Wine & Dine

Time Flies When You’re Having RUM! (cont’d)

By: Lisa Marie Carter

Now that you’ve read the back story on the line of Swamp Fox Distillery’s Corruption Rums, what should you expect when you plan a visit? 

Upon walking into the distillery, you’ll immediately feel welcomed, if not by the friendly “hello” from Ernie, Peg or Stefanie, from the wagging tail and friendly sniffs of Berkeley, their official four-legged greeter. 

Grab a stool and settle in, there’s a lot to read and decide before you place your order. You’ll need to choose if you want to start with a classic rum cocktail or a tasting, of one, or all, of their rums. I’d suggest you start with a sampling of their rums, as this will help you choose your cocktail base. 

Berkeley, the official four-legged greeter.

If you’re starting with a tasting, you still have a few decisions for this too, you can start with their free single tasting of any of their current rums, try a four flavor tasting for only $5 or, even better, get their flight of tastings for only $10. The bonus when you purchase the flight of tastings is you’ll get $5 off a bottle purchase, which you’ll surely use once you’ve tried their handcrafted rums. 

When the flight is placed in front of you it will go from the original rum, to the newest rum, as you’d read, left to right. 

Pure Corruption – Naked, a pot distilled, raw sugar and molasses based white rum that’s bottled unaged at 90 proof. 

Pure Corruption – The Dark Side, a version of the base used in their Naked rum with added caramelized raw sugar and molasses and bottled at 90 proof 

Pure Corruption – Sinfully Spiced, a version of the base used in their Naked rum infused with 11 spices and bottled at 96 proof. 

Pure Corruption – All In, a version of the base used in their Naked rum, infused with Orange zest and Madagascar vanilla beans and bottled at 100 proof. 

Pure Corruption – Vanilla, a version of the base used in their Naked rum, infused with Madagascar vanilla beans and bottled at 60 proof 

Pure Corruption – Fox’s Fire, a version of the base used in their Naked rum, infused with whole cinnamon and crushed red pepper, bottled at 90 proof.

Pure Corruption – Toasted Coconut, a version of the base used in their Naked rum, infused with fresh organic coconut that is toasted by hand. A small amount of raw sugar simple syrup is added before bottling at 60 proof.

Pure Corruption – Smoked, a version of the base used in their Naked rum, then they smoke the water used in it with real cherry wood smoke, bottled at 90 proof.

Your next decisions will be choosing which cocktail to order from their list of handcrafted cocktails and which rum(s) to take home. 

A MUST try. Corruption is the only distillery in the US that makes a smoked rum.

If I may make a suggestion, if you want a truly one of a kind rum, not made ANYWHERE else in the US (and only one other distillery in the world makes this) take a bottle of their smoked rum back with you. It’s not overpowering but more of a light whisper that lingers on your tongue. I’m not a fan of really smokey meats or cheeses but I can say I LOVED this rum. Oh, and I’m not a big rum fan, until now.

All In
All In for Clemson and Breast Cancer Awareness

Are there any Clemson fans reading this article, ha ha ha, your choice is be simple, the All In is the rum for you, complete with a Clemson Orange wax seal!

There are so many unique things about their other rums, such as the fact they use local spices to infuse their Sinfully Spiced Rum or that they hand toast the organic coconut for their Toasted Coconut Rum that you’ll just need to go there yourself to learn about all the rums and have your own taste test. 

As if there aren’t enough choices to make now, they’ll be adding more soon, they plan to work on a Botanical Citrus forward rum, very Gin like, called Gin Rummy! If gin’s not your thing they’re also contemplating a rum cream and a coffee rum in the near future.

At the time of the posting of this article they are coming up on selling their 4000th bottle of rum in the coming weeks.  Each 1000th bottle sold, whoever the unsuspecting person that gets it, gets it free, and signed and numbered by Ernie. So rum, ooops, we mean run, don’t walk, to Swamp Fox Distillery and check out all of their uniquely handcrafted spirits. Be sure to let them know you read all about them in Anderson Magazine!

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