Privateer Navy Yard Barrel Proof Rum

Description

Yeah, we hear you loud and clear – the Tribe LOVES Privateer.  Its back – Privateer Navy Yard Barrel Proof Rum.

A single cask, cask strength pure rum from the powerhouse Massachusetts distillery, Privateer! Made from 100% grade A molasses, double distilled (copper pot first run, then their copper pot/column hybrid still for the second).  Batch made, then matured in a charred American Oak barrel (#P608) for at least two years on the shores of the North Atlantic Ocean.  Bottled at a cask strength of 54.5%.

Our Members Extra is the Privateer Navy Yard Barrel Proof Rum. This rum pays homage to the original Andrew Cabot – the America’s most successful privateer.  No real surprise as the owner of Privateer is also named Andrew Cabot, and is a direct descendant of his namesake! He was said to be uncommonly clever and an astute judge of people and situations.  Whether smuggling molasses past British patrols or prizing their ships, Cabot (and his fellow privateers) played a not-insignificant role in his countries war of independence. And made a tidy profit on the side!

Unfortunately Privateer doesn’t make its way into the country in either great quantities or with any regularity, so when we do lay our hands on some, we don’t hesitate to grab what we can on the Tribe’s behalf. We know there’s a big chunk of our members who are glad we do!

Our Tasting Notes

Nose: Charred wood. Smoke. Caramel. Vanilla. Burnt wooden splints. Light sweet grain notes. Bonfire embers and powdered sugar. Warm fudge. Black pepper and pencil shavings. Also a pleasant ‘new leather jacket’ aroma in the mix.

Palate: Heavy, drying oak. Damp cardboard. Grilled smoked meat. Warm charred timber…memories of woodwork classes at school.  The mid palate brings a slowly growing coffee influence. Dark chocolate. The charred embers of a fire on the beach.

Finish: Rather dry, medium length finish is all dominant oak, light vanilla and powdered cocoa with lingering charred wood notes. The leather notes re-appear near the end.

A lovely expression from this highly sought-after Distillery. If you love your molasses based rums, then this one is going to get you right in the feels. Easy drinking strait up, and adds fantastic subtle touch of smoke to your favourite cocktails.

From Privateer

Our Navy Yard rum is a nod to Massachusetts’ storied history of rum distilling and imbibing.

Made in the New England tradition, from 100% Molasses, it is double distilled and aged in 53 gallon new American oak barrels. This style of rum was drunk on the ships, farms, and in the pubs of early America. We craft this rum in honour of New England’s rich history to enjoy in front of the fire, on the rocks, or to add depth and power to your rum old fashioned or daiquiri.

TASTING NOTES

Style: A Traditional New England Rum, dry, copper colour, pronounced aromatics, oak aged, full body, with fleshy texture
In a Daiquiri: Adds power, velvet texture, and deep bass notes of pastry, brown butter, custard, apricot marmalade, hazelnut, and dried figs.
Cane Type: 100% grade A molasses
Aging: Minimum 2 years, 53 gallon 100% new American oak barrels

About Privateer

The original Andrew Cabot (1750–1791) – merchant, entrepreneur and… privateer(!) – not only amassed a flotilla of 25 ships to aid the now-USA’s bid for independence, he was also the owner of a rum distillery in Massachusetts. 6 generations later – his direct descendant of the same name, discovered his ancestor as well as the ‘family business’ whilst doing genealogical research. Already a keen and accomplished sailor, [the current] Andrew Cabot – on finding documents and advertisements pertaining to his ancestor’s distillery was immediately “drawn to the alchemy of distilling”.

As an American history nut, Andrew well knew the importance and significance of sugar and rum in the American war of independence. After discovering his family place in this very history – Andrew decided that his legacy would be the re-birth of the Cabot name in American rum production. The first requirement was a location for the distillery, and to Andrew, there was no other option but to locate in the new distillery in the same Essex County that the late Andrew Cabot had his distillery.

Whilst Andrew had an interesting and varied resume – including 20 years software development, and a genomics research position at Harvard Business School to name a couple – one skill he did not possess was how to distil rum – and so he did. It was not his intention to carry out the job of distiller at Privateer, but he felt it was a skill he needed to have a more than basic grasp of to successfully run a distillery.

In 2011 the Privateer distillery was operational and production of white rums started immediately. The ‘business end’ of the distillery is two stills. A steam-coil heated, 1,000 gallon Vendome pot still from Kentucky separates the low wines. The spirit still is a 200-gallon copper eau de vie still (a pot/column hybrid), made in Germany by CARL GmbH. It’s named “Baldwin,” after the writer James Baldwin, and handles all final distillation tasks.