- WINSTON SILL/FREELANCE PHOTOGRAPHER
William McConnell of Appleton Estates explains more about the new rums the company launched, to Jacqueline Holding, president of Cable and Wireless Jamaica. The launch was at the Terra Nova All-Suite Hotel, Waterloo Road, on Wednesday.
RUM LOVERS were in utopia on Wednesday March 30 when Lascelles Wines and Distributors launched a new line of luxury rums.
The rum lovers' paradise unfolded at the Terra Nova All-Suite Hotel as many persons came to find out more about the Edwin Charley Proprietor's Collection. The four rums are all exotically named. They are: 'The Foundation', 'The Transforma-tion', 'The Enlightenment' and 'The Virtue'. There was plenty of the potent potables for persons to sample. The Lascelles folks even took the liberty of giving their guests drink mixes they could try on their own.
THE COLLECTION
'The Foundation' is essentially overproofed rum but with a fruity taste. 'The Transforma-tion' is a crisp, clean spirit and compliments any mixture. 'The Enlightenment' contains various pot still rums. The term 'pot still' refers to the traditional method of distilling rum. 'The Virtue' is a unique single-barrel rum that has been aged for 15 years.
Of course, many persons decided they simply had to try all the rums to see which one swished across their tongue the best. If alcohol is not your thing, then this was not the place for you.
DEEP SYMBOLISM
The tall, slender 700ml bottles were all made of hand-blown Venetian glass with glass statuettes inside the bottles. Each one symbolised one of the steps in the rum-making process. 'Foundation' - a stalk of sugar cane; 'Transformation' - a cane cutter symbolising the harvest; 'Enlightenment' - a pot; and 'Virtue' - an oak barrel.
If you are wondering about the price Andrew Desnoes, brand manager of Lascelles Wines and Spirits assured everybody that the US$80 to US$100 price tag was in keeping with the trend on the world scene. Duty free shops and select watering holes will have these new liquors on their shelves soon enough.
All this rhetoric aside, be warned, this is strong stuff. The alcohol content ranges between 40 per cent and 63 per cent. Do not drink and drive, ok folks!
