Spiced according to an ancient and secret recipe – Black Barrel’s flavor profile and color truly live up to its name. A superb spirit both for sipping neat and for mixing in cocktails!
Aroma
Mokka, walnuts, and burnt figs, along with lightly charred oak notes.
Taste
Christmas spices and dark chocolate unite in a deep, rich flavor.
Finish
The mocha flavor returns and gradually fades.
Tastes excellent with Franklin & Sons Ginger Beer in a “Dark and Stormy,” along with a couple of slices of lime and plenty of ice cubes.
About the Product
A.H. Riise Black Barrel Spiced was created in honor of the Danish Navy’s long and eventful history. The history of the world’s oldest naval force combined with traditional barrel charring methods dating back to the 15th century results in the black barrel. By charring the barrels in which this spiced spirit drink is aged, A.H. Riise has created a dark blend with complex flavor notes.
These flavor notes do not come from the charred part of the wood, but from the wood behind it, whose flavor notes have been opened by the heat, imparting the aged spirit with woody notes while removing any sharp taste of tannins often found in oak.
Flavor Notes
The aroma presents mocha, walnuts, burnt figs, and lightly charred oak notes. The taste features Christmas spices and dark chocolate, which together create a deep, rich flavor that fades into a note of mocha coffee in the finish.
About A. H. Riise Spirits
Albert Heinrich Riise (1810-1882) originally hailed from Ærøskøbing and trained as a pharmacist in Copenhagen, where he was later employed at the Royal Military and Orphanage Pharmacy.
Riise was very eager to open his own pharmacy, and when the opportunity arose, he traveled in 1838 to the island of St. Thomas in what was then the Danish West Indies, where he eventually opened St. Thomas Apothecary Hall A.H. Riise.
Here, he quickly realized that there was good money to be made trading in more than just pharmaceuticals, selling household goods, cosmetics, canned goods, chocolate, and much more. Albert’s wholesale business sold to the entire Caribbean.
The Birth of the A.H. Riise Brand
Riise also began producing rum and bitters, initially for medicinal purposes against stomach ailments and other troubles. He developed brands such as Old St. Croix, Riise’s Guava Rum, and A.H. Riise Rum.
The sale of rum went incredibly well, so well that Riise eventually became a wealthy and influential man. He held several positions of trust in St. Thomas, including chairman of the Colonial Council, director of the Bank of St. Thomas, churchwarden, member of the Citizens’ Council, and board member of several companies. In 1860, he was made a Knight of the Dannebrog, and in 1878 he became an Etatsraad – a rank of high prestige – for donating $6,000 to the St. Thomas Municipality for the purchase of three school buildings.
From St. Thomas to Frederiksberg.
Albert Riise transferred the pharmacy on St. Thomas to his son-in-law Jens Alfred Alexius Jørgensen, then traveled to Copenhagen. There, he bought a large villa, which he named “Villa St. Thomas.” Albert had the park planted with rare plants, created ponds, and built a magnificent greenhouse. He died in the villa in 1882 at the age of 72. His grave at Solbjerg Park Cemetery can still be found today.
In 1883, his sons Valdemar and Karl jointly took over the pharmacy on St. Thomas. However, the pharmacy burned down during Christmas in 1895 – a candle ignited a dry Christmas tree! Valdemar, who now ran the pharmacy himself, quickly had it rebuilt, but due to prolonged illness – along with the diminishing commercial significance of the Danish West Indies – he sold both the pharmacy and Riise Bay Rum
