Cockspur Fine Rum
www.cockspurrum.com/

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from Internet Wines and Spirits

Nothing makes my day like getting to try a new rum - and this goes double when the rum in question is from Barbados. Some of my very favorites come from this island, the fabled birthplace of rum itself. It's my understanding that Cockspur is only now entering the U.S. Market, and I count myself fortunate to be able to get a sneak peak at their offerings so soon.

Upon first opening Cockspur Fine Rum, the first item of note was the rubber cork - something I'd not yet witnessed in the world of rums. Over the past several years, the wine industry has been experimenting with solutions to a growing cork problem - namely that natural cork is expensive, unreliable, prone to drying, and can lead to a ruined bottle now and then. Some wines have chosen to solve the matter with a practical - but classless - screw cap. Other wines have tried a more innovative approach - the rubber cork. This method effectively compensates for the shortcomings of natural cork, while still maintaining much of the tradition and ambiance that comes with properly opening a bottle of wine.

I don't know if Cockspur's motivation for their own rubber cork is an echo of the wine industry, but if so I wholeheartedly approve. I've had more than one good rum arrive with a bum cork, yet can never feel quite right unscrewing a bottle of fine spirits. As with wine, a rubber cork seems to satisfy all concerns, and I hope to see more distillery follow in Cockspur's tracks.

On to the rum itself. To the nose it's spicy, but light. On the tongue it's soft and mellow - distinctly rum, but quite approachable. Cockspur Fine Rum has few distinctive undertones, and it does leave just a slight bitterness. But being as this rum is marketed as a mixer, it's remarkably good straight. It's not a rum I'd generally choose for sipping, but it would do in a pinch. And it certainly makes me eager to try their higher end rum - which I'll be doing shortly!