Apr 212012
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An excellent agricole for which it is worth splashing out some extra francs: lovely nose, deeper flavours, better body, and in all ways exceeds the cheaper Reserve Speciale from the same company. (#106)
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Full review now located on the Lone Caner website, here
This rum has a lot in common with the English Harbour 10 year old, though a little more spicy. That one is also a bit warmer, with nuttier and vanilla undertones the Karukera lacks.
An intriguing product and review – sadly, not available in South Florida. The notion that this cane juice rum is claimed to be pure and free of additives, as are most rums of this style.
As far as the “appellation d’origine” labeling, this may need to be distinguished from the “Appellation d’origine controlee” label of Martinique. The “controlee” is important. The latter guarantees not only origin, but also the method of production. The former – in Guadeloupe – does not seem to. If so – and I believe it is – I consider this an advantage as this avoids the voluminous and stifling regulations of Martinique, and allows the kind of artistry exhibited by Barbancourt.
To my knowledge the cane juice rums from Guadeloupe have not yet received the full controlee designation, but this remains to be seen. Question: what is the full designation that appears on the bottle: “appellation d’origine”, “appellation d’origine controlee”, or “AOC Guadeloupe”?
“Appelation d’Origine”
Thanks… I also revisted some old data on this, including some sourced from Robert Burr of the Rum Rennaisance. “Appelation d’Origine” is the French guarantee of geographical origin, most familiar with French wines, but here for rum. OTOH “Appelation d’Origine Controlee” (Martinique) is a guarantee of both origin and method of production. So ends our speculation.
Personally I fascinated by this rum, as a cane juice rum produced on a French island and with French influence, but not restricted by the voluminous and what some consider inhibiting production regulations of Martinique. That it is 12 years old is impressive.