Thursday, December 4, 2014

First Impressions, La Colombe's A Different Drum Rum

Back in the Fall of 2013 I was treated to a tour of La Colombe's Port Richmond roastery.  At the end of my visit, owner Todd Carmichael revealed that he was working on a rum project and I got a brief glimpse of the ad hock still he installed.  I was able to taste a sample and thought the rum was promising although very much in its early stages.  Check out my blog post, "The Coffee MacGyver".

The Rum Distillery Under Construction
The Rum Distillery Under Construction


Fast forward a year later.  La Colombe's massive new Fishtown Philadelphia cafe finally opened after 11 months of construction.  I was invited to a tasting of the first batch.  About 15 of us sat at a long table with the 450 liter German still a few feet away.

A Different Drum Rum
A Different Drum Rum


The rum is infused with Panama Geisha coffee beans, considered among the best coffees in the world (and can cost from $10 to over $100 a pound green).  Todd and his team tasted a lot of coffee and found that the Geisha sourced from one farm produced the best rum so they committed to purchasing the entire lot that the Peterson Farm grows.  The rum produced in-house is blended with Brazilian rum and aged in small 10-15 gallon new White Oak barrels for 6-9 months.

This is a serious rum meant for sipping.  If you love your bourbon neat, you'll find this rum within your wheelhouse.  Personally I preferred an ice-cube or two.  The flavors are mellower and more fully integrated than the first time I tasted it.  There's a nice smokiness with hints of caramel and toast with a touch of sweetness, due perhaps to the coffee sugars.

Initially A Different Drum was $50 and  its new price at $29.99 is an absolute steal.  For now you can only buy it if you're in Pennsylvania or Washington D.C. but there are plans for limited expansion (get ready Chicago and NYC).  For the rest of you unfortunately you're SOL....or perhaps not if you have a relative from PA or D.C. visiting you for the holidays.
Links

CoffeeGuru features over 7,000 independent coffeehouses in the US, Canada, UK and Ireland. Download the app here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/coffeeguru-indie-coffeehouses/id547969523?mt=8

The Coffee MacGyver

La Colombe's Construction Of Their New Fishtown Cafe