Some more rums


December 3, 2023

A word of caution
Let me please remind you that my humble assessments of any spirits are done from the point of view of a malt whisky enthusiast who, what's more, is aboslutely not an expert in rum, brandy, tequila, vodka, gin or any other spirits. Thank you – and peace!

Some more rums

With apéritif, as always (for the cause)…

Bits, pieces and scrappings at Bielle. Old pots, better soups, and all that. (Distillerie Bielle).

Amrut 'Two Indies' (42.8%, OB, blend, +/-2023)

Indeed, they make rum too at Amrut, but I think this is a blend of own and sourced juices rather than rum that they would have integrally distilled themselves, as the name would have suggested. Colour: light gold. Nose: it's pretty, it's slightly British (I hope they won't mind me saying) with hints of petroleum, leather, liquorice, and a subtly Jamaican touch. Then come the very ripe fruits, mango (in moderation), apricot, raisins, plus other very, very ripe fruits, and half a small olive to recall the Caribbean vibe. Really nice. Mouth: yes, it's good, it's truly a Navy-style blend, with these ultra-ripe exotic fruits and hints of hydrocarbon. There's even a salty edge. Finish: quite long and more on the salty liquorice and mango chutney. And our little olive is still there at the very end of the finish. Comments: nothing to add, this little fruity blend with a slight Jamaican twist is very well-composed, but that doesn't surprise us at all.
SGP:652 - 82 points.

Lazy Dodo (40%, OB, Mauritius, +/-2023)

This is single-estate rum by Grays (New Grove). So, supposedly, a member of the aristocracy of spirits. It is molasses-based, so 'traditional', not 'agricole'. Colour: full gold. Nose: flowers, orange blossom, pastries, vanilla, ylang-ylang, quinces, mandarins and then just sugarcane syrup. Nice, easy, pleasant, does not feel tampered with. Mouth: sweet, a tad narrow perhaps, with some molasses, triple-sec, raisins… A Cointreau side, if you will. A little too sweet for me. Finish: short and sweet, if you could say that. Sugary aftertaste, as several other Mauritian rums are. Not my preferred side of Mauritius as far as rums are concerned. More triple-sec in the aftertaste. Comments: as I just said. A little disappointing, a legendary dodo would have deserved something with a little more oomph, I would say. With ice, perhaps?
SGP:730 - 65 points.

Let's give Grays another chance…

Grays 11 yo 2010/2022 (51%, Dram Mor, Mauritius, bourbon barrel, cask #994, 444 bottles)

Said to be 'agricole', so not molasses-based this time. Colour: full gold. Nose: we'll find the oranges this time again, less flowers, more citrus, more fresh deepness, a higher precision, orange juice… With water: touch of gunpowder, touch of seawater, a few mussels and oysters, almond paste and indeed, just fresh cane juice. Im-pec-cable. Mouth (neat): very good citrus and flower jelly, bags of oranges, tangerines, touch of salty wax, mango jam, mirabelles… What's not to like? With water: spices, herbs, toffee, bitterer liquorice, café latte. Not an extremely thick mouth feel but it's still one of the heaviest lattes around. Ha. Finish: medium, on oranges, fudge, touch of salt. Comments: so much better al natural. One of the top Mauritians and truly rum for (and by) whisky people.
SGP:551 - 85 points.

Since we were having 'agricole'…

Longueteau 'Ambré' (40%, OB, Guadeloupe, agricole, +/-2023)

Matured for 18 months but sadly in ex-cognac casks, we would have preferred some pure Guadeloupean agricoleness. Let's see… Colour: bright straw. Nose: well, this is pure Guadeloupean agricoleness I have to say, even pure Longueteauness (ha, apologies to the brand owners). Think Chinese-anise-flavoured custard and heather honey, plus this kind of citrusy earthiness that's working so nicely. No cognac in sight, maybe was it just marketing spiel. Phew. Mouth: so epitomically Guadeloupe. Anise cookies, white mulled wine, citrons and indeed pure cane juice. Cinnamon rolls and a small salty touch. Say clams. Finish: a tad short but that's because we haven't got the Ambré at 45%, this is only the Diesel version. See what I mean. More anise, cinnamon, cane honey and oranges in the aftertaste. Comments: I love this distinctiveness. It's not uncommon for the 'simpler' versions to be better than those that are further 'enhanced' using extravagant casks. In any case, I like this one, I'll have to find the 45% version, or maybe I already have it in the WF boxes? We'll see about that later...
SGP:551 - 84 points.

We're going to stay in France, I believe…

Rhum J.M 2014/2023 (48.6%, OB, Kirsch Import, Martinique, agricole, new American oak char 5, cask #210098, 252 bottles)

Don't start talking to me about 'char numbers' ;-), it's a bit too Buffalo Trace or Glenmo for me (smile). Colour: dark gold. Nose: well yes, we are in Bourbon territory, at least partially. Ripe banana, wood varnish, vanilla, a touch of acetone, a bit of melted caramel, fresh cane... Then well-ripe pineapple, which is less 'bourbon', I agree. Actually, it's a nose that's relatively uncomplicated but extremely precise and compact, which more than compensates for that feeling. As usual, the palate will have the final say... Mouth: ah yes! The same feeling of relative simplicity, but those bananas, that white chocolate, those varnishy touches, those oranges and that hint of salty liquorice mixed with vine peaches are working very well. After all, it is quite complex, you just need to give it a little time. Finish: quite long, with some sweetness, oranges, and always that slightly salty edge. The wood doesn't stand out that much, forget everything I told you about Buffalo Trace and Glenmo. Comments: it's great and it drinks extremely well (be careful, as a consequence it's a little hazardous).
SGP:651 - 88 points.

Let's try a different charring level. (S. !)

Rhum J.M 2014/2023 (50.3%, OB, Kirsch Import, Martinique, agricole, old bourbon cask char 3, cask #162705, 259 bottles)

Colour: dark gold. Nose: It's very slightly less expressive, with less banana and varnish, but on the other hand, there's more of a focus on sugarcane, herbs, leaves, melon, peach... The vanilla is still there, though. With water: a freshness that's almost maritime. Martinique is an island, isn't it? Mouth (neat): I love it, it's a bit more complex, there's a lot of different citrus fruits (kumquats, bergamots, yuzu), mentholated and aniseed herbs, fennel seeds, coriander, but also plum jams, quince jelly, mild spices… With a few drops of water: it doesn't go as much towards the fresh and fruity side, instead, there are more dried figs and a touch of your choice of sweet-savoury sauce. Finish: quite long, with some chocolate, coffee, cinnamon, and nutmeg. And quince jelly. The cask is now speaking. Comments: these remain simple yet very effective rums. In my mouth and in this context, the word 'simple' is a great quality, expressing the precision of the distillation and aging. After all, you see, right... In any case, I prefer this cask but as usual, that's very personal.
SGP:651 - 89 points.

Well, we just hope that the very best rum producers, like J.M, won't start promoting the idea that rum is primarily about wood or even wine flavouring, as many Scots do. Have you seen that there are now Scottish distilleries that offer nothing but malt whiskies 'finished / aromatised / arranged' in strange barrels? Saint Drostan, come save them! Good, and what if we went back to Guadeloupe?

Bielle 15 yo 2008/2023 (51.8%, The Auld Alliance and Famille Ricci, Marie-Galante, agricole)

As you know, Marie-Galante is part of Guadeloupe but it is a different island. Colour: full gold. Nose: it's denser, almost thick on the nose, more medicinal for sure, with elements of bandages and tiger balm, and there's almost a hint of smoke, akin to that of L. on the south coast of Islay. It's very intriguing… With water: it's like old Laphroaig in a former Bielle cask, right? Of course, I'm joking, but not by much. Superb eucalyptus, and I do love eucalyptus. Mouth (neat): a massive aromatic explosion, with tons of coriander seeds and cumin at the start, then sea salt, pink grapefruit, and juniper. It's a bit mad, almost venturing out of rum territory with all that cumin. With water: be careful with water. Very pretty pink bananas, oranges, quince, guava, and... menthol, cumin, and juniper. Actually, is this a very old Caribbean gin, perhaps. Finish: the exotic fruits, tar, and caraway come back in full force. Comments: this is a sublime, explosive rum, a bit 'cross-category' or 'fusion' at times. Chartreuse? Islay? Juniper? Rum? Orange liqueur? All mixed together? Not sure we'll ever know…
SGP:662 - 91 points.

One last one for the road…

Enmore 32 yo 1990/2023 (53.6%, Rum Sponge, Guyana, #24, 197 bottles)

Thinking about the western part of the country that's currently so heavily threatened by the Venezuelan dictator, who's really not that 'diplomatico' I'm afraid. This is a vatting of two casks. In theory… Colour: very dark amber. Nose: old wood and old cigars, pipe tobacco, coffee, candied clementines, clove, mandarin liqueur, meat sauce, teriyaki-flavoured beef jerky, camphor, and menthol... It's word for word what we were hoping for, you can't get more classic than this. With water: and boom and bam, juniper, cumin, and plant tar are back. We're talking about fir tar here. Mouth (neat): this salty, tarry, and mentholated aspect is very classic too. There's quite a bit of old wood and tobacco, but it's amusing to note that the menthol supports everything in the most beautiful way. What would we do without mint (and citrus), I ask you. Also chestnut honey. With water: It's very tarry and resinous, but it works incredibly well. Finish: almost eternal. I'm exaggerating again, but mint and tar go for a Page and Plant for quite some time (with nods to Bonham and Jones). Comments: these creatures are quite unstoppable. This Enmore and the Bielle echoed each other throughout this little session, it was very funny. So close, yet so far, so similar in terms of quality. But let's not forget that the Bielle was eighteen years younger...
SGP:572 - 91 points.

We really hope that the growing political tensions in some countries won't throw an indescribable mess into the world of rum. And also that consumers won't start steering their choices based on these events. For example, Venezuelan rum producers or sugarcane growers have nothing to do with it if the highly disliked President Maduro now wants to annex two-thirds of Guyana because they found oil there. Granted, the capital Georgetown and thus Diamond Distillery are not part of it, but imagine if El Dorado were to become a Venezuelan rum one day!

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

		Water and rum
		Be careful with water; my humble experience suggests that rum is more sensitive to H2O than whisky, and consequently, it's always better to add too little than too much. I find that rum 'snaps' more quickly when you dilute it in your glass, so a drop-by-drop approach is essential.