A few weeks ago we spent the day visiting the Brugal Rum factory and the Del Oro Chocolate factory right here in our home town of Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic.
Both tours were enjoyable, interesting and offered plenty of taste testing.
The first stop was the Del Oro Chocolate factory.
Herdman Foods – “Del Oro” Organic Cacoa
“The Dominican Republic is the largest exporter of organically grown cacao beans in the world without any domestic chocolate company taking advantage of these increasingly sought after beans. The founders of Herdman Foods decided to establish a company to produce the highest quality chocolate here in the Dominican Republic, to help local growers get the best price. In 2012 Herdman Foods was established in Puerto Plata.
The Herdman Foods team were welcoming and friendly. They advised us that the tour was free. We were greeted with a great cup of hot chocolate and a very delicious chocolate brownie.
Roasted Cacao Beans
After a short video we were able to see a real cacoa pod and then the cacoa bean in various stages, unroasted, roasted, nibs. We also saw cacoa butter which is used to make amazing organic cacoa creams.
Dominican Republic can sell its cacao as organic because the plants do not require pesticides as in other countries. The DR is a small country surrounded by the ocean and this helps to prevent disease from infecting its crops.
Towards the end of the tour we were able to try more sample of chocolate, some with a rum flavour in Del Oro’s – Pirates Booty line. There is also a in-house store that you can buy all the products made today with 100% Dominican Republic organic cacoa. Brownie mix, hot chocolate, pure 100% cocoa powder, Del Oro chocolate bars. Great place to stock up or for gifts.
Thank You Herdman Foods for a great tour! We will definitely be back.
“Dominican Republic is one of the top ten cocoa producers in the world. When it comes to chocolate done ethically, the DR has taken a global lead in two ways. One, the government works to ensure its cocoa production is done in an environmentally sustainable manner. Additionally, until 2009, the Dominican Republic led the world in “Fairtrade-certified” cocoa production, and it still remains a world leader in this front. Fairtrade products are those that have been vetted by global trade organizations to ensure that farmers receive adequate compensation for their crops.” – WorldAtlas – Economics.
On to the next stop just across the road the Brugal Rum factory.
Brugal Rum Factory – A Time Honoured Family Tradition
“Our Rum – From farm to bottle. Every drop is made in the Dominican Republic.”
The Brugal Rum tour was definitely worth the price of a few US dollars. The tour was offered in both english and spanish. There was plenty of rum sampling and interesting facts shared on the hand-crafted time honoured family process.
The tour guide was knowledgeable and took the time to answer all our questions.
Brugal also has their own store where you can buy any of the unique rums including premium and special editions. On display only is Brugal’s 2015 limited edition “Papá Andrés Alegría” at $1,500 US a bottle. Papá Andrés Alegría is a blend from the family’s private reserve which is described as having a “subtly sweet, smooth and complex flavour.” Only a 1000 bottles in circulation with a few left in the US.
2015 Limited Edition Papa Andres Rum $1,500 US per bottle.
Brugal rum is a time honoured family process starting when the founder Don Andres Brugal arrived in the Dominican Republic in 1888. Although much has changed over the years today’s Maestros Roneros, or ‘Master Blenders’, are the 4th and 5th generation. During the tour you will see a wall displaying the Brugal family portraits beginning with the founder Don Andres and the generations that followed including the first female Maetra Ronera, Jassil Villanueva.
Today, Jassil Villanueva at 28 years old is the rum industry’s youngest master blender. I say well done Jassil!! The Brugal family continue to use the secret recipe carrying on tradition that started over a century ago.
One of the key ingredients to the unique flavour of the rum is the molasses made from crushed sugar cane. We were able to taste this sweet dark liquid and if you like molasses you will enjoy the flavour.
Stages of Rum Maturing.
All the rum is double distilled in the town of San Pedro de Macorix and returned to the Puerto Plata location to be matured in a variety of oak casks. We saw samples of the casks used for maturing the rum. As the rum matures it absorbs the colour and aroma of the cask.This is also known as “The Angels Share”.
Towards the end of the tour it was taste testing time. The bartender was not shy about ensuring everyone had tried the two different samples and also gave us a bit of a performance juggling several bottles into the air. Needless to say it was a great way to end our tour. Next we spent a few minutes watching the packaging area and then on our way to the Brugal store to buy some rum!
Rum Cocktails
Ready to make some rum cocktails? The Brugal website describes each of the following types of rum: Brugal Anejo, Especial Extra Dry and Brugal XV. If you would like to know what flavour works best for a rum cocktail click on “Mixology“
Enjoy!
If you have any questions about the Dominican Republic please feel free to reach us at [email protected]
– written by Cathy Regan
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