The gold-medal award winning Cockspur 12 Rum is part of the long tradition of Cockspur Bajan rum  dating to 1884. Made with the oldest rums kept on reserve at the distillery on the island of Barbados, the Cockspur 12 Rum is a medium-body rum for connoisseurs who also appreciate the nuances of fine bourbon and single malt scotch.

Established in 1884 by Dane Valdemar Hanschell, the company grew and merged to become Hanschell Inniss, where the tradition of creating quality rums continues under the deft artisanship of Rhett Harris, who has been the Master Distiller for the past 25 years, and has worked at Cockspur for the past 30 years. 

Cockspur 12 Rum, 40% alcohol by volume, is a rich copper color, made from the oldest rums kept on reserve at the distillery, is aged in American ex-bourbon barrels, and shows the character of bourbon and single malt scotch, yet with rum attributes. 

Cockspur 12 Rum is a medium-body type of rum, and hence although they use aged rums, Master Distiller Rhett Harris looks for a balance when selecting his rums in order to match desired flavors and aromas without overwhelming woodiness that would be associated with much older rums. Cockspur uses a double-distillate method of blending their copper pot still rums and their column still rums, which contributes to their distinctive style. Cockspur 12 Rum is distilled, blended, bottled, and exported by the West Indies Rum Distillery, Ltd., Barbados. 

Tasting Notes: Nosing a tasting glass with a small amount of Cockspur 12 Rum initially elicited fragrant orange, caramel, vanilla, toffee, and spice notes of nutmeg, star anise, and allspice. Adding a drop of water allowed the bouquet to open up and provided heady aromas of sweet oranges, toffee, toasted almonds, oak, and cocoa notes. On the palate, there was a delicious, lingering smooth, sweet finish like the memory of a kiss. 

Cockspur 12 Rum is an excellent sipping rum served neat, on the rocks with a splash of water or with club soda as Master Distiller Rhett Harris likes to drink it. It is also a delectable addition when used in cocktail and culinary recipes. Its rich and flavorful character profile provided the inspiration for Luxury Experience's Cockspur 12 Rum Cocktail and Culinary Menu. 

Luxury Experience's Cockspur 12 Rum Cocktail and Culinary Menu 

Luxury Experience's Spirit of the Season
Luxury Experience's Sleigh Ride
Luxury Experience's Bajan Coffee
Luxury Experience's Cockspur Crab and Gorgonzola Polenta Stars
Luxury Experience's Chicken L'Orange à la Cockspur
with Confetti Curry Rice 

The Cocktail Recipes 

Luxury Experience's Spirit of the Season
Luxury Experience's Sleigh Ride
Luxury Experience's Bajan Coffee 

Luxury Experience's Spirit of the Season is a festive champagne cocktail that celebrates the holiday season, and would be the perfect accompaniment to serve with a selection of hors d'oeuvres. It pairs well with Luxury Experience's Cockspur Crab and Gorgonzola Polenta Stars. 

Luxury Experience's Spirit of the Season
Glass Used:       Champagne Flute
Yield:                 One Cocktail 

Method:  Chill champagne flute. Spoon cranberry relish into bottom of glass. Add cane syrup, champagne, Cockspur 12 Rum, and Fee Brothers Cranberry Bitters. Gently stir without disturbing the cranberries. Garnish with a sprig of rosemary. 

Cranberry Apple Orange Relish Ingredients: 

Method: In a medium pot, bring the water, sugar, spices, and peels to a boil to dissolve sugar. Add the cranberries and the apples and cook until the cranberries burst and the apples are tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool at room temperature. Remove and discard the star anise and cinnamon stick. Refrigerate in an airtight covered glass jar until ready to use. 

Luxury Experience's Sleigh Ride is another festive and easy champagne cocktail to make that uses dried cranberries soaked in Cockspur 12 Rum. Serve with a selection of hor d'oeuvres; it pairs well with Luxury Experience's Cockspur Crab and Gorgonzola Polenta Stars. 

Luxury Experience's Sleigh Ride 
Glass Used:      Champagne Flute
Yield:                One Cocktail 

Method: Soak 1/4 cup dried cranberries in 1 ounce Cockspur 12 Rum overnight or several hours. Cranberries will plump back up.

Chill champagne flute. Spoon Cockspur 12 Cranberries and orange marmalade into bottom of glass. Add cane syrup, apple juice, Cockspur 12 Cranberry Rum juice, champagne, Cockspur 12 Rum, and Fee Brothers Cranberry Bitters. Gently stir without disturbing the cranberries. Garnish with a sprig of rosemary.  

Luxury Experience's Bajan Coffee echoes the aromas and the flavors found in Cockspur 12 Rum using Grand Marnier for the orange notes, a burnt brown sugar rim for the caramel and toffee notes, and incorporates allspice, cinnamon, and nutmeg for the spice notes. Finished with Cockspur 12 Rum, B&B Liqueur, freshly brewed coffee, and topped with spiced whipped cream, the result is a rich after-dinner drink to sip and savor. 

Luxury Experience's Bajan Coffee
Glass Used:       Snifter Glass    
Yield:                 One Cocktail 

Method: Wet rim of snifter glass with orange wedge, then rim glass with brown sugar sprinkled on a plate. Use a kitchen torch and carefully caramelize sugar on the rim. Set aside. May be made ahead.

Whip whipping cream with sugar and spices. Mix very hot coffee, Cockspur 12 Rum, Grand Marnier, and B&B Liqueur, and pour into snifter glass, top with spiced whipped cream. 

The Culinary Recipes 

Luxury Experience's Cockspur Crab and Gorgonzola Polenta Stars
Luxury Experience's Chicken L'Orange à la Cockspur with Confetti Curry Rice 

Luxury Experience's Cockspur Crab and Gorgonzola Polenta Stars is an elegant, yet easy to make hors d'oeuvre that must be made ahead and frozen. Pre-planning saves time to enjoy the holidays with family and friends. Pair this delicious hors d'oeuvre with Luxury Experience's Spirit of the Season. 

Luxury Experience's Cockspur Crab and Gorgonzola Polenta Stars
Yield:       24 Stars 

Polenta Ingredients: 

Method: Bring water to a boil in saucepan. Add salt and polenta, and stir continuously with a long handled wooden spoon. Boil for 5 minutes. 

Pour in an even layer onto a parchment covered 10-inch x 15-inch baking sheet. Let cool. Cut the polenta into "stars." May be made ahead and refrigerated until ready to use. 

Crab and Gorgonzola Ingredients: 

Method: Cream gorgonzola, cream cheese, and cockspur until smooth. Combine with the rest of the ingredients. Spread mixture on polenta stars and freeze on a cookie sheet for several hours or overnight. 

Pre-heat oven to 450º F (232º C). Spread crabmeat mixture on the polenta stars and bake  on a lightly greased baking sheet  for approximately 10 minutes until mixture is bubbly. 

Presentation: Garnish each star with a tiny sprig of rosemary. 

Pairing cocktail: Luxury Experience's Spirit of the Season 

Luxury Experience's Chicken L'Orange à la Cockspur with Confetti Curry Rice delightfully showcases the versatility of Cockspur 12 Rum in culinary recipes, and the chicken baked in a rich orange rum sauce pairs well with the mélange of flavors in the curry rice. 

Luxury Experience's Chicken L'Orange à la Cockspur with Confetti Curry Rice
Serves 2 

Chicken Ingredients: 

Method: Preheat oven to 350º F (177º C). 

Melt butter in an oven-safe sauté pan large enough to hold chicken breasts. Add the shallots, cover, and sweat until the shallots are translucent. Add the orange peel and the chicken breasts. Cook the chicken for 2 minutes on each side. Remove the chicken from pan and set aside. Add the orange juice, ginger, molasses, and chicken stock to the pan, and stir to incorporate the ingredients. Return the chicken to the sauté pan, add the Cockspur 12 Rum, and carefully ignite to flambé. Place covered pan in the oven and bake for 40 minutes or until chicken is done. 

Remove from the oven, and place chicken on a plate and cover. Heat sauce over a medium heat to slightly reduce, add chicken to the pan and coat with the sauce. 

Curry Confetti Rice Ingredients: 

Method: Melt butter in a pot; add shallots, and sauté until translucent. Add rice, vegetables, chicken stock, and curry, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and cover to steam rice until rice liquid is evaporated, about 15 minutes. 

Presentation: Create a bed of rice on two plates, add the chicken, and spoon the sauce over each. Garnish with minced chives. 

If you are planning to visit Barbados, you might like to visit the Cockspur Beach Club for a fun Cockspur Experience with museum, bar, restaurant, games, and beach activities. The Cockspur Beach Club is open daily from 9:00 am until 5:00 pm. Adult Admission: $10 US Dollars. 

In addition to Cockspur 12 Rum, they also produce Cockspur Fine Rum, which you can read about in the Liquor Cabinet . 

For information on where to purchase Cockspur 12 Rum, please visit the website: www.CockspurRum.com or Facebook.  

Cockspur Rum
The West Indies Rum Distillery
Brighton, Black Rock
St. Michael
Barbados BB12051
Telephone:     +1-246 425-9301
Contact:          Tia Best
Email:              This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it      
Website:         www.CockspurRum.com  

© December 2010. Luxury Experience. www.LuxuryExperience.com All rights reserved.