Old Mill Rum – Gold Rum

Old Mill Rum – Gold Rum

My wife and I have a running joke from a night we grabbed dinner out at CPK. A family was sitting down next to us, and their eager server asked if anyone wanted drinks. After a few “iced tea” and “Diet Coke” orders, their son, who we only imagine just turned 21, asked, “What is your selection of spiced rums like?”
I’m sure he wanted to bring his worldly knowledge of liquors he had acquired at college back to his family. Not that California Pizza Kitchen is the greatest place to enjoy a great drink, but we thought it was just funny to think of Captain Morgan rum appreciation night at the dorm. Fast forward to the craft rums entering the market today.

I had the pleasure of having a bottle of The Old Mill – Gold Rum in front of me. In it’s distinctive rum bottle, Old Mill Gold Rum presents you a sip of history. This rum is from a lineage began seventy years ago when Howard M. Wall struck a deal with a small cane mill and distillery in St. Croix. “The Old Mill” as it is known, operates with the same hospitality today as it did then. The folks from Bendistillery in Oregon, makers of great American liquors, bring this exceptional pure cane sugar rum to market.

The rum was a joy to sample, because unlike other rums, I had it neat. Like a fine whiskey, I pulled the cork and with a turn, squeak, and low pop, poured “The Old Mill – Gold Rum” and enjoyed it for its own characteristics. Unlike mass produced rums of the “gold” moniker which can hit you with a harsh alcohol sting, “Old Mill – Gold” was smooth rum. It had an oaky nose which telegraphed the barrel aged production, and on first taste, the mellow nature confirmed that barrel aging has taken this rum to the next level.

Pirates, adventurers, and traders discovered the liquor, native to the Caribbean. Since then, big producers of spirits have been trying to deliver an authentic rum experience. Try, try again, big guys. Bendistillery didn’t mess around and went straight to the source. Needless to say, I won’t be mixing this with cola.

- Bob Beresh, who likes a drink every now and then (with his wife too), reviewed The Old Mill – Gold Rum on behalf of MicroLiquor.com. Bob, an educational entertainment entrepreneur (www.yayplanes.com), brings the same sense of fun to his reviews. You should also check out Bob’s work on MicroLiquorTV.