Continuously operating for four centuries, the rum distillery on the old Arundel estate has been operated by the Callwood family for it's last 200 years. The original stone buildings look to be in a decaying state, with old musty barrels piled high with aging rum. Sugar cane grows on the land adjacent to the factory, and is harvested a couple times a month from March to August. This is then crushed and distilled and put in barrels to age. In my opinion, Arundel cane rum is the purest, smoothest rum to be found in the Caribbean. On par with the finest cane rums produced in Martinique (which can cost 10 times as much), the top Arundel rum is aged for10 years in barrels in which the interior has been burnt to instill a smoky flavor in the maturing liquid, and costs an unbelievable $15 a bottle. It is however, in very limited supply. Their 4 year old rum is $9 a bottle, and is generally available year round. Also produced are 'wines', made from exotic local fruits: soursop, golden apple and banana.
The Callwood Distillery is found in the Cane Garden Bay area on the island of Tortola, in the British Virgin Islands.
I'd love to try that!
Posted on October 1, 2008 8:34 AM