Montanya Platino Review: White Rum That Unfurls In A Waterfall Of Flavour

American rum is a category that continues to go from strength to strength, with brands like Privateer and Holmes Cay continuing to innovate with their production and marketing approach. Montanya is another American rum distiller that has produced some exciting products and their passion for the business is reflected in the Platino, a gorgeous white rum that’s as contradictory as it is complex.

Brand Story

Founded by Karen Hoskin, Montanya is based in Colorado and focuses on a sustainable approach to rum production. Translating to ‘Mountain’, the distillery was inspired by the traditional high-altitude rum creation found in countries like Guatemala, Colombia and Panama.

What’s awesome about this type of production method is that the altitude, barometric pressure force and temperature changes instil unique flavour profiles in mountain rum.

Montanya embodies the spirit of the Colorado mountains and has created a phenomenal white rum that has won a slew of awards like Best White Rum at the World Rum Awards in 2015 and nine gold medals.

Craftsmanship

Platino is created with some unique production methods. It’s made from American sugarcane juice fermented with champagne yeast and then distilled in a copper pot still.

The rum is aged for a minimum of one year in American white oak barrels that held Laws Colorado whisky and Montanya Oro.

A coconut husk carbon filter removes the colour and is then hydrated with San Juan mountain spring water. At the time of bottling, a hint of Colorado honey produced by the local bees is added to bring out the rum’s natural flavours. That is American terroir at it’s finest.

Tasting notes

As soon as I smelled the Platino I knew I was in for something special because it lacked the typical vegetal scent of other white agricoles like Rhum J.M Blanc. Instead, I detected notes of apple, cream and biscotti.

The complexity continued into the first sip. A silky combination of cardamom, coffee liqueur, amaretto biscuit and honeysuckle unfurled one at a time. It was a waterfall of flavour that trickled gently and beautifully, never in a rush.

The smooth texture of the Platino makes it an excellent sipping rum and I’ve added it to my list of white rums that have changed my perception on what white rum can be.