Kissed by the Caribbean and slapped by a pirate. That was my first sip of rum. The seduction lingered with the lore.
The mystique of rum is part of its appeal, from literary legends to tropical vacations. A hundred and forty years since Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island, the spirit of sugar cane has become interwoven with the tales of pirates singing "Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum," and is synonymous with a feel-good island-welcome.
Every Caribbean Island has its own personality, but not every island has its own rum. The ones that do, pour the expression of their heritage into a glass. One rum making waves is matured within the embrace of the sea.
Cayman Spirits Co. is both the oldest and the youngest distillery in Cayman. From humble beginnings, two high school friends, moonshiners with a dream—one coming up in his family’s liquor store business, the other, a deep-sea diver—combined their imaginations to concoct an idea that no other distillery on this planet is doing. So unique is their ageing process, that it has attracted attention from around the world for its novelty, as much as for its smooth expression.
So, what are they doing? It’s called kinetic maturation. Rum is typically distilled one or two times. Cayman Spirits Co. rum is distilled ten times before being aged for up to four years while suspended in sealed white oak Kentucky bourbon barrels submerged seven fathoms below the sea. Why? It has to do with the Angel’s Share or, in this case, the Mermaid’s Share. As spirits age, there is loss due to evaporation—typically around 2%. In the Caribbean, due to temperature and humidity, that loss can climb up to 12%. However, below the sea, protected from the elements, stored at a consistent atmospheric pressure and cooler temperature, loss is minimized to well below 2%, the chemical and physical maturation process is expedited, and the flavour profile is deepened from consistent rhythmic agitation and contact with the wood.
Why Seven Fathoms deep? One fathom is six feet. Seven fathoms are forty-two feet. Forty-two feet is the boundary for recreational diving and, according to the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, the "Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything.” Turns out, it’s also the perfect depth at which to barrel-age rum. Underwater, the currents gently rock the spirit to an exceptional smoothness that is immediately identifiable.
It's Cayman Cocktail Week. I’ve sidled up to a high-top table in the Cayman Spirits Co. distillery to sample Seven Fathoms Rum, and am instantly charmed. Its premium quality stands out as a warm wave of maple, wood, vanilla, marzipan and butterscotch, with subtle hints of spice, like nutmeg. There is a lingering warmth that, like its nose, is not volatile, but so smooth and evokes the sensation of a really rich butter tart. I could pair this with a freshly-baked pastry or a crisp seared duck, sip it neat on its own as a palate opener or as a digestif. Its soft profile is well balanced, not merely sweet, and really shows the character of a true artisanal Caribbean rum that is making waves.
The Governor’s Reserve Rum series has me thinking about food pairings. The Banana Rum is not cloying or syrupy, but, again, so smooth. My favourite is the Coconut Rum. Take note: this is special. There is nothing artificial about it. It is infused with real coconut and coconut shavings. Rather than taste like coconut, it is coconut. The smooth, clean essence of toasted coconut has me dreaming of flambéing shrimp and scallops.
I spin a Glencairn glass of Captain Lowe's Dark Rum to aerate its pirate spirit. Aged in Tempranillo and Monastrell wine barrels, the deep round mouthfeel of this rum evokes a seductive sweetness of burnt sugar and caramelized toffee with hints of oak and dark fruit. I’d give that another spin. This is a staple of Grand Cayman’s Pirate Week in which pirate parties, parades and swims, regattas, underwater treasure hunts, food festival and cook-offs revolve around the island elixir in which, “All roads lead to rum,” quoth W. C. Fields.
One experience that is not-to-be-missed while visiting Grand Cayman is the exclusive Bottle Your Own program at Cayman Spirits Co, in which we can follow the tour and tasting by choosing a bottle, pulling some Wonka levers of single barrel, master distiller selection rum, and labeling our own personal, unique bottle.
Grand Cayman is an international destination where residents and visitors relish the best in dining experiences and cocktail culture that is dynamic and delicious and demands a high-quality rum to back it up. The Cayman Islands Rum Festival celebrates that rich heritage of rum with the pulse of Caribbean music, culture and cuisine.
At seven fathoms deep, Cayman Spirits Co.'s rum isn’t merely aged, it’s sent to watch the sunrise from the bottom of the sea, only to emerge when its fully agitated and ready to pour its ambrosial Caymanian spirit into every cocktail glass eager to celebrate it.
For more information about Cayman Islands, go to: www.visitcaymanislands.com