Yet another basket of rum


February 12, 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!

Yet another basket of rum

Some frankly insane, you'll see, especially the ones that are really not recommended by dentists. I would add that friends who are suffering from diabetes should be extra-careful, it is an utter scandal that rums that are heavily dosed-up, buried under sugar or simply painted-up like a stolen lorry would get away with not saying anything about that on their labels.

A.H. Riise 'X.O. Reserve' (40%, OB, cask #9)

This is 'super premium single barrel rum'. It is said that the juices are distilled by Cruzan on the Virgin Islands, others claim that it is just a blend. Colour: light gold. Nose: very intriguing, liqueury and 'spiced' from the start. Loads and loads of bubblegum, rose petal liqueur, marshmallows, violets, shampoo… frankly, you would believe this baby's been composed at L'Oréal's or at Procter's. It is absolutely not an unpleasant nose, it's just not the nose of a rum. Mouth: total liqueur, more bubblegum, Fanta, Coca Zero and first and foremost, Red bull. Huge amounts of sugars. Finish: long, a tad mentholated, very sweet. Juicy Fruit and Suze. Comments: many things in there, some kind of good, just not rum. A little slutty, with massive quantities of sugar. The branding is first-rate.
SGP:820 - 35 points.

Arundel 6 yo (40%, OB, Callwood Distillery, British Virgin Islands, +/-2022)

This is pure cane juice distilled in pot still. Colour: straw. Nose: totally and plainly loco. You would believe someone's distilled swede or Brussels sprouts. Casein, talc, sour beer, spent lees (hectolitres!), gym socks, cat vomit and Russian Shampanskoye. Really weird, it's surprising that this funny juice would have reached our shores, especially post-Brexit. Mouth: what is this? Cabbage cooking water, asparagus water, stale Guinness, more flat champagne… Something must have gone wrong. Some cold leek and onion soup too. What's intriguing is that it's also got some kind of shochu/sake side, also baijiu… Which I find more pleasant. Finish: a little short, fermentary, very much on cooked vegetables, zucchini, parsnips, pointed cabbage. Comments: a very funny bone-dry soup. It's not impossible that it would grow on me but I'm a little lost at this point. Please don't take my score too seriously.
SGP:271 - 50 points.

Toucan 'N°4' (40%, OB, French Guyana, +/-2018)

This is agricole-style rum from St Laurent du Maroni, so Saint-Maurice under another name. I think it is the first time I'm properly trying a rhum Toucan. Colour: straw. Nose: this one too is a little bizarre, with parsnips and salsify, some molasses honey, fresh caraway, some butter, mashed turnips… Mouth: between a cachaça and some funny eaux-de-vies, some grappa, with some oak and vanillin, sweet vegetables, mead, some unexpected raisins and lees once more… I would believe this one would have deserved a higher strength. Finish: medium, feeling very young, almost white. Vanilla and soft pepper in the aftertaste. Comments: another unusual one. A higher voltage would have been welcome.
SGP:350 - 70 points.

Patridom 'XO Cask' (65%, OB, Dominican Republic, +/-2022)

Another first at WF Towers. Most probably some heavily rectified spirit boosted with sugar, but let's see… Colour: amber. Nose: a little coconut and flowers, some sirups, some nougat, all that with a lightish body on the nose. Something perfumy. With water: artichokes and walnut skin, perhaps even struck matches but where would those come from? Mouth (neat): sweeter than some curaçao, very sugary, pretty cloying. You cannot and shouldn't drink it like that. With water: sugarcane syrup blended with plain ethanol. Just add lime juice, some mint leaves and presto, a cheapo mojito. Finish: medium, unpleasantly sugary. Some liquorice allsorts from the nearest supermarket. Comments: the spirit is extremely light and there's way too much sugar inside.
SGP:730 - 49 points.

By the way, it seems that Patridom and Ron Esclavo are the same products. About the latter, which we tried last week, I would suppose when you build a brand that capitalizes and tries to profit on some of the worst sides of History ('An Homage to History', right), you'd better leave yourself a way out. These brands can try to dress it up as virtuously as they like, but utilising rum's dreadful, and deep, history with the slave trade as part of a commercial product just plain stinks.

Now since we were doing high-proof antifreeze…

Blended Rum 7 yo (62%, Cadenhead, 'Warehouse Tasting', +/-2019) Blended Rum 7 yo (62%, Cadenhead, 'Warehouse Tasting', +/-2019)

Blended Rum 7 yo (62%, Cadenhead, 'Warehouse Tasting', +/-2019)

A blend of rums from Alsace, Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, Panama and Trinidad. Did you spot the odd one out? Colour: dark red amber. Nose: it reminds me of some of those British 'navy' rums. A nice caney, molassy nose, with a little chocolate, caramel, toffee, and drops of beef soup, Thai lap, the sweeter sauce that they give you with sushi, notes of brandy de Jerez perhaps, some pipe tobacco… With water: yep, roasted pistachio! Not very common but when you stumble upon this while tasting a spirit, it's for more joy. Mouth (neat): good and petroly, with Jamaica singing loud, which always helps. Tarry molasses and black olives, a feeling of engine oil, varnish, walnut oil… With water: same, plus lemon and 'dirty carboard'. 'Dirty cardboard' is a compliment in this context. Finish: long. Tar, raisins, molasses, black olives. Yallah! Comments: excellent. I would suppose it's pretty older than just 7 on average.
SGP:562 - 86 points.

Monymusk 1998/2022 (54.8%, Rest & Be Thankful for Kirsch Import, American oak, cask #27845, 133 bottles)

There's only 62,1 gr esters/hlpa in this one, which means that it's a very 'light' Monymusk, but as we always say, it's like ppm peat in whisky, it's never linear. Colour: pale white wine. Nose: indeed it is a softer one, yet everything's in place, olives, anchovies, oysters, acetone, clay, rotting bananas and pineapples… In short, whichever the amounts of esters, a Jamaican remains a Jamaican. With water: plywood and Formica! And carbolineum. Mouth (neat): but I love it! I'll say it, I'm often finding the high-ester Clarendons and Monymusks a little tiring, while this is a perfect petroly, slightly acetic, briny, tarry Jamaican rum, with grapefruits and lemons pushing their point in the background. With water: alert, entering danger zone. Massive mangos tarred and smoked, sprinkled with seawater and drizzled with lemon juice. Finish: long, brilliant, calling for another shot (just to make sure, just to be on the safe side). Cumin in the aftertaste. Comments: but what an exceptional drop. Note to self, with Monymusk, always favour the 'lighter' marks. In Monymusk speak, that would be marques such as MLT, MBS, MLL, MBK, AH, CHP or MPG. De nada.
SGP:563 - 91 points.

Trinidad 22 yo 2000/2022 (57%, Tamosi)

This is from T.D.L. (Angostura), not from Caroni, but some TDLs have been very good. This baby's been aged for 16 years in the tropics and was then moved to Europe. The bottlers wouldn't tell you much about this one but there must be a reason. Colour: gold. Nose: ooh, banana foam, bottled mango juice, blood oranges, mimosa (that's the cocktail, Champagne with orange juice), some flowers, lilies, wisteria… In the old days, we would have said about this one that it was 'a trifle feminine'. With water: water makes it rather less expressive, grassier, greener, more on sugar canes too. No problems, this is nice. Mouth (neat): fruit bomb alert! More mangos, maracuja, papayas, bananas, tangerines, some honey, and a few drops of Balblair. I am not joking. With water: same. Rather a fruity extravaganza, with just a leafier side, green gunpowder tea etc. Finish: medium, with a syrupy mouthfeel and a rather teaish aftertaste. More of that gunpowder tea. Comments: absolutely amazing, despite a relative thinness here and there (then again, it is Angostura).
SGP:750 - 88 points.

A last one, while thinking rugby…

Fiji 18 yo 2004/2022 (58%, Dram Mor, ex-bourbon, cask #1789, 285 bottles)

I mentioned rugby because they have a pretty good team in Fiji. This is supposed to be a secret Fiji, but if this isn't stemming from the South Pacific Distillery, I swear I eat my beret while drinking half a bottle of Bumbu, publicly. I agree eating my beret is the easier part. Colour: straw. Nose: no big esters this time, but there is some grassy firmness beyond the gentle vanilla. With water: clearly lighter than usual, low-ester but with some awesome rooty notes, some complex barks, branches and peels… Feels like light juice treated in good pot still. I think they do pot stills at the Fijian Distillery that shouldn't be named. Mouth (neat): indeed, a lower ester count and no Bootsy-Collins type of funk, but it's still got a backbone and some pretty luminous green citrus. With water: the best part. The pot stills kept the oiliness, oranges sprang out, banana cake's coming to the rescue, tiny touches of brine and olives do as well… Finish: medium, rather fat, with some almond oil, lemon, smoked salmon… Comments: clearly not an obvious drop with an obvious style, but this 'lighter' Fijian (as far as we're talking esters count) remains right up my alley. What's more, I believe only rugby countries should be allowed to distil spirits, football states should not. Of course this is another silly joke.
SGP:552 – 86 points.

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