Special Sippage - Review of Mamajuana

For this tasting I wanted to take advantage of the allowance of a couple other alcoholic beverages for our tasting blogs! 

The first time I came into contact with this drink was in the Dominican Republic during a Study Abroad program through the HTM major at Virginia Tech. At every hotel we visited we were offered drinks during our tours, and on our days off we would hit up the local beaches, bars, and pools where we were offered this shot. When we first were asked if we wanted some Mamajuana, we were sure that it wasn't a beverage and was more "medicinal," so we always said no. One day someone finally explained to us that it was a drink and not marijuana... whoopsy! So we gave it a try, and it was FANTASTIC! The backstory to this drink includes everything from tooth ache remedy, to "Viagra Dominica." This drink is a fan to locals and tourists alike, and is loved by most everyone that has ever tried it!

Mamajuana is a combination of equal parts red wine (usually Merlot or a blend) and dark rum (I always use Dominican run) and honey to sweeten it. After mixing these three things it is put into a bottle that is filled with tree bark to soak. I got the bottle I have from a family that lived on the side of a mountain where people go to zip-line. The great thing about this drink is, as long as you have the original bottle and bark... you can refill and remake the drink inside. Since I always use Merlot and Brugal's rum the flavor stays virtually the same!

Color: It is basically like a watered down blood color... very rich and the color can be lighter or darker due to your measurement of wine/rum ratios, exposure to sunlight/heat, and how it sits in the bottle with the bark.

Smell: My current bottle of Mamajuana has liquorish, sweet, earthy, and dark berry scents. Once you smell this drink you definitely don't forget what it smells or even taste like!

Taste: First off, YUMMY. You get the slight burn from the rum, a little bit of tannins from the wine, and can taste the sweetness of the honey, but overall it has taste of spices and earth and it is just delicious! Everyone that I've made try it has loved it!