Good Morning Everyone,
Wanted to introduce myself as the new distiller for La Colombe (meaning the dove) Torrefaction/Distillery. We currently have one product which has undergone formulation, refinement and launch over the past 2-3 years. As of May 17th, we have recently been accepted by the Philadelphia Liquor Control Board into 100 stores across the Philadelphia area. Different Drum Rum is, as the bottle notes, a "rum for the bourbon drinker".
We take cane sugar and supreme molasses to begin our mash fermentation. Going through both a simple and then fractional distillation, the mash is brought to 89% ABV which is used as our base. This is then diluted to either 60% for barrel aging or 40% for our coffee infusion. The aged rum sits for a minimum 6-9 month period before making a final blend that is mixed with the coffee infused portion. As La Colombe is first and foremost a coffee roasting company, this rum wasn't going to satisfy for false flavorings.
Using a Panama varietal of coffee, termed "Geisha", which is sourced from Hacienda La Esmerelda. Having one many coffee competitions, we selected it as the ideal coffee through several organoleptic evaluations in our rum. After roasting the green beans, we immediately grind the coffee and put it under pressure with our 40% rum. What we get is a profusely aromatic liquor with caramel, floral, nutty tones that round out the oak characteristics from the barrel aged rum. Enjoyed neat, on the rocks, or my favorite - an old fashioned with crushed ice - this is indeed a drink to sit and appreciate slowly.
In addition to this staple product, we're looking to expand into several different avenues moving forward. Several projects are ongoing in R&D, but we hope to have some new products within the year to continue our lineup.
Warmly,
-Ted Green
Food Scientist / Head Distiller
La Colombe Torrefaction
1335 Frankford Ave
Philadelphia, PA 19125
Website: lacolombe.com