Tastes

I picked up this locally-distilled bottle of Circle Hook Rum while on vacation in Mississippi. It's made from half molasses, half sugar cane syrup, in a pot still and aged in charred American oak. No added coloring, flavors, or sugars. I love the long finish of molasses and toffee. There's enough oak to lend a bit of baking spice and vanilla to the initial palate.

Cor Cor Red is a burst of brown sugar with a little funkiness and a finish of coriander and tropical fruit. It's soft with just a hint of sweetness. I bought this as a mixer for cocktails, since it's unaged, but it's definitely interesting enough to sip neat.

Cor Cor Green is a huge burst of unripe bananas. Like a funky Jamaican blended with a Martinique agricole. Zero burn. Medium finish that lingers a minute and gets more plantain-like before fading to spent sugarcane after you've already chewed all the juice out of it. As an unaged rum, I figured it would make a good mixer. But this is a rare unaged rum that I can happily sip neat.