Ron Canita

[Rum Runner]

I don't usually buy white rum, but I was intrigued by this one produced here in Puerto Rico. Ron Canita "Alambique" brand. Canita is the diminutive in Spanish for cane. It's also local slang for moonshine. Alambique refers to the old fashioned pot still. It's bottled at 86 proof. It looks to be produced by Trigo Corp distillers in Toa Baja, PR. I can find no info on it on the web outside of one reference on a forum and a listing or two of it as being produced in PR. It has a nice light straw color. A light fresh mown hay aroma which carries on to the palate and through to the finish. It has a very nice full rounded feel in the mouth. Much "bigger" than other white rums I've tasted produced here in PR. I have no idea if it is produced from cane juice or molasses. It sells for under $10 per 750ml here.

[lperry]

I'm in the same situation as you were - I picked this up in the duty free, and now can find no good information on it other than your review above! To be honest, when I did a quick Google search in the airport and found out that caсita means moonshine, I wasn't going to buy it. However, this information endeared it that much more to my traveling companion, so now here we are.

Do you have any suggestions for the best drinks that can be made with this rum? I'm guessing that I shouldn't use it when a recipe calls for "white Puerto Rican rum" simply because the Caсita is not typical of those rums.

[Rum Runner]

Hi Linda. Trigo, the company that produces it is very low key. It's distribution down here seems spotty. The Government promotion arm "The Rums of Puerto Rico" doesn't even seem to pick up on it or the other products Trigo produces.

You owe it to yourself to pour an ounce and taste it straight. Do it side by side with Don Q and/or Bacardi white, and you'll see what I was writing about in my tasting notes.

I'm no mixologist, or even a keen cocktail drinker. However, to my mind the higher bottling proof (86) and fuller flavor lend it very well to almost any cocktail calling for a white molasses based rum. I've enjoyed it in a rum and tonic. Also mixed with passion fruit juice as well as coconut water. I like it in a rum punch also. For the punch I make a blend of fresh juice from 2 oranges, 1 lime and 1 white grapefruit. A dash of pomegranate syrup brightens the color. Add rum to taste. Pour over a tall glass of ice, pull up your beach chair under a Palm tree and bury your feet in the sand.

You are the only other member here to take note of this rum I think.

I'm very happy you picked this one up and look forward to hearing of your thoughts on this one.

[lperry]

I opened the Ron Caсita tonight, and my first reaction is, wow. This one is nothing like the Don Q Cristal I bought with it. I would call the nose and main flavor soft molasses. I pulled out the jar of real molasses to make sure (I'm still new at this...) There's something on top that is in the nose, the main flavor, and the finish, and I'm having trouble defining it. I ran it under the nose of Mr. Single Malt (aka, Mr. lperry), and he can't figure it out either. I think this is what you are calling the mown hay. It lightens the molasses and adds this lovely botanical note. It's heavier in body than any white rum I've tried, and I'm thinking this could be the higher alcohol content (?) I made a daiquiri with it (2 oz rum, 1/2 oz fresh lime, 1 tsp sugar) and it is a fantastic drink. Dangerously good.

[Rum Runner]

Linda, Thanks for those wonderful notes! This is a rum that stands up in a Cocktail. I agree there is a bit of complexity going on for this particular Brand of Puerto Rican White rum. The higher Proof adds to the mouth feel in my opinion.

Glad you liked it!

[rumdog007]

Now, you two have me feeling very jealous! drooling2.gif

[RonJames]

I don't have a bottle of this on hand but I got to thinkin'. I was on RumConnection's wed site yesterday and he had an article about a homemade infused rum called "The 44", and I thought man how that might go nice with this rum. The article played around a little bit with the recipe but I'd stick to the original. Take an orange and zest the outside, stab the orange 44 times and insert 44 coffee beans. Add 1L of rum and (optional) 44 tsp. sugar and let sit for 44 days. If you're reading this rum runner just think, chinas with PR coffee beans with this ron, might not be bad.

[Rum Runner]

James, thanks for bringing that recipe back up. I remember Scottes and/or Dood blogging about it some time ago.

I'm going to grab some "Chinas" from a good friend who has a tree. I have some whole coffee beans from a small estate up in the mountain town of Maricao. Just need to get a suitable jar.

As an interesting note in the use of language, in Spain if you ask for a "Naranja" you will get a sweet orange. In Puerto Rico the same word will get you the sour/bitter orange commonly used in mojo food marinades here. The word "China" here gets you the sweet variety from the Naranja de China tree. The Naranja Agria tree produces the sour/bitter variety.

[RonJames]

That is interesting about the "naranja", to be honest I've always wondered the difference. When ever Im in pr I always go for the chinas, ugly but sooo sweet and juicy. Tell me how it goes, I'd love to give it a try myself but lack the canita y chinas. Heck for that matter Im lacking the PR coffee beans too which makes it a strikeout till I visit next.Btmup.gif

[Rum Runner]

When ever Im in pr I always go for the chinas, ugly but sooo sweet and juicy.

One of the wonderful things about living down here is to rediscover the joy of eating season to season. I have re-learned the concept that I don't need to have it all available 24/7/365 as well as the fact that what one eats does not necessarily have to look like a cover shot on a magazine. This had made me appreciate what is at hand all the more.

A great amount of the fruits and vegetables grown in backyards here are old varieties chosen for flavor and adaptation to the local climate. They may not always look pretty...but they do taste great!