Creative barrel finishes are all over liquor shelves these days. But if you think you've seen it all, Brugal has a new bottle of ultra-premium rum. Last year, the 135-year-old Dominican distillery launched Colección Visionaria, an ongoing line of matured cane spirits in which each pressing is inspired by and flavored with.—An ingredient unique to his Caribbean island home. For Edición 1, this ingredient was cocoa. Today we have an exclusive first look at the Edición 2, finished in coffee-toasted barrels. It is unlike any rum we have tasted before.
And for good reason. The new liquid, which hits shelves this month, is shaped by a bespoke barrel style developed by Brugal's fifth-generation master distiller, Jassil Villanueva Quintana, using a special toasting technique.
High-quality, locally grown Arabica coffee beans are gently roasted under French oak barrels, imparting robust, mocha-like tones to the staves. The same elements combine to create a 90-proof sipping spirit that sings with the best of both drinks, acting on a robust and velvety aged rum, respectively.
“The coffee used comes from Jarabacoa in the central part of the country and is much loved by the Dominican people,” says Gabe Urrutia, Brugal's resident rum expert. “In fact, only 20 percent of these beans make it off the island. So it's not something a lot of people outside of the DR have had the chance to experience.”
In a bottle of Edición 2, these hard-to-find beans express themselves with delicate waves of clove and nutmeg. They coat the rum's dried dark fruit threads with a soft toastiness as you sip slowly from one to the other. Indeed, the dark golden elixir is designed to be enjoyed without fuss. Villanueva Quintana prepared it as a tribute. cafecito This moment is a Dominican ritual where friends and family gather, usually around strong coffee, to pause and enjoy the sanctity of life.
“Many stories and laughter were shared during a much-loved time cafecito “In the Dominican Republic,” he says. “These pleasant moments and nostalgic aromas are what we wanted to recreate at Colección Visionaria Edición 02. “This is an invitation to enjoy the warmth of good company and the rich, inviting flavors of our homeland.”
Such a tempting invitation is, in my opinion, a bargain at the suggested retail price of $100 per bottle. The jug will be instantly recognizable on shelves as it is covered in caged mesh, the brand's signature packaging elegance since 1940. Only 35,000 bottles from six batches worth of special casks will reach global markets. When they're gone, they're gone forever. In other words, sip slowly but buy quickly.
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