ISC rum can only be bought in Vietnam. The drink is not exported to other countries; the manufacturer, Atlantic International Spirits Corporation, does not conduct advertising campaigns. But in Vietnam, this drink is so popular that it is difficult to find an adult tourist who would not try it.
ISC Rum has a rather sharp taste, which makes it seem stronger than it really is, and a very bitter aftertaste with a dominant hint of black pepper. But in the composition of a cocktail, this disadvantage turns into a virtue: in combination with fruit juice or sweet liquor, bitterness becomes spicy.
Historical reference. Atlantic International Spirits Corporation, established in 2002, produces most of the Vietnamese spirits. The first rum produced under license at the distillery in Binh Duong was the French Chauvet. The experience turned out to be successful, but Chauvet is a brand with a century of history, and the French would not allow anything to be changed in the drink recipe.
With the participation of specialists from Slaur Chauvet, Vietnamese blenders created a new rum, choosing the abbreviation ISC (International Spirits Corporation) as their name. However, the word RUM on the label of the drink bottle is printed in such large letters that it is usually called ISC Rum (“ISK Rum”).
The same French Chauvet served as a model for ISC rum: the Vietnamese did not use the Añejo designation accepted for most Caribbean rums, but simply classified information about the recipe and age of different types of ISC Rum. It is only known for certain that rum is made from molasses.
The taste and color of the drinks suggests that the lightest rum, ISC White, is not aged at all. ISC Gold (Red) has a caramel flavor that is unlikely to have come from many years of aging. But the darkest and most flavorful rum, ISC Dark, most likely spent several years in oak barrels, which explains its rich aroma.
For those who love the exquisite velvety taste of rum, it is better not to try pure ISC Rum. It’s not even that the alcohol component is felt a little in the aroma of the drink – inexpensive rum often sins with this.
Types of ISC Rum
There are 3 varieties of ISC rum with a strength of 39%:
- ISC Rum White – colorless transparent rum with a slight fruity aroma;
- ISC Rum Gold (Red) – rum golden-amber color with the sweetest taste of the entire line;
- ISC Rum Dark is a dark brown rum with a spicy aroma.
Vietnamese stores sell white ISC Rum with a snake in alcohol. Despite the frightening appearance, it is safe to drink such rum. Vietnamese healers claim that the drink helps with diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.