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….
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