Rumfests 10th Anniversary is a Sell Out Success

*Press Release*

SELL OUT SUCCESS FOR RUMFEST 10

THOUSANDS OF RUM LOVERS JOIN THE UK’S LEADING RUM FESTIVAL FOR TASTINGS, MASTERCLASSES & 10TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS

Saturday 22nd & Sunday 23rd October 2016 
London’s ILEC, Earl’s Court
rumfest.co.uk

Levi Roots with RumFest founder Ian Burrell at RumFest 2016

Thousands descended on London’s ILEC over the weekend for a very special edition of RumFest. Celebrating a decade of championing rum culture in the UK, organisers pulled out all the stops to mark the milestone with hundreds of rums from around the world and special guests including Levi Roots and Beach Bum Berry. Tastings, masterclasses and seminars gave an incredible insight into the world of rum for both newcomers and aficionados across the weekend, with the spirit of the culture brought to life with live music and RumFest’s renowned Carnival Hour. 2016 also saw the return of The Rum Auction raising over £4,000 for charity. Full details of the event can be found via The RumFest website.

Over 400 rums were on offer at this year’s RumFest, presented by distillers and blenders from all corners of the globe and all available to sip, savour, buy and take home. Well-known brands like Bacardi, St Nicholas Abbey, Diplomatico and Mount Gay showcased some of their lesser known gems while ticket-holders were given the chance to discover and sample newcomers like Cornwall’s own Dead Man’s Fingers and India’s Wild Tiger. Golden Tot tokens made a welcome return to give the more discerning drinker access to ultra-premium and rare rums, some of which retail for over £200 a bottle.

Those looking to heighten their knowledge of one of the most exciting spirits in the world, took part in intimate seminars and masterclasses over the weekend. Diplamatico presented some its newest releases and Mount Gay‘s master blender Allen Smith gave an exclusive UK first tasting of its limited edition pure pot still and column distillate rums. Sam Smallman of Rococo chocolates delved into Rum and Chocolate pairings in his third year at the festival, while newcomers were taught about rum tasting notes and vocabulary by Kim Lahiri to discover the key aromas in their favourite tipple.

On the main stage Saturday, RumFest founder Ian Burrell was on hand to take guests and bidders through rums on offer a the Rum Auction and a grand total of £4,000 was raised and all to donate to Max’s Foundation, a charity dedicated to helping detection of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and other heart conditions in pre-adolescent children. Celebrity chef Hasan De Four made a RumFest return and cooked up a storm to demonstrate how to get rum in the kitchen, while Jeff ‘Beachbum’ Berry told the story of the founding father of Tiki, Don the beachcomber. Sunday’s main stage hosted a takeover of the famous Levi Roots as he showcased a tasting of his new restaurant Levi’s Caribbean Smokehouse. The revered master blender Joy Spence was interviewed by Ian Burrell with a tasting of Appleton Estate rums and bartenders competed for a trip to Barbados in the fierce Doorly’s Rum Competition.

Kicking off the rum-fuelled weekend on the Friday, the trade-only Boutique RumFest returned for a seventh year providing a platform for the industry’s newcomers and independent brands. Rum wholesalers, distributors, buyers, bar professionals and importers congregated from as far afield as Panama and Japan, presenting the perfect opportunity to sample the next big thing.

Ian Burrell, Global Rum Ambassador and RumFest founder says, “We could never have predicted how successful RumFest would become when we started out all those years ago and what a ride its been. It’s great to see so many old faces back to join us in celebrating rum culture but also the new comers who are getting to know the spirit properly for the very first time. A huge thanks to the brands, blenders, ambassadors, speakers and rum lovers who came over the weekend, here’s to the next 10 years!”

*End*

We were fortunate enough to attend and personally think that it was one of the best years in terms of seminars and sheer variety of rums available. Something to suit everyone and with the addition this year of a Velier stand……it was pretty much heaven spread over a weekend. Our own write-up of the events from Friday morning until Sunday evening will follow once we’ve come down from the high of the weekend.

© Steven James and Rum Diaries Blog 2016. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material, both written and photographic without the express and written permission from this blog/sites author and owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Steven James and Rum Diaries Blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

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Foursquare 2006

Here we go then……Velier’s Foursquare 2006….a first for Velier and also a first for Foursquare Distillery as it is their first release over 60% abv….62% abv to be precise.

I won’t go over old ground and grumble (well maybe a little) about the Rums release seeing the kind of speculation that is rife in the Whisky community spread to the Rum community. I’ll just add that I hope the guilty bunch will do the decent thing and use some of their shady gains to pick up and enjoy some of the less exclusive releases available from Foursquare Distillery. Whilst I’m still a little sore at not even having a fighting chance at getting a bottle, I am unbelievably glad that it proved to be ridiculously popular for Foursquare Distillery…and lets face it, it couldn’t have been predicted.

Anyway, moving on. Through the generosity of a certain Mr Henrik Kristofferson of Rum Corner, I now have the opportunity to try the Rum. Foursquare 2006 is a collaboration with Velier and is noted as being a ‘Single Blended Rum’. This translates to a blend of Pot Distilled Rum and Twin Column (Coffey Still) Distilled Rum from one distillery. Single (distillery) Blended (pot still and coffey still) Rum. The Foursquare 2006 has a full 10 years of tropical age with 3 years being in ex-bourbon as standard and 7 years being in ex-cognac barrels. As an aside, the Angels Share was >72%. Presentation is the standard Velier black bottle with the relevant information and nothing else contained on the bottle label and box (according to the images available). I was fortunate enough to bid on and win a bottle of the now unavailable Foursquare produced Mahiki Cognac Cask at last years UK RumFest auction and I picked up the Habitation Velier Foursquare 2013 which is a 2 year old Pure Single Rum which has also been aged in ex-cognac. This Rum with both its age and strength presents an entirely different proposition to those though.

Tasting Notes

Glass: The Rum is a really deep, almost boardroom table like mahogany and a swirl of the glass shows an obvious ring of tiny little droplets that are in no real hurry to return to the rest of the liquid. Initial trips to the glass give a robust and insanely deep, but never overbearing experience. It takes a few visits to acclimatise to the aromas but chocolate is the first obviously discernible aroma, quickly followed by dried fruit peels and vanilla. Time allows it to open a little more to give raisins, oak and an oily citrus reminiscent of flamed orange peel. Time also pushes the oak further forward and reveals a nuttiness. A drop of water makes the approach gentler and turn the aromas into spiced fruit cake and finishes with light floral notes.

Mouth: I won’t lie. Upon taking a sip and allowing it to envelop every bit of my mouth, my eyes roll back and a smile begins to appear on my face such is the immense delight contained within that first sip. Straight away the oak is very apparent along with a little menthol vapour. Chocolate coated raisins and a sherry like nut and stewed fruit follow. Your entire palate is powerless to avoid falling under its spell. It has the robustness of the Velier Demeraras that I’ve tried previously with the gentler side of the fruitier Foursquare offerings. Further sips bring liquorice, dark stone fruits and a peppery spice. Oily citrus shows just before it starts to dry out….and boy does it dry out…..it also becomes quite tannic but not unpleasantly so. The medium to long finish is all warming chocolate initially which develops into salty liquorice and drying oak. Right at the back-end something vaguely ‘soapy’ fades in but it is not unpleasant. A little water brings out the floral qualities and gives that familiar peachy vapour that I experience frequently in Foursquare offerings.

I’m so glad that I’ve had the briefest of chances to experience this Rum due to the kindness of others…..its just not enough though….the sample is gone and I need to locate and own this Rum…..I just have to. Whether from a completest angle or just because I want to experience that initial sip time and time again.

As you know, I don’t score or mark Rums on this site…..but if I started to do so, other Rums beware….this is the yardstick by which all other Rums from Barbados will be measured. For me its flawless….and lets face it, there is only one producer that can top this offering…..and that is its creator.

© Steven James and Rum Diaries Blog 2016. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material, both written and photographic without the express and written permission from this blog/sites author and owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Steven James and Rum Diaries Blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.