Penny Blue XO Rum, Named for the Rare 1847 Penny Blue Stamp

 

1847 Penny Blue Stamp

 .    September 24, 2013, The Indian Ocean Rum Company along with Barry Brothers and Rudd announced the launch of their Penny Blue XO Single Estate Mauritian Rum in the United States through their importer Anchor Distilling Company in San Francisco.   The Penny Blue XO Rum is produced by the Medine Distillery, operating since 1926 and the oldest operating distillery on the Island of Mauritius.

     "Printed in Mauritius in 1847, the Penny Blue stamp immediately became a collector's item because of its inscription. A mistake by the engraver resulted in it reading "Post Office" rather than the usual "Post Paid". From the thousand stamps printed at the time, only twelve are believed to be in existence today. the Penny Blue stamp is as rare and highly collectible as our small batch rum."

     "Doug McIvor from Berry Bros. & Rudd, the world's oldest wine and spirit merchant, and Jean Francois Koenig, Master Distiller from Medine Distillery, combine their expertise to select individual casks at the very peak of their maturity. "

      "Created in small batches, each one with its own personality, our rum is hand bottled on the estate and is, by definition, rare and finite. Penny Blue is always natural in color and is not chill-filtered in order to preserve the heart of the rum."

     Penny Blue XO has a natural deep amber color, featuring some gold highlights.  The delicate aroma of wood, soft citrus, fruits, and mocha notes leads to a balanced and complex experience of fruitiness and nutty flavors with a rich smooth finish.   Bottled at 44.1 % ABV (88.2 Proof), none of the richness of the French Oak Cognac or the American Oak Whiskey Barrels is lost to lowering the proof.  

     The Penny Blue XO retails for about $80.00 a bottle and is available in the 750ml size bottles.

     We just received our first bottle of this exciting new rum at the Rum Bar in Key West and really excited about sharing it with our rum enthusiasts.   I feel that this is going to be on our very popular list of rums for a long while.  ;o)