JAH45 Silver Jamaican Rum

A new range from a familiar stable. JAH45 is the brainchild of the newly formed Hellshire Club….or more specifically its CEO Carl Stephenson. Carl, a former executive of J Wray & Nephew is also the guy behind the excellent Elements 8 Range and their Republica Rum was reviewed here. But this article is all about JAH45 Jamaican Rum. Origin wise the whole marketing side of things links nicely to the Rum in the bottle. JAH being Rastafarian for God, though in this instance it is being used as a reference to Jamaica. 45 as you will have worked out relates to 45 RPM speed on a turntable. JAH45 draws its origins from the revolutionary sound systems in Kingston during the 1950’s that provided affordable entertainment that was subsequently used by liquor stores to entice customers in to buy Rum. Huge speakers would be set up and DJs would set up turntables and bang out local music. For me it calls to mind artists like U-Roy and Toots & the Maytals. 

Anyhow, onto the Rum. The range itself will comprise 5 bottlings. The Silver being reviewed today, Gold, Dark, Spiced and Overproof. Again, not too enamored with the use of colour as a classification but given the target market for the bottlings and their insane pricing levels it’s probably the right approach. Insane pricing because the bottles range from £20 to £27 which is priced to sell and be affordable to those wanting to take a trip into the unknown. Initially the company approach is the get the Rums into the on-trade and they have already been picked up by the Las Iguanas restaurant group.

JAH45 Silver Jamaican Rum – 40% abv 

The liquid in the bottle is a blend of unaged Pot and Column distilled Rums from Hampden, New Yarmouth and Clarendon. New Yarmouth is the distillery that produces W&N Overproof and Clarendon is the distillery that produces Monymusk. Hampden is the distillery that produces pure magic and the stuff of dreams.

Tasting Notes

Nose: Fresh, vibrant, grassy sugarcane. Powdered sugar. The heady intoxicating molasses aroma that permeates a distillery. Light astringency. There is a definite light punch of pot still that is tempered by the column component to merely a gentle slap. Funk….but really accessible funk. Pineapple syrup. Foam bananas. A little menthol nose. Pear drops. Wet cardboard. Really pleasant and whilst it has that magical Jamaican edge that we crave, it’s not at all scary for those new to Jamaican Rum.

Mouth: A near perfect translation from nose to mouth. Sweet entry. Oilier than expected. Light tropical fruit. Pineapple, guava, mango. Fresh banana. A touch of liquorice. Something vaguely herbal. It has way more going for it than a £20 bottle should do, and it packs way more authentic and true flavour than a lot of Rums twice its price.

Now obviously you won’t be drinking this neat, though that’s how I managed to clear close to a quarter of the bottle….getting to know it. I know for a fact that when thrown into a Daiquiri with a drop of Banane du Brésil, greatness ensues. But I’ve been enjoying it as a long drink with Ting. No measures, just feel it. Makes a banging drink.

I want to taste more pot still…but its a double-edged sword. More pot still would equal greater expense and that is not the intention here. There is enough interest here to hold my gaze for a while and really with all of the super premium fancy bottled stuff being hawked to consumers for extortionate prices, what the Rum world needs is accessible true, interesting Jamaican rums that have not been messed with. Yes you have the Appleton range but whilst relatively inexpensive are a little light on the vibrant pot components. This isn’t. This has just enough pot still to lift it above the close competition. I’d love to see these Rums with supermarket availability.

4 / 5

I see its direct competitor as Appleton White, and in my opinion the JAH45 Silver kills it. For £20, this much flavour, honest origins, and no funny business…..its a must buy.

© Steven James and Rum Diaries Blog 2018. 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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Elements Eight Republica

Last week I published a little information on the upcoming release of Elements Eight Republica and you can refresh yourself with a little background on the Rum by clicking here. So essentially the Rum is a blend of two individual marques, each from a different distillery….one in Panama and one in Cuba. Each is a 100% multi-column distilled, non-chill filtered distillate, aged for a minimum of 5 years in the country of origin. The distilleries in question being  Varela Hermanos in Panama and Distilleria Cubay in Cuba. Now if you’re like the rest of us in the Rum world and have experienced the doctored offerings of Panama and the ‘historical processes’ of some Cuban offerings, you’ll instantly call out this blend as being doctored. Well Wes over at TheFatRumPirate has checked via his hydrometer and this blend comes up clean which is firstly reassuring for us as we may get an un-doctored Rum and secondly reassuring for Carl as he hasn’t fallen foul of the pre-doctored Rums of Panama as other independent brands have. Anyway….you’ve read the raison d’être behind the Rums introduction in the link above, so now its time to give my thoughts.

Elements Eight Republica – 40% abv

Tasting Notes

Glass: The Rum presents itself as a dark straw like gold. The nose is initially quite light and possesses an almost metallic aroma. Fortunately this dissipates quickly and is replaced by a faint sweetness and a light fruity quality. Mild honeyed vanilla and a little peppery spikiness back this up. There is a modest hint of smoke that is more akin to charred pineapple as it carries a touch of sweetness. The nose is pleasant without being groundbreaking. It is however refreshingly uncomplicated and straightforward. A little astringent alcohol rounds it out.

Mouth: This is where things become more interesting. Its more of a straight up Cuban on the palate. A light body with a mild sweetness gives way to a really firm peppery entry that soon displays the intensely dry mid-palate that some of my favourite Cubans display. A light nuttiness and the merest hint of dried pineapple follow before being pushed away by a dominating dryness and light whiff of smoke that plays out to a longer than expected finish. The finish is dry and just allows the smallest hint of tinned pears to appear. Repeated visits to the glass are a must.

As mentioned in the linked article, this Rum is said to excel in and Old Cuban and an El Presidente. So rather than just assume that it does, and because I don’t tend to have champagne at home, the El Presidente was my only choice…..

I’m very happy to report (not only because it’s a pretty booze laden concoction) that Republica plays really well in this drink. It’s also pretty good in a Rum and Coke providing you go heavy on the Rum.

As mentioned elsewhere, I seem to be moving away from the Rums of Panama and Cuba as my tastes crave something a little more in your face, but there is no arguing that at £25…and if it was able to find good availability…I would buy more in a heartbeat. It’s also not a ‘mood’ Rum. I’ve tried it at various times of the day….sometimes before lunch too and it always works. I think that it’d be killer in a Pina Colada and would also make a tasty Daiquiri. With all of this in mind, I’ve hovered over which score to give this Rum…..I’ve attached a 4 and a 3 to the end of this article and repeatedly switched them both around. There is a lot to love in this bottle and it stands up to repeated visits. I’ve mixed as much as I’ve has straight, and it really does stand up against a lot of the Rum on my shelf. If it were on a supermarket shelf with some of the similarly priced (and also more expensive) Cubans, it would outdo all of them. Priced fairly and the bottle contents aren’t half bad at all….Get yourself some….

 

© Steven James and Rum Diaries Blog 2017. 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.

Elements Eight Rum launch Republica

Elements Eight Rum launch Republica

Elements Eight will be a familiar name to most of the readers of this site. Over the course of the past 10 years it has always been their ethos to source pure, unadulterated rums. Known and extensively used by bartender’s, Elements Eight is continually looking at new areas to express their passion to deliver unique rums with outstanding quality and product integrity.

Following on from their welcome 2016 re-launch into a new, shelf friendly smaller bottle with foiled label packaging; the brand announces an intriguing proposition with the launch of the next instalment of Elements Eight.

Elements Eight Republica

Elements Eight Republica Rum is released at 40% and is a break from the other releases in the Elements Eight portfolio as it is a blend of two individual marques, each from a different distillery….one in Panama and one in Cuba. Each is a 100% multi-column distilled, non-chill filtered distillate, aged and authenticated for a minimum of 5 years in the country of origin. By sourcing column distillates from the two distilleries, Varela Hermanos in Panama and Distilleria Cubay in Cuba, Republica is said to debunk the myth that ‘quality’ rum can only be made as a blend of pot and column distillates. The character of the blend attests to the harmonious balance of two individual rums from two historically important rum making Caribbean Republics.

Carl Stephenson, Founder of Elements Eight Rums and creator of Republica, comments “Elements Eight is a framework, a step by step process to apply a handcrafted, balanced approach to creating rums with artisans.  I hold product integrity dear and consult heavily on the liquid with distilleries, bartenders and rum writers.  Cuba has always fascinated me and this respects the spiritual home of rum for its rich, romantic and unorthodox roots”.

Signature Drinks include the Old Cuban and El Presidente and the Rum will be priced at £24.99.

Additional information can be found on the re-vamped Elements Eight website.

Fortunately I’ve been one of the lucky few to get an early sight of this release and have been trying an early release of it for over a month now and have been in contact with Carl offering feedback and input. You will be able to read my thoughts shortly when the article is published……Watch this space.

© Steven James and Rum Diaries Blog 2017. 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.