I got a beautiful green box of Sister Isles to try, containing a beautiful bottle, which will certainly not disappoint you outside of its green confinements. This 8-year-old blend of rums from the islands of Saint Kitts and Nevis has a lot to offer.
History and origins of Sister Isles rum
Sister Isles rum is aged for 8 years in the island Carribean climate only to be transported to Spain, where it is finished in casks previously containing Hacienda Zorita premium wines. It is thanks to them the taste is so smooth, with a touch of vanilla. It is an 8y.o. “blend”, i.e. a mixture of 6 to 12y.o. rums.
An interesting fact: Hacienda Zorita is a producer of great Spanish wines from the Ribera del Duero region but it does not work with rums so much. The rum then ages for another 2 years in 800 metres above sea level in wine casks previously containing the great Spanish Crianza wine.
The producer claims the origins of this rum go back to Christopher Columbus, who came to Hacienda Zorita to ask the Dominican monks to fund his travels. He really discovered the said islands in 1493 and it is said that he brought this rum in wooden barrels. And that’s the beginning of the 500 years of Sister Isles rum history.
The bottle and packaging
Both the box and the bottle are very beautiful. Hard green carton represents the evergreen sister islands and the neck of the bottle contains printed text which evokes the old times.
The bottle itself is very elegant and will make a nice gift. See it for yourself:
The taste
This rum is very smooth, with an almost indiscernible aroma. The colour is golden, like that of flower honey.
This rum is sometimes called agricultural/agricole “viex rhum”, but will certainly not disappoint you with its taste. The beginning has a slight bite to it – you can taste the strength of this rum but it does not increase, so even rum beginners and those in favour of more gentle stuff will enjoy it. Thanks to the ageing in wine casks, you can taste the full body of strong red wines. Seasoned rum lovers may discover vanilla, caramel, coffee, charred oak, dark chocolate and spices. Only the finish is quite not there. You know this from the movies. You wait for the climax and it does not come.
Awards
Sister Isles won two gold medals on the International Rum Conference of Madrid in the category of Superior Anejo aged 7 to 10 years. For its youth, its taste is very nice and unique, quite incomparable to others. A nice bottle for autumn evenings.
This rum is also very affordable – you may purchase it on Rumako for CZK 980.
