English Harbour 5 Year Old Antigua Gold Rum 70 cl

Product Information

However, over the past few years Antigua Distillery seem to be moving a little with the times. They have begun introducing “Cask Finish” rums similar to the likes of Foursquare. Whilst a secondary maturation period does probably explain Foursquare’s recent output a “Finish” is probably more suited to these offerings from English Harbour.

The Miami Rum Renaissance Festival is a good place to find out about new rums, and an even better one to sample those that have been around, but which you didn’t even realize were on the market. One such find for me at this year’s edition was English Harbour’s 5-Year and 10-Year reserves, as well as their richer sibling, the 1981 Vintage. When finally poured the English Harbour is a deep mahogany. It looks warm and inviting. The nose is quite subtle, despite being a relatively young rum their isn’t much of an alcohol smell in a sense it doesn’t smell “boozy” or harsh like some young rums can. The nose is sweet molasses, a little orange its smell is almost as sweet as some of the South and Central American premium sipping rums. Antigua Distillery Limited was formed in 1932 when a number of rum shop owners on the island joined forces. In those early days the company sold two kinds of rum - un-aged and aged rums under the brand name Caballero. Later, in the 1950s, Cavalier Rum was introduced and remains a successful brand on the island today. The English Harbour brand was introduced in the 1990s. Domestically they produce Cavalier Gold and White rum and Koko Caribe Coconut Rum. Rarely, if ever have I seen these rums for sale outside of Antigua. The rum is produced at Antigua Distillery Limited. Which is the islands only active distillery. Rumour has it that rum was produced using some rum they originally intended to use in their domestic mixer Cavalier. In turned out the rum was felt to be too good and was further aged till they decided what to do with it. There were only 5712 bottles of this ever produced.Outside of the Caribbean, Antigua Distillers are best recognised for their English Harbour rums. The 5 year old is regularly held up as being a classic (I didn’t share that view in my review though). Within the Caribbean they are best known for their Cavalier brand of rums. Less expensive rums used mostly for mixing. Much like St Lucia Distillers produce Bounty for their own domestic and more localised market. English Harbour is actually the name of a port/town on Antigua, West Indies. Rum is as closely associated with England as it is the Caribbean so this is also quite a good marketing ploy. I’m sure many a proud Englishman has bought this rum on name alone. The rear of the bottle gives some details on the legend and heritage of this rum. If you’re surprised that Antigua has Portuguese immigrants, you’re not alone. Having never been to the Caribbean, I was surprised, too. This Taste Trinbago article was really informative, as it shed a light on how Portuguese immigrants moved to the Caribbean from Madeira starting from the mid-1800s. The presence of Portuguese culture and ancestry in the Caribbean, plus ADL’s use of only column stills, adds as well to the argument that the Colonial Classification should be forgotten. This classification disregards the presence and history of other cultures and ethnicities in the Caribbean.

Sipping English Harbour Antigua Rum Port Cask Finish is as easy as falling asleep (apologies out there to any Insomniacs). The 46% ABV is a really good point to appreciate this rum at I feel. I can’t say its the best because I can only really dilute it down not up but it works very well. This rum is after distillation aged in former used bourbon barrels of American oak which are charred inside for between 10 and 25 years. To enhance the oak taste is a handful of oak chips added to each barrel. After the aging it’s blended and bottled at ABV 40%.To go a bit deeper into ADL’s production, English Harbour is their premium line. The brand was first released in 1994. The five year is the most accessible of the range. It’s followed by a 10 year and the 1981 (25 year old), but I think the 1981 was a limited production. These are all ex-bourbon cask-aged, but bottled only at 40%. There are new variations of the 10 year, which are either port- or sherry-finished. Fermentation for English Harbour is said to be only 36 hours long. They also have a lower-end product called Cavalier Rum which first came out in 1947. I’m told that Cavalier is only sold in Antigua and is loved by the locals. The molasses-based rums (named for the body of water and village at Antigua’s southernmost extremity) are produced by Antigua Distillery, the same company that also makes Antigua and Barbuda’s most popular dark rum, Cavalier, as well as Nut Power—a peanut-flavored rum cream made with the tree bark (and reputed sexual stimulant) known as bois bande. Unlike those products, the reserves and 1981 Vintage are exported to the US, UK, and elsewhere. English Harbour Rum at the 2013 Miami Rum Renaissance Festival | Credit: Erik Ebright, LargeUp.com The English Harbour Extra Old Rum is considered one of the finest blends of aged and premium rum available in the Caribbean today. It has won numerous awards, including the Gold Award in the Aged and Premium Rum category. This rum is a connoisseur's drink, meant to be enjoyed by those who appreciate the finer things in life. Today there’s no sugar cane plantation in Antigua instead the molasses is bought from Dom. Rep. and Guyana. After arrival it’s fermented in open-top fermenters were the added yeast marries with wild yeast. English Harbour rum is made at Antigua Distillery, which is located on the island of Antigua. This distillery is the only one on the island and has been in operation sine 1932. It was formed by a group of rum shop owners who decided to join forces and create a more efficient and effective production process. Antigua Distillery Limited is the official name of this company, and it is responsible for the production of English Harbour rum. The distillery is located in the southern part of the island and is open to visitors who are interested in learning more about the rum-making process. Who is the Owner of English Harbour Rum?

The aroma is nice and I recognize vanilla, oak and some fruits. In the mouth and palate I recognize the same flavors but there are also some smokiness and spices. The finish which is medium long goes the same way. This rum must be the best you can get to this ridiculous low price. I haven’t found anyone that can compete so far. English Harbour Rum is made using only the finest ingredients, including locally sourced sugar cane and pure water from the island's natural springs. The distillery uses traditional methods of production, including pot stills and open fermentation, which gives the rum its unique character and flavor. I have a number of rums in my collection and have tried many more. Very few I have found to have the ACR (Authentic Caribbean Rum) mark. From memory I can only really think of Chairmans Reserve displaying this. I’m pretty sure though that a few more of my Bajan, St Lucian and Jamaican rums probably do satisfy the criteria for ACR. For those who are not in the know the ACR mark means the rum has been produced in a traditional manner. The only additives permitted are caramel but this must only be for colouring it must not impart flavour to the rum. NB I have since writing this review conducted Hydrometer Tests on this rum which reveals added sugar – which makes me wonder quite what the ACR is achieiving. English Harbour Rum is a blend of both Dark and Light Rum distilled in the Caribbean. While it contains a blend of both types of rum, it is generally considered to be a dark rum due to its rich, deep flavor profile. This rum has won multiple awards for its quality, and is highly regarded by experts in the industry. English Harbour Rum is a high-quality, award-winning dark rum that is a must-try for anyone who appreciates the rich, complex flavors of this type of spirit. Conclusion

English Harbour 10 Details

In regards to your second list I agree with you barring two, the Appleton 12. I find the metal screw cap annoying and cheap, the rum itself slightly too dry and woody with the signature Appleton’s taste. There is quite a bit going on with this rum and it really is very easy to drink. The added sugar ( I won’t labour this point) has definitely smoothed out the rum, making it both sweet and smooth. Personally I would have liked to have tired it minus the sugar but that is just me. I wouldn’t mark the rum down based on the additives. Oak chips are also added to each rum barrel during ageing. So what do we have here then? Well a lot of information is provided on the bottle and box the rum is housed in. This is a small batch, non chill filtered rum. It is a limited release of 5 Year Old rum finished in Port Cask.