Chairman’s Reserve: Caribbean Calling

Chairman’s Reserve Rum is a little bit special. With a list of awards that is (almost literally) as long as your arm, including picking up another ‘Best Rum’  at the International Spirits Challenge in London last week, it’s not surprising that when they held the first of their Rum Takeover events at Montpellier’s Cafe & Bar, I was keen to attend.

That and the fact that it was a little bit bargainous – £20 for three courses, rum tasters and cocktails? Yes please.

Of course it didn’t hurt that I hadn’t yet been to Montpellier’s Cafe & Bar and could use this opportunity to have a nosey around.

As we wandered downstairs to where the event was being hosted, we were greeted by our first tot of rum. I have to say, flattery gets you most places, a tot of rum…. Well, hello.

The Chairman’s Reserve White Label, is a blanco rum, treated in much the same way as Bacardi Superior Rum. Both are aged in barrels (for up to 3 years), but gentle charcoal filtration then removes the colour, leaving a clear white rum, which maintains it’s aged rum flavours, without the colour, meaning it’s perfect for Daiquiris.

Our resident host, Adam Westbrook (aka Westie), introduced his compatriots for the evening (including Dave Marsland), while other table dwellers less enamoured with white rum topped up my glass.

This could get dangerous.

The white rum, as you’d expect is a lovely blend of vanilla notes, a little nuttiness, hints of white chocolate and citrus. As mentioned, before, ideal for cocktails.

Swiftly we moved onto the Chairman’s Reserve Finest, the first of the darker rums on offer. This richer coloured rum has no real age statement, but the average is around 5 years. The rums are rested for 9-12 months in new oak barrels, before being moved to Jack Daniels and Bourbon (usually Buffalo Trace) casks. The rums are blended to ensure a consistency of flavour and balance and then aged for a further 6 months. There’s no filtration this time, so the rum is the classic dark copper colour.

Lots of soft vanilla and sweet honey sit on the nose of this rum, with hints of fruitiness. It’s got a nice spiciness to it, but it soon mellows to a soft light molasses sweetness. 

Our final rum before the food arrived (with other people’s rums appearing in front of me, I was getting a little wobbly) was the Chairman’s Reserve Finest Spiced Rum.

The colour of this one is much brighter, and it looks more syrupy. In this case, the Reserve rum has lots of extra flavours added to it – orange is most dominant, along wit the cinnamon, clove and nutmeg. It’s almost Christmas like in it’s flavours, but unlike some spiced rums isn’t overly sweet. Though I did quite fancy pouring a tot over some vanilla ice cream or hardening a chocolate milk hake with it.

Thankfully (just as I started to get a little arty farty with the camera) it was time for food. And our first course of warm goat’s cheese with pine nuts, on a bed of leaves, with a dressing that included Antica Formula and honey arrived.

The accompanying cocktail for this was an El Presidente – the rum compatriot to the Manhattan. Made with Red Vermouth, Antica Formula, Rum (of course) and a liqueur created by Westie himself,. The liqueur was based on Nocino, which uses spices,. sugar, vodka and green walnuts to create a rich, sweet, nutty liquor. Westie had, however, substituted White Label for the vodka, resulting in something a little less sweet, but softer in flavour, the vanilla elements enhancing the walnuts.

These two went beautifully together, the sweet nutty cocktail and the pine nuts softening the earthiness and acidity of the cheese.

Our main was a Creole Chicken Rugai a spicy curry with hints of chilli coriander and crisp spring onions on top. It was probably the only dish that didn’t quite work for us – some of the rice was a little undercooked and I personally wanted to give it a dash of salt.

This paired with a Pickled Ginger & Chilli Daquiri. It has to be said, that this cocktail was terribly pretty, with the chilli garnish, but it was only when stirred that the flavours worked. Most of the fruit settled to the bottom (to give the organisers their due, they had around 60 of us in) and without a quick stir, the flavour was distinctly savoury and sharp. And I’m a girl who loves pickled ginger.

Together, the flavours went well, and balanced out better.

Our dessert was a bit of a show stopper. Poached Pears were flambed in Cointreau and served with with Rum and Vanilla Ice Cream. Rum and fire are always a good pairing.

The cocktail served with this was a Raisin and Orange Spiced Rum Daiquiri. This was probably our favourite course and cocktail of the evening. The cocktail was soft and dry – balancing the sweet creaminess of the dessert.

Replete we relaxed a little and let our tummies settle. Of course, the night wasn’t over. We still had one more rum to try. The Forgotten Casks.

Just as they sound, these casks were mislaid.

No, seriously.

Following a fire at the distillery in 2007, there was a serious shortage of storage, resulting in casks of rum being stored in a host of unusual spots on the island. Several years later, these were rediscovered and now range in age from 7 to 12 years in age. Blended together these form the Forgotten Casks Rum.

Given the flavour of these, it’s unsurprising that this was my tot of the night (more surprisingly perhaps, the spiced rum with it’s citrus flavours coming a close second). This was much spicier, the longer ageing process having had more of an effect, meaning there was a little more bonfire toffee, more coffee flavours, it was richer and a little more powerful.

As you can see, I ended up with extras.

Which was just as well, as in a little competition of ‘X marks the spot’ (on the bottom of our dessert bowls) Keeley had won herself a bottle of the award winning 1931 by St Lucia Distillers – a blend of pot and Coffey still rum aged in white oak, bourbon and Port casks.

Jammy.

I’ll try and raid her booze cupboard on of these days and grab me a sample.

All in all, we had a great evening and, with Chairman’s taking over other venues in the north over the next few weeks and Montpellier’s continuing their booze fun with a Sipsmith Gin event on Friday 25 July, Manchester is only going to get boozier.

My place, and that of my plus one for the evening, were provided free of charge. Any previous or subsequent drinks were paid for.

Huge thanks to both Montpellier’s Cafe & Bar and Chairman’s Reserve for the evening.