Cihuatan Alux Rum
Travel Distilled reviews Cihuatan Alux Rum, a 15 year old limited edition rum finished in former oloroso sherry and cognac casks.
I’ve been on a rum kick lately and was delighted to be offered a tasting sample of a rum from El Salvador, as I’d never had one from that country before. And no ordinary rum, either. This is a 15-year-old rum that had been finished in former oloroso sherry and cognac casks – and who doesn’t love the taste of oloroso sherry and cognac?
It was also of interest because of the research I’d done for my book, Cask Strength, where I spoke to a few rum distillers who’d been experimenting with aging in different kinds of barrels. If I’d known about Chauhan a year or so ago, I would definitely have wanted to talk to their Master Blender for the book.
In researching the rum, I also realised why I hadn’t previously tasted a rum from El Salvador. When the first 50 bottles of 8-Year-Old Cihuatan Rum were released in November 2014, it was the first ever rum to be produced in El Salvador!
Cihuatan works with a sugarmill that has been working with sugar cane for over a century. The distillery is based in the Cihuatán valley, in Central El Salvador and actually began distilling in 2004 (which is how they can now have a 15-year-old rum on the market). They aged some of their rum in new American oak barrels and some in ex-bourbon barrels. The rum aged in new American oak now forms part of their private reserves. They also now have several mainstream rums on the market, along with a few limited edition rums.
Cihuatan Alux Rum
This Cihuatan Alux Rum is one of those limited editions, and like all of their rums it pays homage to Mayan traditions and Gods. In this case the rum was inspired by the Mayan legend of the Aluxes, the guardian gods of the land. To celebrate the harvest each year they would have a feast of chocolate and corn. Accordingly, the Cihuatan Master Blender Gabriela Ayala endeavoured to produce a rum imbued with the tastes and aromas of corn and chocolate.
Tasting Cihuatan Alux Rum
The rum is bottled at 43.2% ABV (86.4 proof), so is just a little bit stronger than average, but not by much. On the nose it has a beautifully rich aroma, certainly with a touch of dark chocolate in there but also spicy notes of ginger. There’s a balancing sweetness, too, reminding you that this is after all a spirit made from sugar cane.
On the palate the rum really explodes, though in a very subtle way, if that’s not a contradiction. That extra alcohol strength may not be much but it is certainly noticeable when sampled neat and bodes well for its inclusion in cocktails. The chocolate and spices are still there, and the sweet notes could indeed come from corn. There’s a nuttiness about it, too, and all in all it’s a complex ultra-premium rum that warrants its high price tag.
Buying Cihuatan Alux Rum
In the UK you can buy this El Salvador rum from the website of Highfern, an importer of select premium spirits (https://www.highfern.com/shop/p/cihuatn-alux-15-years-old-rum) and on Amazon. Elsewhere a selection of Cihuatan rums is available at Master of Malt, with international Shipping.
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