On the final minute of 2024, we’re doing a fast fireplace session – for the primary time with rum. Concises tasting notes and a rating, that’s it. There are 12 rums on the desk, so make sure you begin studying this in time otherwise you’ll miss your New Yr’s Eve occasion.
Enmore REV 29 yo 1994 (45,8%, The Colors of Rum 2023, cask #27, 157 btl.)
N: nice dusty notes, cigar containers, Teriyaki sauce, Pu Erh muffins, dried herbs, outdated leather-based, purple plums and cocoa powder M: bitter wooden, oiled unique woods, mint, soy sauce and achovies. Then medicinal notes, darkish tea, gentle tannins and a few mineral notes. F: lengthy, natural notes, liquorice and salt 〉〉〉 Actually good, I like the oriental aspect and the unique wooden affect. Standing out from different Enmores, in a great way.
Lengthy Pond CRV 2009 (42,6%, Plantation for The Whisky Change 2019, Tokaji end, 198 btl.)
N: brilliant, on honey, candied ginger, inexperienced bananas, mead, a touch of musty wooden and an enormous buttery aspect M: cane sugar, honeyed tea, ripe banana, sultanas and grapes. Additionally pepper and nutmeg, together with charred oak F: brief, reasonably flavourless, besides pears on alcohol with liquorice 〉〉〉 The Tokaji sweetness takes away the entire Jamaican funk. Given the fame of the three manufacturers on the label, that is fairly an underachiever. Rating: 74/100
Zuidam 10 yo (52,8%, FRC ‘Dutch Windmill Assortment’ 2023, virgin oak cask #1546, 184 btl.)
N: outdated barrel notes, with toffee, vanilla, coconut cream, flowers and even perfumed spirity notes. M: spicy and spirity, on white pepper, aniseed, liquorice and ginger, with apricots and caramelized notes, together with contemporary wooden shavings. Nonetheless one thing perfumed F: medium, spicy and woody 〉〉〉 Light-weight, with an excessive amount of wooden affect and lacking a clear-cut profile, in my humble opinion. Rating: 76/100
Rhum J.M. 9 yo 2014 (48,6%, OB for Kirsch Import 2023, American oak char stage 5 #210098, 252 btl.)
N: banana ice cream, pineapple, solventy notes, leather-based, caramelized herbs M: a number of varnish once more, with greener bananas, grassy notes, mint / menthol, lime, liquorice and herbs F: lengthy and contemporary, with salted caramel and orange peels 〉〉〉 A pleasant all-rounder with marked varnished notes and the agricole grassy notes. Nonetheless out there, with a reduction. Rating: 85/100
Rhum J.M. 8 yo 2015 (53,3%, OB for Wu Dram Clan 2023, American oak + French oak, 294 btl.)
N: varnish and younger oaky notes once more, with darker bananas, coconut, pine refreshener, baking spice and refined brown sugar M: richer than the 2015. Vanilla, purple grapes, menthol and polish, together with cocoa, liquorice and butter pastry F: fairly lengthy, minty and grassy, with roasted nuts and molasses 〉〉〉 I are likely to wrestle with the woodiness in these J.M. rums and right here the French oak appears to focus on the aromatic, mentholated aspect. Good. Rating: 86/100
Caroni 24 yo 1998 ‘Tortuga #3’ (58,1%, Valuable Liquors 2023, Mizunara end #2092, 154 btl.)
N: unique woods, petrol and tar (in a refined method), darkish tobacco leaves, pipe, Cola sweets, moss and mint M: actually intense and woody. Nutmeg, menthol and eucalyptus, extra Cola, vermouth syrup, darkish caramel, olives and liquorice F: lengthy, minty, with black olives, darkish syrup, tarry notes and caramel 〉〉〉 Mizunara? Maybe extra minty and natural than different bottlings certainly, however in any other case only a very typical, tarry Caroni. Rating: 90/100
TDL + Foursquare 2006 (58,8%, Zero 9 Spirits ‘Cyberpunk’ 2023, 200 btl.)
N: pineapple, with leather-based, coconut and cinnamon, cedar wooden, caramel and light-weight acetone. M: candy caramel, hints of Brandy de Jerez, new oak, nutmeg, excessive alcohol and citrus fruits. Salt and sugarcane. F: lengthy, mentholated, citrusy and spicy, nonetheless very wood-driven. 〉〉〉 A mixture of rum with younger bourbon whiskey? Not unhealthy, however not the 1+1=3 impact I anticipated both. Rating: 84/100
Varela Hermanos 40 yo (59,7%, Fruitful Spirits 2024, cask #82-009, 270 btl.)
N: wealthy, with a mode that resembles sherry casked whisky. Raisins, plums and dates, with tobacco leaves, darkish chocolate mousse and good raspberry ganache M: caramel, extra raspberry and Mon Chéri, leather-based, natural liqueur, orange peels, honey and banana ice cream F: lengthy, half candy, half spicy, with chocolate, raisins and occasional notes 〉〉〉 Candy and fruity however not overdone. Not essentially my most well-liked model of rum however if you happen to’re into sherry casks that is excellent. Accessible from Grasp of Malt as an example. Rating: 91/100
JMC 15 yo 2007 (64,3%, The Whisky Blues 2022, hogshead #18, 248 btl.)
N: pretty mashed bananas, glue, almonds, acetone and vanilla. Fermenting mango, pineapple and vanilla ice cream. M: fairly excessive – big esters once more. Glue, overripe fruits, tangerines, fiery drying tannins, acetone, Szechuan peppers and tapenade. A lot of bananas. At all times this yoghurty / creamy undertone and hints of plywood. F: very lengthy, extra citrusy now, with an enormous drying word. 〉〉〉 A feisty funk phenomenon and a large slap within the face, tremendous enjoyable. Rating: 91/100
Hampden DOK 3m 2023 (63,14%, Colors of Rum for German Rum Competition 2024, PX + Oloroso + bourbon casks, 60 btl.)
N: excessive esters, with petrol and olives, dried herbs and glue but in addition stewed fruits like peach and pineapple. Some purple berries as a aspect word. M: sharp and dry, with contemporary wooden and alcohol, together with glue, prunes and restricted complexity. F: not too lengthy, on overripe pineapple and harsh esters. 〉〉〉 A fantastic nostril however a barely disappointing, untamed palate. Attention-grabbing however not very balanced, even when taking into consideration the very, very younger age. Most likely a aspect undertaking of their current newmake cask experiment (which I favored higher). Rating: 82/100
Lengthy Pond 17 yo 2005 (66,1%, The Whisky Blues 2023, barrel #8, 259 btl.)
N: big esters. Black olives, varnish and nail polish. Then a pleasant banana and mint combo, aniseed and hints of chocolate. M: wealthy plummy notes, with liquorice, citrus and tannins. Loads of glue and petrol. One thing perfumed as effectively, which seems like a flaw. Very intense, as much as the purpose the place it turns into barely artificial. F: lengthy, estery, now frankly soapy. 〉〉〉 This began nice however went downhill as quickly because the soapy notes got here out. A little bit of a slip-up. Rating: 78/100
SDS x Los Convidados Satvrnal Excessive Esters rum 2023 (64%, Swell de Spirits 2023, 1000 btl.)
N: daring, new plastics and loads of black olives, numerous inexperienced bananas and vegetal notes, cinnamon, fermenting pineapple. M: creamy, barely bizarre and chemical, a bit flat, extra plastics and bananas, bitter berries, varnish, herbs and mezcal F: lengthy, a bit mineral, with savoury ham in the long run. 〉〉〉 Undoubtedly attention-grabbing, with potential. Not one thing I’d sip myself, at this level. Rating: 71/100
