Rums from chums and other sources


February 5, 2023

Rums from chums and other sources

Another assorted bag, without any kind of logic, including a few brands that we do not taste often.

(Distillerie La Favorite, Martinique, Odyssea)

Ron Esclavo 'XO Cask' (65%, World Class Spirits, Dominican Republic, small batch, batch #10, 4937 bottles, +/-2020)

I found this odd bottle at a friend's who likes his rums but who is not completely maniacal about them. I had to explain to him that no, 'XO cask' does not mean it is a single cask, at all. Having said that, amazon puts this one in Guyana while others tell that it is 'is 23 years old in solera.' Good luck, chatGPT! Colour: amber. Nose: very spirity, rather sugary (sirup) and light as far as aromas are concerned. Water brings out some grass and leaves but it remains pretty neutral. Mouth: a creamy mouthfeel and a very sweet profile, most certainly 'boosted', rather towards Cointreau or Grand-Marnier. Water makes it frankly sugary. Finish: shortish, on other triple-secs, curaçao etc. Comments: let's be honest, this is what the general public wants. I've asked chatGPT and other 'AI' 'what is the best rum in the world?' and Diplomatico kept standing out. Which means that in this new world, what's best is what sells, not the other way around. And it is not a matter of price. The fact that Longmorn's Pernod-Ricard have just bought start—up brand Bumbu while Clynelish's Diageo have acquired Don Papa says really a lot as well. Anyway, I find this Esclavo XO Cask uninteresting and too sugary, but still better than its terrible 'low strength' version (WF 30).
SGP:740 - 50 points.

Speaking of Diageo…

Zacapa 'Royal' (45%, OB, Guatemala, +/-2020)

I've kind of liked some Zacapas in the past. Interestingly, this one is both from a 'Solera' (right, a Solera Gran Reserva Especial) while at the same time the story goes like it is a blend of rums of from 8 to 30 years of age. It is also 'finished in French oak casks from Le Bois du Roy ™', not too sure what that is. Right, just saw that it's the gathering of the four main oak regions, namely Allier, Nevers, Vosges and Tronçais. That's huge. The bottle is lovely and the price is high (250€). Colour: reddish mahogany. Nose: molasses, coffee liqueurs, Starbuck's whole pricelist and some corn syrup. Rather a nice nose. Mouth: relatively dry for Zacapa, pretty good I think, if a tad flabby. Sadly it tends to become much more molassy and sugary over time. A lot of caramel and thick orange liqueurs. Finish: medium, very syrupy and sugary. Comments: it started rather well, but it tumbled down then. Recent Zacapas used to cruise along the 50-point-line in my book - see, you do need the whole 100-scale - while older bottlings – the ones with the wrong age statements, 23anos etc. - had been more to my liking (70-75 points). This is one of the 'better' ones, but I don't find it very royal, rather a little 'working-class'.
SGP:740 - 72 points.

La Favorite 2008/2017 'Fût Unique' (43%, OB, Martinique, agricole, cognac cask, cask #19, 265 bottles)

I don't think anyone keeps reducing single casks to 40 or 43% in whisky, but indeed, this is rum. I don't think it is a sauced-up expression of La Favorite. Colour: amber. Nose: very unusual, mainly on aniseed, fennel, liquorice, chartreuse… That makes it really different, fresh and indeed, since this was a regular cognac cask, you cannot not wonder if some kind of 'preparation' hasn't been added. That said, this nose is very lovely. Mouth: very unusual indeed, with some oak, plus rather a lot of cough medicine and even some pastis, the whole being dry and, I insist, refreshing. Finish: quite long, with more piney oak and more liquorice. Dill and chartreuse in the aftertaste. Comments: I'm not very well acquainted with La Favorite so I couldn't tell you if this is its 'normal' style, all what's sure is that I liked this Caribbean absinth rather a lot.
SGP:561 – 86 points.

T.D.L. 25 yo 1991/2017 (52.1%, Duncan Taylor, Trinidad, cask #2466, 296 bottles)

It's good to try another rum by DT but I'm not sure they keep bottling these kinds. We'll do this one very quickly, sorry about that. Colour: gold. Nose: not very expressive but elegant and balanced, with some nice muscovado. Water brings out oranges and butterscotch. Mouth: sweet but with a little liquorice and tar, which is pleasant. Not 'Caroni-tarry', though. Finish: medium, not bold but balanced. Some herbs in the aftertaste, cough lozenges… Comments: pretty fresh and really nice. Some average rum, the word average being taken in its most positive sense. Perhaps 'central' would have been better.
SGP:651 – 85 points.

Perhaps some Guyana proper…

Diamond 11 yo 2008 (62%, Scotch Malt Whisky Society, Guyana, refill bourbon barrel, finished in recharred new oak barrel, #R2.9, 'Demerara Deliciousness', 198 bottles)

I'm not too sure why anyone would or could rechar some new oak barrel, but there… I mean, fine with char, but rechar? Not too sure this possible rocket fuel stems from one of the historic stills. Colour: gold. Nose: this feeling of diesel oil aged in deep-charred American oak indeed, full of custard, almond oil and hand cream or moisturizer. Pretty soap-forward when undiluted, some ginger tonic too, fruit stones... With water: it is a grassy, lighter Demerara. Kirsch and soap, plaster, cardboard… Mouth (neat): relatively light in style but the high alcohol smashes you. Pickled and crystalised ginger, stranger liqueurs (parfait amour), bonbons, some salty sweets and chocolate… With water: phew, saved by water! More 'normal' olives, cane juice, varnish, petrol, lemons… But it is not an old Uitvlugt! Finish: long, a little rough, grassy, leafy. Banana skin. Anchovies and olives in the aftertaste, with some kind of fizziness remaining on your tongue. More ginger tonic. Comments: a good, rather rustic and robust young Demerara by the honourable Society.
SGP:462 - 81 points.

Versailles at Enmore 28 yo 1994/2022 'REV' (50.2%, Distilia, Greenheart Collection, Guyana, cask #25, 201 bottles)

I believe REV is a broker's marque that means Rum Enmore Versailles. Colour: dark red amber. Nose: oh, old woods, Dutch liquorice, rosewood, caraway and Timut pepper, eucalyptus, then old tweed, cedarwood, old cigar case, also a drop of gewurz, tinned lychee… This nose is simply sumptuous. These indie series are just incredible, we need one or two bad ones to make sure this is well a human venture. I even believe we'll start petitioning. With water: ooh, dried meats and all kinds of mints and molecules ending with -ol. Terpinol, for example. Mouth (neat): phenomenal, all about precious woods, liquorices and petroly spices. Blood oranges and a few underripe grapes as well. With water: geared towards salted fish this time, olives, salted liquorice, oysters, crabmeat… We're almost at Caol Ila. Finish: long and more medicinal. Loads of resins and oils – and stuff ending with -ol indeed. Comments: these are just my thing and love the piney side. Viva turpentine!
SGP:473 - 91 points.

Versailles at Enmore 31 yo 1991/2022 'KFM' (55.6%, Rock & Rhum, Guyana, 203 bottles)

The marque KFM refers to the name of one of the owners of the Enmore Distillery. To be honest, all these marks are a tad muddy, VSG? MEV? KFM? BEM? Which are actually original and which are brokers' marques? And does it really matter? Colour: mahogany. Nose: good one, this is almost old armagnac. For a few seconds, at least, until it would move towards the most exceptional combination of pine resin, liquorice, black earth, compost, rotting stone fruits and sultanas. Absolutely amazing. With water: morels and Caesar's mushrooms, tamarind jam, old Pomerol (your pick)... Mouth (neat): abnormally oaky and resinous, but we just love this, while some might consider it's somehow gone over the hill. It's a state of spirit aging that's not uncommon in… Armagnac. A lot of oversteeped black tea, the bitterest marmalade, the heaviest liquorice and loads of cough lozenges… With water: we tamed it, the tannicity got somewhat silkier, but there's also even more black tea. Finish: very long, this time a tad rough. Loses one point at this stage. Cinchona, bitter zests, ginger, pine needles, bitter marmalade… Comments: this little tightrope walker has been flirting with the limits of oakiness from the start, but it always remained on the right side. At least I know what I'm trying to say. Love it.
SGP:472 - 90 points.

Since we were already doing extreme sports anyway…

Uitvlugt 30 yo 1991/2022 (68.7%, Wealth Solutions, The Colours of Rum, Guyana, 277 bottles)

A funny past here, this baby was all aged in Europe, first ten years in bourbon and the rest in French oak. Wine then, I would suppose? Remember Uitvlugt got closed in 1999. This is from the ex-Port Mourant double wooden pot still that later went to Diamond. Colour: light gold. Nose: the exact opposite. This is grassy and petroly where the Enmore was all on thick raisins. Some burnt woods, fresh paint and putty, 'a Saturday morning at Ikea's' (no meatballs!) some linoleum, engine oil, dry vegetables (eggplants)… And a lot of ethanol that burns your nose and makes your spectacles opaque. Mind you, 68.7% at 30 years! They must have filled at still strength, given that this was aged in a cool climate. With water: the expected anchovies and olives, lemongrass, pickled small artichokes.. Mouth (neat): don't. Like drinking half a bottle of Weak Knees sriracha sauce. With water: I'm happy to report that we got it. Pure, almost crystalline citron liqueur with some oysters and tar. Green peppercorns. Finish: very long and possibly the most vertical old rum I could try. Some lime juice and half a glass of Laphroaig C/S. Comments: they bottled a blade here. Loved this one too but it may give the casual taster a hard time. Oh and no live flames allowed!
SGP:463 - 89 points.

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