Rum-Rhum Negrita Bardinet Anejo
My friend Jon recently returned from a European vacation with three bottles of Spanish rum in hand. I was anxious to give the spirit a try so pretty much invited myself over despite their probable jet lag. I was somewhat less enthused when I found out the one litre bottles were had, on sale, for the equivalent of $15(ish) CDN. I figured it was going to be harsh in mouth feel and finish best masked in lots of cola and ice.
In a saloon style bottle the labeling was rather surprising to my North American sensibilities. Having done some googling I was happy to discover that the definition of negrita was an affectionate term of endearment for young women of color. From my understanding of the Spanish and French context it is a complimentary term with no racist intent which may explain why the distillery has not changed the labeling/ naming in 150 years of production.
In the glass the rum presents as a dark amber or a light dark rum. Not much of a nose other than caramel which probably was added to enhance the color and flavor. Not unusual for cheaper rums.
A tentative first sip resulted in some expected heat, a ok mouth feel but a surprising finish. I had expected harshness and a long burn which did not happen, often the case with young barely aged rums. Over ice it was even more tolerable if somewhat lacking in depth as a stand alone drink. It is not really a sipper by no means but does quite well as a mixer, which is how it is marketed by the distillery. With cola it makes a pretty good rum and coke especially for the price point. If you are across the pond and looking for something affordable to toss in the luggage and unavailable here in Canada give it a look.
In a saloon style bottle the labeling was rather surprising to my North American sensibilities. Having done some googling I was happy to discover that the definition of negrita was an affectionate term of endearment for young women of color. From my understanding of the Spanish and French context it is a complimentary term with no racist intent which may explain why the distillery has not changed the labeling/ naming in 150 years of production.
In the glass the rum presents as a dark amber or a light dark rum. Not much of a nose other than caramel which probably was added to enhance the color and flavor. Not unusual for cheaper rums.
A tentative first sip resulted in some expected heat, a ok mouth feel but a surprising finish. I had expected harshness and a long burn which did not happen, often the case with young barely aged rums. Over ice it was even more tolerable if somewhat lacking in depth as a stand alone drink. It is not really a sipper by no means but does quite well as a mixer, which is how it is marketed by the distillery. With cola it makes a pretty good rum and coke especially for the price point. If you are across the pond and looking for something affordable to toss in the luggage and unavailable here in Canada give it a look.
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