Jamaica has revealed what officials are calling a “five-point plan” for the recovery of the island’s crucial tourism sector. 

The plan includes a “staggered reopening” of tourism entities, according to Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett. 

“We do not see reopening as being a one-shop activity that immediately, everywhere will be opened,” Bartlett said this week. “We think that reopening will be on a staggered basis as we build our own capacity to receive the large number of visitors whom we are accustomed to having in Jamaica and, indeed, to bring more in the long run than we had in the past.”

The components of the recovery strategy also include developing “robust health and safety protocols”; training for all segments of the tourism sector to manage the new protocols and “behavior patterns” of the new travel reality; building safety and security infrastructure and acquiring personal protective equipment and hygiene tools. 

“Already, we are on a number of international circuits talking about Jamaica’s preparedness and our readiness,” Bartlett said. “We are making contact with the trade media and making sure that they understand what we are doing here and how we are preparing [for] the next wave of visitors to our shore.”

Tourism contributes to 9.5 percent of Jamaica’s gross domestic product. 

“Jamaica must become COVID resilient and that is what is driving this taskforce – developing the protocols and developing all the elements that are going to come together to enable a reopening,” he said. “Tourism is indeed the lifeblood of Jamaica, and for economic recovery to happen, tourism must recover.”

— CJ

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The history of rum is intertwined with the history of the Caribbean — particularly that infamous (and somehow lastingly romantic) age of rum-fueled pirates. 

But for all the stories of Caribbean pirates and treasure-seekers, a surprisingly small number of pirates have actually found their names adorning bottles of rum (the most famous being Captain Henry Morgan, of course). 

That brings us to John Watling’s, a rum brand increasing in renown in recent years and the pride of the historic quarter of Nassau in The Bahamas. 

Watling, a 17th century pirate who gave his own name to what had been San Salvador Island, and whose treasure-filled travels took him across The Bahamas (and even to the aptly-named Rum Cay). 

Set at the Buena Vista Estate in the heart of Old Nassau (a short stroll down the road from Graycliff, The Bahamas’ greatest restaurant), John Watling’s has become one of Nassau’s must-see attractions, with a vibrant cocktail bar and a large aging warehouse set on the grounds of a centuries-old villa. 

The Bahamas doesn’t grow sugar cane; that means the rum itself is distilled elsewhere in the Caribbean, although the company remains coy on the precise sourcing location. 

But, as with many Caribbean rum brands, the aging and blending is done on-site, with what Watling’s calls a pair of distillates: one called “firewater” and the other “killdevil,” aged in American oak for as many as five years. (Watling’s says the rums are charcoal-filtered with coconut husks before barreling.)

The rum first launched in 2013, kicking off with a lightly aged pale and amber rums before eventually introducing the Buena Vista blend, the latter aged for five years in former bourbon barrels. 

And it’s all a very well-done production; the label and branding is excellent — evoking a rum with a far longer history and pedigree. More importantly, through the estate and visitor center and the bottling, the rum has cultivated a real Bahamian identity. 

And the bottles themselves are wonderful, particularly with the addition of sisal plait woven by hand in The Bahamas. 

The collection is led by the very good Buena Vista. But the company’s flagship expression is something very different. 

In what was certainly a nod to the growing demand by rum aficionados for stronger, cask-strength rums, John Watling’s launched its Single Barrel Rum, and it’s quite special. 

John Watling’s Single Barrel Rum is actually a four-year rum. The difference is that it’s bottled at cask strength — meaning a whopping 66.2 degrees. Serious stuff. 

It’s a trend that continues to grow — perhaps most notably with the wonderful Genesis series of rhums by Guadelloupe’s Longueteau, which were among the first to show just how exquisite a lightly-aged, cask-strength rum could be. 

So what is it like?

John Watling’s Single Barrel has a classic amber color; the unsurprisingly strong aroma has notes of bourbon, dried mango; coconut and a hint of anise. 

The flavor profile has notes of brown sugar, licorice, dried fruits, white pepper and spice. On repeated sips new flavors emerge: marzipan, raisins; cinnamon. 

This is a fiery rum; a strong, raw rum statement. And while it is bold and forward, it’s not brash; there’s a finesse, an elegance here — one that gives a rounder structure to what is inarguably a very strong spirit. 

The verdict? This is a really good rum, and it’s the best expression John Watling’s has produced so far. 

And it’s a bold, powerful, adventurous rum that’s certainly worthy of a pirate’s name. 

John Watling’s Single Barrel Rum

Rum Journal Review

94 Points 

For more, visit John Watling’s (yes, it’s available in the U.S.)

The post A Very Strong, Very Good Rum From The Bahamas appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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Aruba is preparing to reopen its borders to international travel as early as the end of next month — and the island’s leading resort is making preparations for the potential relaunch of tourism.  

For years, the adults-only Bucuti & Tara Beach Resort on Eagle Beach was the island’s most innovative hotel, from iPad check-ins on the way to your room to high-standard air filters in the suites. 

And now the resort is at it again, this time implementing new safety protocols amid the new COVID-19 reality of travel. 

While Aruba remains closed to tourists, the Bucuti & Tara is “open and awaiting guests as they return,” a spokesperson for the resort told Caribbean Journal.

Now, it has revealed how it is adapting its practices to ensure guest safety once the relaunch of Aruba tourism occurs. 

That includes four phases of sanitization: one, using environmentally-safe hospital-grade hydrogen peroxide cleaning solution; an AtmosAir Rainier Summit ionizer treatment that removes bacteria and viruses; a UV-technology portable air and surface sanitizer treatment and what was already part of the hotel’s practices: HEPA air cleaners in every room. 

Once every room is cleaned, it will be sealed with a sticker “sealed with a sticker ensuring guests they are entering a hospital-grade, sterilized room.”

The UV and ionizer treatments alone meant an investment of more than $100,000, according to a statement from the resort. 

On the culinary front, the resort is spacing out its already “uncrowded” table layout, with new regularly-sanitized menus for guests who place their orders from a social-distanced server. 

On the beach, travelers will see sun loungers with 24 feet of space between them. 

“Every day we hear from guests and travel professionals who are ready to return to Bucuti & Tara and we are pleased our new touch-free safety protocols will provide guests with peace of mind so they can focus on what is most important – one another,” shares Owner/CEO Ewald Biemans.  

The carbon-neutral, LEED Gold hotel has always been at the forefront of industry trends — and now it’s setting the standard for Caribbean hotel practices in the COVID age. 

The hotel, which has been open and providing food delivery for locals in recent weeks, has even been housing ICU doctors and nurses who are themselves helping to train resort staff. 

For more, visit Bucuti & Tara. 

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