Sink into an orchard of rich Valencia oranges with Santa Teresa's award winning Rhum Orange Liquor.
Santa Teresa is one of a few heavy hitters to come out of Venezuela’s very well know rum distillers. Alongside the likes of Four Square and Diplomatico they collectively deliver a considerable share in the world of good quality rum.
Santa Teresa like to boast they were the first, dating back to 1796 when the distillery was founded, they now have a rum named after this very date. Five generations of this family-run empire have passed since then.
Not surprising as the plantation and distillery are older than the country itself which was born in 1811.
Nestled inside a valley outside the city of Caracas, Santa Teresa is a huge agricultural site producing sugar cane, coffee and oranges. All of these ingredients go into their rum which is produced at their huge distillery, The Hacienda Santa Teresa.
The Santa Teresa Rhum Orange Liquor is built upon their Santa Teresa Claro. An adaptable cocktail rum which is a blend of rums aged between 2-3 years in American Oak ex bourbon barrels. This gives the rum a rich oak and smokey flavour.
The blend comes from rums produced in both column and pot stills and the rum is filtered to remove most of the colour.
To add the orange flavouring, peels from the Valencia oranges grown on site are added into the maceration process for 1-4 months. Caramel and sugar is added for flavour to which they are open about. In my book, if you are open about it, then I'm ok with it - besides, the flavour is more important.
Proofed at 40% ABV this is no soft liquor. Deservedly, this rum has collected a fair few rewards and accolades in its time.
To start with, the bottle itself is striking and unique. Its ganguly matt black bottle slips into any available space on a back bar or in a home collection (provided you have the shelf hight of course!). Upon the paper label, a rich orange sits proud. As I crack the bottle open the cork delivers a playful "POP".
Smell: Such a lovely smelling rum, sweet scent mixed with rich, juicy oranges. This is followed by a faint ethanol after scent.
Appearance: As expected from the additional ingredients there is medium legs to the Santa Teresa Rhum Orange. You are greeted with a lovely crimson colour coming off the liquid that really dazzles when it catches the light.
Taste: It's a very sweet taste upfront that does lingor as the viscos rum coats the pallet. Deep orange follows with a little citrus kick. There is next to no harshness or bite to this rum.
Rating: 4/5... A delicious, but sweet rum that could add a richer orange alternative to Cointreau in cocktails.
Add some depth to an all rum old fashioned, who needs orange peels anyway. To find out more about this great distillery and their love for rugby and rum, check out their website. Fancy a taste of the good stuff, check out The Whiskey Exchange.
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