If you follow me, you know I’ve been posting quite a few recipes that use Copalli rums thanks to their seasonal Daiquiri Series they have been sharing. I also covered their white rum and now I will be having a look at their barrel rested one which I’m kinda excited for.
The Copal Tree Distillery is located in Belize in the middle of the rainforest, next to their award winning eco-lodge – Copal Tree Lodge, and their 3000-acre organic farm – Copal Tree Farms, from where they source their sugar cane. The rum is also organic and it uses a non-hybridized sugar cane varietal native to the area.
The distillery was also made to have zero environmental impact, implementing practices such as powering their stills with sugar cane leftovers, using the ash as fertilizer, recycling the waste water and using rainwater for the rum production.
Copalli Barrel Rested Rum uses the juice from hand cut sugar cane and is pot still distilled before being rested in ex-Bourbon barrels from 6 to 8 months. The distillery also operates a column still, but it isn’t used in the production of their aged rum. Bottled at 44% ABV and free of additives.
On the nose it feels sharp and woody. New furniture, pickles, dusty cardboard and lime zest. Off mango juice, cacao nibs, green olives and wood polish. It’s an interesting contrast of warm and bright notes. Some stone fruits as well.
On the palate the wood influence comes out more. Chewy white oak, vanilla, nutmeg and cinnamon. Mothballs, peppermint, dark chocolate, aromatic tobacco and saffron. A touch of nail polish and grassiness along with some lime peel and gingerbread. Definitely nothing like the aged agricoles I know, although this is also cane juice. Cocoa butter, nuts and some cayenne pepper. The finish is long with After Eight and some grassy notes.
I have to say I prefer this to their white, the chocolate-mint profile really gets to me. While young, the woodiness is well integrated and makes this a decent sipper and a great cocktail ingredient (might have an idea or two, stay tuned). Can be found for around £41 which is a bit pricey, but given its provenance and the type of company you’d be investing in, it makes it more worth it.
Copalli Barrel Rested Rum score:
Flavour/taste: 53/70
Value for money: 13/15
Transparency/purity: 15/15
Overall: 81/100
Cheers!