A few more rums at random


June 2, 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!

A few more rums at random

Just a few rums to recover from all the Islay whiskies de la muerte we just tasted. By the way, we'll be trying more; we still have Bruichladdich, Jura, Kilchoman or Laphroaig to do... And some variants, Port Charlotte, Moine, Staoisha, Lochindaal, and all that. Next Sunday, we should get back to tasting cognacs or armagnacs. Or both, we'll see by then.

Dzama 'Ambré de Nosy Bé' (52%, OB, Madagascar, Prestige, +/-2022)

Madagascan rums have seemingly begun to shed their quaint, retro attire. Colour: white wine. Nose: alcohol is undoubtedly the foremost actor here, particularly at this robust proof. Beyond that, there's scant aromatic strength, yet conversely, few flaws are detected save for this pronounced alcohol presence merely sprinkled with hints of vanillin and bell pepper. With water: it improves, blossoming slightly with notes of geranium and grenadine, followed by touches of liquorice wood. Mouth (neat): there's sugar, cold coffee, pepper liqueur, and clove. It's somewhat burnt; I'm not entirely convinced that this 52% ABV suits it well. With water: the sweetness continues to dominate, creating a rather unpleasant sensation, in my opinion. Finish: medium length. Cane liqueur with dashes of pepper and clove adds to a challenging balance. Comments: oh, how I'd love to adore this humble, countryside rum in its Sunday best. Alas, it's far from my favoured style. There were 'vintage' versions a few years ago that were considerably superior.
SGP:730 - 50 points.

Travellers 15 yo 2006/2021 (61.7%, The Duchess, Belize, cask #6)

8 years of tropical ageing. It's quite recent, this trend of specifying the percentages of ageing time in tropical climates, truly a movement inspired by Velier and its captain Luca, I believe. And Bowmore before that; we remember the old releases that highlighted ageing on Islay. Okay, here we are in Belize... Colour: dark gold. Nose: to be honest, there are some similarities in terms of vanilla, but the resemblances stop there. It's much more aromatic, with a hint of honey-flavoured rooibos, very light metallic touches, orange cake, pistachio financier, cane honey, and coconut... With water: a touch of varnish and greater softness. It feels like being in Cuba. Mouth (neat): a bite linked to the alcohol, sugar cane, a very young eau-de-vie character... One must admit the ethanol dominates once again. Water will help us here. With water: we remain very close to the cane, vanilla, and coconut. Finish: medium length and texture, with plenty of cane syrup. Comments: perhaps a cocktail juice, and in that case, it would make an excellent cocktail. I quite like it, actually.
SGP:640 - 83 points.

Renegade 'Etudes Hope EcoSPIRITS' (46%, OB, Grenada, LMDW, 2023)

You can fill your own bottle, much like the people from Vom Fass used to do in Germany. It's said the sale of bulk spirits through ecoSPIRITS allows for both up to 85% savings in carbon emissions and a 95% reduction in waste from single-use packaging. The spirits are actually housed in 4.5L containers, somewhat looking like wee petrol pumps. So, if you're fond of the spirit, I suppose you could just buy the entire container and take it with you (couldn't you?). After all, it's only a jeroboam. We sampled a version from the 'Hope' terroir for the USA last year, and it was superb at 55% vol. (WF 90). Colour: gold. Nose: the lower ABV hasn't removed that benzine and ultra-ripe bananas character that we adore. I would say it remains in the Franco (agricole) - British (Jamaican) stylistic universe. A few olives, some salmiak, carbon, nutmeg... With water: a touch more varnish and a delightful softness. This time again it feels like a journey to Cuba – I must be needing vacations. Mouth: it has withstood a deeper reduction than the USA version we tasted, although I clearly prefer an ABV of 50/55% for this style. Lovely smoked fish, olives, salted liquorice, overripe (almost rotten) fruits, wet earth, clove-studded oranges, resinous honey... Finish: medium to short, with a hint of tar. Fresh fruits in the aftertaste, almost in the style of a raspberries and strawberries mix but again, ultra-ripe. Comments: I think if we all had 4.5L rum fountains of this type in our living rooms, we'd all be dead within three months. And yet, hope springs eternal (your wordplay is terrible, S.)
SGP:652 - 88 points

Diamond 28 yo 1996/2024 'White Cat' (53.3%, Precious Liquors, Guyana, cask #3)

Precious Liquors presents two aged Demerara rums themed around cats, one white cat and one black cat. I adore their rationale behind this idea, 'because who doesn't love cats.' For once, a humble, totally honest 'story' that isn't as inflated as a Hollywood actress! Colour: light gold. Nose: this is a decidedly light style of Demerara, very gentle, with herbs and soft infusions, a hint of tarte tatin and crème brûlée, and just a few touches of burnt hay. With water: all in softness and lightness. A bit of mint tea with pine nuts. Mouth (neat): really the light style of El Dorado, with notes of orange liqueur and cane syrup. Fruit pastes, especially quince. Not much in the way of esters… With water: truly, all in lightness. Orange liqueur, Earl Grey, vanilla, more cane syrup… Finish: medium length, on the same notes. A bit more esters in the aftertaste but we're far from gasoline boosted with black olives and concentrated miso paste. Comments: not an easy Demerara to analyse, but no doubt a very good base/filler for an old El Dorado.
SGP:652 - 86 points

Enmore 'REV' 29 yo 1994/2024 'Black Cat' (49.2%, Precious Liquors, Guyana, cask #365)

From the old wooden still originally from the Versailles distillery back when it was still at Enmore. Enmore was closed the same year and the still was moved to Uitvlugt, then Diamond. It's worth noting that these details vary greatly depending on the source, and it seems AI is already creating false truths in this matter. What a mess, better check the owners! Colour: rosewood mahogany. Nose: a marvel of resins and pine needles mixed with liquorice, liquid tar, eucalyptus, camphor, and cedarwood. A sublime nose. Mouth: quite incredible, provided a bit of wood doesn't scare you. Liquorice, anise, fir bud liqueur, then prunes, coriander seeds, plenty of juniper, and new rubber. It continues with hints of Jägermeister essence and green Chartreuse, Elixir version. You know, the one that cleans out your insides without fail. Finish: a very grand liqueur, leaning towards a very, very old brandy from Jerez, think at least early century; twentieth century, obviously. Comments: well, as a cat lover, I must mention that WF Towers shelters a black cat that is a marvel of gentleness (P'tit Noir) and an almost white cat that is quite a rascal (a certain Tigrou). But don't draw any conclusions from that…
SGP:573 - 91 points.

A younger one perhaps...

Diamond (Versailles) 20 yo 2003/2023 (56.3%, The Whisky Blues, barrel, cask #78, 204 bottles)

Colour: pale gold. Nose: asparagus and new rubber, then lemons and touches of motor oil. It's precise and concise. With water: fresh mint leaves crushed between your fingers and peanut oil. I lament that peanut oil seems to have fallen out of fashion, under our latitudes, at least. Mouth (neat): more glue, varnish, coconut, and a rather surprising young bourbon character. With water: petrol and quite a bit of bay leaves and orange zest emerge. What's surprising is that the nose was ultra-precise, while the palate is more, let's say, 'a bit creative'. Finish: fairly long, more herbal. Lemon, mint… mojito. Comments: very, very good, of course, just a touch on the sweet side.
SGP:652 - 87 points.

Cambridge 18 yo 2005/2023 'ST-heart-CE' (60%, National Rums of Jamaica, 2,717 bottles)

From Long Pond. Colour: orangey. Nose: absolutely perfect, albeit a bit simple. Wood glue, very ripe papayas, acetone, diesel fuel, slightly aged seashells (you know what I mean), and pepper essence. With water: what we call 'Saturday morning at IKEA' when they've just stocked the latest plywood and chipboard collection. Or maybe Jysk, they say they're IKEA killers. Or a new parcel from Wish, Temu, or Aliexpress, so phthalates and bisphenol galore. Mouth (neat): really very good. Oranges and essence, plus patch glue and acetone again. Perhaps a bit for the masochists, though, as the glue is quite extreme at 60% ABV. With water: brilliant, orange liqueur and glue, plus some salt. Finish: crazy amounts of glue. Hampden is Bacardi in comparison (in terms of glue only). Comments: none of this should be legal, and that's exactly why we love these insane concoctions so much. But beware, 90% to 95% of your guests will hate this.
SGP:474 - 90 points.

Last one…

Caroni 31 yo 1991/2023 (54.1%, The Duchess, Trinidad, cask #6, 136 bottles) Caroni 31 yo 1991/2023 (54.1%, The Duchess, Trinidad, cask #6, 136 bottles)

Caroni 31 yo 1991/2023 (54.1%, The Duchess, Trinidad, cask #6, 136 bottles)

All casks are #6, which is quite intriguing. Is it some kind of infinite finish? Colour: gold. Nose: it's a gentle one, reminiscent of scones, muffins, vanilla cake, nougat, and polenta. This doesn't scream 'Caroni,' I agree, but even this softer side of Caroni is appealing. I mean, was appealing. With water: truly delightful, with notes of hay, a bit of spent engine oil, lanoline, and teak oil… Mouth (neat): indeed, it's all very gentle, but that doesn't stop a bit of nail varnish from making an appearance. Otherwise, we find lemon syrup and olive oil, which is just perfect. By the way, 31 years is quite an age for such a rum. With water: we've found a lovely balance. Imagine truffle olive oil with a bit of tar and rubber, then some grey pepper. That said, our Italian friends say it's stupid (stupido) to put truffles in olive oil, and that it's much better to use more neutral oils. As usual, they're right, but that doesn't stop every trader in the market from selling truffle olive oil. Okay, I digress… Finish: quite long, and amusingly, the Caroni markers assert themselves rather more, especially petrol and coal tar. Comments: one of the very best 'lighter' Caronis I've tasted in recent times. See you for more.
SGP:462 - 89 points.

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