A new range of rums of all kinds


July 14, 2024

A new range of rums of all kinds

We set off on an adventure, noses in the air and minds clear and light (I'm sorry?)

Rhum Island ‘XO’ (45%, OB, Saint-Martin, +/-2023)

This concoction is a blend of rums hailing from Guadeloupe and Marie-Galante, Marie-Galante technically being part of Guadeloupe anyway. The blend’s taking up residence on Saint-Martin. The last distillery on Saint-Martin ceased operations in the early 20th century, and though the northern part of the island was administratively linked to Guadeloupe until 2007, it remains under French sovereignty. This rhum, perhaps a touch too exquisite for a casual apéritif, should demand attention. Colour: full gold. Nose: a harmonious blend featuring stewed peaches intertwined with liquorice and cane honey, complemented by balsa wood, a hint of fudge, a drizzle of olive oil, an earthy, gentian note, praline, nougat, and a dash of crème brûlée – balanced and distinctly Guadeloupean. Mouth: regrettably, a tad too sweet for my palate, almost as if enhanced with syrup. However, this sweetness may well cater to popular taste. Nonetheless, the sugarcane liqueur aspect is somewhat disappointing. Finish: fairly long but, to my dismay, excessively sweet, compelling one to crave gallons of Perrier. This, of course, is merely my personal impression. A syrupy aftertaste lingers. Comments: I did enjoy the nose!
SGP:730 - 65 points.

Tarasque (57%, OB, Maison AL, France, +/-2024)Tarasque (57%, OB, Maison AL, France, +/-2024)

Tarasque (57%, OB, Maison AL, France, +/-2024)

Here we have a molasses-based rhum crafted in mainland France, specifically the southwest, and matured in Muscat de Rivesaltes casks. It's always a bit of a surprise to see rhums produced in regions where there's nary a sugar cane in sight (much like Islay, ha!), but this phenomenon isn't uncommon in the Caribbean either, making the concept of terroir rather relative. The muscat, however, is indeed local (in the broad sense). Colour: straw. Nose: it's quite amusing! Notes of olive oil, a hint of cider vinegar, diesel fuel, capers, a touch of fermented apple, natural liquorice, freshly cut plywood, a bit of carbon dust... In short, it's unmistakably rhum. With water: the muscat remains discreet (thankfully) and we venture towards brake dust and even more olive oil. Mouth (neat): oily character, salty liquorice, very green olive oil, a bit of seawater, cider apple, and spicy hints... With water: a touch of glue – quite enjoyable – and a sort of olive oil seasoned with liquorice and sea salt. Perhaps a bit of muscat in the aftertaste. Finish: fairly long but with a rather light structure. Lemon in the aftertaste. Comments: I find this very good, unique, well-crafted, and surprising.
SGP:462 - 85 points.

Isautier 7 yo (40%, OB, La Réunion, +/-2022)

This is a traditionel rhum, not agricole, so it’s derived from molasses and aged in ex-French oak. Colour: white wine. Nose: lovely, with notes of sesame oil, nougat, hints of green asparagus and white tea, pine nuts, vanilla, and toasted brioche... Quite impressive for a modest 40%. However, it's amusing when distillers proclaim exceptional spirits and then label them at 40% vol. It's like calling a Diesel Golf a Grand Prix car. Mouth: good but light, somewhat thin, which is a pity. Sweet touches of orange liqueur, vanilla, a bit of sweetened black tea, and a tiny hint of menthol... Finish: short, with a bit of fresh wood emerging. Slightly sweet aftertaste. Comments: far from the excellent cask strength versions of last year. A young, loyal, honest rhum though, with a very pleasant nose nonetheless.
SGP:630 - 75 points.

Since we’re in la Réunion…

Île de la Réunion 6 yo 2017/2024 (60%, Rasta Morris, cask #RM033)

One might surmise, without any concrete evidence, that this is from Savanna. Colour: full gold. Nose: new baskets, rubber boots, and salted and lemony mangoes? That seems about right. With water: vegetable juice, liquorice wood, lemon zest, wood varnish, tapenade, anchovies, and a hint of black garlic. Superb style, both rich and taut. It's grand arôme, I suppose. Mouth (neat): wonderful smoked and candied lemon, kumquats, lime juice, petrol, and an abundance of orange zest. About twelve tonnes, give or take. With water: a perfect blend of olive oil, oranges, and multi-flower honey. It's the magic triangle, or at least one of them. Finish: long and even more on various citrus fruits, without ever losing the petrol notes. Comments: a grandiose young Réunionnais that’s passed through Belgium. The Belgians, again!
SGP:662 - 90 points.

We'll let it rest a bit. Right, let's move on to the Cubans while there's still time… I mean, before we tackle the Jamaicans and compadres.

Cuban Rum 30 yo 1993/2024 (49.7%, Chapter 7, Spirit Library, 313 bottles)

One can't be quite certain where all these delightful old Cubans that have surfaced in the past year or two are coming from. Colour: full gold. Nose: a tad light at first, but the herbs emerge from the wood one by one, starting with dill, then parsley, Thai basil, sweet woodruff, and coriander… Then comes the café latte, tobacco (not necessarily Cuban puros), and sweet liquorice. Following that, root vegetables make an appearance, celery, wild carrots, black radish, and porcini powder… It’s really quite charming, complex, and most importantly, in its natural state, without any apparent tinkering. Mouth: a delight, not as light as the nose suggests, with more oranges, cinnamon, crème caramel, again café latte, then indeed those herbs, this time dominated by liquorice and lemon. A hint of lemon balm. Finish: medium in length but very elegant, dominated by fresh small citrus fruits and an aftertaste of cane juice and roasted pecan. Even a touch of petrol. Comments: could it be from San José? In any case, it’s absolutely adorable.
SGP:551 - 90 points.

Trois Rivières 2006-2014-2016/2023 ‘Triple Millésime’ (42%, OB, Martinique, agricole)

I’m a bit sceptical about this 'triple millésime' concept; it's something any distiller might do, but in Scotland, for instance, you can no longer mention the vintages, only the age of the youngest component. So, this would be a 6 or a 7-year-old. Colour: full gold. Nose: actually, it’s quite lovely, with cedarwood, sweet liquorice, ylang-ylang, iris, and freshly crushed mint leaves. Add touches of cinnamon, ginger, pink pepper, and turmeric. Very fragrant. Mouth: the lower ABV works well here as the spirit is very aromatic. Pineapple, mango, then all the notes found on the nose, with a slight earthy quality that is always appealing. Finish: medium length, with salted liquorice taking control. Comments: it’s honestly very, very good.
SGP:562 - 86 points.

Let's move on to the wilder ones...

Clarendon Estate 19 yo 2004/2024 ‘EMB’ (59.8%, DNC by Precious Liquors, Jamaica, cask #5)

All right, this needs explanations. The marque EMB indicates rather low ester content, around 200 gr/HLPA, while DNC stands for Do Not Collect. What’s more, this one was aged in the British Isles (is Jamaica a British Isle? I think not…) Colour: pale white wine. Nose: it’s pretty new-makey but I find it brilliant to discover pears and cherries in an old Jamaican. Especially these cherries and their stones that lead us towards almonds and varnish. Huge cherries! With water: new rubber, boots, trainers, cheap kitchen devices straight from Aldi’s or Temu, etc. Mouth (neat): oh, great fun! Kirsch, Williams pear spirit, varnish, yuzu, radishes. With water: heading towards malt whisky! Think pure Highland Park when no crazy wood interferes. Finish: not that long but perfectly varnishy. The cherries remain present. Comments: of great simplicity in concept and perfect precision. In short, the opposite of a Rolex. Ha.
SGP:562 - 88 points.

Hampden 12 yo 2010/2022 ‘C<>H’ (63%, Velier, Jamaica, cask #17, 246 bottles)

Fully aged at the distillery and notably ‘robot free’ according to Velier. Are robots really taking jobs and ruining families? Perhaps. Anyway, C<>H refers to an ester content of 1300-1400 gr ester/HLPA. Colour: deep gold. Nose: an intriguing array of burning tyres, burning rubber boots, brand new UHU glue, freshly sawn MDF, intense black olives, and sharp vinegar. With water: a bouquet of fresh paint, fresh plywood, new wellies, and ashes - not as extreme as first thought. Mouth (neat): I hate it that I love it. Grapefruit juice with a smoky edge, like it's been wafted with the exhaust of an old Porsche, mad kirschwasser, and seafood left from last week. Even Bayer AG wouldn’t dare to produce this much ammonia. With water: a tidal wave of salinity, rotting fruits, vinegars, offbeat natural wines, glues, and varnishes. Finish: it seemingly never ends, like an old diesel engine with self-ignition. Comments: as I said, I hate it that I love this.
SGP:563 - 91 points.

Dring dring, last one…

Hampden ‘Oloroso 2023’ (63.4%, The Colours of Rum, Jamaica, cask #18, 1500-1600 gr/HLPA, 323 bottles, 2024)

An ultra-young DOK, not even a year old. Let’s see if the oloroso has anything to tell us in this extreme context. Colour: deep gold. Nose: I get it. If you're going to go for a 'paille' or 'reposado' style, you might as well use ultra-active casks, as long as you don't end up with too much wood influence. That's not the case here, the DOK shines through, but the green walnuts of the oloroso seem to mingle and even... invite it to dance a tango. It’s quite amusing but, to be honest, it remains an extreme Hampden. The Hell’s Angels of rum. With water: seawater, clams, barnacles, anchovies, and boat varnish. Mouth (neat): sublimely salty, giving the impression they’ve distilled salty liquorice steeped in ultra-dry oloroso. You’d have to be mad. The fruits are jostling in the background, but this ultimate liquorice paired with fresh walnut is holding them back for now. With water: hyper-salty, hyper-tarry, full-on rubber and brine... It’s perfect. Finish: very long but extremely salty. Could the oloroso have come from the seaside? Sanlúcar? Comments: almost impossible to score, it’s totally love it or hate it, one again. Not easy following the magnificent Velier, but it does stand proudly.
SGP:463 - 89 points.

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