Just more rum


July 23, 2023

Just more rum!

… While I'm noticing that many rum makers are doing more and more seasoning a.k.a. aromatization a.k.a. finishing using just any casks they can put their hands on these days, just like whisky makers have been doing for around twenty years now (and Glenmo, then Balvenie and the Classic Malts even earlier). What's funny is that these types of casks come in waves, it's almost working like the fashion industry.

Engenho Novo Distillery (William Hinton)

So peated Islay, ruby/tawny Port and Pineau des Charentes seem to be particularly trendy this year, all over the world, they're almost the equivalent to semi-transparent knitted sweaters or fringed mini-dresses. All while they all also keep the usual rum in whisky, whisky in rum, rum in cognac, whisky in cognac and so on… Or even cognac in bourbon! Oh and in mizunara! Naturally, my favourites remain rum in rum, whisky in whisky and cognac in cognac. And when distillers rather talk about fields, varietals, yeasts, fermentations, stills, cuts… Or even about their moussrs! But let's kick this off with one of those lovely and unusual agricoles from the Portuguese island of Madeira (think Christiano Ronaldo).

William Hinton 6 yo (40%, OB, Madeira, agricole, +/-2023)

This from the Engenho Novo Distillery while Indeed, some Madeiran rums do benefit from a protected appellation 'agricole', just like Martinique – and unlike many 'fake' agricoles that are currently made in several countries around the world. Only the 40% vol. sound a little stingy here… Colour: copper. Some wine wood, probably. Nose: this feeling of smoked gooseberries, roasted chestnuts, absinth, mead, toasted oak, then rather cinnamon rolls and a little caraway. It's very idiosyncratic, as they say. Mouth: good fun, between cachaça, smoked pastis (no, really) and indeed, toasted oak. Clove, caraway and lapsang souchong, then a little mustard sauce and walnut wine. Finish: medium, with a little oak extract, black tea, a little aniseed again, clove, mustard… We're reminded of some very dry Madeira wines. And sauce Madère, as we say. Comments: surprisingly excellent at only 40% vol. Love sweet mustard. We had tried a 3 yo a few months ago that we didn't like this much, and that's an understatement.
SGP:562 - 84 points.

White Peak 'Cask Aged Rum Batch 02/23' (45%, OB, England, Wire Works, American Oak, 2022)

We've already tried some malt whisky from Derbyshire's Wire Works/White Peak Distillery and had thought it was excellent (WF 87). Now they also make rum, deemed as 'agricole-style', which I think is the proper way of labelling this kind of rum, even if it's a little hard to fathom how they would get some fresh sugarcane or cane juice to Derbyshire. Deep-frozen? Fermentation is very long, 14 days, which is perfect. Colour: golden straw. Nose: it's a different style of rum, it is not Neisson or Bielle, I'm rather finding a lot of bread spices, gingerbread, wisteria and jasmine, perhaps a little rye, cinnamon cookies, Christmas spices… All that would suggest that some pretty active oak has been in use. Mouth: indeed, it's spicy, if not spiced, with some rather heavy oak impact indeed. Gingerbread filled with caramel and fudge, toffee, ginger candies, cinnamon mints… Well rather funnily, I find it closer to the Madeiran agricoles than to the French ones. It feels very young. Finish: very long, with more ginger, cinnamon, some coffee and some toffee. Oak tannins in the aftertaste. Comments: it's certainly very fine but I think I prefer their excellent whiskies.
SGP:361 - 79 points.

Maja 12 yo 'Anejo Autentico' (40%, OB, El Salvador, +/-2022)

It's rather telling that they would need to state that those twelve years are 'authentic', unless they just mean that it's a proper 'anejo'? My Spanish is too lousy… We had tried the 8 yo a while back and it had been a little meagre (WF 69). El Salvador's Cihuatàn rums are in a whole different league in my humble opinion. Colour: orange gold. Orange hues always suggest heavy caramelisation in my book. Nose: easy, typical Spanish-style rum, as most countries in south and central Americas are making. Light, molassy, not unpleasant, with some caramel indeed, a few yellow flowers, some corn syrup, pancake sauce, then more and more proper maple syrup. I like this because of that, it awakens our inner child. Mouth: oh no, it's very light, sugary and cloying when not brought down to a maximum of 6 degrees Celsius. Very tough at 20°C. Finish: medium, sweet and sour. Nescafé with a lot of white sugar. Comments: they must be working for the ice machine lobby.
SGP:820 - 49 points.

Trinidad 5 yo (46%, Rum Nation, +/-2022)

This from the rum arm of our friends at Wilson & Morgan, I suppose it's stemming from T.D.L. Colour: proper gold. Nose: quite light too but much more elegant, with dandelions, buttercups, honeysuckle, tiny whiffs of walnuts, sesame oil and marmalade, plus a small mineral side, perhaps slates? Also overripe apples and tarte tatin. We have a classy wee nose here. Mouth: a little bit sweet, towards pineapple liqueur, so it does feel mildly 'arrangé', perhaps – which it is not, obviously – the whole remaining pleasant, really. Touches of coconut too, this is almost a full-strength pina-colada. One of the best pina-coladas if you ask me. Finish: medium, a little sweet, but clear and fresh. Maple syrup, pineapple liqueur, coconut water. Comments: they managed to keep it clean and kind of pure. Rather in the style of some rums by Plantation, but less sweet. The price is very fair.
SGP:730 - 80 points.

Speaking of T.D.L….

TDL 20 yo 2003/2023 (62.3%, The Whisky Jury, Trinidad, cask #13, 257 bottles)

Remember TDL stands for Trinidad Distillers Limited, who are the makers of Angostura in Port of Spain. Colour: gold. Nose: fully on mango liqueur, mango syrup, preserved mangos, fresh mangos and mango jam. You may add a few slices of ripe bananas, papayas and pineapple. This is spectacularly fruity while that's probably an understatement. With water: forgot to mention mango ice cream. These pink bananas too are spectacular, and so are the ripe guavas that are adding touches of wackiness. What a fruit monster! Mouth (neat): bombastically fruity. Sure it's a little strong but it does remind me of some early-1970s Benriachs, for reasons hard to explain. With water: a little more on peel, skins, barks, pips and stones, but it swims extremely well. Touches of fresh mint and liquorice, which often pop out of very fruity spirits in my experience. Finish: long, incredibly fresh and fruity. And mango-y. Comments: when AI will have taken over, this is the kind of 'fruity rum' it'll produce for us. Hopefully. It is extremely spectacular, while I'm sure no 'additives' have ever been added and so no corners ever cut. Madness.
SGP:851 - 91 points.

Uitvlugt 24 yo 1997/2021 (55.3%, The Duchess, Guyana, cognac cask, cask #14)

Not a session without a Demerara! This one from the Port Mourant still, matured for two years in the tropics, then in Europe. The cognac cask was one of Hine's. Colour: gold. Nose: goodness gracious, this is perfect diesel oil blended with engine grease, anchovy brine, clay, Dutch liquorice (no wonder here), green bananas and black tapenade. With water: pure cane juice coming out, wet ashes, something basaltic, vinyl… And the smell of an old lamp amp on eleven. Quite. Mouth (neat): it's very tart, almost brutal, pungent, blade-y, full of salted liquorice and concentrated lime juice. Some ashes. With water: more salt, more brine, seawater, more anchovies, olives, sardines, cod brandade… Finish: long, on lemon and salt, plus olives and liquorice, and a little sweetness in the aftertaste. Mangos again? Comments: I'm not sure I got the cognac, but I sure got the greatness.
SGP:563 - 91 points.

Let's end this journey in Jamaica, as we almost always do.

New Yarmouth 27 yo 1994/2022 (67.1%, Distilia, The Golden Age of Piracy, Woodes Rogers)

Well, I had though the golden age of piracy was right today… They should also do a series listing tax shelters, cryptos and data farmers and brokers! And perhaps a few distillers too, ha… Colour: copper gold. Nose: perhaps a little strong, but there is a feeling of smoked bananas and mangos (once more), plus charcoal and pinewood smoke… But we shan't push our luck. With water: there, fresh paint, almond oil, fish paste, olives… Mouth (neat): oranges and mangos kept in coal tar for a very long time, or something like that. Pretty brutal. With water: sweeter. Candied pineapples, bonbons… Finish: long, more on oranges and orange cordials, triple sec… Comments: absolutely one of the better New Yarmouth in my book, even it's got very little skunky funkiness, which would make it a tad un-Jamaican in my book. But remember they don't like it when we use words such as funk and skunk or whatever.
SGP:651 - 88 points.

Check the index of all rums we've tasted so far