RAILEAN RUMS

Matt and Kelly Railean are producing rums on the Texas coast, and with very good results. Kelly is a first-level sommelier, or wine steward, and Matt is a chemical engineer. Their rums use Texas unsulfured molasses and a lovely copper pot still to craft their spirits. Their Smooth White Rum is bottled after diluting with water. The Reserve XO Premium Rum and the Small Cask Reserve Rum are aged in new charred American Oak casks.

The SMOOTH WHITE RUM has a great nose, with molasses, butter, and fruit notes. The initial taste is one of molasses, with the fruit notes showing in the middle and a crisp, burnt sugar warmth at the end.

The RESERVE XO RUM has a wonderfully redolent nose, presenting honey, molasses, and candy apple notes with an oak finish. The taste presents burnt sugar and molasses, with fruit, fruit skins and dairy in the middle. The palate coat is buttery but not overwhelming, and the finish is slow and gently bittersweet, reminiscent of cocoa.

The SMALL CASK RESERVE RUM offers a sophisticated nose, with oak, mead, old leather, and a touch of caramel in the back. The initial taste shows whiskey, cane, and toasted sugar notes, with a nice prolonged woodsy warmth in the middle and end. A tiny bit of water or a single cube of ice brings out the middle notes of caramel, burnt sugar, and molasses to the forefront.

The Smooth White Rum is a darn good mixology tool, working well in Caribbean and Tiki cocktails. Its flavor mixes well with the typical array of ingredients, as well as in a Collins. The Reserve shines when using it to make superb Manhattans, Sours, and Old Fashioneds for that classic approach. The Small Cask Reserve deserves to be presented on its own or with a bit of ice. The labels are great (the Monk Parakeet giving the bottles an eye-catching look), and the bottle neck is thankfully long enough to handle easily behind the bar.

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