Virtuoso Life - March/April 2008 - (Page 66) TASTING NOTES Puerto rico Ron del Barrilito One of the Greater Antilles, Puerto Rico is closely associated with rum giant Bacardi, which operates a gigantic distillery outside San Juan. But the favorite local rum of many Puertorriqueños is one that keeps a much lower profile: Ron del Barrilito. Barrilito means “little barrel” and refers to the imported European barrels that brought this excellent rum its original reputation at the Fernández family’s Hacienda de Santa Ana, with its quaint windmill tower. The recipe, handed down through the family, calls for a touch of honey, giving these rums a lovely, sweet demeanor. The toasty, complex Barrilito Tres Estrellas ($32) shows a lovely brown-sugar nose with nicely modulated oak and a lengthy finish of roasted orange peel and spice. An under-the-radar find. Dominican rePublic Brugal It was on Hispaniola (the island shared between the Dominican Republic and Haiti) that Columbus first planted sugarcane shoots, and rum has a long tradition here. Founded by Spanish immigrant Don Andrés Brugal Montaner in 1888 and still family owned and run, Brugal is one of the leading business enterprises on the Dominican side of the island. Less well known than the other leading (and quite excellent) Dominican rum brand, Matusalem, Brugal recently decided to ramp up its presence in the United States and other export markets, which should make it more visible. The Brugal Añejo ($15) is smooth and clean and shows nice, toasty caramel notes. An exceptional value. Haiti Rhum Barbancourt Meanwhile, in Haiti, on the western side of Hispaniola, Barbancourt produces some of the Caribbean’s best rhum agricole (because Haiti is independent of France, however, the A.O.C. is not used). Founded by Frenchman Dupré Barbancourt in 1862, this 66 V I RT U O S O L I F E
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