Overview
Brand: Angostura
Origin: Trinidad Distillers Ltd, Laventille, Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago
Still: Column
Age: 7 years
Finish: ex-Bourbon
ABV: 40%
While Angostura is best known to a wider audience for the aromatic bitters bearing their name, the brand itself has a much broader range of products. Angostura as a company owns a multitude of beverage brands, ranging from bitters and amaro to vodka and rum; its history is convoluted, so I'll recommend Matt Pietrek's 2-part Age of Angostura article for an in-depth look at Angostura and Trinidad rum history.
An abridged version: Angostura had sourced rum from local Trinidad distilleries to produce their bitters since coming to the island in 1875. In 1949, Angostura built a distillery to produce rum for their bitters and other commercial endeavors; this distilling subsidiary of the business was named Trinidad Distillers, Ltd., aka "TDL".
Today, TDL is the sole operating distillery on Trinidad; they produce rum for bulk export, use in bitters, and for Angostura's brands.
Finally, we get to the rum itself. Angostura 7 year is a blend of rums distilled through TDL's column still, matured at least 7 years in ex-Bourbon casks, and bottled at 40% ABV. According to this Rum Revelations list updated in February 2022, Angostura 7 year was listed as having "<3g/L" of sugar, as tested by Swedish beverage company Systembolaget. This is within the margins of testing where one can say that no sugar was added to the rum.
Appearance
Orange-gold, high clarity, medium-low viscosity
Nose
Molasses, cherry cordial, caramel, vanilla, ethanol, allspice, stewed raspberries
Palate
Caramel, vanilla, molasses, hint of red apple
Finish
Medium, sweet, slightly tannic; vanilla, caramel, custard, blended tobacco
Rating: 6/10
Summary
When I first opened the bottle and sampled it or used it in cocktails, I'll admit I didn't think there was much substance; that changed after I had (re)sampled other Trinidad rums like the Rhumb Runner Fernandes and The Scarlet Ibis. Now, I can tell the distinct tobacco, black pepper, and fruit notes that are shared between these different rums, in their own way.
Angostura 7 is a good rum, but not outstanding. You get some well-defined notes and a robust ex-Bourbon finish, but the flavors just don't punch through the alcohol fully. That said, this is both an excellent budget sipper and ingredient for cocktails that call for Trinidad or English-heritage rum.