FLAVORS OF ANGOSTURA RUM 1919
The legend goes: In 1932 after a fire destroyed the government rum bond, Fernandes Distilleries master blender, JB Fernandes bought the charred casks, only to discover that they had been in 1919 (as per the label on the barrels). From this, coupled with skillful blending, the prized 1919 we know today was born.
Sweet aroma & smooth mouthfeel
Vanilla…yes, that’s the one, coupled with sweet caramelized overripe banana and subtle molasses, honey, and elderflower undertones. All in all very tropical. It reminds me a bit of bubble gum flavored ice cream. As we know, from this, we can already gauge the flavor, since we use our nose to detect flavor, and the mouth to confirms it (learn more about this concept, here). The pale gold medium-bodied Rum is smooth, very minimal acidity, and boasts an alc % of 40. The tongue confirms all the sweet notes picked up by the nose and through the mouth and the throat, we get the roundness of the flavors, texture & body. I prefer to sip this clean on the rock, or with half a teaspoon elderflower infused honey.
To pair with?
Spirits are hard to pair with foods due to their intense alcohol strength. It is, therefore sometimes better to pair foods with cocktails made from these drinks. This opens up a whole new world of opportunities that would seem almost infinite. It is still possible to pair the clean spirit though :). Rum complements and brings out the flavor in banana. so you would not go wrong pairing the two. Most Cheeses, specifically stronger flavored types will be balanced by the sweeter rum. Top-quality Chocolate, Coconut, tropical fruit (mango, papaya, pineapple), Vanilla, elder-flower, tropical nuts (macadamia, cashew) will all go well with Angostura Caribbean Rum. The foods mentioned above, although sweet should not be limited to sweet applications. Experiment with these in some savory dishes.
Subjective smell
Flavor is by far more complex than taste but can’t exist without it, whereas taste exists without flavor (duh). Taste is universal but flavor is versatile because it is broad and subjective. Each food item has its own makeup and presents it differently. How we perceive taste is the same but flavor is always subjective. Not everyone perceives what they smell in the same way, and not everyone has the same capacity when it comes to smell. Smell disorders such as anasomia and phantosmia can greatly affect the perception of flavor. Anasomia is the inability to detect one or more smells, and Phantosmia or olfactory hallucination is the smelling of odors that are otherwise not present.
A brief history of Angostura
Founded in Angostura, Venezuela, 1824, by Dr. Siegert whose formula for aromatic bitters (Amargo Aromatico) was used in his medical practice as surgeon general to the armies of Simon Bolivia. They start as manufacturers of bitters after moving to Trinidad. Through the years, they grew at a rapid but consistent pace, rubbing shoulders with nobility and distinguishing themselves as prominent producers of both bitters and rum. This has since led to the acquisition of the company (Angostura Holdings limited) by the CL financial group.
Here is a link to the full history and timeline of Angostura
