Cockspur Gift Baskets

In the late 19th century, a Danish businessman by the name of Valdemar Hanschell founded a ship chandlery on the island of Barbados. The chandlery, which supplied boats passing through the Lesser Antilles with supplies such as whale oil, rope and fresh food, also produced its own rum for sailors to enjoy while at sea. By the early 20th century, Hanschells Cockspur Rum named after Barbados traditional rooster icon had become the best selling rum on the island.Today, over a century after Cockspur Rum was first introduced at Hanschells ship chandlery, it remains a symbol of national pride and joyfulness for the island of Barbados.After harvesting fresh Caribbean sugar cane, Rhett Harris, master distiller at the West Indies Rum Distillery, crushes the sugar cane in order to extract its pulp, which is turned into molasses. The molasses is then steeped in water sourced from coral-filtered underground springs in Barbados and fermented using a rare culture of yeast that was specifically developed for the production of Cockspur Rum.Following a fermentation period of 48 hours, the wash is distilled through one of Cockspurs four stills. In Barbados distilleries are required to apply for a license to operate a still and are granted a license number upon approval of their application. The West Indies Rum Distillery operates Stills 62, 73, 77 and 79. Stills 62 and 73 are traditional copper pot stills, while Stills 77 and 79 are four-column stills.The wash distilled through the column stills produces a rum that is light in flavor and body, while the copper pot stills produce a rum that is more intense and robust. While a portion of the molasses is distilled through the column stills, the remainder is distilled twice through the pot stills, and afterwards the two distillates are married together. They are then aged in used American bourbon casks sourced from Kentucky. Cockspur Old Gold Special Reserve Fine Rum, recently made available in the U.S. for the first time, is aged for up to five years in said casks. The casks impart a reddish copper color unto the rum, along with aromas of orange zest, dark chocolate, prunes and sandalwood. The palate morphs into flavors of coffee, raisins, caramel, vanilla and allspice, and leads to a dry finish marked by notes of cherry wood and pepper.Pick up a bottle today!