Sunday, rum Day


July 2, 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!

Sunday, rum Day

Amburana

Amburana cearensis (Marcelo Costa)

Not sure rum geeks are getting into whisky too, what's sure is that whisky freaks seem to delve into rum more and more, even if the rising prices may have dampened some enthusiasm lately. Milking a cow without killing it remains a difficult exercise… Now we could lift our spirits by listening to Kingston's Alpha Boys School Radio on Radio Garden.

Barbados 'aged 5 years' (40%, Plantation, +/-2022)

We've tried a 5 'Grande Réserve' that had been really too sweet, but that was ten years ago. Colour: light gold. Nose: a lot of burnt hay, or garden bonfire, that's not unpleasant at all. Whiffs of fresh-pressed cane juice too, even if this is not 'cane juice rum'. In short, a most pleasant caney nose, with notes of pistachio syrup in the background. Fine! Mouth: things are getting tougher. Read 'sugary'. It may not be as offensive as it used to, but you still have the impression of having swallowed five sugar cubes at once or drunk a litre of Coca Zero/Light or equivalent. Finish: short and sugary. Sugarcane syrup and pineapple liqueur. Comments: do you think you could rather add stevia to your rums? What's good is that you could make a Ti punch or a Daiquiri without having to add any sugarcane syrup. This with hugs to all mixologists in the world.
SGP:720 - 65 points.

Epris 11 yo 2011/2023 (53.6%, Chorlton Whisky, joint release with Hop/Scotch Liverpool, Brazil, amburana/bourbon, 265 bottles)

Huge distillery near Sao Polo. Amburana is a tropical wood that they also use to mature cachaça or beer, or to finish bourbon, but indeed this is proper rum. We've had some very nice Epris a while ago, I believe they're using cane juice. Colour: gold. Nose: it's very vegetal, slightly acetic, with gherkins, samphires, whiffs of petrol, tequila, olives for sure… This is right up my alley. With water: new sneakers, burning pinewood, dragon fruit and dried longans, figs, arrack… Mouth (neat): love this. It's different, it's a tad 'burnt', with notes of burnt, say strawberry cake, plus liquorice, coal tar, more tequila, a few metallic touches, more olives… You wouldn't find any other rum like this one. Perhaps mezcals? Sotols? With water: wee soapiness, mouthwash, fir bud, grass smoke, bay leaves, liquorice allsorts… Everything's abnormal in this one. Finish: medium, on similar flavours, with a little metal in the aftertaste. Comments: fun rum, like no other. Perhaps some of the Madeirans? Careful with water.
SGP:362 - 85 points.

Rhum Series Cyberpunk Rh02 2007 (69.4%, Zero Nine Spirits, Belize, 2023)

What what what? Assassination attempt? These good people have their own worlds, at least they do not innovate using innovations that all innovators (so say 95% of the global market) are using too. But did they know water existed? Colour: amber gold. Nose: typical Travellers at very high strength, close to bourbon. Moderate varnish, a lot of vanilla, fudges, cedarwood, copper, buttercream… And indeed, almost 70% vol. With water (viscimetry is immense): gentle cake, roasted peanuts, pecans, marzipan… Mouth (neat - our lawyer is currently writing a letter): pineapple liqueur, perhaps? Smoked ham? Walnut stain? Turpentine? But let's not push our luck… With water: some sweetness coming out, triple-sec, peanut butter, pancake sauce, molasses honey… Finish: medium, sweet, with some protein bars, pressed fruits, fudge, nuts… Do you know the brand 'Nakd'? Comments: I don't quite know what to say, it's very good for sure. Fun experience – but don't use live flames, candles and so on while tasting. Perhaps not even electricity – don't drink in a Tesla! Very good little Belize.
SGP:651 - 86 points.

Privateer 4 yo 4 months (57%, OB for Kirsch Import, USA, Letter of Marque, cask #574, 228 bottles)

Long story short, this is Guatemalan molasses distilled in Massachusetts and then matured in new American oak and then exported to good old Germany. Could we see the carbon footprint, please? Colour: deep gold. Nose: a Saturday morning at Ikea, some sauna oils, new jumper, nougat, fresh-sawn plywood, bok-shoi, turnips, eggplants… With water: cakes, nougat, roasted peanuts. Mouth (neat): it's amazing how close we are to the Travellers. Peanut butter, cornflakes, liqueurs, Cointreau, maple syrup… With water: molasses indeed, corn syrup… Finish: yes, medium; with some vanilla and just a little metal polish. Sweet root vegetables in the aftertaste. Comments: non comprendo mucho here, I must be very slow today. What was the idea, again? It is absolutely very good, but the very similar-in-style Travellers was in a higher league. Now, we've got more Privateer, we'll try again soon.
SGP:641 - 80 points.

Good, off to Jamaica!

Long Pond 18 yo 2004/2022 (60%, Rum Sponge, Jamaica, #17)

Colour: deep gold. Nose: someone's been smoking mangos using dried kelp and floated wood. Great idea, hurray – well, I for one wouldn't have thrown benzine onto the fire. With water: superb. Piney petrol, fir buds, rotting bananas, kerosene and Chinese dried fish sauce. Perhaps a few pencil shavings too. Mouth (neat): very straight, petroly, olive-y, salty, a little tough but that's the strength. But careful, it does actually drink well at 60% vol., which could be lethal. Don't. With water: it's like old Laphroaig 10 yo Cask Strength, except that it's Long Pond. See what I mean? Finish: long, clean, streamlined, leading to smoked oilive oil. Don't tell me you've never heard of smoked olive oil! Comments: seriously, it's a tight, focussed, marvellously compact Jamaican with an unusual smokiness. Great bottle by the Sponge…
SGP:563 - 90 points.

Oh well, since we're doing some extreme ones…

Great House Distillery 13 yo 2007/2021 (66.9%, The Duchess, Jamaica, cask #6)

We've tried cask #18 in March, it was splendid. Remember, the 'Great House' is either Buckingham Palace, or Hampden Distillery. What are the odds… Seriously, whenever a Distillery forbids the use of its lousy name, it just feels like they're not proud of their output. Come on, wrong path, openness and transparency are true modern values, this is not 2010. Colour: white wine. Nose: pure vinegar, snail butter, riesling, olive oil, carbon dust, diesel oil, new bicycle inner tube and glue for patch chambers. With water: leek juice, bisphenol, phthalates, glues. There. Mouth (neat): boringly excellent, with very high esters (like <DOK), UHU glue and ultra-tight limey varnish. A shame that we couldn't be sure about the name of the Distillery that made this splendid, albeit slightly extreme juice. Or was it a German chemicals Konzern? With water: smoked gherkins coated with Pattex, Sikaflex and Loctite super Glue. Forgot to mention coriander leaves. Finish: long, chemical and gluey. Drinking walnut stain. Pure acetone and liquorice in the aftertaste. Comments: rather schizophrenically, we hate it that with love it so much.
SGP:363 - 90 points.

Oh well, since we're tackling the extremities (careful, S.!)

Clarendon 26 yo 1995/20225 (63.6%, The Colours of Rum, Wealth Solutions, Jamaica, 111 bottles)

Information diverges about this one, but who cares, The Colours of Rum / Wealth Solutions have gathered an incredible collection of old rums within the last few years. Great work, let's try this appealing Wedderburn... Colour: dark gold. Nose: totally incredible. Amazing oils, embrocations, mangos, bananas, liquorices, rubbers and mints… The liquorice is sublime here. Extraordinary nose, plainly and simply. With water: hey, bear garlic? And salmiak, model glue, incense, tangerines… What a nose. Mouth (neat): extreme liquorice and pine essences, should we really swallow this? With water: takes water effortlessly, moving towards charcoal, ashes, pinewood, raw chocolate, easy turpentine and indeed, even more extreme salmiak/salted liquorice. … Finish: liquorice, olives and caviar. Superb natural bitterness. Comments: totally of Ardbeg-1975 quality. Looks like this baby has spent twenty-three years in the tropics, before someone thought it would be a good idea to ship the cask to Europe. Amazing turpentine-y Clarendon.
SGP:373 - 92 points.

What a trio of Jamaicans, once more! CU.

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