also a 12 yo “Cigar-blend”, an 18 yo and a 25 yo. Plus the newly released four naturally flavored rums – coconut, pineapple, mango and spiced.

I´m always suspicious about flavored products but some are better than others.

Coruba is a heavily caramel colored Jamaican planters–style rum made with both pot and column stills rums (over 30 rums in the blend) and the rums are aged at least two years in small oak barrels. Its Bottled at 40% alcohol by volume. Its the kind of rum that was used in planter´s punches.

In 1967 the Coruba rum from Jamaica was first imported and became the leading rum in the 70s and since then it has kept that position.The name Coruba comes from the name “Compagnie Rhumière Bale”, Basel, Switzerland – which became “The Rum Company Ltd.” in Jamaica in 1929. Later it was bought by Wray and Nephew.

Coruba dark rum is medium dark amber in colour and is a heavy Jamaican style rum with a deep taste, rich with molasses. Its perfect for tiki drinks and that`s why i suppose its also very popular among tiki drinkers.

On its own i find it a bit too rough on the edges (then again i haven`t tried the older ones yet, except for the 12 yo which also is easier to sip). But in mixing – and especially with tiki drinks its good, it marries well with fruit juices, syrups and other rums.

In my tiki and tropical drinks i prefer their dark rum. The overproof is good as float but is very strong so a little goes a long way.

Here´s a drink from Beachbum`s Remixed where i have used Coruba dark.

MONTEGO BAY

0.5 oz fresh lime juice

0.5 oz grapefruit juice

0.5 oz honey-mix (equal parts honey and water, warmed up to mix)

1.5 oz Coruba dark

1/4 tsp pimento liqueur (pimento dram)

Dash Angostura bitters

6 drops Pernod

3 oz crushed ice

If you wish – add a little hibiscus grenadine for color and extra tropical tang.

Put in blender and blend for 5 sek and pour unstrained into a sour glass (or other glass)

Honey, pimento dram and Pernod gives this drink its third dimension with spiciness also from the bitters.I also added a little splash of homemade hibiscus grenadine in this as well which isn`t a part of the recipe though.

Angostura bitters are more aromatic than bitter and is the backbone of all bitters i think, and despite all great and fun bitters out there, i don´t know what we would do without Angostura.

This is a tasty drink with a comfort mixing rum that is very reasonably priced.