We Ask Master Rum Blender Nancy Duarte about Santa Teresa LE Cask Finish

Nancy Duarte is Ron Santa Teresa’s master blender, the first woman to hold this position within the company, and the fifth altogether in the history of the brand.

She holds a Superior Technical degree in food and beverage, specializing in wines and fermented drinks. A part of her responsibilities is to supervise the entire production process, guaranteeing quality and consistency of the blends. Nancy, along with Maestro Nestor Ortega are on a mission to establish the category of superior premium rum.

Maestros Roneros Nestor Ortega and Nancy Duarte have over 70 years of combined rum-making expertise between them, and their passion has only increased over the decades. They share a relentless drive to challenge convention and break new ground in their quest to craft the best possible rum on the Hacienda Santa Teresa. Their inspiration is drawn from many and varied sources, ranging from their home surroundings in the Aragua Valley to far-flung geographies and artisanal traditions from around the globe.

We spoke to Nancy about the brand’s latest launch, its first Limited-Edition Santa Teresa 1796 Speyside Cask Finish.

Talk to us about this new limited-edition launch.

Santa Teresa is excited to launch its first Limited-Edition Cask Finish Series. Santa Teresa 1796 Speyside Cask Finish is an expression of our flagship Santa Teresa 1796 rum in which the rum undergoes an additional finishing process for 13 more months in casks that previously held whisky from the Speyside region of Scotland. This is in addition to the unique triple-aged solera process employed to produce Santa Teresa 1796, meaning that the Speyside Cask Finish expression passes through four distinct types of oak barrels before being bottled. Combining over 70 years of experience, our Maestros Roneros crafted this exceptional collection for connoisseurs passionate about rum and whisky.

What sets it apart?

Santa Teresa 1796 has a unique triple aging process that results in a rich, smooth, and balanced rum. With this edition, bottled at 46% ABV and only three grams of sugar per bottle, Santa Teresa 1796 undergoes an additional step that allows this award-winning super premium rum to acquire smoky whisky notes. While Santa Teresa 1796 is a rum that can appeal to whisky drinkers, Santa Teresa 1796 Speyside Cask Finish is a rum crafted specifically for whisky drinkers.

What would you like bartenders to know?

This product is specially made for sipping, to enjoy its delectable smoky, wood, and toffee notes. With that in mind, we recommend enjoying it neat or on the rocks, or in classic cocktails like the Old Fashioned, Manhattan or Penicillin.

Talk to us about the packaging.

We wanted to develop a packaging that stayed true to the brand’s core, Santa Teresa 1796 but also had its unique personality; and we chose black as a color that also relates to whisky cues. Consumers want to know what’s behind the products they buy to make informed decisions. In the canister consumers will find a detailed explanation of the production process behind a sublime rum that delivers an unparalleled complexity and depth of flavor.

The bottle stayed the same as the Santa Teresa 1796 bottle, with its unique shape and character. The bottom of the bottle is shaped in honor of the Cruz de Aragua (or Aragua’s Cross) an intersection of royal palms in the middle of the Hacienda Santa Teresa, where for more than 225 years we have been refining and improving the art of rum-making techniques in pursuit of the creation of the world’s finest rum.

What inspired this expression?

The story of the Santa Teresa 1796 Speyside Cask Finish is a story of mastery unbound by convention.

In 1996, Nestor launched Santa Teresa 1796 by pioneering the use of a unique solera method to produce a world-class rum. Now, Nancy continues the tradition of daring innovation through a series of Limited-Edition Santa Teresa 1796 Cask-Finished expressions. For the first, she draws inspiration from the Highlands of Scotland and sees Santa Teresa 1796 finished in casks that previously contained Speyside whisky, producing a rum that tastes simultaneously of the Caribbean and of Caledonia. This is the story of true mastery, where traditions and terroirs have been married to give birth to a spirit that is truly peerless.

Spirits brands are innovating to attract a new generation of drinkers- tell us more.

Since its advent in the 1980s, cask finishing has grown into an extremely prominent trend across spirit categories. It offers intriguing new expressions that have proven extremely resonant with curious consumers and connoisseurs. While there are many whiskies that employ rum cask finishes, this is one of the only rums in the world finished in Single Malt Scotch Whisky casks.

With Santa Teresa 1796 Speyside not only do we attract a new generation of drinkers, but we open a new chapter for our Super Premium rum, Santa Teresa 1796.

What else is coming down the pike for the brand?

We are excited for this first Limited-Edition Cask Finish Series with Santa Teresa 1796, and we invite all Rum and Spirits enthusiasts to follow us on social media @santateresarum to learn more about the exciting news of what is next.

Speyside Penicillin

• Ingredients:
• 2 oz Santa Teresa 1796 Speyside Whisky Cask Finish
• ½ oz honey ginger syrup *
• ½ oz fresh lemon juice
• 1 float of Santa Teresa 1796 Speyside Whisky Cask Finish on top

Preparation: Add all the ingredients to a shaker, shake, and strain into a rocks glass over ice. To finish, add the rum float and garnish with a candied ginger or lemon wheel.

*Honey ginger syrup

Add 1 cup water, 1 cup honey, and 6in peeled gingers (approx.) to a pot and cook on low heat. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer for 5 min, and strain.

Speyside Old Fashioned

Ingredients:

• 2 oz Santa Teresa 1796 Speyside Whisky Cask Finish
• ¼ – ½ oz simple syrup *
• 2 dashes Cacao Bitters
• Orange peel

Preparation: Add all the ingredients into a mixing glass full of ice and stir. Serve in a rocks glass with a transparent cube of ice and garnish with an orange peel.

*Simple Syrup

Add orange and brown sugar syrup to a pot and add water on low heat. When hot, add the brown sugar with orange peels in a 1:1 ratio. Stir and let it sit on low heat for 10 minutes. Remove the orange peels, bottle, and let it cool.