Just a few more rums


April 14, 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!

Just a few more rums

Cannes

Portion of a press advert for Saint James, late 1970s. Rather witty play
on words about the Cannes Film Festival (canes = cannes in French).

We'll try to find one or two more serious aperitifs than in the past. Other than that, as usual, it's going to be a happy mix, there are so many rums at Château WF these days!

Six Saints Caribbean Rum (41.7%, OB, Grenada, +/-2022)

Six Saints, that's not me and five chums, mind you. This one's said to stem from Clarke's Court Distillery, where they seem to have been distilling imported molasses since their own sugar factory had been mothballed. We already tried Six saints around nine years ago and found it very okay. Colour: pale gold. Nose: pretty light, light-Cuban style but with a little more fatness, even small whiffs of petrol, paraffin oil, lamp oil… Then vanilla, banana foam, and less sugary elements than I remembered. Which is good. Mouth: good salty arrival, some salted liquorice, some brine, gherkins, olives… Then indeed vanilla again. Don't get me wrong, it's neither a Jamaican (nor Renegade) but there seems to be some 'stuff' behind it. Do they use small muck pits? Finish: short, that's the weaker spot. Touches of salted liquorice. Comments: way above average, for sure.
SGP:452 - 80 points.

Montebello 5 yo (42%, OB, Guadeloupe, agricole, +/-2015)

Fresh cane juice in colonne créole, aged on location and so straight from distillerie Carrère in Petit-Bourg. Loved these old liveries, now Montebello's always felt a little 'strange' in my book, a little whacky, ambivalent... But remember I'm a simple whisky guy. Colour: straw. Nose: oh no, wait, it's very pretty, extremely salty, coastal, tar-like, very slightly vinegary (superb), with hints of yellow curry and plants and flowers in the background. Wood coriander, jasmine, tiaré… A rather splendid liquorice then emerges. Mouth: it's more unusual, oily, with a very pronounced sweet-salty and phenolic side. Some kind of boiled pineapple in liquorice juice and seawater, if that were possible. I hope not! Also, thing of ink and tar again, while the 42% ABV seems a bit light. Was there a 60% ABV version? Finish: medium, salty liquorice, slightly acidic. A sense of salted grapefruit juice in the aftertaste. Comments: I'm sure we'll come across a great Montebello sooner or later.
SGP:542 - 84 points.

C.A.D.C. SA 16 yo 2005/2021 (57.1%, Watt Rum, Venezuela)

That's the Corporacion Alcoholes Del Caraibos, a.k.a. CACSA, makers of Ron Canaveral. They have the DOC Ron de Venezuela. It's always interesting to taste these South American rums from independent bottlers; they often bear no resemblance to the overly sweet juices typically found in official bottles. Colour: amber gold. Nose: caramel, nougat, vanilla, bourbon. It really has a bourbon aspect, but water can change things. With water: even more nougat and vanilla, fudge, a bit of fresh cane and orange sponge cake. Mouth (neat): nice, strong, with candied orange, and a saline and very slightly oily side. But it burns your throat a little... With water: softer but still maintains its salty edge and even a bit of earthiness. Finish: not very long, it remains a light rum at its core. Comments: I think this is the most one can extract from these light rums that likely come from undoubtedly immense columns.
SGP:540 - 82 points.

Saint James 2001/2021 'Les Ephémères' (55.2%, OB, Martinique, agricole, 3,500 bottles)

Given the usual quality of these Saint James rums, it goes without saying that they are generally very, very 'ephemeral' indeed, if you catch my drift. Colour: copper amber. Nose: so typical! Cedar and rosewood, roasted peaches and almonds, peonies, liquorice, quince jelly... It's superb and especially very elegant. With water: incense, sandalwood, cigarette tobacco (Craven 'A')… Mouth: the wood is very pronounced here, with a lot of pine resin and strong liquorice, I imagine water will relax all this without spoiling it either. With water: yes, it works, we are still very strong (and modest). It's the damp earth that comes to the fore, mushrooms and citrus, medlars, softened cedar wood, also soft paprika… Finish: long, more on cloves, very dark chocolate and coffee beans. Still this very nice earthy side in the aftertaste, and even fresh morels (be careful, just a small bit, it can be toxic). Comments: that was a close call. A good pipette is mandatory.
SGP:561 - 90 points.

Diamond 26 yo 1996/2023 (50.2%, Distilia, The Golden Age of Piracy, Guyana, cask #5, 156 bottles)

Ever heard of that fine fellow, Captain Benjamin Hornigold? Colour: gold. Nose: This is a particularly soft Diamond on the nose, leaning more towards hay, chamomile, herbal teas, roasted chestnut, rooibos, white chocolate, and even fresh cane juice. Diesel and strong glue enthusiasts, move along! With water: little change, lots of sweetness, plenty of sugarcane... Mouth (neat): yes, a gentle Diamond, heavily on mandarin and cane juice. Just a tiny hint of brine way back on the palate. With water: it remains sweet, even though the Diamond DNA comes through a bit (liquorice, tar, brine, varnish, acetone). Finish: similar. Good length, nonetheless. Comments: a very intriguing Diamond and in that sense, probably a bit of a pirate, indeed.
SGP:551 - 87 points.

Enmore Versailles 29 yo 1994/2023 (45.8%, The Colours of Rum, Guyana, cask #27, 157 bottles)

This single wooden pot still (REV marque) has a dark copper colour. Nose: It's like very, very high-quality oolong tea, and that's it. I'm not kidding. Okay, there are a few tiny hints of liquorice, fresh paint, soy sauce, and walnut stain in the background. Mouth: but how delicious it is! Here we are on anchovies marinated in liquorice and wood varnish, or thereabouts. And then there's mint, myrtle, eucalyptus, a touch of ammonia, oysters... The freshness is exceptional, despite it being 29 years old. And that medicinal aspect, what a wonder, I'm sure it cures everything. Finish: long, very mentholated, with a return of the oolong tea and damp black earth. More pepper at the very end. Comments: tremendous but we need to wake up. Once it's gone, it's gone.
SGP:563 - 92 points.

Last Ward 16 yo 2007/2023 (60%, Velier, Barbados, bourbon)

This is triple-distilled pot still rum from Mount Gay, as I understand it (discontinued distillation). We've had a pretty phenolic Mount Gay the other day. This one from no less than thirteen barrels, aged in the tropics. Colour: copper. Nose: highly floral and honeyed, with great elegance, featuring notes of roasted pecan nuts and varnish, and even plywood (and we like it!). Then comes a greater abundance of tropical fruits, very ripe mangoes (beware), and bananas no less ripe... All this is really quite beautiful and spiritual; there are even notes of church candles. If that's not proof! With water: a lot of black tea. Mouth (neat): very powerful, very beautiful, but heavily marked by cedarwood, wood glue, sandalwood. I would go as far as to say it's not really drinkable at this strength. With water: ah yes, there we go, oranges, fresh mint, olive oil, and honey. That's a magical combination if the proportions are right, as they are here. Finish: very long, quite woody. Comments: tropical aging seems to have boosted the woodiness, as often happens, but the master blender has managed to achieve a rather balanced presentation. It's excellent if you don't mind a bit of wood.
SGP:561 - 90 points.

Bielle 2015/2023 (53.8%, Salon du Rhum Belgique, Guadeloupe, cask #120, 252 bottles)

Let's take the opportunity to slip in a young Bielle that we should have tasted rather a long time ago. Colour: gold. Nose: Bielle has a truly unique style, with a kind of spicy minerality, a mix between cumin and wet limestone tinged with basalt and candied sugar. With water: similar, but with darker honey and equally dark molasses. Mouth (neat): it's the cumin and bitter orange that take centre stage, followed by some metallic notes (copper) and grapefruit marmalade. A slight hint of slightly salty orange chutney. With water: orange, cumin, seawater, curry. Finish: quite long, spicy, saline, slightly mentholated. Comments: a Bielle with a bit of a candied aspect, perhaps a bit more mainstream than others. Very, very good, of course…
SGP:651 - 87 points.

Ring-ring, a last rum for this Sunday, please...

Long Pond 7 yo 2015/2023 (62.2%, The Whisky Jury, Jamaica, refill barrel, cask #1, 259 bottles)

500-700 gr. esters/LPA here, that's pretty hefty. Remember nothing is linear in life… (what?) Colour: light gold. Nose: right, diesel oil, crushed barley/grist, cider vinegar (a drop), acetone (a drop), ammonia (a drop), plus several fruits about to rot, especially bananas. Just a perfect nose, with an impeccable 'mechanical freshness'. With water: indeed, an old engine just back from the factory, plus twelve big fat oysters. Mouth (neat): it is immensely good; the age does not matter. Remember, with any spirits, ages do no matter as long as you know them. What's always stinkingly nasty is to hide them when they're young, just to protect the price. This palate is wonderful, with salty lemons, varnishes, seawater, tar, liquorice, and if we must, 'engine oil'. With water: a little more towards lime juice and seawater. Finish: very long, on peppery and limey tar. Burns you a wee bit, even at +/-45% vol. Comments: very impressive young Long Pond, I'm not sure I knew they could be so good at such young age. But then again, it's the Whisky Jury.
SGP:562 - 90 points.

Hasta luego!

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