The release of Mai-Kai Old Style Special Rum Number 1 by the legendary Mai-Kai Polynesian Restaurant and Bar in Fort Lauderdale, Florida marks a return to the rustic profiles of rums once used to make their classic tropical style drinks in the early era of tiki cocktails.
A complete immersive experience, the restaurant, established in 1956, has the distinction of serving the most rum drinks of any venue in the United States. The exotic food and drinks menus, the authentic Polynesian dance performances and the obsessive attention to detail in the amenities and decor, set the Mai-Kai apart from any other South Pacific themed showcase.
Return To The Past with Rustic Rum
Many of the Mai-Kai’s favorite rums for their bespoke cocktails were lost over the decades, replaced with spirits made by more modern production methods. After the complete refurbishment of the restaurant, the cocktail program needed a rejuvenation with a base rum made in a more rustic manner. Thus was born the Mai-Kai Old Style Special Rum Number 1.
Sourcing components from old copper stills long lost, then refurbished, the old style special rum blend faithfully delivers robust, funky, rich and fruity notes from the old Gregg’s Farm pot still at West Indies Rum Distillery (WIRD) in Barbados, as well as big ester rums from the legendary old pot stills of Long Pond Distillery in Jamaica.
This exceptionally well balanced blend was created under the direction of Master Blender Don Benn at WIRD, with collaboration from Master Blender Alexandre Gabriel and the team at Long Pond. The result is an adept exercise in the art of rum blending for a specific purpose — to bring the Mai-Kai rum cocktail program back in time, to a day when the rustic rums of the Caribbean gave tropical libations their unvarnished best qualities.
The Eclectic Package Design
The custom bottle design and the development of the gift box and bottle labels was accomplished by Roneros Rum Brand Builders of Boston and Miami, incorporating the legacy themes of the Mai-Kai Polynesian Restaurant and Molokai Bar. The gift box, with a cutout showing the bottle label, includes the origin story of the Mai-Kai by the Thornton Brothers. The gift box also explains how this rum was developed to represent a reflection of the types of rums originally used in the legendary Mai-Kai cocktail list.
Tasting Notes
Mai-Kai rum offers aromas of ripe banana, black treacle and juicy fruit over toasted oak tannins and vanilla toffee leads to hints of earthy musk and old leather. On the palate, musky oak barrels and bold funky fruits are sublimely integrated with baking spices, dark cane syrup notes and vanilla custard, before hints of fruit cake linger with a hint of brown butter. The 50% abv spirit holds its own very well with bold flavors that mask the true strength of the blend.
Availability
With limited production, availability of the Mai-Kai Old Style Special Rum Number 1 is limited to sales at the Mai-Kai Restaurant Trading Post gift shop. Each bottle includes a unique bottle number printed on the top label.
The one liter bottle of Mai-Kai Rum Number 1– bottled at 50% abv (100 proof) — sells for $75. The six liter case is $400.
get details at maikairum.com
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