Exceptionally smooth and brimming with the flavours of caramelised orange peel, pink peppercorns and warmth from Szechuan pepper, Salcombe Rum ‘Blackstone’, a peppered black rum, joins Salcombe Rum’s portfolio as their fourth release. Lovingly handcrafted at Salcombe Distilling Co.’s stunning waterside home in South Devon, the sophisticated new small batch spirit is a single estate rum produced from scratch at the distillery.
Available in a 50cl bottle, RRP £40 (ABV 40%), Salcombe Rum ‘Blackstone’ can be purchased from salcombegin.com and Salcombe Distilling Co.’s flagship stores in Salcombe and Dartmouth as well as regional independent retailers.
With a beautiful balance and spectrum of flavour, Salcombe Rum ‘Blackstone’ is triple distilled at Salcombe Distilling Co.’s distillery on Island Street in Salcombe, one of the world’s only distilleries directly accessible by boat. Distiller Harry Wakeley starts the production process with four ingredients: imported molasses, demerara sugar, yeast and pure Dartmoor water. The fermentation process is a labour of love, taking approximately one month to produce the rum wash which is approximately 12% ABV. It’s this unrushed process which delivers the complex flavours and forms an exquisite rum base.
The second stage is the first distillation run on Salcombe Distilling Co.’s flame fired 60L copper pot stills to produce the low wines. The still is then recharged and they collect the heart of the spirit before switching to the tails. The resulting rum distillate is approximately 76% ABV at this second distillation stage.
The third distillation run makes use of a reflux column to further smooth out the spirit. Seven botanicals are added in the third distillation run which, with the additional copper contact, produces an exceptionally smooth spirit with light and delicate notes and an increased ABV of 80%.
On completion of the distillation process, the rum distillate is reduced to 40% ABV using purified Dartmoor sourced water, before Black Strap Molasses and peppercorns are steeped overnight, to produce an exceptional smooth and rounded rum with a delicate level of spice, citrus and balanced natural sweetness.
Salcombe Rum ‘Blackstone’ joins Salcombe Distilling Co.’s award-winning line-up of their transatlantic spiced gold rum Salcombe Rum ‘Island Street’, gold rum Salcombe Rum ‘Lantern Rock’ and Salcombe Rum’s only white rum, Salcombe Rum ‘Whitestrand’. Unlike many distillers, Salcombe Rum never darkens their rums with the addition of colourants or added sugar post distillation.
Salcombe Rum takes inspiration from Salcombe’s coastal vitality and its shipbuilding heritage, when crafting their spirits. Famous for carrying fresh fruits and spices back from exotic lands, the locally built 19th century Salcombe Fruiters often ventured to the West Indies to acquire a much sweeter and more potent payload; sugar, molasses and rum. In the tropical Caribbean heat, puncheons or hogsheads of this rich spirit were carefully stowed on board these ships and surrounded by coconuts to protect the precious cargo during their perilous journey back across the Atlantic.
Salcombe Distilling Co.’s portfolio, in addition to Salcombe Rum, also boasts Salcombe Gin ‘Start Point’, ‘Rosé Sainte Marie’, the Voyager Series and New London Light non-alcoholic spirits and aperitifs.
For further information about Salcombe Distilling Co. and Salcombe Rum, visit www.salcombedistilling.com, and to stay up to date follow SalcombeGin on Instagram.
Photo credit: Milly Fletcher.
