The new release has been crafted by Bacardi Rum blender, Noidys Herrera who has been honing her craft for over ten years, working closely with Bacardi global master blender, Troy Arquiza. Herrera was inspired by the love of her home in the Caribbean, where she grew up surrounded by coconut trees and became fascinated by their flavour qualities.
“The coconut tree has always had a strong link to the Bacardi family, being the emblem of the company symbolising the coconut palm (El Coco) that was planted at the original Bacardi Rum distillery. It is also known in my culture as the tree of life. Just like bartenders, I love to experiment and play with flavours, giving rum fans a sensory experience that will transport them to the Caribbean with every sip,” said Herrera.
To create the rum, Bacardi’s process uses both a heavy aged rum base which provides the flavours of molasses and a light aged rum base, along with blending coconut blossom sugar, pineapple, and coconut water. After being rested and then filtered, cinnamon and vanilla are also blended into the spirit. This is followed by a further rest and a second polishing filter for clarity and colour.
When developing Caribbean Spiced, Bacardi Rum also recognised the desire for classic tropical drinks, like the Piña Colada.
Dickie Cullimore, global brand ambassador for Bacardi Rum, said: “Category research showed us that flavoured and spiced are the fastest growing segments in rum and specifically premium rum, and the Piña Colada has risen through the ranks as a top five cocktail. Even more exciting was our discovery that people were looking specifically for unique flavours and aged rums.”
Bacardi Caribbean Spiced is bottled at 40% abv and is available in the UK on Mixlab and Ocado for £24, then retailers including Tesco and Waitrose nationwide from April. The release will also be available at Revolucion de Cuba nationwide from 7 March.
