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Tasting Room Location:
Block ‘A’ Plantation Diamond East Bank, Demerara Guyana, South America |
Lemon Hart & Son has been an influential brand for the past 200 years. It rose to prominence in 1803 as the official rum of the British Royal Navy. It then became an essential ingredient in tiki cocktails like the Zombie (with the help of Don the Beachcomber), 151 Swizzle, Navy Grog, and is still faithfully used at the iconic Mai-Kai Restaurant in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Hawaii Beverage Guide was fortunate enough to interview Master Blender Michael Booth and Brand Ambassador Miles Vrahimis to learn more about the brand.
Brand Approach
Company History
Lehman (“Lemon”) Hart’s founding really starts with his grandfather Abraham Hart in 1720. Abraham Hart was a merchant who immigrated to Penzance, England from Germany and began importing and trading rums sourced from various islands in the Caribbean. By his death in 1784, Abraham Hart had set the course for the family name for generations to come by securing a solid reputation as a spirits merchant. At the age of 22, Lemon Hart took over the family business from his father, E.L. Hart in 1790, and was very determined to expand the company’s growing interests in the rum trade abroad. Lemon Hart was keenly aware of the old Lancashire proverb, “there’s nobbut three generations atween a clog and clog.” Lemon Hart, being the third generation Hart running the business, would never let that happen.
Between 1790 and 1795, under Lemon Hart’s direction, the family business expanded to include blending and production. By the late 18th century, Lemon Hart crafted his own signature blend of rum using select Demerara rums originating from a distillery on the East Bank of the Demerara River in Guyana. During this time, the Admiralty of the British Royal Navy appointed an official supplier of rum as the Royal Navy had included it as an official ration since 1655. That supplier was Lemon Hart.
In 1803, the start of the Napoleonic Wars caused Lemon Hart to move the company from Penzance to the heavily fortified West India Dock on the Thames in London. While reflecting upon the Battle of the Nile (1798), Lemon Hart remembered that the first thing Admiral Nelson’s fleet attacked was Napoleon’s wine brig, and feared retaliation. This time was also tragic as Lemon’s wife Letitia, who was home alone one evening when her clothes caught fire from a candle in their bedroom, passed away due to her severe burn injuries. A week following her death, Lemon Hart would then deal with the sudden passing of his father who died of a stroke which doctors attributed to the stress and shock of Letitia’s accident. After these tragedies, Hart took refuge in Blackpool, a coastal hamlet on England’s northwest coast.
In 1804 Lemon Hart returned home with a renewed sense of purpose and determination to share his passion for rum with the world. The early London years were a time of great change, hope, and prosperity both in his business and personal life. By this time, his rum stocks well-secured at Lemon Hart Rum Company’s newly established facilities at the West India Dock (in the historic Port of London). His signature brand, Lemon Hart Rum was keeping the Royal Navy well afloat. Lemon Hart watchfully tended his substantial supply contract from his offices in London and Penzance, where he still maintained residence. In the same year, Lemon Hart met his future wife, Mary Solomon. Hart permanently returned to London in 1811, and lived there until his death on 13 October 1845 at the age of 77 years.
Following Lemon Hart’s death, his only son, David took over the business. In 1892, Lemon Hart & Son joined rum importers Portal Dingwall & Norris to form a powerful London-based alliance, which remained intact for half a century. Heavy bombing in World War II drove Alfred Lamb Ltd (creators of Lambs Rum) from their location in London to take refuge in the offices of Lemon Hart & Son. In January 1948, United Rum Merchants (URM) was formed as a result of this union. In 1949, URM was sold to Booker Brothers, McConnell and Company, sugar planters from Demerara, Guyana. In 1984, Booker Brothers, McConnell and Company sold their rum business to Allied-Lyons. In June 1989, Allied-Lyons’ rum business, which included Lemon Hart and Lamb’s, was brought together with Tia Maria under one management structure to form Alfred Lamb International Limited, a division of Allied-Lyons. In 1994, Allied-Lyons merged with Pedro Domecq, forming Allied Domecq. In 2005, an ironic acquisition occurred; the French company Pernod Richard acquired the brand.
In 2010, the Canadian-based company Mosaiq Inc. acquired the Lemon Hart brand from Pernod Ricard and implemented a “Return to Heritage” initiative.
Lehman (“Lemon”) Hart’s founding really starts with his grandfather Abraham Hart in 1720. Abraham Hart was a merchant who immigrated to Penzance, England from Germany and began importing and trading rums sourced from various islands in the Caribbean. By his death in 1784, Abraham Hart had set the course for the family name for generations to come by securing a solid reputation as a spirits merchant. At the age of 22, Lemon Hart took over the family business from his father, E.L. Hart in 1790, and was very determined to expand the company’s growing interests in the rum trade abroad. Lemon Hart was keenly aware of the old Lancashire proverb, “there’s nobbut three generations atween a clog and clog.” Lemon Hart, being the third generation Hart running the business, would never let that happen.
Between 1790 and 1795, under Lemon Hart’s direction, the family business expanded to include blending and production. By the late 18th century, Lemon Hart crafted his own signature blend of rum using select Demerara rums originating from a distillery on the East Bank of the Demerara River in Guyana. During this time, the Admiralty of the British Royal Navy appointed an official supplier of rum as the Royal Navy had included it as an official ration since 1655. That supplier was Lemon Hart.
In 1803, the start of the Napoleonic Wars caused Lemon Hart to move the company from Penzance to the heavily fortified West India Dock on the Thames in London. While reflecting upon the Battle of the Nile (1798), Lemon Hart remembered that the first thing Admiral Nelson’s fleet attacked was Napoleon’s wine brig, and feared retaliation. This time was also tragic as Lemon’s wife Letitia, who was home alone one evening when her clothes caught fire from a candle in their bedroom, passed away due to her severe burn injuries. A week following her death, Lemon Hart would then deal with the sudden passing of his father who died of a stroke which doctors attributed to the stress and shock of Letitia’s accident. After these tragedies, Hart took refuge in Blackpool, a coastal hamlet on England’s northwest coast.
In 1804 Lemon Hart returned home with a renewed sense of purpose and determination to share his passion for rum with the world. The early London years were a time of great change, hope, and prosperity both in his business and personal life. By this time, his rum stocks well-secured at Lemon Hart Rum Company’s newly established facilities at the West India Dock (in the historic Port of London). His signature brand, Lemon Hart Rum was keeping the Royal Navy well afloat. Lemon Hart watchfully tended his substantial supply contract from his offices in London and Penzance, where he still maintained residence. In the same year, Lemon Hart met his future wife, Mary Solomon. Hart permanently returned to London in 1811, and lived there until his death on 13 October 1845 at the age of 77 years.
Following Lemon Hart’s death, his only son, David took over the business. In 1892, Lemon Hart & Son joined rum importers Portal Dingwall & Norris to form a powerful London-based alliance, which remained intact for half a century. Heavy bombing in World War II drove Alfred Lamb Ltd (creators of Lambs Rum) from their location in London to take refuge in the offices of Lemon Hart & Son. In January 1948, United Rum Merchants (URM) was formed as a result of this union. In 1949, URM was sold to Booker Brothers, McConnell and Company, sugar planters from Demerara, Guyana. In 1984, Booker Brothers, McConnell and Company sold their rum business to Allied-Lyons. In June 1989, Allied-Lyons’ rum business, which included Lemon Hart and Lamb’s, was brought together with Tia Maria under one management structure to form Alfred Lamb International Limited, a division of Allied-Lyons. In 1994, Allied-Lyons merged with Pedro Domecq, forming Allied Domecq. In 2005, an ironic acquisition occurred; the French company Pernod Richard acquired the brand.
In 2010, the Canadian-based company Mosaiq Inc. acquired the Lemon Hart brand from Pernod Ricard and implemented a “Return to Heritage” initiative.
Approach to Rum
Lemon Hart has always been a Demerara style rum; however, there have been different interpretations of this style as it pertains to the brand. According to Mosaiq, “The brand’s previous owner aged and blended Lemon Hart at their facility in Canada and bottled the final product with a percentage of ‘other rums’ for legal purposes. Upon acquiring the Lemon Hart brand in 2010, we implemented a ‘Return to Heritage’ initiative which resulted in moving the aging and blending process back to Guyana and delivering a final product that is 100% Demerara rum.” To accomplish this, Diamond Distillery operated by Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL) became the producer of a generations old written formulation that has been passed on through confidential records.
Miles explained further, “When the Lemon Hart brand was owned by Pernod Richard, it was neglected as they put their money and resources into their big brand, Havana Club. The recipe wasn’t being tweaked and it wasn’t being looked at. Mike Booth, who has been in the industry for a very long time, picked it up and restored it back to when it was commercially available in the [19]80’s in the United Kingdom and was blended and warehoused in Canada.” The difference, however, is that instead of aging the rum in a Northern Hemisphere warehouse where it’s 64-65 degrees, the recipe was adjusted for the rum to be aged in a tropical climate with a higher rate of reaction to oak.
It should also be noted that “Demerara,” as it refers to Rum, is a U.S. trademark by Demerara Distillers Ltd., Guyana.
Lemon Hart has always been a Demerara style rum; however, there have been different interpretations of this style as it pertains to the brand. According to Mosaiq, “The brand’s previous owner aged and blended Lemon Hart at their facility in Canada and bottled the final product with a percentage of ‘other rums’ for legal purposes. Upon acquiring the Lemon Hart brand in 2010, we implemented a ‘Return to Heritage’ initiative which resulted in moving the aging and blending process back to Guyana and delivering a final product that is 100% Demerara rum.” To accomplish this, Diamond Distillery operated by Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL) became the producer of a generations old written formulation that has been passed on through confidential records.
Miles explained further, “When the Lemon Hart brand was owned by Pernod Richard, it was neglected as they put their money and resources into their big brand, Havana Club. The recipe wasn’t being tweaked and it wasn’t being looked at. Mike Booth, who has been in the industry for a very long time, picked it up and restored it back to when it was commercially available in the [19]80’s in the United Kingdom and was blended and warehoused in Canada.” The difference, however, is that instead of aging the rum in a Northern Hemisphere warehouse where it’s 64-65 degrees, the recipe was adjusted for the rum to be aged in a tropical climate with a higher rate of reaction to oak.
It should also be noted that “Demerara,” as it refers to Rum, is a U.S. trademark by Demerara Distillers Ltd., Guyana.
The Demerara Valley’s Influence on the Rum
The Demerara Valley, in what was once called British Guiana, was a major source of sugar and part of “Triangular Trade”. Till this day, sugar is one of the largest exports of the country.
Demerara also refers to a geographical location and the molasses sourced from this geographical area. It does not refer to a rum made with Demerara style “raw” sugar. To best describe the Demerara style as it pertains to Lemon Hart, Michael Booth told Hawaii Beverage Guide, “Those rums are traditionally dark or black rums with a heavy molasses profile and were commonly known in those days as Navy rums-- the rums of the British Navy. It's a very unique style. When you say Demerara rum, everybody knows what you're talking about. It's very heavy, full-flavored, strong in molasses, dried fruits spice, that is very characteristic. [It is] very much unlike the Jamaican or the Barbados or any of the other British colonies.”
The Demerara Valley, in what was once called British Guiana, was a major source of sugar and part of “Triangular Trade”. Till this day, sugar is one of the largest exports of the country.
Demerara also refers to a geographical location and the molasses sourced from this geographical area. It does not refer to a rum made with Demerara style “raw” sugar. To best describe the Demerara style as it pertains to Lemon Hart, Michael Booth told Hawaii Beverage Guide, “Those rums are traditionally dark or black rums with a heavy molasses profile and were commonly known in those days as Navy rums-- the rums of the British Navy. It's a very unique style. When you say Demerara rum, everybody knows what you're talking about. It's very heavy, full-flavored, strong in molasses, dried fruits spice, that is very characteristic. [It is] very much unlike the Jamaican or the Barbados or any of the other British colonies.”
Key People
- Michael Szczepaniuk, Managing Director of Mosaiq
- Michael Booth, Master Blender, formerly Master Blender of Hiram Walker
- Miles Vrahimis, Brand Ambassador
Ingredients
Molasses
Demerara rums use molasses from the country’s largest producer and Guyana’s government-owned Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) is the country’s largest producer GuySuCo. But has worked to secure the resource as Demerara Distillers Limited has recently acquired plots of sugarcane plantation from the company. This access to a consistent source of molasses made in the same place with the same soil and the same production techniques is significant in that it reduces the variation in the product. Booth noted, “It's a very reliable source of molasses. In fact, many of the islands in the Caribbean [that] no longer grow sugarcane (but produce rum) are importing their molasses from Guyana.”
Demerara rums use molasses from the country’s largest producer and Guyana’s government-owned Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) is the country’s largest producer GuySuCo. But has worked to secure the resource as Demerara Distillers Limited has recently acquired plots of sugarcane plantation from the company. This access to a consistent source of molasses made in the same place with the same soil and the same production techniques is significant in that it reduces the variation in the product. Booth noted, “It's a very reliable source of molasses. In fact, many of the islands in the Caribbean [that] no longer grow sugarcane (but produce rum) are importing their molasses from Guyana.”
Yeast
A proprietary strain of cultured yeast is propagated by moving yeast to increasingly larger tanks with more molasses. This allows the yeast to acclimatize to the molasses while maintaining a high concentration of yeast.
A proprietary strain of cultured yeast is propagated by moving yeast to increasingly larger tanks with more molasses. This allows the yeast to acclimatize to the molasses while maintaining a high concentration of yeast.
Water
The distillery uses demineralized water or Reverse Osmosis. Proofing water is filtered using Reverse Osmosis. Booth explained, “You can't have any metals or solids in the water you use for de-proofing; otherwise, you'll get all kinds of sediments because most of these things are soluble in water, but not soluble in alcohol. So, you have to basically strip everything out of it. It's not like beer where the water can actually impart some quality into the beer.”
The distillery uses demineralized water or Reverse Osmosis. Proofing water is filtered using Reverse Osmosis. Booth explained, “You can't have any metals or solids in the water you use for de-proofing; otherwise, you'll get all kinds of sediments because most of these things are soluble in water, but not soluble in alcohol. So, you have to basically strip everything out of it. It's not like beer where the water can actually impart some quality into the beer.”
Distillation
Stills and the Blending of Marques
Distillation was introduced by British Planters in the 1650’s and by the 1670’s, many sugar estates had a small still attached to it. Booth explained, “At one time, there wasn't just one distillery; there were several. As the distilleries were closed down, the essential processing equipment was moved to Diamond [Distillery]. So, they're all there under one roof, but they represent the distilleries that were there 100 years ago. [Many] are old in design, but it's incredible how well they are maintained.” These antique stills mirror the names of currently operating GuySuCo Sugarcane Estates: Port Mourant (PM), Skeldon Estate (SWR), and Uitvlugt Estate (IBCU). Diamond Distillery also operates newer metal column stills.
As Lemon Hart’s formula is proprietary, Hawaii Beverage Guide has made conjectures as to what stills were used to create the final blend. We were told that two-pot stills and two-column stills are combined to a reference standard formula before being shipped to Montreal. Booth also disclosed the following, “Majority [of the distillate] is from the column still because that's how you blend. It's the same with Scotch Whiskey. The other [distillates] are there primarily for flavoring purposes and [to give] the blend some personality. The pot stills are there in very high percentage.”
Based upon the given the price point, flavor, and the knowledge of the stills available at Diamond Distillery, one can surmise that the majority of the distillate in Lemon Hart comes from the Metal Coffee Still (SV). Diamond Distillery does operate a continuous five-column still, but its usage in the blend seems unlikely, given that it would produce a very neutral flavor. Furthermore, these stills are used to produce Guyana’s best selling vodka, Ivanoff. We know from what Miles and Booth have shared that that the other column still being used is the French Savalle Still (IBCU). Given the two stills, it’s not likely that distillate from the Wooden Coffey Still (EHP) is used in Lemon Hart’s blend.
Distillation was introduced by British Planters in the 1650’s and by the 1670’s, many sugar estates had a small still attached to it. Booth explained, “At one time, there wasn't just one distillery; there were several. As the distilleries were closed down, the essential processing equipment was moved to Diamond [Distillery]. So, they're all there under one roof, but they represent the distilleries that were there 100 years ago. [Many] are old in design, but it's incredible how well they are maintained.” These antique stills mirror the names of currently operating GuySuCo Sugarcane Estates: Port Mourant (PM), Skeldon Estate (SWR), and Uitvlugt Estate (IBCU). Diamond Distillery also operates newer metal column stills.
As Lemon Hart’s formula is proprietary, Hawaii Beverage Guide has made conjectures as to what stills were used to create the final blend. We were told that two-pot stills and two-column stills are combined to a reference standard formula before being shipped to Montreal. Booth also disclosed the following, “Majority [of the distillate] is from the column still because that's how you blend. It's the same with Scotch Whiskey. The other [distillates] are there primarily for flavoring purposes and [to give] the blend some personality. The pot stills are there in very high percentage.”
Based upon the given the price point, flavor, and the knowledge of the stills available at Diamond Distillery, one can surmise that the majority of the distillate in Lemon Hart comes from the Metal Coffee Still (SV). Diamond Distillery does operate a continuous five-column still, but its usage in the blend seems unlikely, given that it would produce a very neutral flavor. Furthermore, these stills are used to produce Guyana’s best selling vodka, Ivanoff. We know from what Miles and Booth have shared that that the other column still being used is the French Savalle Still (IBCU). Given the two stills, it’s not likely that distillate from the Wooden Coffey Still (EHP) is used in Lemon Hart’s blend.
Based upon the given the price point, flavor, and the knowledge of the stills available at Diamond Distillery, one can surmise that the majority of the distillate in Lemon Hart comes from the Metal Coffee Still (SV). Diamond Distillery does operate a continuous five-column still, but its usage in the blend seems unlikely, given that it would produce a very neutral flavor. Furthermore, these stills are used to produce Guyana’s best selling vodka, Ivanoff. We know from what Miles and Booth have shared that that the other column still being used is the French Savalle Still (IBCU). Given the two stills, it’s not likely that distillate from the Wooden Coffey Still (EHP) is used in Lemon Hart’s blend.
Wooden Coffey Still (EHP)
This still, which is the last of its kind, is from the Enmore Sugar Estate. It produces a medium bodied rum with a mild, fruity aroma and its unique flavour.
Metal Coffey Still (SV)
SV is similar in design to EHP, but more efficient.
French Savalle Still from Uitvlught (ICBU)
“Demerara Distillers continues to use the original four-column metal French Savalle Still inherited from the 18th century Uitvlught Estate on the west coast of Demerara county. The rum produced from this still is characterised by a pronounced sweet sugar cane nose combined with a dry, medium-bodied flavour – qualities unmatched by any other distiller. The modern version of this still is versatile enough to produce nine completely different types (marks) of rum ranging from very light to heavy bodied rums.”4
Wooden Coffey Still (EHP)
This still, which is the last of its kind, is from the Enmore Sugar Estate. It produces a medium bodied rum with a mild, fruity aroma and its unique flavour.
Metal Coffey Still (SV)
SV is similar in design to EHP, but more efficient.
French Savalle Still from Uitvlught (ICBU)
“Demerara Distillers continues to use the original four-column metal French Savalle Still inherited from the 18th century Uitvlught Estate on the west coast of Demerara county. The rum produced from this still is characterised by a pronounced sweet sugar cane nose combined with a dry, medium-bodied flavour – qualities unmatched by any other distiller. The modern version of this still is versatile enough to produce nine completely different types (marks) of rum ranging from very light to heavy bodied rums.”4
Pot Stills
Diamond Distillery features the Antique Double Wooden Pot Still from Port Mourant (PM) and the Single Wooden Pot Still (VSG). These unique copper-necked stills are valued as a source of very heavy bodied, very flavourful and deeply aromatic rums. They are made from Greenhart Wood, Chlorocardium Rodiei, an extremely hard and strong wood from an evergreen tree native to Guyana. The wood is used for its durability in marine conditions as is exemplified by its usage to build the Manchester Dock Gates in Liverpool and Sir Ernest Shackleton's Endurance Ship. We have been told by DDL that the John Dore High Ester pot still is not part of the blend and we were unable to find references to other stills on property
Read more about Greenhart Wood at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chlorocardium_rodiei
Diamond Distillery features the Antique Double Wooden Pot Still from Port Mourant (PM) and the Single Wooden Pot Still (VSG). These unique copper-necked stills are valued as a source of very heavy bodied, very flavourful and deeply aromatic rums. They are made from Greenhart Wood, Chlorocardium Rodiei, an extremely hard and strong wood from an evergreen tree native to Guyana. The wood is used for its durability in marine conditions as is exemplified by its usage to build the Manchester Dock Gates in Liverpool and Sir Ernest Shackleton's Endurance Ship. We have been told by DDL that the John Dore High Ester pot still is not part of the blend and we were unable to find references to other stills on property
Read more about Greenhart Wood at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chlorocardium_rodiei
Production Process
Molasses is fermented until the Brix drops from 84 to 19, which means that the fermented wash reaches between 6% and 8% alcohol by volume, depending on the year. This is done in both open top and closed top fermenters.
Aging
The rum, according to Miles, is aged up to four years in Kentucky Bourbon barrels which are shipped whole to Guyana. There, barrels are refilled up to three additional times as after the fourth usage, there is minimal oak extraction. The benefit of using ex-bourbon barrels is that the level of extraction is reduced. This is particularly helpful as rum matures quickly in the Tropics. Booth explained, “The temperature is so hot there that the rum matures about three times faster than whisky in Scotland. Therefore, if you're using a freshly drained bourbon barrel and that's all you're using, you're going to get far too much wood in the rum. Blenders, intentionally, if they're trying to produce an older rum, will use barrels that have been used two, three, four times, just so there is less extraction of wood. It's all part of the barrel management program to always have a good supply of freshly drained bourbon for second, third, and fourth use, depending on the type of blend you're trying to achieve. It's always the ratio of what I call ABCD barrels. ‘D’ being four years of being a freshly drained bourbon.”
The specific length of time each marque is aged is proprietary. Booth explained, “I cannot provide details [concerning the] age of the various marques as this is confidential formula information. By law, in most markets [except for the United States], rum must be greater than one year. The selected age of marques depends on many factors, such as the type of barrel used, how many times it’s used and the temperatures in the maturing warehouse. Pot still rums are generally aged longer than column still rums.”
One of the biggest changes to the product versus the historical record has been in the aging process. According to Miles, “Lemon Hart used to sit on a dock in England for five-six years, and you would get fantastic extraction over that period. You can’t do that anymore. When Pernod Richard owned the brand, they tried to compensate by keeping barrels in a climate controlled warehouse at 64-65 degrees. In the “Return to Heritage” initiative, we took the rum back to its original source. We cut the aging a little bit because the rate of reaction is about one-third the rate of the reaction in both the Angels’ Share and in barrel.”
The rum, according to Miles, is aged up to four years in Kentucky Bourbon barrels which are shipped whole to Guyana. There, barrels are refilled up to three additional times as after the fourth usage, there is minimal oak extraction. The benefit of using ex-bourbon barrels is that the level of extraction is reduced. This is particularly helpful as rum matures quickly in the Tropics. Booth explained, “The temperature is so hot there that the rum matures about three times faster than whisky in Scotland. Therefore, if you're using a freshly drained bourbon barrel and that's all you're using, you're going to get far too much wood in the rum. Blenders, intentionally, if they're trying to produce an older rum, will use barrels that have been used two, three, four times, just so there is less extraction of wood. It's all part of the barrel management program to always have a good supply of freshly drained bourbon for second, third, and fourth use, depending on the type of blend you're trying to achieve. It's always the ratio of what I call ABCD barrels. ‘D’ being four years of being a freshly drained bourbon.”
The specific length of time each marque is aged is proprietary. Booth explained, “I cannot provide details [concerning the] age of the various marques as this is confidential formula information. By law, in most markets [except for the United States], rum must be greater than one year. The selected age of marques depends on many factors, such as the type of barrel used, how many times it’s used and the temperatures in the maturing warehouse. Pot still rums are generally aged longer than column still rums.”
One of the biggest changes to the product versus the historical record has been in the aging process. According to Miles, “Lemon Hart used to sit on a dock in England for five-six years, and you would get fantastic extraction over that period. You can’t do that anymore. When Pernod Richard owned the brand, they tried to compensate by keeping barrels in a climate controlled warehouse at 64-65 degrees. In the “Return to Heritage” initiative, we took the rum back to its original source. We cut the aging a little bit because the rate of reaction is about one-third the rate of the reaction in both the Angels’ Share and in barrel.”
After Lemon Hart rum is blended at Diamond Distillery, it is bulk-shipped to Montreal, Canada where it is filtered for particulate using cellulose filter sheets. Then caramel color is added for uniformity. Booth explained, “Rums from Guyana, because of heat, extract a lot of oak and they're darkened in a very short period of time. You're always adding some caramel to make sure the color is consistent on the shelf.” When asked if sugar was added after distillation, Booth responded, “We don't add any sugar. I believe in making the rum well-balanced and sweet naturally without adding the sugar.” For the spiced rum, the spice extract is added at this point.
The rum is then diluted over a five-day period to a bottling strength of either 151 or 80 proof. Booth provided the following insight, “They're identical blends. The only difference is one has more water added. So, 151 is a concentrate of 1804. For Blackpool, it is the same base; it's 1804 with the spice extracts added in.”
The rum is then diluted over a five-day period to a bottling strength of either 151 or 80 proof. Booth provided the following insight, “They're identical blends. The only difference is one has more water added. So, 151 is a concentrate of 1804. For Blackpool, it is the same base; it's 1804 with the spice extracts added in.”
Original 1804
Lemon Hart & Son Original 1804 is the classic British-style black rum cherished for its rich flavor, bold taste and full-bodied complexity. It a versatile rum that shows pronounced, smooth flavor when mixed with a quality cola.
Lemon Hart & Son Original 1804 is the classic British-style black rum cherished for its rich flavor, bold taste and full-bodied complexity. It a versatile rum that shows pronounced, smooth flavor when mixed with a quality cola.
LH151
Lemon Hart 151 is the legendary “Gold Standard” of overproof rum and is called for by name in many of Trader Vic’s and Don the Beachcomber’s classic tiki drink recipes. According to Miles, "A Zombie without Lemon Hart 151 is truly the walking dead.”
Lemon Hart 151 is the legendary “Gold Standard” of overproof rum and is called for by name in many of Trader Vic’s and Don the Beachcomber’s classic tiki drink recipes. According to Miles, "A Zombie without Lemon Hart 151 is truly the walking dead.”
Blackpool Spiced Rum
According to Miles, Blackpool Spiced Rum was created because, “we felt the consumer deserved a sophisticated, honest spiced rum - one that could be sipped like any fine aged rum, but also extremely versatile across a host of applications.”
The rum starts with a base of the 86 proof Original 1804 rum. Then a concentrated spice extract of clove, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, black pepper and vanilla bean is then added to the rum. To produce the extract, a specialized extract company is contracted out due to the technical nature of producing a consistent highly concentrated extract. Booth, who was responsible for the recipe and provided the following insight into its development, “The reason we chose that blend of spices is [because] the rum is so heavy and full-flavored that if you just added a light touch of vanilla, it wouldn't show through at all. The logic behind that spice blend was to get something that would actually show through the rum and have some personality.
According to Miles, Blackpool Spiced Rum was created because, “we felt the consumer deserved a sophisticated, honest spiced rum - one that could be sipped like any fine aged rum, but also extremely versatile across a host of applications.”
The rum starts with a base of the 86 proof Original 1804 rum. Then a concentrated spice extract of clove, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, black pepper and vanilla bean is then added to the rum. To produce the extract, a specialized extract company is contracted out due to the technical nature of producing a consistent highly concentrated extract. Booth, who was responsible for the recipe and provided the following insight into its development, “The reason we chose that blend of spices is [because] the rum is so heavy and full-flavored that if you just added a light touch of vanilla, it wouldn't show through at all. The logic behind that spice blend was to get something that would actually show through the rum and have some personality.
Resources
On Diamond Distillery
www.demeraradistillers.com/
therumhowlerblog.com/extras/demerara-distillers-diamond-distillery-tour/
inuakena.com/misc/a-visit-to-demerara-distillers-limited/
On Demerara Sugar
www.guysuco.gy/index.php?lang=en
On Diamond Distillery
www.demeraradistillers.com/
therumhowlerblog.com/extras/demerara-distillers-diamond-distillery-tour/
inuakena.com/misc/a-visit-to-demerara-distillers-limited/
On Demerara Sugar
www.guysuco.gy/index.php?lang=en
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