Objective Notes
Very Smooth (on the RnD scale of Harsh-Smooth-Very Smooth-Extremely Smooth).

Golden straw and light amber best describes the color of Deco Gold Rum when viewed in the bottle. Aromas are soft and pleasing on the nose. Those discerned are honey, vanilla wafers, citrus, and earthy floral notes. Your first sip reveals light body and a slightly spicy sweet entry with a little pepper. Flavors of fresh cut cane juice, light vanilla, almonds, cinnamon, and white pepper are discovered when you spend some time with the sprit. The finish is soft and sweet with sugary vanilla fade ending slightly spicy. A very nice gold rum that’s easy to enjoy straight in the glass! 

Anecdotal Notes

Roger – Deco Gold Rum just was introduced to the market this past January. It begins with molasses that is fermented and then distilled in small batches in a combined pot still and continuous column reflux still.  Lenny and Bill take pride in the quality of their distilling and as a result the final product only needs to pass through the still one time. For the Gold Rum they experimented with several different aging techniques and vessel s such as different types of wood chips and various used oak barrels. Lenny told me that he put most gold rums into two categories.  One being the heavier and darker 3-5 year old gold rums on the market and the others that were lighter and aged 0- 1 years. His direction was to go with the second style for the character profile and light body. So Deco Gold Rum is aged in new small American medium toasted oak barrels for 30 days, which is all that is needed to gain the flavor profile that was desired. Near the final stage of production a very small amount of Troubadour sugar is added for sweetness. It’s then brought to 80 proof and bottled.

Deco Distilling is a very small, but successful, distillery that has experienced significant growth during this past year. It’s moved to its own production facility and tasting room on Portland’s popular “Distillery Row”, more than doubled its product line in the past 12 months, and it will introduce more innovative and unique products in the year to come. 

Taster’s Opinion
Roger – Deco Gold Rum is a fine example of what a gold rum can be. It’s light and flavorful with a touch of sweetness and little to no burn. It is really meant to make fine cocktails yet it’s smooth enough to sip neat or on the rocks.  Deco’s products mostly target the premium and/or a unique section of the market with their flavored rums. The Gold is right there too. It’s a premium gold rum that can easily stand up to the completion in this price range.  Available in Oregon and Washington (and very soon to California and Idaho). Also available online at Vintage Wine & Spirits. Give it a try and you won’t be disappointed!

Dave – While Deco Gold rum is smooth enough for sipping, it’s a fairly simple rum whose real forté lies in making lively cocktails that call for a cleanly distilled rum.  Deco Gold blends nicely with many popular drinks and doesn’t push boastful flavors that would otherwise dominate your cocktail.  Think of it as a welcome substitute in your cocktail chemistry set for many of the over-carameled lightly aged gold rums and those ubiquitous tasteless white spirits.  Nicely done.

Taster's Rating (10 is best):  Roger –  8.5 Flasks, Dave - 9 Flasks

Most recently reviewed by:  Roger and Dave January 20102 at RnD's North and South tasting rooms, USA

*750ml unless otherwise stated.