Friday Happy Hour: Cockspur 12, Teetering on the Edge of Innocence
Remember 12, that magical preteen phase when the first real inklings of the kind of adult trouble you’d soon seek out for the rest of your life first started to register in your mind?
Sex, booze, cursing and other ills, they all increasingly crept their way into your consciousness. Not that you partook of any said ills, of course, but you certainly began to take greater notice of them, dipping your toe ever so gently into the wide and wild world of adulthood.
To me, Cockspur 12 embodies its namesake formative age like no other 12 year-old rum that I know.
Oh, it’s sexy alright, sporting a clean and simple modern label slung seductively below the midsection of a classic clear bottle with subtle curves. Electric red-orange accents add to the spice, ensuring that your head will turn whenever she’s in view, just like that hottie you couldn’t stop staring at in Pre-Algebra class so long ago.
On the nose, Cockspur 12 excites on-par with a first kiss. Rich molasses, caramel, and tropical spice aromas create the same anxious desire that pushed you to secure some alone time with the math class hottie, even if you had no idea why you might want such a thing.
Then, the lips… Oh, the lips! Once Cockspur 12 meets yours, complete surrender. The flavor is rich, but not overly sweet. Balanced would be an apt descriptor if it didn’t suggest this blend might be boring. It’s not. Tried neat, it’s very, very smooth with nary a trace of burn or harshness of any kind.
[Insert preferred curse word, whispered softly so your parents won’t hear, here.]
The smoothness and sophisticated character of Cockspur 12 might be a little surprising to some, as all the rum in the bottle is not aged a full 12 years. The master craftsmen at Cockspur actually bring together rums ranging in age from four to 17 years from both pot and column stills, magically achieving a remarkable consistency akin to the finest 12 year-old rums.
As the top expression from one of Barbados’ most legendary rum producers, you shouldn’t expect anything less than the best from Cockspur 12. In my opinion you get it, and at a nice price too that will leave you with enough cash left over to take your old math class crush out for dinner… That is, assuming you’ve finally worked up the courage to ask…
Cheers!