My oldest friend, Tim, sent me a care package as he downsizes his home bar. He is purging some bottles of which he has multiple and I am the lucky recipient of said excess.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Being the good friend that I am, I had to drink some – you wouldn’t want to disappoint your oldest friend, after all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One of the bottles I was gifted with this year was Bolton Farm House Old Rum from Nashoba Valley Spirits.<\/a> According to their website, they are the first Farmer-Distiller licensed in Massachusetts – that piques my interest and raises expectations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n My first impressions are that it is a very professionally packaged product and pleasing to the eye. I’d consider picking it up for a try just for that reason. I rarely try glitzy, hype filled packaging, I like clean, and functional – to me that means the producer is professional.<\/p>\n\n\n\n LOOK<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n As I’ve already hinted, the alcohol looks beautiful. A light amber color that allows light to filter though without any hint of additives or unevenness. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In a glass, it exhibits a light body, not clinging to the glass at all. There’s none of the normal warnings that some rums have of added color or boasting of natural flavors (which are normally added after it’s distilled). It’s rum, period.<\/p>\n\n\n\n SMELL<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n OK, here’s where the large nose is a drawback. This baby packs a punch. The alcohol burn overwhelms the other scents. I could smell a bit of the oaky scent from them aging this for 5 years in charred oak. The average person might not notice and thus fear the alcohol scent but trust me that there is more there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When later mixed with cola, the harshness, obviously, is taken away and you can slightly smell the oaky scent of the rum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n TASTE<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n I’m actualy going to talk about 2 tasting attemtps: straight and mixed with some cola (it’s what I had on hand and how I was planning to drink it later, anyway).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Straight:<\/strong> Again, here is where I’m not happy with having more tastebuds than average. This alcohol comes across as harsh. (I’m not saying bad, just very harsh) Now, high proof will do that and this rum is 43% ABV. After shocking my tongue on the first taste, I tried again, holding onto it and rolling it around to find out what was in there. Once I pushed past the alcohol burn I detected an almost caramel undertone. I don’t think there’s caramel color or anything added since the bottle does not mention that so this is probably just a natural flavor from the sugar, et al.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I’m not sure I’d drink this straight. Maybe on a ‘drown your sorrows’ kind of night where you just want a fast kick in the ass. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Mixed: <\/strong>Here is where this rum SHINES! I chose to mix this with the store brand cola (fake Coke) because the whole point of this website is learning to work with what you have, and that’s what I had.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Imagine this scene: Ed taste’s the mixed drink, his lovely wife, Sarah, who is standing nearby asks, “Can I try it?” What does Ed do? Does he hand it to his lady? Nope, not this greedy drinker. I said, “Give me another taste first, I want to be sure of the flavors before you risk it.” I’m such a greedy jerk. \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n\n\n\n Anyway (I’m still married after that, BTW), when mixed with cola, the taste is much smoother than straight so I was able to really search out the flavors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There is a distinct, almost, flowery undertone to the taste. Not sure if that’s just how I’m interpreting the flavor if if there is something in the pre-distillation process that might add that type of flavor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There’s still the caramel flavor but much more muted. The big one that finally comes through in all its glory is an almost bourbon flavor gained from 5 years in charred oak barrels. It’s still clearly a rum, but that bourbon-esque undertone is wonderful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n AFTERTASTE<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n I found that both straight and mixed, the rum left a flavor of caramel at the back of my tongue. It doesn’t linger but quickly dissipates, allowing you to set up for the next sip.<\/p>\n\n\n\n VERDICT<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n I liked it. I’d buy this rum again (providing I’m in an area where it’s carried, since its from MA and I’m in NV).<\/p>\n\n\n\n I recommend, if you have access to this distillery’s products, that you give their products a try. It’s not your mass produced big distillery rum, this is made with love and it shows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" My oldest friend, Tim, sent me a care package as he downsizes his home bar. He is purging some bottles of which he has multiple and I am the lucky recipient of said excess. Being the good friend that I am, I had to drink some – you wouldn’t want to disappoint your oldest friend, … Continue reading Tasting: Bolton Farm House Old Rum<\/span>