Montauk Distilling Co. Brings A Taste of Caribbean Rum to Its Own Backyard

(Photo: Montauk Distilling Co.)

Most people are familiar with western Long Island and its New York City boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens. But, as you move away from the big city lights towards the east there is a shift in the culture and feel with coastal beach town vibes. It is on the eastern part of Long Island, in Riverhead that one can find Montauk Distilling Co. This distillery is taking Caribbean rum and creating a wholly new experience for locals to enjoy. 

Montauk Distilling Co. 

Montauk Distilling Co. began as a dream of co-founder Leucio Lacobelli in his kitchen almost a decade ago. “I had the goal of creating a spirit that would be fun, local and differentiated from the competition,” said Lacobelli. 

The distillery opened in Riverhead in August of 2020 with Bellamy Spiced Rum as one of its flagship spirits. 

“A lot of people ask, why Riverhead and not Montauk. As much as we love Montauk, the town is still basically a beautiful fishing village and not really an efficient place for industry,” explained Lacobelli. “We have been blessed to be so widely welcomed to Riverhead.”

Efforts in Sustainability 

An increasingly important topic for the spirits industry is how to become more sustainable and more conscious of the environmental impact of alcohol production. Montauk Distilling Co. is hoping to raise awareness for this issue and help create a transformative shift in the industry.

“Sustainability to us is a natural progression of our processes. We embrace the local farmers, buying virtually all our products locally. Of course, as in any distilling process, the raw material works its magic but leaves a waste product behind,” said Lacobelli. 

One of the ways this distillery handles its waste is by creating animal feed for farmers’ livestock from dried-out biowaste like spent mash. 

For the specialty rums that Montauk Distilling Co. distills, it sources sulfur-free blackstrap molasses from various US regions with most of it coming from upstate New York. 

Some producers treat young sugar cane with sulfur dioxide to keep it fresh, since the sugarcane is less ripe it has less flavor. Typically, unsulfured molasses is considered a higher-quality product because the sugarcane was allowed to ripen in the field. 

The Rums

The Riverhead-based brand sources its aged rums from the Carribean which are then proofed down and bottled to create its Black Sail Rum and Navy Strength Rum.

“The most famous rum-producing regions are the Caribbean and Latin America,” said Lacobelli. “We source rum from multiple regions to create our own very special blend.” 

Black Sails Rum

(Photo: Montauk Distilling Co.)

One of Montauk Distilling Co. coreline of spirits is the Black Sails Rum.  According to the bottle, it is a blend of Caribbean rums sourced from the Caribbean islands of Barbados and the Dominican Republic. The rum is aged four years in heavily charred oak barrels before being bottled at 40% ABV.

Aromas of brown sugar, lemon peel and dried fig permeate. On the palate, there are tastes of dates, raisins, woody vanilla and white grape. It finishes with a pleasant tartness that makes you want to take another sip as well as a slight pepperiness and lingering vanilla notes. 

This bottle can be purchased from Total Wine.

Navy Strength Rum

(Photo: Montauk Distilling Co.)

The Navy Strength Rum is inspired by the high seas traditions of pirates and the royal navy who used to test the proof of their rum rations with gunpowder. Montauk Distilling Co. went a little higher than the traditional 54.5% ABV and its rum clocks in at 58.5%. The Navy Strength is also aged 4 years and the bottle indicates the rum comes from Barbados and the Dominican Republic. 

The smell starts off sweet reminiscent of cotton candy, complimented by notes of molasses, dried apricot, woodiness and brûléed pineapple. There are flavors of caramelized sugar and vanilla with a nice creamy mouth feel almost like eating a crème brûlée. The rum finishes with spiced notes and lingers on lightly charred, woody touches.

This bottle can be purchased from ReserveBar.

Bellamy Spiced Rum

(Photo: Montauk Distilling Co.)

The Bellamy Spiced Rum is one of the distillery’s flagship spirits. It is a lower percentage than the other rums at 35% ABV. Starting off, the smell brings to mind fruit candy, similar to cherry-flavored Jolly Ranchers, and in the background are light aromas of baking spices. Cherry comes through at the forefront and is followed by allspice and vanilla and kola nut. This one is for fans of the cherry-forward spiced rums. 

This bottle can be purchased from ReserveBar.

The aroma and tasting notes are the opinions of the author.

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