Angostura 1919 takes its name from a piece of distillery legend. In 1919, casks were filled at Trinidad's Government Rum Bond; in 1932, a fire swept through the warehouse, and master distiller Mr. Fernandes purchased the surviving charred casks. The rum inside had aged for thirteen years in fire-scorched wood, and its extraordinary character became the inspiration for this expression.
The modern 1919 is a blend of rums aged between five and fourteen years, finished in charred American oak bourbon barrels. It is Trinidad's answer to the question of what a medium-aged sipping rum should taste like — sweet, spiced, and structured enough to reward attention. Bottled at 40%.
The nose is rich and inviting: vanilla, toasted oak, sweet fruitcake, stone fruits, and delicate baking spices. The palate is warm — baked peach pie, cinnamon, vanilla, toasted oak, allspice, with subtle undertones of fennel and pineapple upside-down cake. The mouthfeel is smooth and medium-bodied.
The finish is medium-long, sweet with oak and fruit. At its price point, Angostura 1919 is one of the best values in aged rum — a genuine sipping spirit from one of the Caribbean's most storied distilleries.