Johann Jobello, the model supervisor of Transcontinental Rum Line, has persistently emphasised that one of many key ideas of the model is its need to acknowledge and have a good time rum’s variety.
In this third and remaining installment of my collection on TCRL, I share the remainder of my dialog with Johann and conclude with a evaluate of their bottling of an Australian rum.
Malt: How do you view growing old and cask administration? How do you view tropical growing old vs. continental growing old when in search of high quality? Does the sort of cask used matter for you whenever you’re sourcing rum?
Johann: Most of our rums are each tropical- and continental-aged. I imagine that rum needs to be aged in a tropical setting in its first few years in order that it will develop its profile, however we even have inventory of rum totally aged in Europe. Once more, the principle criterion is style, so I attempt to not have any biases. By way of using casks, I’ve a really conventional view: I largely use ex-Bourbon and ex-Cognac casks. I additionally wish to reuse our rum casks.
Generally, I’ve rums which can be prepared for bottling, but when I allow them to age one or two extra years by reusing rum casks, it permits us to age rum however with out giving an excessive amount of further aromas, I might say.
Once more, I’m not right here to criticize; I like what our opponents are doing, however for me, I don’t like to make use of unique or wine casks. Once I tried rums aged in ex-Sherry or other forms of wine casks, I felt that the unique liquid interfered an excessive amount of with the rum. I’m not saying the rum was unhealthy, however I felt that the unique style might now not be felt.
With that mentioned, I would experiment sooner or later, too. Why not attempt an ex-Sherry cask? However for these, I’ll use a high-ester Jamaican rum, for instance, as a result of I wish to have a rum that may keep its authentic taste by “preventing” towards the cask affect. For now, although, we’ll do issues in a basic means for our cask administration.
Malt: How would you describe your expertise of managing TCRL in comparison with the experiences of managers of LMDW’s (La Maison du Whisky) different unbiased bottling manufacturers like Artist Collective or Model Française?
Johann: Like I discussed beforehand, we attempt to have the identical requirements no matter what spirit we’re bottling. So we have now, kind of, the identical course of in our product growth. I believe that it’s why folks belief us, in truth. Once we launch a brand new product or vary, folks know that we comply with the identical requirements.
If I’ve to be extra particular, I might say that on the subject of bottling, we expertise fewer constraints on manufacturing in comparison with Artist Collective when it bottles Scotch, for instance, which requires growing old, bottling, and labeling in Scotland. In rum, for now, rules are looser besides in areas like Martinique, which have AOCs (Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée). That’s altering although, albeit slowly.
In Jamaica and Barbados, they’re engaged on GIs (Geographical Indicators), and that will imply needing to age and bottle on these islands. From the patron perspective, that’s undoubtedly factor as a result of it means extra transparency. It offers me, as a model supervisor, extra logistical work to do, however I imagine it’s value to pay for better transparency, one thing the rum class wants.
Malt: You talked about that you’ve plans to create a brand new mix or launch rums from new nations. Among the many totally different near-future plans that TCRL has, which of them are essentially the most enthusiastic about?
Johann: I might say it’s the mixology SKU (inventory protecting models), as a result of it’s fairly new for the vary, even when we have already got the 2 blends. We’re engaged on actually cool packaging that will assist make the mix enjoyable and good to make use of in cocktails. I don’t wish to say an excessive amount of about it, however I’m making ready this for launch in 2023. It’s a brand new sort of work for me as a result of I needed to design a mix! Testing with totally different rums, making an attempt to keep up a steadiness whereas respecting our values and mottos… it’s an thrilling expertise.
It is a launch of a molasses-based pure single rum (utilizing the Gargano classification) or a single conventional pot nonetheless rum (utilizing The Whisky Trade’s classification system) distilled in 2015 by Beenleigh Distillery. It was aged for 2 years in Australia earlier than being aged for a further two years within the UK. It’s bottled at 48% energy.
Transcontinental Rum Line Australia 2015 – Assessment
Colour: Caramel.
On the nostril: The primary impression is of asphalt and muesli. It appears unchanging at first, however it will definitely opens up and develop right into a blanket of delicate aromas: star anise, latex, mild cookie butter biscuits, and bubble gum. Surprisingly, recent fruit exhibits a lot afterward, notably strawberry skins and fuji apples.
Within the mouth: Way more flavorful in comparison with the nostril. The arrival begins equally – with asphalt and toasted oats – earlier than it comply with a thread of brine that weaves via macadamia nuts, capers, straw, periodic touches of apple seltzer, and the floor of a glass of horchata topped with cinnamon. A number of umami flavors amongst a normal restrained sweetness. Medium-bodied. The end is mouthwatering and lengthy, touching upon nuts, cinnamon, and oats.
Conclusions:
That is a type of rums that actively jogged my memory to pause and wait. It isn’t essentially the most advanced rum, however I loved the truth that it rewarded me with new aromas and flavors over time. In fact, this could merely imply that my palate slowly grow to be conscious of recent flavors after acclimating to others, however I discover it helpful that the preliminary flavors had been wealthy and interesting sufficient to persuade me to see which of them would comply with over time. The event via oxidation definitely doesn’t render the wait meaningless. I purchased this rum for round $57, which isn’t a foul value in any respect.
Rating: 7/10
Remaining ideas on TCRL:
On the packaging of TCRL’s core vary releases, they write the next:
“Impressed by the rum casks’ historic journeys between the New World and the Outdated Continent, the Transcontinental Rum Line highlights the truth that from the start of its existence, rum has all the time been shipped to Europe for nautical, economical, and technical causes. Nautical, as a result of it allowed to keep away from the consumption of stagnant water throughout lengthy transatlantic crossings. Economical, because the angels’ share is decrease and the rum matures extra easily. Technical, because of the range of barrels having beforehand contained wine, whisky, cognac, or different spirits, permitting for the creation of distinctive expressions.”
Whereas the historical past of rum is rooted in Western colonialism and imperialism, these circumstances nonetheless performed a serious position within the growth of a various trade, one which now has many locally-owned distilleries and types that search to share and profit from their very own cultural merchandise.
I imagine TCRL needs to be applauded for his or her intent of sustaining their dedication to their very own branding and enterprise objectives, but additionally honoring and supporting up to date actions towards variety, inclusivity, transparency, and sustainability… actions that, I imagine, are essential for the expansion of the class. Johann’s concepts clearly illustrate these commitments, conveying a robust sense of goal that many unbiased bottlers appear to be lacking. Add to that the standard of their rum, and it’s straightforward to hitch the ranks of those who anticipate their releases.
The photograph of the bottle label is courtesy of expert24.com.
