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New Expressions at Down Island Spirits

DOWN ISLAND SPIRITS ADDS TWO NEW EXPRESSIONS TO THEIR LINE OF SINGLE CASK RUMS.

Miami, FL JUNE, 2023 – On the heels of their successful inaugural releases, Down Island Spirits is set to launch two new additions to their sought after line of single cask rums.  The latest expressions hail from Brazil and Martinique, and bring a wild array of fresh aromas and flavors.

Martinique 2017 and Brazil 2011, the latest expressions from Down Island Spirits

“We were thrilled by the reception of our first four rum bottlings late last year,” said Mike Streeter, the founder and owner of Down Island Spirits.  “Our brand aims to truly add to the availability of top-quality cane spirits in the US and we feel that our latest casks from Martinique and Brazil will do just that.  They are both exceptionally flavorful rums made by distilleries who have a long history of excellence in the industry.”

Down Island’s 100% cane juice bottling from Martinique was column distilled in 2017 at a well-established distillery in Sainte-Marie, a rural community on the French-Caribbean island.  It was aged for 6 years in once-used Bourbon casks and bottled in Florida without the use of additives, coloring or filtration.  Like the rest of the Down Island Spirits collection, this expression is bottled at cask strength, 58% abv.

On the nose, fresh aromas of ripe apples, black pepper and musty brine dominate the Martinique 2017, followed by more subtle earthy notes and oak.  On the palate, a play of cinnamon, black pepper, grass, vanilla and lemongrass dance on the tongue followed by a finish of allspice, tea and tobacco. 

The Brazil Rum bottling from Down Island Spirits was column distilled in Sao Roque at Epris Distillery in 2011.  It is an 80/20 blend of cane juice and molasses rum that was aged for 6 years in Amburana wood barrels and an additional 6 years in American Oak.  It is free of additives, coloring and filtration, and was bottled at cask strength, 55.1% abv.

The aroma of Brazil 2011 is full of lovely floral and tropical fruit notes with distinct black pepper, spice and brown sugar in the back.  The spice punch of the Amburana wood comes forward on the palate and is well-balance with notes of pineapple, breakfast syrup and burnt ginger.  The finish is a lovely frisk of Amburana spice, cloves and a hint of anise.

The new Down Island Spirits expressions have garnered early buzz from collectors and enthusiasts due to their origin and overall unique nature of the distillate. “We have been fortunate to draw a loyal group of fans and friends from these very early days of our brand,” said Streeter.  “We think that our Brazil and Martinique rums will meet and hopefully exceed the high expectations of our customer base.  Early feedback has been incredible.”

Distribution for Down Island Spirits currently focuses on Florida and Massachusetts with New York, Texas and California expansion in the works for late 2023/24.  Online retail orders and shipping to 40+ states is available at downislandspirits.com.

About Down Island Spirits
Down Island Spirits was developed in 2021 “by rum geeks, for rum geeks.”  Their Single Cask Rum Series enthusiastically focuses on unique, high-quality cane spirits from the best distilleries on the planet.  These limited edition bottlings are always presented at cask-strength and untainted by additives, coloring and filtration.  Discover more about the brand and upcoming releases at downislandspirits.com and across all social channels.

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Mount Gay Andean Oak Cask

Mount Gay, the world’s oldest running rum distillery dating back to 1703, announced the release of its newest expression as part of the Master Blender Collection: Andean Oak Cask, the fourth limited-edition in the exclusive series that celebrates over 300 years of expertise and innovation.

mount gay andean oak cask

Created as a celebration of Mount Gay’s heritage and tradition in rum making, The Master Blender Collection is released to showcase Mount Gay’s expertise and passion for innovation. The annual limited-edition series debuted in 2018 with the release of XO: The Peat Smoke Expression, created by former Master Blender Allen Smith. In the years following, current Master Blender Trudiann Branker released award winning expressions including ‘Pot Still Rum’ in 2019 and ‘The Port Cask Expression’ in 2020.

For the 2021 small-batch release, Branker turned to Andean Oak, a non-traditional wood choice, to explore another layer of aromatic complexity. The casks were used for 11 months to finish the ageing of a single batch of rums distilled twice in traditional copper pot still and aged 14 years in ex-Bourbon casks.

Branker’s innovation began once she had discovered that virgin Andean Oak Casks had never been used in any previous Mount Gay Rum expressions. Over the course of 11 months, she carefully nurtured a specially selected batch of rum until she reached a beautiful marriage of flavors and aromas imparted on the liquid by this unique oak tree, the only oak native to South America. Standing at nearly 82 feet tall, Andean oak trees are found across the mountainous ranges of 18 departments of the Colombian Andes at an altitude ranging from 1,000-3,200m.

Upon entering the bonds at Mount Gay, Branker was intrigued by the light-colored wood and the very subtle aromas of vanilla traditionally found in American oak, alongside the spicy and smoky notes found in Andean Oak. It was there that the idea for the newest expression in the Master Blender Collection was born.

“I was inspired by the incredible feedback we had following my release of The Port Cask Expression and I wanted to push my boundaries further,” remarked Master Blender Trudiann Branker. “Using a totally new cask paired with a traditional pot still rum created something entirely new, bold and layered that I think rum enthusiasts around the world will thoroughly enjoy.”

The result is a delicate, yet opulent layered blend of spice, nutmeg, vanilla, ripe pear and toasted coconut on the palate. Dominantly vanilla on the nose, Mount Gay Andean Oak Cask offers a spiciness on the palate that perfectly complements the fruity notes of the aged pot still rum. This rum evolves as time goes by, revealing depths of flavor over the course of a tasting journey.

Andean Oak Cask is best enjoyed neat or with firm caved aged goat cheese.

Tasting Notes:

  • Appearance: Amber with golden hues
  • Aromas: Vanilla, candied fruit, floral
  • Palate: Oaky, spicy, nutmeg, almond, vanilla

The Master Blender Collection: Andean Oak Cask is bottled at 48% ABV and is non-chill filtered in order to preserve its rich aromas and precious natural color. This expression will be limited to 1,026 bottles in the USA and will be available at select premium retailers nationwide for $195 SRP in 750ml.

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Foursquare Master Series


From our friends at Total Wine & More

FOURSQUARE RUM DISTILLERY, MASTER SERIES EDITION NO. 1, 12-YEAR PRIVATE CASK SELECTION

ST. PHILIP, BARBADOS

Labeled the ‘Pappy of Rum’ by Wall Street Journal bestselling author and rum authority Fred Minnick, Foursquare Rum Distillery has produced some of the rarest, most highly sought-after rums in the world and has been honored as ‘Rum Producer of the Year’ an unprecedented four years in a row by the prestigious International Spirits Challenge. After news broke that owner and master blender Richard Seale would be releasing Foursquare’s first ever Private Cask Selection for the U.S. this year, it would be an understatement to say the anticipation among spirit enthusiasts has been sky-high. We are happy to report the wait is over. Minted their ‘Master Series’, this collectible from Foursquare is a first edition like no other and today we are giving our Concierge customers first crack at one of the most anticipated prized possessions in the world of aged spirits.

Foursquare Rum Distillery is located in Barbados on a former sugar plantation dating back to the early 1700s, which the Seale family purchased in 1995, and is one of the last independent family-owned distilleries in the Caribbean. Taking the lead on capturing the purity of the spirit, Foursquare does not manipulate their rums with any additives, including coloring, and uses both traditional pot and column stills. Although rums are perceived as being sweet, this reputation is largely due to other producers adding wine, sugar, honey, or other sweetening agents to their product. For owner Richard Seale, crafting his spirits is an artform focused on the unique maturation and blending process, including “tropical aging” in which the spirit can mature two to three times faster than spirits from Europe. This allows for greater evaporation, and thus a greater concentration of flavors.

Seale began his aging experiments at the distillery, selecting some of his best ex-Bourbon and ex-Sherry casks to showcase the art of rum maturation and blending. This venture turned into the one-of-a-kind expressions that Seale designated as his Exceptional Cask Selections which connoisseurs anxiously anticipate each successive release. Yet today marks a new chapter for Foursquare as Seale has taken his art a step further by producing a Private Cask Selection—a single blended rum that has an even more limited production than the Exceptional Cask series and only available through Total Wine. A first for the U.S., this Master Series Edition No. 1 is a blend of three rums all aged 12 years through a combination of ex-Broubon and ex-Sherry barrels. Available for a limited time at special Concierge pricing, this debut is not to be missed—so be sure to add a few bottles to your collection today before they’re gone forever!

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Rum Fire Rises in Seattle

Rum Fire Jamaican Overproof Rum is launching in one of the west coast’s hottest rum markets, Seattle. Wait..huh?! Known by many as the city of Starbucks, Microsoft and Amazon, it has been gaining more and more attention for its cocktail bars and more importantly, rum scene.

imagePerhaps it’s the weather that keeps people inside bars drinking away feelings associated with so many gray, rain filled skies that drives this market? However, Seattle is also home of the longest-running rum society in US, The Rum Collective and this just might have something to do with it too. Nick Feris, its founder, gives us the story. Several years ago, he visited the historic Hampden Estate Distillery in Jamaica where Rum Fire is made. He wrote about his experience and he tells us, “I always hoped for it to find its way up to the Northwest, but that day never came.” He tells us it was like a “continually frustrating long-distance love affair.” Recently, Nick reached out to the brand and did something about it. Nick says, “Today, Seattle and its surrounds have great cocktail bars like Rob Roy, Liberty, Canon, 99 Park, La Isla, etc. that care about quality rum. We now also have some pretty awesome bars that specialize in Rum, like Rumba and Tacoma Cabana. This market is ripe for Rum Fire and it will be well-received here.”

Rum Fire has a long unique fermentation and is 100% pot still rum giving it’s bold funky flavor. This rum is bottled at 126 proof and it packs a punch!

If you are in Washington State, check out The Rum Collective’s launch events!