Post #649244 by LankaLink on Thu, Aug 23, 2012 10:09 AM

Thanks. That was essentially what I told my buddy, except it was based on the interaction of the arrack flavor vs. the burn.

I'll try to give you a little basis for comparing to Batavia arrack - the two arracks are only alike in name....taste is completely different. Batavia arrack is made from sugar and red rice, so I guess it's closer to the definition of a true rum. The fermented red rice as you know from trying it, gives Batavia a very unusual (I call it "funky") taste with an oily feel in my mouth. It really requires mixers to drink the stuff.

Coconut arrack comes from the syrup of coconut flowers, not the fruit, and surprisingly tastes nothing like coconut. It's available diluted right after distillation which is very strong like Batavia, and also as "old arrack" after aging in wood barrels. Traditional distillers use barrels made of teak or halmilla wood to mellow the spirit and both do a fantastic job in just a few months.

The result is a fruit-forward flavor that dips in the middle, then comes back with a nice warmth at the very end. There's also this component that some people associate with whiskey but the taste is different from anything other spirit. The closest comparison I could offer is a combination of smooth Jamaican-style and spiced rums, but without the spices. We have our own style of tiki drinks on the island and tourists love them, though most drink with Coke, our style of ginger beer (EGB) or fresh sweetened lime juice.