Zacapa Rum
June 20, 2011 Last week I had the opportunity to meet Lorena Vásquez, Master Blender for Zacapa Rum. As one of the four female master blenders in the world, Vásquez has devoted 26 years to her craft. Her intense passion is palpable as you hear her explain her unique and labor-intensive rum making process.
Zacapa only uses the first pressing of sugar cane, which Vásquez calls "virgin honey." We did a taste comparison of the virgin honey with the traditional molasses, and you can definitely feel and see the difference. The virgin honey is intense and caramel-like, whereas the processed molasses has a burnt, bitter aftertaste.
Fresh Apple Spritzer
The rum is aged at 8,000 feet above sea level in Guatemala. The cool temperature allows slower evaporation, creating a complex, ultra smooth profile. It is placed in several different casks (bourbon, sherry, Pedro Ximenez wine) in maximize the depth of flavor. It is a lot of work, but it's worth it. The taste is just amazing.
Duck prosciutto with aged balsamic vinegar, organic strawberries, watercress and volcanic salt.
We also got to try a few cocktail pairings during our media dinner at Twenty Five Lusk. Even though the drinks were superb, you can still taste notes of fig, raisin, tropical fruit and spices from the colorful rum.
Grilled prawns with apricot glaze, ginger puree and roasted peanut sauce.
Big kudos to the Twenty Five Lusk team for executing such a wonderful event. The food was excellent, especially this amazing Oregon steelhead trout with scallop ravioli and Dungeness crab.
For more info, check out www.zacaparum.com.
Images courtesy of Giovanni Nakpil
Reader Comments (2)
Sorry to have missed this scrumptious event. But they sent me a bottle of rum. Can't wait to try it.
There will be more events for ya. ;)
I think you will like it...