The Art of Crafting Authentic Jamaican Rum

From just north of the equator, nestled in the heart of Jamaica, amid a crystal blue spring, rich red dirt and endless fields of sugar cane, is the Appleton Estate. This historic parcel of land in the island's famed Cockpit Country is Jamaica's "breadbasket," a uniquely fertile region that produces a stunning array of exotic fruits and vegetables, lush flora and fauna, and the sugar cane used to craft legendary Appleton Estate Jamaica Rum.

Rum is the pride of Jamaica, and an integral part of the Jamaican economy —Jamaica was the first country to produce the spirit commercially. The Appleton Estate is Jamaica's oldest continuously operating sugar estate and distillery, dating back at least to 1749. But the Estate's history may date back as far as 1655, when England took power of Jamaica from Spain. It's believed that Frances Dickinson — whose descendants are the earliest known owners of the Appleton Estate — took part in the conquest and the estate was part of the land grant made to Dickinson as a reward for his services.

Like wine, terroir has a significant impact on the quality and taste of rum. The Appleton Estate can claim terroir unlike anywhere else on earth. Spring water from the limestone hills on the property gives the rum a slight sweetness.The morning sunshine and afternoon rains offer a unique microclimate to grow a variety of sugarcane that imparts the fruity and buttery notes found in Appleton Estate rum.

Once the sugar cane is harvested, it is washed, cut, and milled to extract the juice, which is then boiled down to a syrupy molasses. Next, Appleton Estate adds a cultured yeast (a strain that has been passed down through generations) to convert the sugar into alcohol.

Distillation – the process of separating the alcohol in the "wash" from the water – is the next step. Appleton Estate uses two different processes to create distinct styles of rum. The "small batch" copper pot method has been used since the inception of rum-making in Jamaica. Using pure copper, and a specially shaped still, imparts an orange peel top note that has become the hallmark of the rum, and yields a more flavorful and aromatic liquid. Column distillation is a method that utilizes stainless steel stills to produce lighter distillate.

Rum improves with age, so next, Appleton Estate lets theirs rest in white "Number One Select" American oak barrels. The wood's permeability allows air to pass through and mellow the spirit. The rum picks up sweetness from cellulose in the oak, notes of vanilla, coffee, and cocoa from its flavonoids, and woody flavor from tannins. In addition, rums aged in tropical climates age more quickly than spirits in cool climates — one year in the tropics is equivalent to three years of aging in a temperate climate; therefore the flavor develops at a quicker pace.

One of the last steps is blending: Master Blender Joy Spence, the first female master blender in the world, decides which barrels have earned the right to be called Appleton Estate Jamaica Rum. The rums hand-selected by Joy are combined, each one adding its own distinct layers until a perfect balance is achieved. Lastly, the rum is left to "marry" so that all the flavors and aromatics can develop and harmonize.

The Appleton Estate range of award-winning, core rums include: Appleton Estate V/X Jamaica Rum (honey-colored, with notes of citrus and apricot), Appleton Estate Reserve Jamaica Rum (full-bodied and smooth, with hints of vanilla and nutmeg), and Appleton Estate 12 Year Old Jamaica Rum (deep bronze, with a bouquet of fruit and cocoa). You can also savor the Appleton Estate 21 Year Old Jamaica Rum (a mature spirit with a long brown sugar finish), and the limited Appleton Estate 50 Year Old Jamaica Rum (an exceptionally smooth blend with a honeyed oak finish). Each of these fine aged rums captures the warmth, passion, and unique spirit of Jamaica in every sip.

View the original article here

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

Italian Gourmet - Authentic Italian Foods in Italian Meals Or As the Perfect Gift

In the United States, with its rich Italian-American culture, it can be difficult to distinguish between Italian-style meals, Italian-style food products, and Italian-American traditions that you might see on television and movies, and real Italian gourmet foods that are used in real Italian meal traditions.

The origins of Italian gourmet flavors, foods, and traditions are rooted in simplicity and natural availability. Italian cooks have always used the plants that grew where they lived and the animal products from the animals that thrived where they lived. Food has been - and still is - made by hand from local ingredients that are in season. Nowadays in the land of pre-processed foods that are available year-round, that can be considered "gourmet". In fact, it is just the real Italian way.

If there is a person in your life that is a fan of Italy and pines for a taste of traditional Italian flavors in an Italian meal, there are ways to impress even if you have never set foot in Italy yourself.

The first consideration to please your fan of Italian cuisine is to determine what part of Italy they like best. Italy is made up of several regions, each with its own agriculture and traditions, that have only been unified as a country since the 1800s. Each region - such as Tuscany (the region that includes Florence and Siena), Lombardy (the region that includes Milan), Lazio (the region that includes Rome), or the Veneto (the region that includes Venice) - has its own food traditions based on the plants and animals that have been nurtured there in the past.

In the north, corn and rice are more plentiful than wheat. Therefore, they are more likely to use polenta or Arborio rice (risotto) than pasta in their meals. Beef is more plentiful in the regions in the center of Italy, such as Tuscany and Umbria. Garlic is used more in the foods from the regions of central and southern Italy (such as Rome and Naples) than in the north. Seafood is used primarily in the cuisines of seaside (and lakeside) towns, such as Venice, Como, Rimini, Cinque Terre, Sorrento, and Rome.

Learning which food types are typical of the city that your Italy fan loves, is a big step toward making a memorable Italian meal experience.

If your Italy fan is far away, or if she or he has more fun making their own Italian meals, an Italian gift basket is a very thoughtful gift. A basket that is carefully chosen to include authentic products made in Italy, or a gift of an aged balsamic vinegar or cheese imported from the region of their favorite Italian city would be cherished and well-used.

A little bit of research to find out the part of Italy that your loved one is missing is the ticket to re-creating the magic that they crave. Bravo and brava to all of you who wish to create the authentic Italian experience for the Italy fans in your life.

Jennifer Johnson is the creator of the Thinking Italy group of websites as well as the Italian Gourmet, Italian Meals, Italian Gift Baskets website. She is a lover of Italian food and culture, and loves to collect practical Italy travel advice to share with other Italophiles.

Italian Gourmet Italian Meals [http://www.ItalianGourmetItalianMealsItalianGiftBaskets.com/]