Banks 5 Island Rum

[Joe Riley]

This is a rum that I tasted at a trade show put on by the Winebow folks here in D.C. earlier this year. It's almost impossible for me to find any information on it, and the website is no help: http://www.banksrum.com

According to the label, it is a blend of, "Pot-stilled Jamaican, and light Trinidadian, Amber rums from Guyana and Barbados."

So, what is the 5th island? Java!

From the brand manager at Winebow:

"Joseph A Banks Five Island Rum. Banks for short. This comes from a group of owners with deep history in the rum business. This is a blend of rums from 4 Caribbean islands and one exotic (Java) island. The rums go through a reverse osmosis process to remove the color and therefore served as a white rum. The complexity from the aged rum along with the unique blend will make this one of the most exciting super premium rum brands to hit the market. The SRP of $27.99 will certainly draw attention to the consumers looking to trade up in the white rum category."

For compliance sake, it does read, "Product of the West Indies".

I've had it in a seriously good cocktail from my friend Tom Brown at The Passenger, here in D.C. He called the drink a blend of a Mai-Tai and a Mojito, so I said, "Oh, then it's a Mo-Tai!" laughing.gif Let me tell you, that's a drink that I want to be able to enjoy year-round.

http://img686.imageshack.us/img686/6746/banksd.th.jpg (http://img686.imageshack.us/i/banksd.jpg/)

[Patapouf]

Interesting...

How do you make a 'Mo-Tai'?

[neatdrinker]

Hi Joe,
I have it available here in NY through a store that ships free on all NY orders that are at least $100.
The Banks is on sale for $28.00.
Did you get a chance to sip it undiluted?
How would you rate it?
Thanks,
Kenny

[Jason]

Any relation to Banks Beer?

[Edward Hamilton]

There is no connection between Banks beer and Banks 5 Island Rum. Like most of you I haven't been able to get much information about this rum except that it is a blend of rums and Batavia Arrack, which isn't rum at all.

I don't have knowledge of any other rum that claims to be use reverse osmosis to remove the color of aging, carbon-filtering is the usual method of removing color.

[Hank Koestner]

I hope to have some Banks rums at some point. They come highly recommended on this forum, such as Banks XM, which is good enough for me.
I would be interested in tasting the blend with the Arrack, although it may place it in a different category.
Reverse osmosis is a very intensive manner of filtration. It removes even very minute particles from water. I find this interesting that Banks would use a filtration perocess like this. In my simple mind, it seems almost too much filtration.

[Edward Hamilton]

Banks 5 Island is not from the same company as Banks XM which is not sold in the US.
I am most familiar with reverse osmosis in removing salt from sea water. RO is basically a molecular sieve while carbon filtration is an absorption process.

[Hank Koestner]

Thanks, Ed. Great clarification. I did not know there were different Banks rums.

[Joe Riley]

Hi Joe,
I have it available here in NY through a store that ships free on all NY orders that are at least $100.
The Banks is on sale for $28.00.
Did you get a chance to sip it undiluted?
How would you rate it?
Thanks,
Kenny

I did try it by itself, but it was after I'd gone through a Scotch Malt Whisky seminar, so I cannot claim that my palate was 100% sharp at the time. It tasted alright to me; certainly clean, and a decent 86-proof. Is it "better" than, say, Flor de Caña 4-yr White, or El Dorado 3-yr White? Hard for me to say, but it is $1.00 more than the 1.0L of La Favorite Rhum Agricole (100-pf) that I have on my shelf, so for me it doesn't really fill a niche for me that is unfulfilled, but it is interesting all the same.

Geez, it's on SALE for $28? My normal shelf price on it is $27.99 HMMR

How do you make a 'Mo-Tai'?
Just combine a Mojito with a Mai-Tai, I guess. Perhaps like this:

1 oz. Light rum
1 oz. Gold rum
0.75 oz. Lime juice
1 oz. Bar syrup
8-12 Mint leaves
2 oz. Soda water
0.5 oz.Orange Curaçao
0.5 oz. Orgeat

Shake with ice, strain into an Old Fashioned glass, garnish with a speared pineapple chunk, cherry, and a sprig of mint.

[Edward Hamilton]

I have been able to confirm that Banks Rum does not employ reverse osmosis to clarify the color of their rum.

According to consultants who worked to blend this product it was conceived to be a great mixing white rum, it's not trying to be the newest super-premium-got-to-drink-this-to-be-cool rum with a price to match.

Banks Rum, as the name is listed on the Certificate Of Label Approval, is blended in Holland from a blend of rum from five islands though it is registered as West Indies Rum. The words '5 islands' are embossed in the bottle so they don't have to appear on the COLA.

I'm hoping to learn more about this product next week and hope I'll be able to post some credible notes on this forum while I'm in New Orleans.

[Edoc]

This rum is hitting the shelves of several liquor stores near me. I'd probably bite if it were a bit cheaper. When it comes to white rum, I'm pretty stingy.

[Tiare]

I got a smaller bottle with me from the Tales, i think it tastes very good, lots of flavor and not too harsh. Would be a great mixing rum first of all, but can be sipped.I can imagine it would make a great Mo-Tai, gotta try that one..

Or even better, make Bar Toniques Witchdoctor with it, replacing the Batavia Arrak:

1 oz Banks, 1 oz Smith&Cross, .75 oz basil syrup, 1 oz fresh lime, top with soda, garnish basil leaves.

I can safely say that i would buy me one if i could and if it wasn`t way too costly.

[Edoc]

I finally decided to pick up a bottle. This is a white rum with noticeable dark rum character. Part of the blend is Jamaican rum, and I think the Jamaican pot-stilled rum dominates, while the lighter, fruitier trinidad/guyana rum imparts its notes on the finish. Overall it's a verrry nice white (although it could be cheaper). It's actually what I expected the Appleton White to taste like--a silver with a discernable pot-stilled taste-- but was surprised to find the Appleton offering to be delicious and clean.
In any case, I made a generous handful of daiquiris with Banks this evening, and I'd be happy to stock up on it if it were in the lower $20 range. Even so, it's very good white rum with character-- and I'm not at all displeased that I sprung for it.

[krustykrab]

Went to a Banks tasting / launch party last night in Boston. This was my first chance to try this rum and it was quite nice. As has been said, had a lot of dark rum character in the nose and initial taste - the Jamaican pot still rum dominates, but it does finish clean and smooth, and quite dry. They served up a half dozen pre-scribed cocktails to highlight the rum. I thoroughly enjoyed the classic daiquiri made with the Banks, as well as several other of the 'signature' cocktails on the list. Others were not so great, including a simple rum punch which I was disappointed in. I tried to persuade the bartended to make me a 'Mo-tai' but he was to stick to the prescribed cocktail list. Oh, well, I'll have to do it myself...!

As far as this rum's place, based on the HEAVY marketing that is going into the design, creation of the brand, and promotion, I would say that this is being targeted at higher end bars and restaurants for cocktails and not the 'average' consumer. Also, based on the SRP of $28, I am not sure how they are going to compete on the shelves when one can obtain El Dorado 3yr cask aged white, or Appleton white, among others for half the price!?!

Was it good? Heck yeah! Will it fly off the shelves at $28 - doubt it, (think Oronoco...) but it was a great chance getting to know a new rum offering.

[Edward Hamilton]

Thanks for the observations krustykrab. I tend to agree with you that at $28 it's going to be a tough sell, but all that marketing costs money.

[Edoc]

Just following up on this thread. After forgetting about if for a while, I notice that I had a third of a bottle of Banks in the back of my cabinet. It. Is. Fine. A very nice rum, which I wish were cheaper BUT do not at all regreat buying at the $30 range. Finishing this bottle I am immediately grabbed by the urge to replenish asap. A sign of a worthy bottle. Perhaps I'm just prejudiced against whites. :)

[djmont]

Anyone have any recent thoughts on this rum? I saw it recommended in a recent taste test (in cocktails) and thought I might try it. But it seems pricey at $28.

[Arctic Wolf]

I sampled Banks 5 Island side by side with 10 Cane and Denizen last winter. I wasn't really disappointed but I wasn't overly impressed either. Of the three I liked Denizen the best, but I never really had the urge to seek any of the three out. I still like the FDC 4 year Dry and the ED 3 as my fav white rums, but I guess it is a matter of whether you want something funky going on or not. Banks, Denizen and 10 Cane all have funky flavour, but I found them hard to mix in anything other than daiquiri style drinks. When I want something funky in my white rum, I tend to go with the Mount Gay Silver Eclipse, which has some of that pot still funk, but remains very versatile as a mixer.

[djmont]

Thanks! That's exactly what I wanted to know.

[Tiare]

Try a Banks and Ting, it´s refreshing, make it the same way as you would a JWray and Ting or Rumfire and Ting.

It`s just that this isn´t an overproof rum so use 2 oz then top with Ting. Simple and good.