Faultline Rum Extravaganza

Ladies and gentlemen, not only am I pleased to report the return of my beloved St. Lucian, root beer-laden Faultline Rum, I'm also very excited to introduce to three new single barrel expressions of Faultline Rum that have been a long-time coming. While we've been able to purchase independently-bottled rums for years, we have rarely been impressed with the quality of what we've tasted. On top of that, the prices for many of these casks have been incredibly prohibitive. Rum is not something that we've delved too deeply into here at K&L. We've dabbled here and there, but we've never gone all the way. David and I knew that if we were going to attempt something high-end or premium, it had better be so fucking good that anyone could enjoy it, not just super nerdy rum geeks. It had better deliver on all fronts: quality, collectability, beauty of design, and price. Single casks of rum are not cheap, nor are they easy to get. In most cases, they're much more expensive than single malt whiskies despite the fact that they're half as desirable in today's market. But on our trip to Scotland last year, David and I found three casks that knocked our socks off, so we decided to man up and make the purchase.

You can taste all four of these rums at Bar Agricole on Tuesday night if you buy a ticket to our event, but if you don't feel like waiting until then, these are now available at all of our locations.

Faultline St. Lucia Rum $39.99- A few years ago I had the pleasure of tasting an odd rum from St. Lucia as part of the Berry Bros & Rudd privately-bottled collection. I was instantly smitten. It was like nothing I had ever tasted before: fruit tea, menthol, root beer, molasses, and earthy pot still goodness all brimming from the bottle in waves. I brought it to a tasting group with friends and they all freaked out too. There was only one problem with that bottle: it was $110. I went on a mission to find a younger, less-expensive version of that rum to share with K&L customers, but, alas, I always came up empty. I emailed the distillery to see if they would sell us a barrel directly, but I never got a response from this mysterious producer. It wasn't until earlier this year that an importer randomly approached me about the possibility of selecting a single barrel of St. Lucian rum for K&L. I about fell over! YES! OF COURSE! We went through samples, found a barrel that worked, and got our amazing label designer into the studio. Now, for all you tiki lovers out there, we've got that rum I've been longing to give you at a price you can afford: big sarsaparilla and root beer aromas, spiced tea, brandied fruit, and an earthy molasses note on the finish. It's a true representation of fresh molasses. This is easily sippable, but so Mai Tai friendly that you'll have a tough time making anything else. Ginger beer, rum Manhattans, anything. It's mindblowing rum and it's finally ours! 

Hampden 14 Year Old Faultline K&L Exclusive Single Barrel Rum $74.99 - Hampden is a Jamaican distillery long known for making high-ester pot still rums: the type of spirits that explode with a funky, fruity flurry, sometimes with hints of menthol and tea. Usually these potent and powerful rums are blended with other column stilll rums to create a balanced and easy drinking style. Rarely can you find single barrel, cask strength versions of Hampden not only bottled on their own, but without the use of coloring agents or sweeteners. Yet, that's what we've brought to you with our new Faultline expression: a pure, wonderfully-vibrant, delicious version of Hampden that should please serious collectors and wow any inquisitive newcomer. A bit of sweet cane lures you in on the first sip before exploding into a high-ester supernova of fruit tea and menthol. It never gets out of control, however, maxing out at just the right spot before finishing with vanilla from the oak. This is not only a dynamic rum of incredible quality, it's one of the best rums we've ever carried, period.

Uitvlugt 20 Year Old Faultline K&L Exclusive Single Barrel Cask Strength Rum $149.99- Uitvlugt continues to operate today as a sugar refinery and molasses production center, but the distillery it once housed was closed in the year 2000; the famous French Savalle column still moved to Diamond distillery where it currently sits. Distilled in 1994, this single cask of remarkable Guyanese rum showcases the magnificence of that four-columned Savalle wonder. The 20 year old spirit is fruity and soft on the entry with lush sugar cane flavor and hints of sweetness that highlight the golden vanilla flavor at the core. A bit of fruit kicks in midway from the esters, but the finish is all golden rum splendor. From beginning to end, the Faultline Uitvlugt delivers pure and potent rum flavor from one of Guyana's fallen soldiers. We were able to secure this cask from an independent warehouse in Scotland where it was bottled exclusive for K&L.

Enmore 25 Year Old Faultline K&L Exclusive Single Barrel Cask Strength Rum $199.99 - Enmore was once the home of the famed wooden Coffey still, closed in 1993 before the equipment was moved to DDL's Diamond distillery where it sits today. Before its closure, however, the distillery produced this incredible barrel of rum, aged twenty five years, which we secured from an independent warehouse in Scotland. Distilled in 1989, the spirit has seen significant time in wood, yet maintained a lively and youthful freshness that isn't something one would normally associate with a rum of this age. The color is dark amber, the aromas are rich and brooding, but the lithe and gentle nature of the ultimate flavors are wonderfully graceful and intricate. A hint of sugar cane opens up the initial sip before giving way to dark molasses and earthier components, but the flavors are never overpowering. They're easy-going and gentle; tributes to the ancient still's capability. The higher proof brings out a bit of the esters, but the finish is like a raw piece of sugar cane dipped in fresh molasses. It stays with you for at least ten minutes before flickering out like an old light bulb. Fans of the El Dorado 21 will be thrilled with this, and collectors of all types will relish the beautiful artwork and the chance to obtain a true expression from one of rum's most legendary producers.

-David Driscoll