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Photo copyright © H.Kristoffersen
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US West Indies at its very finest. A light bodied treat.
Founded in 1760, Cruzan is one of the very oldest rum
producers in the world.
They call the island of St. Croix their home, and
coincidently ”Cruzan” is the term used to describe a native of St. Croix.
St. Croix is a small island part of the US Virgin Islands –
but it hasn’t always been.
Until the year 1916 St. Croix was part of the Danish West
Indies.
Yes. At some point in time my tiny country of Denmark was
actually a colonial power house. But then ze americans traded Denmark $25
million in gold in exchange for the Danish West Indies consisting of St. Croix,
St. Thomas and St. John. According to the history books more than 99% of the local Cruzan population voted for the trade, so I guess that the Danish government wasn't that popular in the West Indies at that time. Bummer. I would have liked for our tiny, coldish country to have a caribbean satellite today...
Enough history lesson for now.
Cruzan today is primarily known for their extensive range of
flavoured rums, but this is their current flagship. A blend of 5 to 12 year old
rums, finished for one year in ”new” oak casks (quotation marks included on the
official website – whatever that means).
The official website doesn’t provide much information
though. It is clearly just a marketing portal for their product line.
Presentation
Bottle design has changed a couple of times in recent years,
and I know of at least two newer versions of this rum. The most recent is a
squat and wide shouldered bottle (look right), which gives off a more modern look.
As far as I know my bottle is the third newest presentation.
A tall bar room bottle.
The surface of the bottle is granulated or pebbled, which
make the light reflect beautifully when seen through the rum and the glass. I
believe that this iteration of the design is the absolutely most beautiful and
authentic. I am glad that I had the chance to get this on instead of the two
newer and way more modern looking ones.
The seal is made with a natural cork with a wooden stopper
Label-wise we are talking old fashioned styles. A painting
of the Cruzan clipper (perhaps – I have no knowledge about types of ships),
name, origin, ABV.
The backlabel tells next to nothing – which is actually a
little refreshing in a kind of sad way. Cruzan feels no apparent need to drown
you in details or pretty words.
There is a smaller neck label which features bottle and cask
numbering along with a signature of perhaps the master blender… I don’t know,
but it definitely adds to the authenticity of the rum.
The rum itself is a light amber colour. A clear ring fades into existence when twirled and a lot of
fastmoving droplets emerge, hinting lighter profile.
Nose
Nose
At first a little hard and edgy, but light bodied at the
same time.
There is definite caramel and oak here.
The follow up is made by both lemon and orange peel.
And the end comes from vanilla and cinnamon.
Classic rum notes all the way through if you ask me.
Taste
Taste
A little less hard and edgy than the nose indicated.
It has a very clean and light profile, but feels quite complex
off the line.
Pepper and oak are first to reveal themselves but is quickly
followed by caramel, vanilla and orange peel.
Continued sipping also shows of a bit of dried fruits and
baking spices.
Finish
Finish
You are treated with medium length finish, mostly composed
by warmth and spices, but also a ghostly sweetness.
Rating and final thoughts
Rating and final thoughts
An absolute no nonsense rum. Straight forward and to the
point – like this review.
There is no denying that the Cruzan Single Barrel Estate is
a good quality and solid sipper.
Surprisingly complex for a rum this light, young and cheap.
The entire package is very neat - great bottle and great rum
– nothing more, nothing less.
And at a great price if I may add. I paid around €30-40 for it
and that is a very good value for money.
If you are a fan of the lighter profiled rums, this is a rum
not to miss.
So without further ado, a …
Rating: 72/100
Links
Links
I've just got a bottle of this and the bottle is as you picture. Looking forward to trying it
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