Limited-edition Don Papa 10: Richer, stronger in taste

There is something about spirits and their taste that many believe in, and that’s the fact the aging process determines the spirits’ taste. The length of time a spirit stays inside the cask plays a crucial role in enhancing its flavor. Connoisseurs and aficionados alike would hold the bottle and check the labels for the spirit’s age, knowing that the longer it stayed inside the barrel, the richer and bolder its taste becomes. 

Aware that spirits-loving people are exploring more brands, categories and tastes, noted local rum brand Don Papa Rum is offering anew to the public Don Papa 10. It’s a special, limited-edition rum aged for 10 years—three years more than its regular rum—in recharred oak barrels that made the beverage’s taste richer and bolder, with suggestions of oak, cacao and dried fruits.

“While it is clearly from the Don Papa stable, it has very much its own character, and the higher alcoholic strength enhances its more classic rum attributes,” Don Papa Rum founder Stephen Carroll said of Don Papa 10.

The process begins when the highest-quality sugar canes are cut and harvested by hand by local farmers, and then brought to a local mill for pressing. One the sugar-milling process is complete and the juices are extracted, the resulting molasses, or “black gold”, are then distilled at the local Bago distillery.

They are then put in oak casks and left to age for 10 years in recharred American oak barrels that were once used to age bourbon.

During the aging process, the rum begins to evaporate, yielding one of the highest “angel” shares in the world. The angel share refers to the evaporation that occurs during the cask maturation of spirits. This is due to the extreme heat and humidity on Negros island, where Don Papa 10 is aged.

This loss in volume may be substantial, but this process creates a stronger rum with a rich and potent character. Unlike in other countries, traditional Filipino rum makers do not refill these casks, producing extremely dark and intense rums.

After a judicious selection of the best barrels, the rich liquid is then carefully blended by Don Papa’s master blender to produce Don Papa 10. It is then bottled, packed and shipped to key cities around the world.

Don Papa 10 is available in select wine shops, premium hotels, and retail outlets, such as Kultura Filipino and Duty Free Philippines. It is also available in key cities in Europe and Asia.

For more information on Don Papa Rum, visit www.donpaparum.com or www.facebook.com/DonPapaRum