Agnostura 1919 rum

[Megawatt]

I've been curious to try this stuff for a while. It is aged for 8 years and moderately priced. I finally had the chance the other week. I am no rum expert, but I have had a few varieties and I've never tasted one like this. It hardly tasted like rum at all; it was all vanilla and oak. In fact, the vanilla aroma was so strong that I could have sworn it was flavoured, but the website indicates otherwise. I'm wondering if there are many other kinds of rum as sip-worthy as this...

[TNbourbon]

I find the 1919 8yo a passable aged rum, much better than the over-oaked 1924 12yo sibling.
That said, I prefer -- when I can find them -- the El Dorado 5- and 12yo demerara rums from Guyana, both cheaper and, in my opinion, better than the aged Angosturas.
However, the 5yo Angosturas (gold and dark) for c. $17 are absolute steals.

[Gillman]

I agree with Tim that the Angostura 5 year old rums are superb. The Dark is one of the best rums I've had being complex and well-balanced. (It reminds me by the way of a Beam's Choice bourbon Doug has from the 70's, they are different drinks but presented in a similar style).

I haven't tried the 1919 but I still have some 1824, aged 12 years as Tim mentioned. This is one of the most unusual rum tastes I've ever had. It has notes of tropical wood (perhaps the vanilla mentioned earlier) and, well, rubber. I believe this component reflects either a considerable pot still element or column rum distilled at a low proof. This taste is one I find difficult to drink neat. But if you analyse the taste of El Dorado 12 or 15, it can be seen that this type of rum is an element of that taste. Some people would call it orange or nutmeg-like. I've made a vatting of the 12 and 15 to which I added a little Angosture 1824. The result tastes (to me) like a luxury version of El Dorado 12, which is saying something because the 12 already is a premium drink! In other words, I find the best use of 1824 for blending and I believe El Dorado uses something very similar as one part of its 12 and 15 year old blends.

The Angostura 5 does not have any of this keynote of rubber or nutmeg, though. I think the rums chosen for it are lighter, less congeneric rums than are held for 12 years to make the 1824. Another explanation may be that all the base rums are the same and it is barrels and maturation techniques that produce the different tastes although I incline to the other explanation.

I believe too that by using a term such as 1824, the producer is indicating it is giving us an aged pot still rum or one with those characteristics.

I might pick up the 1919 and offer my views on it, it is available here I believe. I would guess its character is half-way between 1824 and a rum such as the 5 year versions Tim mentioned, just going by nomenclature. We'll see.

But I value my half bottle remaining of 1824 since it will last years enhancing future ED 12's and 15's.

Although 1824 and 1919 are made by a Trinidad-based concern and the EDs are classic Demerara from Guyana, there is a regional commonality I think, at least in the older age bracket.

Gary

[Megawatt]

I was just surprised that it hardly had any of the typical "rum flavour" that I associate with drinks like Appleton Estate V/X or Bacardi Gold. I've never had a rum that was so easy to sip, but mind you I haven't tried many.

[Gillman]

I looked for it today but it isn't in stock at the outlet I visited. I'll check again tomorrow, the selection does vary depending on location (LCBO).

Gary

[Gillman]

Color: A darkish straw colored, like an English bitter ale

Nose: I get custard, yellow custard, light spice

Taste: Sweetish (but tasting naturally sweet and not dosed with caramel), some wood notes, some rubber notes as in its elder brother but less pronounced, round and soft, everything well-integrated.

Finish: Refined, mild.

This one is a winner to me. The rubber-like notes are in perfect proportion, I wonder if this is all pot still or a blend of pot and column still rums. This would make a great Island punch (add a bit of sugar and some lime), but it is great on its own.

Trinidad and Guyana seem to share the profile at least on the pot still side. I recall though having once had a Jamaica pot still rum, long-aged, that had been sent to Bristol, England for extended maturation, and the 1919 reminds me of that. Thus, the style might reflect more a Caribbean pot still taste than anything specifically national or regional.

I think the differences being noted from a more typical aged rum palate are explained by the pot still element or fashioning the rum in that style.

Gary

[Megawatt]

Interesting that you did not note any vanilla aromas, as that was what my family noticed first and foremost. My mom actually drank some, and believe me, she is not one to drink spirits.

The Angostura website has loads of information about the distillation process. If you haven't checked it out yet, you might find it informative...

[Gillman]

Thanks, I will check that. My reference to custard I think is similar to what you termed vanilla.

Gary

[Gillman]

I just checked the website and its taste note on the 1919, which it calls an anejo, is well-rendered. Note that they refer to the rum being blended from both light and heavy rums. The heavy rums almost certainly are pot-still rums or rums column-stilled at a low proof.

The vanilla elements surely are from lengthy wood maturation, and possibly from ex-bourbon barrels.

Gary

[Gillman]

"Blending is the secret of fine rum. It allows the master bender to use many different types and styles of rums to create a particular blend or brand. The barrels of rum used for a particular blend are selected with age as the major selection criteria. The skill of blending involves the mixing together of light and heavy type rums of different ages that have been carefully analysed and selected by the blender for the characteristics specified. Through a “marrying process” the different rums are allowed to fuse together to give the blend a smoothing effect. After the rum is blended it is stored in bottling vats and reduced to bottling strength by the addition of deionised water. It is then passed through filters and polishers before being bottled and packaged for sale".

The above is drawn from the Angostura company's website www.angostura.com

The site contains a commendably detailed and informative description of the company's process.

From the quote above, and from another statement on the site that its heavy rums come from the "first column", it is evident that the notes of rubber, perhaps sulphur and, well, congener I get in the 1824 and 1919 are from the heavy rums which as in a pot-stilled product contain secondary constituents that give character and flavor to the spirit.

Some rums are more caramel-like and neutral in taste than 1919 and 1824. (I suspect by the way 1824 is an all-heavy rum, or at least that it contains much more heavy rum than 1919 because the taste I associate with a low distillation proof product is more intense in the 1824 than in the 1919). In fact Angostura's rich-tasting 5 year version would fall into this category IMO, as do many of the classic Demeraras and other dark rums of the Caribbean region.

I myself enjoy the rich caramel flavor of such rums; 1919 IMO is going for a different style though.

Gary