Burning Mast

Kirk and Sweeney, the flagship Dominican rum produced by 3 Badge Beverage Corporation, recently announced the debut of its new Burning Mast rum. Burning Mast is barrel finished in red pepper barrels which imbue the liquid inside with red hot flavors for an entirely unique profile.

“We love a little spice here at 3 Badge and are thrilled to elevate Kirk and Sweeney with such an unexpected flavor profile,” noted August Sebastiani, president of 3 Badge Beverage Corporation. “We took the traditional Kirk and Sweeney Reserva rum production recipe and turned it up with these red pepper barrels, creating something enticingly different.”

The rum adheres to strict regulations in order to be called “Dominican Rum”. The process begins with hand harvested, high quality sugarcane processed into grade three Blackstrap Molasses for fermentation and distillation. The rum is then aged in a variety of American and French oak barrels, with the distiller conducting various steps of dumping, blending and re-barreling through the years. Burning Mast is a blend of 81% Kirk and Sweeney Reserva rum and 19% Kirk and Sweeney Reserva rum finished in red pepper barrels for 11-19 days.

The distinctive vintage shaped bottle pays homage to the early 20^th century when rum-running was prevalent. An intricately silkscreened design wraps around the circumference of the bottle with a prominent heat meter located on the front. Illustrating the St. Elmo’s Fire phenomenon, the Kirk and Sweeney schooner is featured in the dark of night with burning masts, navigating its way through a storm. The front label glows with a gradient meant to mimic those flames.

Kirk and Sweeney is named for a wooden schooner, best known for smuggling rum from the Caribbean to the Northeast during the early years of Prohibition. Rum Runners took to the high seas under glowing masts caused by St. Elmo’s fire, a rare phenomenon that gives the appearance of burning masts during thunderstorms, a truly extraordinary event and the inspiration for the name.

GSN’s Remarks: This is an amazing rum. Having tried many pepper infused spirits over the years, we thought we knew what to expect from this one. But, instead of the heat overhwhelming the rum, it compliments it, adding a warmth with no harsh burn. The initial taste is sweet and round, what you’d expect from an aged rum. But, after a few seconds, the fire kicks in, lending a hot experience that is on a level with fresh ginger. The warmth lasts for several minutes, but never overwhelms. This is a perfect rum for experimentation in cocktails. Everything from ginger ale highballs to tiki drinks. Try adding some to your next Pina Colada. Burning Mast is killer with pineapple and coconut. Kudos to Kirk & Sweeney for a stellar product! GSN Rating: A+++

For more information go to: Kirk and Sweeney Rum

#kirkandsweeneyrum #burningmast

House of Hine has announced the U.S. release for its Hine Cigar Reserve XO Cognac. Intended to be paired with a cigar, the expression is a collaboration between House of Hine and Hunters & Frankau, the U.K.’s exclusive distributor of Havana cigars. Cigar Reserve XO is made of a blend of 20 eaux-de-vie produced using Grande Champagne, Petite Champagne, and Fins Bois grapes, the latter of which is used only in this expression within Hine’s portfolio. There are 598 6-bottle cases allocated for the U.S., where it’s now available at select retailers nationwide for $150 a 750-ml.

Brooklyn’s Widow Jane has released the Vaults 2021, the latest in the distillery’s extra-aged series of whiskies. This year’s edition is selected from barrels aged between 15 and 17 years, and bottled at 49.5% abv. The whiskies, selected by Widow Jane president and head distiller Lisa Wicker, are sourced from Tennessee and Indiana. Before its final bottling, the whiskies finished in Adirondack oak casks. Roughly 3,000 bottles will be available, allocated throughout Widow Jane’s distribution footprint, for a suggested price of $225 a 750-ml.

Woodford Reserve is releasing the winter installment of its Master’s Collection series. The latest is Woodford Reserve Five-Malt Stouted Mash, which references the “distiller’s beer” stage of whiskey production and in this case mimics classic beer flavors as well. It was made in Woodford’s triple pot stills and was bottled at 45.2% abv, making it the 17th release in the Master’s Collection. Five-Malt Stouted Mash is available in select U.S. markets for $130 a 750-ml.

Dominican rum brand Kirk and Sweeney is releasing a new spicy variation. It’s called Burning Mast and features liquid finished in red pepper barrels around two weeks. Distilled from blackstrap molasses and aged in a variety of American and French oak barrels, Burning Mast is an 81/19 blend of regular Kirk and Sweeney Reserva rum and the same that aged in the red pepper barrels. It’s available now in select regional markets including Louisiana, Texas, California, Arizona, Georgia, and Maryland for $50 a 750-ml.

Louisville, Kentucky’s Barrell Craft Spirits has launched two new whiskies. First up is BCS Gold Label Bourbon, a blend of Straight Bourbon whiskies sourced from Tennessee, Indiana, and Kentucky, all aged between 16 and 17 years. The release comes in at 56.77% abv and retails for a suggested price of $500 a 750-ml. In addition, the bottler has released New Year Bourbon 2022, a blend of 5-, 6-, 7-, 9-, and 14-year-old Bourbons sourced from Tennessee, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Wyoming, New York, and Texas. The 57.67% abv Bourbon retails for $90 and is now available throughout Barrell’s distribution footprint.

Information courtesy of Shanken News Daily