Tasting

What does rum from Trinidad taste like? Today's Angostura rum is the gentle part of the answer. It smells of caramel, vanilla, and dried fruit, and on the palate it is soft, with little bite and a hint of spice. This is not a rum that makes a bold statement but one whose strength lies in its roundness, comparable well to a dessert or a coffee.

Example one is Angostura 1919. According to the company, it is distilled on the multi-column still and aged in charred ex-Bourbon casks. In the glass it shows caramel, toffee, and wood. Example two is Angostura 1824, aged at least twelve years according to the producer; merchants describe it with spice, raisin, and vanilla, showing more depth than its younger sibling.

Example three is not an Angostura but a Caroni bottling from Velier, such as the 1982 vintage at 23 years old and 62 percent ABV. Here you don't smell fruit but earth, tar, and rubber. That is the distillery's style, not a flaw. Such bottles are rare, since no new production follows, and are mostly compared within specialist circles.

A nosing glass or a tulip-shaped glass, which narrows toward the rim and concentrates the aromas, is the right choice. At room temperature, around 18 to 20 degrees Celsius, the notes show best. If the rum is too cold, it stays mute; if too warm, mainly alcohol rises to the nose.

Neat or with water? At 40 percent ABV, the Angostura needs no water. A Caroni at 62 percent ABV, by contrast, burns on the tongue undiluted, which is why many tasters add a few drops of water with a pipette and nose it in between sips. Take small sips, exhale through the nose, and pay attention to the finish: how long does the taste linger, and does it change?