May 21, 2021
The team behind the multi-award-winning Equiano Rum Co. are delighted to announce their second African & Caribbean blend, Equiano Light, which is available throughout the US today. Equiano continues their mission to redefine a four-century-old industry by offering never-before-seen blends that are inspired by Nigerian-born writer, entrepreneur, abolitionist and freedom fighter Olaudah Equiano.
Their first expression blends two cultures, two distilleries, from two different continents, making it the perfect collaboration between the eastern and western hemispheres. Carrying that same mantra, Equiano Light embodies that same notion whilst masterfully marrying two very different styles of rum.
Equiano Light is refreshingly unique, an exceptional blend of lightly aged molasses rum from the Caribbean, fused with fresh sugar cane juice rum from Africa. Again, challenging the ideas and expectations we have of rum, this exciting offering elevates the category and enriches the taste profile of an often-underrated spirit, silencing any notion that white rums lack the sophistication of their darker counterparts.
The idea behind the blend was to create a lightly aged rum with a flavour profile of days gone by; the subtle notes of ripe sugarcane, hints of natural vanilla and citrus, that were appreciated in classic rum cocktails such as The Daiquiri, or for the new style of long rum highballs that use various premium tonics and sodas.
Equiano Light consists of molasses rum distilled at the award-winning Foursquare Distillery, in copper pot stills that give the rum greater complexity and depth of flavour. It is truly an artisanal small batch process, whilst the column still allows the final blend to have a superior balance both in aroma and on the palate. It is then blended and aged in once used Bourbon barrels for a minimum of 3 tropical years.
The Barbadian rum is then skillfully blended with unaged rum made from fresh sugarcane juice from Africa. This “cane juice” rum is distilled in a single column still to produce a refreshingly light rum that retains all of the natural grassy notes of the raw sugar cane ingredients.
In your glass you’ll see a subtle light golden hue, almost sugarcane beige, which is a result of the careful blending of barrel aged and unaged rums from Barbados & Mauritius. On the nose a harmonious balance of fresh sugarcane with hints of vanilla, dried light oak and touches of earthy, herbal notes normally associated with sugarcane juice rum.
The 43 percent abv also delivers aromas of light tropical fruits, citrus oils and hints of green apple as it warms and acclimates to your glass. The initial mouthfeel of this light rum is a medium sweet taste of ripe sugarcane, more tropical fruit and citrus peel, layered with green apples, pears and hints of vanilla and light oak on the palate.
The experience is light bodied with the natural, subtle sweetness of exotic fruits. To finish, the aged Barbadian component takes centre stage as the tropical aging of the rum, in once used American oak barrels, leaves a light dusting of wood on the finish. The initial sweetness quickly dries off leaving citrus peel, touches of vanilla, white pepper and sweet spices.
Continuing to draw on the legacy of Olaudah Equiano, Equiano Light is inspired by the theme of enlightenment, a period of time where his acclaimed memoirs, The Interesting Narrative of Olaudah Equiano, played a pivotal role in shaping positive change. The new coordinates on the back of the bottle signify the beginning of his journey in modern-day Nigeria to his end in London, encompassing his experiences during his extraordinary lifetime. In honour of his name, $2 of every bottle sold through equianorum.com goes towards Equiano Rum Co.’s charitable grant, helping abolish modern slavery in all its forms around the world through their 2021 recipient, Anti-Slavery International.
Equiano Light can be purchased on May 20th at www.equianorum.com for $45.99