New Earthy Colourway For Nike Streetgato Released
The extensive social distancing policies put in place to limit the spread of COVID-19 mean most people will have to spend much, if not all, their time at home.
This Weight Plate Workout Goes Beyond The Barbell
The extensive social distancing policies put in place to limit the spread of COVID-19 mean most people will have to spend much, if not all, their time at home.
Black Tears Dry Spiced showcases in Craft Rum Club April’s Spiced Box
April’s Surprise Craft Box of Spiced Rum comes from Cuba and features Black Tears Dry Spiced Rum
Inside The Black Tears Dry Spiced Rum Box this month;
* Black Tears Dry Spiced Rum – 70CL | 40% ABV
* Karma Drinks Lemony Lemonade – 300ml
* Frobisher Pineapple Juice – 250ml
* Coco-Lopez Cream of Coconut – 425g
* Opies Cocktail Cherries – 130g
* Manomasa Green Lemon and Pink Peppercorn Tortillas – 40g
#rumspiration_magazine ISSUE 012 (the only monthly Rum & Lifestyle Magazine in the UK) – featuring the rums of the month, interview with Sham Mahabir – Limin’ Beach Club, DJ set from Peter Thornton brand ambassador for the island rum company, our cocktail of the month – the classic Pina Colada with 6 other recipes to try, food corner all in our new look edition.
Cuban Culture
Rum is a big part of Cuba’s national identity, and for the Cuban people, its personal! The country has had a colourful past, and its love affair with rum, and its production is no different. The highly regarded and highly protected Cuban rum style/quality we know today, was actually set in “Rum Law” around the mid 1800’s. Today Cuban rum and its production is one of the most tightly regulated in the category. Part of the “Rum Law” states that post-production it is forbidden to add any colour, flavour, sweetener, or additives of any kind to the distillate. Also to be labelled as “Cuba Ron” the distillate must be a minimum of two years old. That is how it has always been. Until now! Until the original founders of The Island Rum Co. came along! It has taken them over 11 years to produce an authentic blend compliant with “Rum Law” that would meet the approval of Cuba Ron SA, the Cuban rum regulator and AZCUBA, Cuban sugar industry, both arms controlling ALL of Cuba’s rum production.
The Island Rum Company
2012 saw The Island Rum Company established by three passionate entrepreneurs and innovators. Their idea? to combine Cuban influence and networks with deep international drinks industry experience, and bring to the world unique, new, and exciting Cuban um brands. This would be done by marrying the traditions of Cuban rum making with innovation and progressive thinking in product development. The first thing on the agender, was to create the world’s first, (and currently only) ‘Spiced’ Cuban Rum. Now remember, according to Cuban “Rum Law” you cannot add anything to your distillate. “So how is a ‘Spiced’ product possible” I hear you ask? The answer is not a simple one that’s for sure! and has taken many years to perfect. But perfect it they have in the brand Black Tears Dry Spiced. So much so, that
The Island Rum Co. now own the Varona distillery in the province of Ciego de Avila. There is an official Joint Venture Agreement with the Cuban government, who own and control every aspect of rum production on the island. This has only ever happened once before, with Pernod Ricard and the Havana Club brand. This is one element of the assets they now own as part of the Joint Venture Agreement. The other is the aging house and warehouse in Havana and the barrels of rum held within – now over 8,000 barrels!
Black Tears traces back to an important time of Cuba’s historical musical culture.
Lagrimas Negras (literal translation, Black Tears) is the title of a song, written in 1928 by Cuban born Miguel Matamaros, and is thought to have been integral in the creation of new song and dance genres, as well as instigating the Afro-Cuban movement, bringing together people from different cultures, backgrounds, and even different Caribbean islands. The song was originally written as a (tragic) love song but has evolved to become a kind of second national anthem for the Cuban people–an anthem OFthe people. Today it is still as engrained in (and important to) daily life as it was when it was first released. ALL Cubans know it. ALL Cubans love it. ALL Cubans have a story attached to it.
For The Island Rum Company, there was never any doubt about what the worlds’ first ‘Spiced’ Cuban rum would be called, it had to represent the Cuban people, their culture, what they have been through, and what the future holds. Lagrimas Negras was the only choice. The creation and release of Black Tears Dry Spiced is a huge thing for two main reasons – the first being it is only the second time Cuba has partnered with a foreign company when it comes to rum, and second, it is the first time ever that anyone has been allowed to create a ‘Spiced’ variant of Cuban rum. Black Tears Dry Spiced truly is the first of its kind, and not only demonstrates how far Cuba and its rum category has come since the revolucion, but also just how good ‘Spiced’ rums can be.
Black Tears launched into the UK in October 2019 and has been growing and developing the brand ever since, and everyone knows that 2020 was a tough year, so imagine trying to develop a brand and educate the masses whilst dealing with all of that too! But in keeping with the Cuban ethos on life, hard work pays off.
Expressions
Cuban rum (Ron) is usually dryer than most other Spanish styles of rum due to its production. This could be due to the yeast used and/or the plates in which the distillate is drawn from. Therefore a lot of young/white Cuban rum will carry the message ‘od’ being ‘dry’. The spices are also all ‘dry’ – as in not a liquid flavour or sweetener like caramel or sugars etc. The spicing of Black Tears Dry Spiced HAD to be 100% indigenous to Cuba, there can be nothing imported as the Cuban ‘Rum Law’ doesn’t allow this. The Island Rum Co. chose the infusion ingredients to create a very different and unique flavour of Cuban rum that best represents the island and its people. The term ‘Dry Spiced’ is a nod to the fact that the ingredients used are all natural too and tells the consumer this is not a sweet or sweetened product. Also, if the base rum was not ‘spiced’ it would be labelled as ‘Sliver Dry’ or ‘Dry white’ for example.
Sign Up here! and be the first to receive our Monthly Craft Rums
or
our Newsletter for Exclusive Craft Rum offers.
For more information about Craft Rum Club and our delicious crafted boxes please visit our about page here!
Skateboard GB X Habito Park National Championships
The extensive social distancing policies put in place to limit the spread of COVID-19 mean most people will have to spend much, if not all, their time at home.
A Popular Wilson Racquet You Might Not Have Heard Of.
The extensive social distancing policies put in place to limit the spread of COVID-19 mean most people will have to spend much, if not all, their time at home.
How To Start Running: The Complete Beginner’s Guide
The extensive social distancing policies put in place to limit the spread of COVID-19 mean most people will have to spend much, if not all, their time at home.
This Weight Plate Workout Goes Beyond The Barbell
The extensive social distancing policies put in place to limit the spread of COVID-19 mean most people will have to spend much, if not all, their time at home.
The Real McCoy 5year showcases in Craft Rum Club’s April Box
April’s Surprise Craft Box of Rum comes from Barbados and features The Real McCoy 5year.
Inside The Real McCoy box this month;
* The Real McCoy 5year – 70CL | 40% ABV (no additives)
* Karma Drinks Lemony Lemonade – 300ml
* Frobisher Pineapple Juice – 250ml
* Coco-Lopez Cream of Coconut – 425g
* Opies Cocktail Cherries – 130g
* Manomasa Green Lemon and Pink Peppercorn Tortillas – 40g
#rumspiration_magazine ISSUE 012 (the only monthly Rum & Lifestyle Magazine in the UK) – featuring the rums of the month, interview with Sham Mahabir – Limin’ Beach Club, DJ set from Peter Thornton brand ambassador for the island rum company, our cocktail of the month – the classic Pina Colada with 6 other recipes to try, food corner all in our new look edition.
Unsweetened unadulterated rum in the prohibition tradition of legendary rumrunner Bill McCoy
The Real McCoy® is proud to be the real deal: an unmodified, aged single blended rum that is authentically, ethically & sustainably produced at a fourth-generation family distillery in Barbados. A traditional style with no added sugar or flavourings, vegan and naturally gluten free. Copper pot & column distilled in small batches and tropically bourbon barrel aged for 3, 5 or 12 years, The Real McCoy has won over 100 awards. Our heritage is based on the legendary Bill McCoy, Prohibition’s gentleman rum runner, who, in 1920, sailed just 3 miles off the U.S. coast, legally delivering only top quality, unadulterated spirits which became known worldwide as “The Real McCoy.”
The Inspiration
In January 1920, when Prohibition began, Capt. Bill McCoy was the first to fill his boat with rum in the Caribbean, sail up the East Coast, and act as a floating liquor store, legally, as he stayed three miles offshore in international waters. (Clever, right?) A respected shipwright & sailor, McCoy was a gentleman rumrunner and lived by a code of honour – never adulterating his product. Other rumrunners cut their alcohol with wicked chemicals to make nasty “Booze” and “Hooch,” but McCoy took pride in always providing top-quality spirit – prompting the patrons of the speakeasies of New York to be sure to ask for “The Real McCoy.”
The Distiller
Intrigued by this discovery, Bailey followed the trail to Barbados, and learned of the Seale family, who were rum traders in the 1920s. As fortune would have it, the fourth-generation, Richard Seale was still very much in the rum making business as owner and Master Distiller at the family’s Foursquare Distillery.
In an even bigger stroke of luck, Richard Seale shares the same ethos as Bill McCoy and Bailey and follows the Barbados heritage which excludes the use of sweeteners or adulterants of any kind.
The two decided to create a Rum inspired by Bill McCoy, a traditional Barbados Rum without sweeteners and made in a traditional style, in short, The Real McCoy!
This philosophy paid off, and in the years since both The Real McCoy and Richard Seale established their places amongst the most awarded and in the world, with 100+ accolades for ‘McCoy and Foursquare achieving five consecutive ISC “Rum Producer of the Year”.
The Geeky Stuff!
Our rums are produced by a slow, 44-hour fermentation of molasses in closed tanks, that allow us to control the temperature, maintain unprecedented consistency, and avoid contamination. Thanks to this careful fermentation and the use of one of the very few Double Retort Copper Pot Stills left in the Caribbean, we are able to obtain a very complex but elegant distillate.
Using this type of still is difficult, slow, and expensive, as it is a very complex process that requires the constant attention of the distiller, but we think you will agree that it’s worth it!
Island life also makes sustainability & eco-minded operation very worthwhile and Foursquare is very proud to operate wisely: The business is 100% solar powered; closed-top fermentation allows for capture of CO2 which used for soda on the island to prevent greenhouse gasses; waste mash solids and liquids are separated and aerated and re-purposed for irrigation, fertiliser, and animal feed.
By ageing on the Island we are able to take advantage of the tropical climate. Being on the Equator, Barbados is blessed with a constant temperature of around 30C, which “speeds up” the ageing process, making a 5yo Barbados Rum roughly comparable to a Rum aged three times as long in Europe!
Of course, like in all things in life, there is a trade off, and tropical evaporation (the infamous Angel’s Share) is 6-8% annually – up to four times higher than continental aging. For comparison, we have an evaporative loss of 70% for our 12 Years Old, whereas the same rum aged in Scotland would have a loss of less than 10%!
After aging for the full number of years on the label, the last step is blending of the different barrels and bringing down to proof with pure Barbados water, as we age at 65 ABV and that can be a little strong for most!
The Result? Soft, luxurious texture, Caramel and Vanilla notes with a lingering finish of toasted coconut and tobacco, not bad uh?
Sign Up here! and be the first to receive our Monthly Craft Rums
or
our Newsletter for Exclusive Craft Rum offers.
For more information about Craft Rum Club and our delicious crafted boxes please visit our about page here!
How To Save Your Running Hydration Kit: Step-By-Step
The extensive social distancing policies put in place to limit the spread of COVID-19 mean most people will have to spend much, if not all, their time at home.
Chairman’s Reserve Legacy launches with Craft Rum Club in March
Chairman’s Reserve Legacy Launches with Craft Rum Club in March
Inside Chairman’s Reserve Legacy RUM box this month;
* Chairman’s Reserve Legacy – 70CL | 43% ABV
* Coca Cola Signature Mixers Woody Notes – 200ml
* Craft Rum Club Bartender Syrup 5cl
*The Witch Kings Fires of the Wild rum liqueur 5cl | 20% ABV
*Sunita’s Sicilian Lemon Juice – 200ml
*Savoursmiths Truffle and Rosemary Potato Crisps 40g
#RUMSPIRATION_MAGAZINE ISSUE 011 (the only Monthly Rum & Lifestyle Magazine in the UK) – featuring the rums of the month, interview with Dave Marsland, DJ set from Paydro of Itch FM, our cocktail of the month from @thewitchkings with 6 other recipes to try, food corner all in a new look jam-packed edition.
We have also launched our very own branded bartender syrups – our 1st release
Please find a summary of the Chairman’s Reserve Legacy feature taken from #RUMSPRIATION_MAGAZINE;
Chairman’s Legacy is a tribute to Laurie Barnard, the “Chairman” of St. Lucia Distillers whom inspired and created the iconic brand Chairman’s Reserve. His vision to define and reinvent the Saint Lucian rum category was unlike anything the rum category had seen before or has seen since. While other distilleries were
purchasing column stills to increase production, Laurie was investing in eclectic barrel types, small pot stills, a proprietary yeast strain, and sugarcane. He believed that the best rum was not achieved from one barrel, but by blending different components together of different ages, finishes, styles, and base materials.
Expressions
RUM BLEND: Chairman’s Legacy showcases the art of blending pot and column still rums. In addition to traditional molasses based rums, “Legacy” features the addition of sugarcane juice distillate, a trademark of Laurie since the day he grew sugarcane around the distillery to isolate the signature proprietary yeast Chairman’s Reserve is so famous for.
MATURATION: Tropically aged separately by batch and still type in ex- bourbon barrels.
AGE: A blend of rums aged between five and eight years.
TASTING NOTES: Mahogany hue in the glass. Pineapple, banana, and vanilla on the nose. Intense grilled tropical fruit and spice on the palate persist throughout a long wonderful finish.
Sign Up here! and be the first to receive our Monthly Craft Rums
or
our Newsletter for Exclusive Craft Rum offers.
For more information about Craft Rum Club and our delicious crafted boxes please visit our about page here!
You have to do something in your life that is honorable and not cowardly if you are to live in peace with yourself.
Workout at Home, Improve Health with Supersports
The extensive social distancing policies put in place to limit the spread of COVID-19 mean most people will have to spend much, if not all, their time at home.