I should begin this review with an apology. In my review of Rogue Spirits White Rum I was a bit hard on white rums and may have implied that they’re lacking in character. While there are a number of white rums that fit this category it isn’t all of them. And while I, and many others, often relegate white rums to the world of mixers there are a few members of the white rum family that I happily admit to enjoying. As soon as I had made the other review I knew I’d slipped up and I’ve been mulling over my opinion of white rums since then. So I figured the best way to make amends is by picking up a bottle of white rum that I know I enjoy.

So here is Oronoco.

Oronoco is a white rum from Brazil, produced by the respected cachaca makers Vicente and Roberto Bastos Ribeiro. It’s made from fresh, mountain cane, blended with aged rums, and finished in brazilian wood casks. The result is a premium white rum. Yeah, I said it. Premium white rum.

On The Outside

In the bottle the rum is almost lost beside (behind?) the faux-handwritten label and the stamped leather map of Brazil wrapping around the bottle’s middle like the well-tooled bodice of a bondage-pirate’s fantasy. But, if you do glimpse the rum, it’s definitely a white rum.

In the glass the rum is pale yellow, almost green… like a golden delicious apple or water mixed with honey. The legs are strong and thick on the wall of the glass. I was going to make a comparison involving samba dancers, but I’ll refrain.

When initially poured the nose is smooth without too much of an attack on the senses. The aroma is like vanilla and sweated fennel with an undercurrent of caramel. Sweet with slightly musk and vegetable touches. As it warms up and breaths the vanilla is much more pronounced with a slightly more woody scent. The nose actually reminds me slightly of rum pralines without being too heavy on the caramel aspect.

On The Inside

The taste is sweet though never approaches the point of being cloyingly so. Initially it seems to that the fennel or anise scent carries fairly strongly across into the flavor, slightly reminiscent of a licorice flavored aperitif. But, as I sip more and more, the vanilla tones begin to take over. There is perhaps a trace of the barrel, though that may play a larger part in the smokey aspect of the vanilla and caramel flavors.

In regards to the burn… You know the burn. You expect the burn. But Oronoco lets you down gently. One can easily hold a mouthful of Oronoco with only a slight tingle towards the back of the tongue and there’s no real burn to speak of until it reaches the back of the throat and is already well on its way down. The only word needed to describe it is “smooth”.

With an ice cube, the burn is all but eliminated. Sadly, however, so is the nose. The ice seems to take away much of the pleasant aromas and vanilla creaminess that was present. The flavor also becomes more subdued with the exception of the sweetness which really starts to pop. A small amount of lime remedies the sudden burst of sweetness and turns this into my new favorite white rum sipper for summer weather. Fantastic!

The Afterglow

Having already made my apologies to white rum allow me to pour myself another glass. This was an enjoyable experience from start to finish. I recommend this to anyone who dislikes white rums. It’s a head turner and an opinion changer. A delicious way to prove oneself wrong.

Oronoco is my favorite thing to come out of Brazil since…

The Rating

4 salty pirates out of 5.

Happy drinking.

Tags: brazil, oronoco, review, Rum, white rum

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