The future of Australian Cultivated Rum
Written by Paul Messenger
Having tasted some of the very earliest barrels of Tasmanian whisky in the late 1990s I had for a long time wanted to try my hand at whiskey, but that all changed after a Caribbean odyssey in 2009 where I discovered the colourful diversity of rum. On the French Island of Martinique I had my first Ti punch and later that night enjoyed a 20 year old barrel-aged Agricole from distillery La Favourite that was as good or better than any malt whisky I’d had before. Having grown up in and living in SE Qld, the future seemed clear and from that moment on, I was driven to create a new style of Australian rum that would help change the perception and culture of rum. Making seasonal agricultural rum is the only way to reflect provenance and our goal is to capture our terroir, our provenance, our lifestyle and identity in our spirit.
The fundamental difference between traditional molasses and Australian Cultivated Rum (ACR) is that the latter are strictly seasonal. ACR rum can only be made in a cane growing region with direct access to freshly crushed cane juice during the harvest season because juice cannot be stored or transported. Unlike molasses or malted whisky wash, cane juice is full of living wild yeast cells that start to ferment the cane from the moment it’s cut. This poses a whole range of challenges for the distiller but when perfected, the controlled competition between the distillers selected cultured yeast and the wild yeast that delivers is a complex but balanced and vibrant spirit unlike any other, which can be enjoyed unaged or, as it takes on more layers of complexity from maturation.
Husk Rum offers consumers a new taste in Australian rum and the opportunity to join us on our journey as we create a new sub category of Australian Cultivated Rum. From unaged cane spirit that will add an extra dimension to any rum cocktail to our organic spiced Bam Bam and rare premium aged releases intended to be enjoyed like a malt whisky, the growing single estate Husk Rum range is authentic, rare, accessible, versatile, and highly connected to a sense of place.
A question we get asked often is “how do you drink it?” Husk Pure Cane will lift any light rum cocktail, think Mojito, Daiquiri or cross the Rubicon with a Pure Cane Margarita. For a simpler mix try Husk Pure Cane Lime and Soda or ginger beer with a squeeze of lime. But don’t stop there try anything grapefruit soda, cola or Yuzu. Pure Cane is so mixable and lifts every drink with a fresh, grassy and delicious taste. For Husk Botanic, the answer is also easy – tonic and a slice of fresh grapefruit or try Bam Bam neat over ice with a slice of fresh orange slightly squeezed.
