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| Hello, that is one in every of our (nearly) day by day tastings. Santé! |
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October 20, 2024
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A phrase of warning
Let me please remind you that my humble assessments of any spirits are completed from the standpoint of a malt whisky fanatic who, what’s extra, is aboslutely not an skilled in rum, brandy, tequila, vodka, gin or some other spirits. Thanks – and peace! |
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A little bit of every little thing, as traditional, however with a transparent deal with blue chips, indies or official ones. To begin, our conventional aperitif, which at all times helps us get again on monitor…
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English Harbour 5 yo (40%, OB, Antigua, +/-2023) 
We tasted this round ten years in the past, and it was respectable (WF 73), however a bit too smooth for our liking. It appears they import molasses from Guyana and the Dominican Republic, maturing their rums in outdated bourbon barrels. Antigua, by the way in which, is simply north of Guadeloupe, simply previous Montserrat. Color: gold. Nostril: it opens on cane honey and sugar syrup, adopted by pineapple liqueur and triple sec, with only a trace of natural tea. A contact of cinnamon as effectively. Mouth: actually smooth, candy, with cane syrup and, as soon as once more, orange liqueur. There’s a little bit of mellow vanilla, nevertheless it leans just a little in the direction of spiced or flavoured rum territory. Lacks depth, very mild. End: very brief, with a slight woodiness alongside the cane syrup. Feedback: it’s a reasonably good rum, however there’s actually not a lot occurring. I preferred it higher ten years in the past.
SGP:730 – 65 factors. |
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Privateer 4.75 yo ‘Yankee’ (55.7%, OB for Kirsch Import, USA, Letter of Marque, 1st use American oak, 216 bottles, 2024) 
Comprised of Guatemalan molasses, distilled and aged in Massachusetts for 4 years and 9 months. Right here’s hoping our pals within the US will at some point be allowed to distill Cuban molasses – why not? Color: gold. Nostril: equally mild however leaning extra in the direction of oranges and sugar sweet. There is a pleasantly earthy aspect too, together with that acquainted coconut/vanilla combo typical of younger bourbons. With water: muscovado sugar involves the fore, with very mild hints of petrol and coal tar. Mouth (neat): this can be a good rum, considerably harking back to the lighter types from Belize or Barbados. Oranges, honey, vanilla, ripe bananas… It’s pretty woody however stays balanced (pepper). With water: once more, these very mild tarry notes reappear, however largely it’s all about honey and cane sugar. End: medium size, turning into barely extra herbaceous (bagasse), although the aftertaste stays on the sweeter aspect. Feedback: actually good, pretty mild – you possibly can simply suppose this got here from an island moderately than Massachusetts.
SGP:641 – 82 factors. |
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Savanna 10 yo 2013/2024 ‘Unshared Cask’ (49.8%, OB for Germany, La Réunion, ex-cognac cask, cask #778, 640 bottles) 
It is a ‘conventional’ rum, that means it’s created from molasses and distilled in a column nonetheless, it’s not agricole. Color: gold. Nostril: Savanna nearly at all times delivers depth, and it’s no totally different right here, with notes of camphor, ylang-ylang, very ripe oranges, contemporary ink (like in the present day’s magazines), and lightweight acetone, in a ‘petit grand arôme’ type. Completely spot-on for me, a minimum of on the nostril. Mouth: excellent, moderately medicinal, with touches of varnish, resins, eucalyptus, super-ripe fruits, and the anticipated salted liquorice (reasonably salted, thoughts you). End: lengthy, with salted liquorice, ripe banana, and extra of these faint varnish touches. Feedback: we do make good rums in France, don’t we? Forgive my temporary second of delight, thanks. That stated, I didn’t actually decide up on the cognac, although I’m certain it was there, lurking behind the bananas.
SGP:552 – 87 factors. |
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Bielle 7 yo 2016/2023 ‘Brut de Fût’ (54.2%, OB, Marie-Galante, agricole) 
As you could know, Marie-Galante is a part of Guadeloupe, and Bielle actually stands out as a shining star. Color: gold. Nostril: a marvel of peanut butter, cocoa, liquorice, cloves, cane juice, and shoe polish. Excellent precision. With water: not a lot change, aside from a pleasant notice of rhubarb stewed in cane syrup. Mouth (neat): the agricole character could be very pronounced, with an exquisite rusticity and even a wild ‘aguardiente’ edge. Regardless of being from a creole column nonetheless, it looks like pot nonetheless rum. With water: the cask appears to have been pretty energetic, however by no means overwhelms the distillate. Maybe only a mild butterscotch notice… Apart from that, there’s chestnut honey and nonetheless loads of liquorice. End: lengthy, extra on the earthy aspect, but additionally floral and resinous. Some discreetly spicy wooden begins to emerge. Feedback: a country type, but with extraordinary magnificence. In actual fact, it’s very ‘terroir’. I like it.
SGP:552 – 89 factors. |
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Vietnam 6 yo 2008/2024 (56.9%, LMDW Flag Sequence, 414 bottles)
Hey, that is our very first Vietnamese rum, so it requires a toast! This model is ‘secret,’ however we’ve heard of a ‘Distillerie d’Indochine’ the place the rum ‘Sampan’ is made, although sadly we’ve but to strive it. Color: gold. Nostril: these of us at La Maison du Whisky (LMDW) are actual pioneers. There’s a faint shochu-like notice right here, together with pleasant esters (mild however noticeable), and a fermenty, saline character with hints of recent tyres. Over all of it floats a notice of ripe white peach. With water: the tyre and tar come to the fore, joined by burnt walnuts and some black olives preserved in… acetone. Briefly, we like it. Mouth (neat): superb, with a surprisingly ‘malt whisky’ really feel, however in fact additionally peppery, salty cane sugar. And a good quantity of ethanol, so… With water: glorious. Lemon, rubber, liquorice… End: identical profile lingering for fairly a while, with some menthol on the finish. Feedback: it’s no shock that the standard is excessive—if it weren’t, it wouldn’t be on this vary (free publicity is not any publicity, is it). At the least, I believe that’s the case, although everybody could be improper. In any case, bravo Vietnam, a brand new participant on the planet of top-notch rum!
SGP:563 – 88 factors. |
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Jamaican Rum 23 yo (57%, Wu Dram Clan, Jamaican mix, 2024) 
What a stunning label. Color: full gold. Nostril: very Jamaican, very ‘high-esters,’ however with a pleasant fruity roundness (apricot, banana) wrapping across the rubber, tar, salmiak, olives, brine, tiny ammonia notes, seaweed, petrol, and new plastic (suppose new iPhone). With water: identical, no change in any respect, besides maybe some added rust-proof paint and linoleum. Mouth (neat): overlook it, that is simply glorious, with extra tropical fruits than traditional this time, particularly ultra-ripe mangoes. The remainder sticks to the standard Jamaican hallmarks: motor oil, tar, salted liquorice, and so forth. With water: distinctive, salty, tarry, drier once more, however much less ‘chemical’ (if what I imply). End: very sturdy black tea, salt, tar, liquorice, and all of it staying with you till a minimum of tomorrow morning. Feedback: we cherished that temporary, if fleeting, look of mango. Maybe the perfect rum mix of the 12 months… even when it’s not notably balanced – however I suppose that wasn’t the objective. Excellent.
SGP:463 – 91 factors. |
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Simply to examine one thing…
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Hampden 13 yo 2010/2024 ‘LROK’ (60%, OB, Jamaica, Magnum Sequence #2, Alex Webb Version, 1,080 bottles)
LROK, as you could know, denotes a medium ester depend, sometimes round 200-400 grams of esters per HLPA. Color: darkish gold. Nostril: razor-sharp precision right here, with varnish, a contact of rubber, and fruit that’s so ripe it’s virtually teetering over the sting into fermentation, particularly plums. Wonderful, naturally. With water: it softens, turns into extra civilised, however nonetheless these fermented plums are entrance and centre. Frankly, there aren’t many aromas on this planet as heavenly as that, I guarantee you. Maybe a faint trace of Moutai too? Mouth (neat): a kind-hearted monster, each ultra-powerful and balanced, between varnish and mandarins. Water is totally important. With water: the plum wine comes again with nice fanfare. Then there’s seawater, olives, tar, very dry liquorice, smoke (lapsang souchong), brine, pickles… Properly, we knew it might be beautiful, they usually’ve even completed magnums. A stroke of genius, when you ask me. End: lengthy, in fact. Softer, much less aggressive, nearly agreeable. Nearly. Feedback: what’s taking place with Hampden nowadays jogs my memory of the early 2000s with Ardbeg—there have been simply so many distinctive ones!
SGP:562 – 91 factors. |
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We may perhaps simply have one other little Caroni 1998…
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Caroni 1998/2019-2024 (70.2%, Velier, Paradise #10, Trinidad, cask #3927, dame-jeanne #1, ‘Emerald and Solar Dancers’, 115 bottles)
This 1998 Caroni ‘heavy’ rum, bottled at a jaw-dropping 70.2% by Velier as a part of their Paradise collection, spent its early years ageing in Trinidad earlier than being moved to glass dame-jeannes in France for that particular ‘paradise’ therapy, a way borrowed from Cognac. Color: gold. Nostril: completely wild, with that eyebrow-raising ABV making fairly an impression—did you discover? Buckets of oil paint, contemporary putty, turpentine, burnt pinewood, and paraffin… Truthfully, it’s utterly mad. With water: right here comes a tidal wave of soy sauce, glutamate, walnut stain, and sufficient Barbour grease to outfit a complete Glasgow division retailer. It’s futile to withstand. Mouth (neat): a correct explosion—deal with with care, or it would simply catapult you into the nice past. Suppose liquorice diluted in petrol, when you dare. With water: surprisingly civilized now, providing ripe bananas with a varnish glaze, contemporary paint, plasticine, and pine bud liqueur. Though, earlier than it, you’re chewing on one thing harking back to a pencil eraser. End: very lengthy, taking a flip in the direction of resinous wooden and even a contact of ash. You may really feel such as you’re gnawing on a pair of rubber wellies, however bizarrely, it really works completely right here. The aftertaste? Much more petrolic. Feedback: what extra can one say?
SGP:373 – 91 factors. |
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 Verify the index of all rum we have tasted up to now
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