Situated a few miles outside of Houston and skirting the waters of Galveston Bay, Eagle Point Distillery is the creation of Kelly Railean, and source of her namesake Railean spirits. Beginning her quest to breathe new life into the legacy of American Rum in 2005, Ms. Railean has taken great care in the selection of her ingredients and the implementation of her distilling techniques. Using only Grade A sugar cane molasses harvested along the Gulf Coast, Railean Rums are produced in small batches, which allows for better quality control during the creation of the spirits. Some of these batches are distilled multiple times, resulting in a clear, smooth, silver rum, while others are specially chosen to have their flavor profile broadened through the addition of spices and various degrees of aging in new, double-charred, American oak barrels.
With such great attention to detail, and a palpable sense of patriotism motivating them, it is no surprise that Railean Distillers received an official 'Made in the USA' certification by the Federal Trade Commission in 2011. This designation is the first of its kind to be bestowed upon an American Rum and recognizes that the full line of Railean products are not only crafted in the United States, but that each bottle bears the fruit of homegrown ingredients and manpower. This level of dedication, to both quality and loyalty to country, make Railean an easy choice for any American's National Rum Day celebration.
Two of Railean's standout offerings are the Spiced Rum and Reserve XO. Both have enjoyed some maturation in their respective charred-oak barrels, though the XO is aged a bit longer and is actually a blend of select batches. The single-distilled Spiced Rum is livened up by various botanicals, and its pale amber appearance has an appropriate caramel/vanilla nose, smelling sweet but very pleasant. Easy to sip neat or with ice, this rum has subtle flavors and only a mild bite, which means it is also a versatile addition to any bar and a significant upgrade from many other spiced selections. The XO, by contrast, is a more refined spirit; it possesses a deeper, golden honey hue and its scent brings more heat into the nostril, mixed with notes of chocolate and toffee. There is very little burn, however. When the Reserve reaches your throat it has a smooth taste and a welcome finish which lingers nicely in the mouth and, being so good on its own, should really only be mixed with ice if you need to beat the heat,
A perfect companion for hot August days and nights, these two American rums exemplify the reason we have a National Rum Day in the first place, embodying the holiday with a spirit that the entire nation can be proud of.
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| photo by Giselle Hellemn |
Contributor Ian Gregory is a product of the 80's and a Tulane graduate, with a BA in History. Born and raised in Manhattan, NYC, he has called New Orleans his home for the last 12 years.
With many nights behind a bar under his belt, Ian has appeared in the Where Y'at Best Bartenders of New Orleans Guide on 3 separate occasions. Now writing spirit reviews for MicroShiner, he doesn't have a twitter handle, but feel free to find him on Facebook