A Few Anniversary Rums


July 28, 2024

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!

Malternatives on Sunday: a Few Anniversary Rums

As promised, here are a few aged rums we've saved for later. They aren't necessarily extraordinary bottles, but we're taking the opportunity to enjoy them as WF's anniversary falls on a Sunday! We might add a couple of new ones at the end.

Aguardente de Cana 1928 (Madeira, 1960s)

They produced a lot of aguardentes in Madeira to fortify wines rather than to export it as a drink, with sugar cane primarily used for sugar production. Note, the appellation (DOP) rhum agricole de Madera was only established in 2011. This old aguardiente surely does not meet the criteria for such an appellation, but it's always marvellous to taste such a spirit. Colour: dark amber. Nose: I adore this earthy and dirty side, very much about slag, basalt (isn't Madeira basaltic?), balsamico, curry, walnut, mustard, seawater, but also glue and varnish, turpentine essence… Truly, there's a small yet magnificent grand-arôme aspect. Can you imagine, 1928! Mouth: we are close to the driest wines of Madeira, to the point of wondering if there's some marc or fine in this very lovely old sugar cane spirit. Again, an earthy side, a bit meaty, evolving towards black olives, molasses, gravy, very dark caramel, and also a touch of tar, mint, and liquorice. The structure is not massive, but the whole retains a lot of vitality. Finish: slightly short, but very nicely peppered, salty, and liquorice-like. Balsamic vinegar and caramel return in the aftertaste, with a small sweet note. Comments: the foundations of a solid appellation contrôlée were already there. I also love how Madeira rums are often quite close to the island's wines.
SGP:562 - 88 points.

This one might be close...

Rhum Martinique ‘Grand Arôme’ (44%, Union des Négociants pour l’Alimentation, France, 1960s)

These types of bottles were common in France back in the day, mainly used for cooking, flambéing crêpes, making rum babas, pastries, marinades, and the like. And sometimes for cocktails. The fact is, you occasionally stumble upon real beauties, even if here, the closure was a crude plastic cap that surely wasn't meant to last this long. So, typically a cooking rum... By the way, I remind you that nowadays, to be labelled 'Grand Arôme', a rum must contain at least 500g of esters per hectolitre of pure alcohol. Colour: gold/bronze. Nose: well, here we are, close to Madeiran style, as expected. Olives, varnish, tar, glue, menthol, terpenes... but less on fruits and nuts. In fact, it's quite simply closer to today's Jamaican style. Lots of fermented cane juice, but nothing suggests this rum is ‘pure juice’, probably not. Mouth: there's still an agricultural side, to be honest. Salt, zest, liquorice, seaweed, overripe banana, cinnamon, cane syrup, ground coriander, and a few touches of ripe strawberries. Ethyl acetate? It's an ester... Finish: medium length, sweeter (brown sugar), orange liqueur. There was probably some ‘doctoring’. The finish is not its best feature. Comments: always worth having a look at the back of our grandmothers' cupboards!
SGP:652 - 85 points.

Royal Navy ‘Black Tot’ (stone flagon, 1950s)

This renowned rum was served to the British Navy until 1970. Some of the remaining stocks were later gathered and bottled by Sukhinder Singh and his gang, much to our delight, but here we have an original flagon that may have travelled the world many times. Note that the image is not of the flagon we are tasting, but it is very similar. We presume this is a blend of rums from British Guiana, Jamaica, Barbados, etc. Colour: mahogany. Nose: varnish, tar, very ripe bananas, liquorice, caramel, chocolate, and toasted nuts. Perhaps a hint of seawater. I suppose it’s too late to enlist in the British Navy? Mouth: it must be about 45% vol. Very thick, with plenty of salted liquorice and old nuts, indeed some seawater, bitter orange, perhaps a touch of (added) molasses, and truly that thick, typical profile. A hint of Port Mourant, unless there’s some Skeldon or Albion in it. It’s very good. Finish: long, salty, with coffee liqueur and more olives this time. Comments: I’m still going to send an application to the Royal Navy, you never know. I imagine we have in our glass a blend for Senior Officers.
SGP:663 - 88 points.

Here, we've already tasted the following one, but it was a long time ago and it was a different bottle (as usual, any excuse will do, S.) ...

Alfred Lamb’s Special Reserve Rum 1949 (40%, United Rum Merchants, bottled in Dumbarton, Jamaican, 510 bottles)

Several rumours on the internet suggest this might be from Hampden. Colour: full gold. Nose: it’s difficult to confirm as it seems too soft and mentholated for Hampden, but perhaps they produced a different style back then? The profile is magnificent, though slightly light and fragile. Old cellar, damp earth, almond wine, moss and ferns, linseed oil, noble molasses (whatever that is), then lots of perhaps slightly tired vegetables (soup), liquorice wood, medlars, horse saddle, stable... It seems a bit different from the last time, but that was in 2012 and, as we said, a different bottle. After so many years, bottles can diverge, which is part of the sport (and provides excuses to taste again). Mouth: one of the rare cases where such a low alcohol content poses no problem. It’s like a very old dry port, with lovely notes of buds, mint and anise, old fruit eaux-de-vie, marzipan, but also much less wood than last time. It seems to have softened after 12 more years in glass. Old-fashioned cough syrup, the kind so good we’d pretend to have sore throats to sip a couple of centilitres in peace. The beginnings of true preventive medicine. Finish: not so short but more liqueur-like, mentholated, with drops of very old chartreuse and tar liqueur. Comments: a very fine bottle, though, let’s admit, the low wattage causes some slight frustrations.
SGP:651 - 87 points.

Mount Gay ‘Extra Old’ (40%, OB, Barbados, 75cl, +/-1990)

We're not exactly Mount Gay experts, being whisky enthusiasts. It’s true that Foursquare often grabs our attention, and our bandwidth for rum, especially Bajan rum, is rather limited. We’ve tried a more recent XO before and found it ‘very good but slightly average’ (WF 80) back in 2009. Much molasses has flowed under the bridge since then, so let's keep an open mind, shall we? Colour: deep gold. Nose: very nice varnish, even a bit of solvent, then hazelnut, fresh cane, caramel, damp earth, ripe peaches, and a bit of old paper. I do love old papers. Mouth: certainly not a WF 80, though it's a bit light and fragile. More hazelnuts, nocino, earth, old sweet wines, a touch of salt like in manzanilla... By the way, have they ever made an Extra Old Cask Strength? Or at least 100 proof? 80 proof? Finish: short, but full of cane, even vesou, nougat, toasted sesame... Comments: come on, 75 proof? What a pity.
SGP:441 - 83 points.

Mount Gay ‘Eclipse’ (39.4%, OB, Barbados, 75cl, +/-1990)

We tasted a more recent Mount Gay Eclipse and found it a bit weak for our liking (WF 72 - very much an 'eclipse'), but we're more motivated than ever! Colour: gold. Nose: a very lovely old version, saltier, more secondary, even tertiary, with broth, coffee, fresh cement, mushrooms, tiny notes of solvent, then those famous strawberries we just found in the old grand arôme from Martinique. Toasted pecans follow, bringing everything together nicely. Mouth: of course, it lacks punch, but it’s good, toasty, with cappuccino, roasted nuts, sugarcane juice, then hay and little biscuits. But it drops off rather quickly, unfortunately, veering somewhat towards an entry-level Cuban style. Still, it remains pleasant. Finish: short. Amusingly, the strawberry (in yoghurt or candy form) remains present. Comments: it's really good, but the XO had more personality, if not exactly groove.
SGP:440 - 81 points.

Last attempt with a Mount Gay, this time already from the current owners' period I believe (Rémy)...

Mount Gay ‘Tricentennial Selection’ (43%, OB, Barbados, 2003)

This one seems to fetch ludicrous sums, akin to that of a third-hand Golf. It’s purportedly a blend of vintages 1969, 1974, and 1976, making it about 26 or 27 years old. Never had the chance to taste it before. Colour: amber. Nose: once again, it’s astonishing how an extra 3% changes everything. We used to call it the Laphroaig 10 effect; the 43% version was immeasurably superior to the 40%, as admitted by the distillery manager of the time (sweet Iain). Back to Barbados, it’s lovely, with an obvious kinship to Foursquare (I know the latter is much more recent), seeming like a blend of column and pot still. Wonderful orange blossom water, honeysuckle, sugar cane, muscovado, toasted pistachios, sesame... Let’s hope the palate holds up. Mouth: it does, quite well indeed, remaining fairly tense, sweet but balanced, with sugar cane syrup, honey, and nougat, then crème de menthe. It’s still a light rum, somewhat inoffensive but elegant, with a lovely honeyed quality. Finish: a bit short but sweet, caramelised with honey-roasted peanuts. A tiny hint of salt in the aftertaste. Comments: I forgot, Mount Gay was founded in 1703, hence the tricentenary in 2003. Note, there’s also a ‘1703’ cuvée which is quite good (WF 84).
SGP:541 - 85 points.

Let’s now add a few newer ones, if you please… Let's go back to Madeira then!

William Hinton 3 yo (40%, OB, Madeira, +/-2023)

William Hinton 3 years old bears the name of an Englishman who, in the 19th century, developed the sugar and rum industry in Madeira and built a large distillery. The latter closed its doors in 1986, but the distillery Engenho Novo da Madeira, created 20 years later, took up its column still. Colour: deep gold. Nose: very rich, with a fair amount of molasses, toasted wood, slightly overbaked cakes, roasted nuts, pancake sauce, then plenty of honey and soft liquorice. I also find a lot of maple syrup. Mouth: very sweet (molasses) and marked by syrups, cane and maple. A bit in the style of some Mauritian rums but with a slightly spicier structure in the background. Vanilla and liquorice allsorts, on a base not so light despite the low strength. Finish: quite long, sweet, this time very caramelised. Comments: much better than a version of the 3 yo at 45% which seemed to have been boosted with red wine, but you wouldn't necessarily recognise it as a pure cane juice rum.
SGP:630 - 75 points.

Rhum Hardy ‘VSOP’ (42%, OB, Martinique, agricole, +/-2023)

An old name currently made at Saint James but you can still visit the remains of the old distillerie Hardy (or Habitation Tartane) on the Presqu’île de la Caravelle. Looks like they still harvest canes from the same location. This VSOP is 4 years old. Colour: full gold. Nose: delightfully mentholated and toasted, quite earthy, slightly waxy, very ‘agricole’, developing on yellow flowers, honey, cappuccino, tobacco, and some figs. A slight metallic note that we always enjoy. Then we find more dark nougat. Mouth: absolutely excellent, with a medicinal side (menthol again, eucalyptus) and a sort of lemony liquorice. It almost feels like there’s a touch of Islay whisky, or that the canes were smoked with peat before being pressed. Has anyone tried doing that? We’re not talking about whisky cask finishing, are we? That’s just a shortcut for the lazy. Ahem. Finish: quite long, very lovely. Coffee and caramelised liquorice, mentholated and smoky. Comments: I really like this unusual little agricole.
SGP:562 - 85 points.

Sodade 4 yo ‘Atlântico VO’ (45%, OB, Grogue, Cabo Verde, +/-2023)

We’ve already tried an awesome Sodade 'Botanic Joao' last year (WF 86). We love grogue, it’s made from local sugarcane, like agricole, even if lower quality grogues are said to be made from imported canes. This one comes from local red cane, with a long fermentation using wild yeasts (15 days!) and pot still distillation. The strange finishing in agricole barrels from Martinique (some say in mezcal?) seems a bit odd in this context, but let’s move on. Colour: white wine. Nose: very lovely, oily on the nose, marked by sweet roots (beets, carrots) then sugarcane, buckwheat, small raisins, damp earth, and autumn leaves. A few touches of tobacco and cinnamon too. Mouth: a little salty and vinegary at first, which I like a lot, then olives and seaweed, a touch of mustard, finally sugarcane, tobacco, bitter almonds, orange marmalade, and very dry riesling. A high-level cachaça side. Finish: long, with that magnificent and unusual acidic note and a beautifully earthy/dirty aftertaste. We always love that. Comments: just superb. These grogues should be better known.
SGP:462 - 86 points.

Trois Rivières ‘Rhum Vieux de l’Océan’ (54%, OB, Martinique, agricole, +/-2022)

We tasted a superb multi-vintage last week, so let’s keep the momentum going! In the past, some Trois Rivières have been too woody for me, while others were perfect. Let’s check this truly bizarre, almost frightening bottle… Especially since the reduction from 75% to 54% ABV was done with… sea water. Yes, really. Colour: gold. Nose: round, caramelised, almost sweet. Corn syrup, popcorn, cane syrup, fudge… It’s a wee bit ‘flat’, without particular character, but water might change things. With water: it changes a bit, with fresh paint and putty, but you don’t really get the ‘ocean’. It’s not like a platter of 24 oysters with lots of seaweed, if you know what I mean. Mouth (neat): strong ‘agricole’ presence now, with touches of lavender, bitter oranges, earth, geranium jelly, cinnamon flan… You feel some salt but not at the level of 15% sea water. We’ve all gulped seawater at some point, it’s very different, isn’t it? With water: a bit spicy and very floral (lots of lavender this time), with a gin-like side, juniper, coriander seeds… Finish: long, woody, peppery, earthy, quite ‘agricole’. A certain salinity indeed in the aftertaste. Comments: you feel a bit of salt on your lips, but we’re quite far from the ‘salmiak’ side we expected. It remains a very good rum, of course.
SGP:551 - 83 points.

Since we’ve already tried several Madeirans…

Hampden ‘Madeira 2023’ (63.4%, The Colours of Rum, Jamaica, cask #38, 1500-1600 gr/HLPA, 88 bottles, 2024)

Oh what a fool (I’m talking about myself) I thought it was a Madeira rum. Tasting this little DOK now is like fast-forwarding an old Betamax VCR and reaching the end of the movie too quickly (and accidentally discovering the murderer). Remember? Anyway, its oloroso cousin was magnificent last week (WF 89) and we know Madeira suits rum much better than sherry. Don’t you agree? Colour: partridge eye! It was a red Madeira! Nose: forget it. Twelve litres of acetone, a few drops of ammonia, nail polish (and nail polish remover, while we're at it), Spanish olives, diesel fuel, cider vinegar, brake dust (from a Tesla) … And no red wine so far, but I can’t see how any red wine, even Pétrus or Romanée-Conti, could stand out in this extreme context. With water: the same, plus a touch of mustard. No red Madeira, niente, nada, nichts. Mouth (neat): Hampden DOK. Insane. With water: really very good, perhaps with a bit of cherry liqueur and Szechuan pepper, but the rest is pure DOK. Finish: DOK. Comments: DOK with a touch of cherry.
SGP:463 - 90 points.

Let's get to the bottom of this...

Hampden 1 yo ‘DOK’ (52%, OB, La Maison & Velier, The 8 Marks Collection, Jamaica, ex-bourbon, 20cl, 2024)

From the renowned collection of 8 marks by Hampden, bottled in 20cl. I'm still pondering whether I prefer last year's 'white' version, which was utterly superlative. Please don't read too much into that. Colour: straw. Nose: well, the spirit is so powerful and precise that no cask type could claim to have any influence for, let's say, thirty years. I'm barely exaggerating. With water: sublime varnishes, olive oils, puncture repair glue, and very fermented fruits… Mouth (neat): give it up. Varnish, ultra-rotten plums, carbon, wood glue, etc. With water: but it's so good! Lots of salty liquorice has joined the mix (about 10% salt). Finish: very long, with similar notes, then a more medicinal and bitter aftertaste. Comments: my dear wife tells me it tastes like Williams pear, well I didn’t marry her for her spirits analysis abilities.
SGP:463 - 90 points.

We remind you nonetheless that DOK stands for 'Dermot Owen Kelly-Lawson', the highest ester count at Hampden and in the whole of Jamaica, and perhaps in the entire rum world, not too sure… But let's take a short break before moving on to the next ones…

Isautier 16 yo 2005/2021 (65%, OB, La Réunion, lot #16/17, 502 bottles)

This one’s an agricole Isautier, rather than the more common traditionnel or industriel variant. It spent 1 year in new wood followed by 15 years in refill casks, sometimes referred to as ‘roux’. Quite the opposite approach to what most Scottish distilleries favour these days. Colour: amber. Nose: a bit challenging at first due to the high ABV. Some putty perhaps? With water: opens up nicely with delicate hints of tomato bush, geranium, fresh paint, putty, sesame oil, a touch of formic acid, and lemon oil. Mouth (neat): über-agricole indeed, with notes of mentholated glue, ginseng and turmeric liqueur, bitter herbs, and lavender-scented soap. With water: becomes excellent, revealing samphire, capers, sage, wee bell peppers, tarragon, and more paint. Finish: long and chemical in a splendid way, bursting with grapefruit and lemon skins, including that bitter white pith. Comments: water is absolutely essential for this one. Without it, this high-powered Isautier remains crazy. Utterly awesome.
SGP: 461 – 87 points.

Chichigalpa 2002/2013 (63.1%, L’Esprit, Nicaragua, cask #BB5, 100 bottles) Chichigalpa 2002/2013 (63.1%, L’Esprit, Nicaragua, cask #BB5, 100 bottles)

Chichigalpa 2002/2013 (63.1%, L’Esprit, Nicaragua, cask #BB5, 100 bottles)

I’ve always been keen to try this one, but it has been languishing in a box for quite some time. This happens to many rums at WF Towers, alas, and we deeply regret it. We could really use a week with three Sundays. This should be a Flor de Caña, as I believe there’s only one distillery in the country, so no need to play Hercule Poirot. Colour: gold. Nose: vanilla, vanilla, vanilla, and sunflower oil, with a hint of coconut. Utterly delightful... With water: notes of mandarin juice and a bit of brown sugar. Very inoffensive, yet elegant. It’s always a treat to taste these rums without any additives, isn’t it? Mouth (neat): light structure, plenty of ethanol but also some hay wine (which is very good) and little dried white fruits, like white mulberries. With water: and goji berries. A touch of white tea. Finish: not very long, but I insist, elegant, soft, discreet, and well-mannered. Faint hints of fresh button mushrooms in the aftertaste. Comments: fantastic job bringing this out. I believe it’s well above anything the owners have offered in recent years.
SGP: 441 - 84 points.

Long Pond 17 yo 2006/2023 (60.1%, Zéro Nine Spirits for Clos des Spiritueux, Jamaica, Série Geisha #1, 288 bottles)

One might wonder about the connection with Japan, but does it really matter? Colour: amber. Nose: these Long Ponds perfectly straddle the line between esters (olive, petrol, varnish) and tropical fruits (mango, very ripe banana…). It’s quite magnificent. With water: more varnish, paint, linoleum, dried seaweed, kippers, and a bundle of liquorice straight from Scandinavia (there’s your Jamaica connection, I’m sure) … Mouth (neat): how marvellous these Long Ponds are! The mentholated tobacco aspect is quite spectacular, with salt, pepper, ash, and soot too. It’s rather drying, but in a very lovely way. With water: notes of petrol, olives, and slightly bitter citrus. Finish: very long but turns rather bitter and very herbal. Perhaps not its most charming side. Comments: we were at 90+ until the finish, which was slightly drying and bitter, but that’s quite common.
SGP: 363 - 89 points.

Good, we’re running out of benzine, see you later. Happy 22nd, Whiskyfun.

(Thanks a lot Francesco, Nicolas, and Sebastian!)

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