A new product entry from  Destileria Serralles in Puerto Rico (or as we say “the other rum distillery in Puerto Rico”) Unlike the other distillery in Puerto Rico, the locals much prefer this brand in its myriad incarnations, some of which are ;
Don Q Cristal, Don Q Gold, Don Q Anejo , Don Q Gran Añejo, and their flavored Series ; Don Q Coco,   Don Q Limón and Don Q Mojito ,Don Q Pasión, BlackBeard Spiced Rum, and Palo Viejo – another line extension

The other distilleries products are not drunk by the locals for the most part, but is consumed by the tourists ( who don’t seem to know better ) and is also heavily exported. This the new Caliche  Puerto Rican Rum which is a collaboration between Roberto Serralles , the latest of a long line of distillers and a man very concerned about rum and the environment ( in sharp contrast to the other distillery whose environmental record reads more like a rap sheet)along with Rande Gerber who is well-known in the nightlife industry and founder of numerous successful nightclubs and destination bars.

Notes: Caliche is one of the newest form/expression of rum in the growing market for rum in general. Using a blend of rums barrel aged up to 5 years in a solera system of progressive aging barrels which is carbon filtered prior to bottling. The object of this exercise  is to produce an aged product that is colorless, has the appearance and some of the flavor forward characteristics of a young rum but also has some of the subtleties and flavors of an older one. Why? well, it is complicated, but the easiest way to explain it is that an Anejo ( a rum over 1 year old and in some cases much older) can be a lovely thing – but not necessarily in a cocktail due to the flavors of both the rum and the other ingredients. Sometimes they just don’t work – most rum cocktails were designed for young rum , much the same way most tequila cocktails are. Anejo rums are lovely but  it’s hard to balance them in a cocktail designed for a young rum, either the oak aging tastes unbalance the other ingredients or the other ingredients smother the subtleties, and in some cases almost the entire rum is pushed into the deep background. Aged white rums are tailored to redress these problems by stripping the color and advanced aging tastes and characteristics out to provide the more subtle aging characteristics  and  some younger rum character ( brought forward through the filtration process) to shine in a cocktail.

Appearance: Bright, clear,On swirling shows a nice body with a thin coating on the glass, then rapidly going from thin legs to droplets

First Impression: Nicely aromatic cane and molasses smells, slightly citrus notes with pleasant oak,leather , black fig  and tea notes.

Taste: Smooth entry, starting very slightly sweet then drying nicely to leave a the and tropical fruits finish.

Drinks: Works very nicely in a lot of rum drinks calling for a white rum. Adds many more layers of complexity in a drink than a non aged white rum. Stands up to mixers and plays well with most ingredients.

Bottle:  Interesting and distinctive design, large pebbled finish makes it look like it was hand hammered. The clear recycled glass bottle  has raised letters picked out in orange,and a punt bottom. Tactile feel is nice and gives a good grip.Other attractive points are the twine wrap around the neck to give it a nautical,Caribbean feel along with the synthetic corks wooden topper with the distinctive crest embossed on top.

Cigar: Something relatively light but spicy, probably an Ashton Corona

Final Thoughts: decently made and fairly cheap for the aged white catagory and an excellent mixing rum. Also good enough to be enjoyed by itself on a hot afternoon somewhere .

Website: http://www.calicherum.com