Just a few more rums


April 7, 2024

Just a few more rums

Renegade Distillery, Grenada (Renegade Cane Rum)

And to start off with an aperitif, whilst giving a strong thought to Haiti...

Barbancourt 4 yo *** (40%, OB, Haiti, +/-2023)

Pure cane juice and ex-column. An earlier expression, ten years ago, had been a little light but we've heard good things about recent bottlings. With heartfelt thoughts for Haiti, I hope that all the distillers won't have too much trouble. I believe in the old days, Barbancourt used to be batch-distilled in pot stills, but I think that's no longer the case indeed. Colour: gold. Nose: it's light and a bit herbal, with slight metallic hints, leaves, bagasse, a touch of spicy vanilla... It is quite low on aromatics, overall. Palate: always very light, always a bit herbal, with a very small hint of coconut milk in the background. Finish: short and light. Liquorice and banana peel in the aftertaste. Comments: the older Barbancourts are of a much superior level. It's not bad at all, but I doubt this ultra-light expression is meant to be savoured neat. At least, it's not adulterated to death – in fact, it's not adulterated at all.
SGP:230 - 75 points.

Belizean Blue 'Signature Blend' (40%, OB, Belize, 2023)

This one is produced entirely by Travellers Liquors, so it is some Travellers. Molasses, ex-column. Colour: light gold. Nose: a style pretty much similar to that of the Barbancourt, that is to say, light, grassy, leafy, with minimal coconut and vanilla, although it would get more aromatic after five minutes, with a drop of banana liqueur and a pleasant cane-iness. Mouth: once again, similar, just with a little more cane juice, banana and coconut. But it is some very light rum, what's good is that just like the Barbancourt, it hasn't been made-up with whacky substances. In short, it feels authentic. Finish: medium, fruity and even a little liqueury, but not sugared-up. Banana, coconut, vanilla. Comments: agreeable light rum from Belize but naturally, most Travellers are in a whole different league.
SGP:430 - 76 points.

Renegade 'Hope - Swimming Pool' (55%, OB, for USA, Grenada, MicrOrigin, 2023)

Pure cane juice (variety Lodger) from a single farm (Hope) and a single field called 'Swimming Pool', distilled in pot and retorts stills. Doesn't this one tick all the boxes? It's still young, around two years. Colour: full gold. Nose: total cane juice, diesel oil, rotting pineapple, black olives, then touches of mustard and horseradish. Awesome whiffs of Pattex glue, too. With water: some damp potting soil, banana skins, kelp, a touch of spruce sap… Mouth (neat): it reminds me of a blend of a Guadeloupean with a Jamaican, really. Has anyone ever done that? Let's say young Bielle and Hampden, 2/3 - 1/3, not too shabby, right? The olives are back, fresh sugarcane, a bit of tar, burnt fruits, clementines, very ripe strawberries... With water: it's the saltiness that emerges. Be careful, don't add too much water, it can break down these young rums. Finish: very long, leaning towards glue, olives, tar, sea water, lime juice... Comments: one might think it would also make a superb daiquiri but of course, it would be the ultimate scandal to waste such a juice like that.
SGP:563 - 90 points.

Foursquare 15 yo 2006/2022 (61.5%, The Colours of Rum, Barbados, cask #9, 244 bottles)

Aged 14 years in the tropics, so I suppose this would qualify as 'tropical aging'. Colour: amber. Nose: it's very much on caramel and cane syrup, flambéed bananas, roasted peanuts, and, well, ethanol. That's normal for this strength. With water: these herbs, pressed sugarcane, dried pear, coconut, gorse... Mouth (neat): very fresh, strongly on blood oranges, clemencello (limoncello made with clementines), candied citron... With water: damp earth, one olive, liquorice wood. Finish: long, smooth, with more coconut, more on the 'column' side than the 'pot still' side. The joys of single blends... Comments: these magnificent citrus flavours in the mouth make one want to savour this baby without water, but that could become lethal.
SGP:651 - 89 points.

Let's stay in Barbados…

Barbados 22 yo 2000/2023 'MG' (51.9%, Malt Grain & Cane, bourbon barrel, cask #43, 234 bottles)

Six years in the tropics, the rest in Europe. The marque 'MG' may give it away, this should be Mount Gay. Colour: gold. Nose: great fun here, this is very different from anything else, with massive pears poached in sweet wine and caramel, melted butter, pecan pie… Cooked pears and liquid caramel, that's purely a sin. With water: just more of those stunning buttered pears, plus honey-roasted sliced almonds. Mouth (neat): more pears, fudge, nut brittle, salted caramel, salted liquorice… With water: just more of the same, which is great news. Finish: rather long, a little more herbaceous. Comments: great surprise, we love surprises. I'm not sure I ever found this many stewed and poached pears in any rum.
SGP:651 - 89 points.

Rum J.M 7 yo 2015/2023 (55.2%, OB, La Maison du Whisky, Martinique, New Vibrations, cask #150305, 261 bottles)

These J.Ms are usually superb, even if some recent bottlings have been a little heavy on oak for this little taster. Wood technology, you know. Let's see… Colour: red amber. Nose: sweet oak spices indeed, towards yellow chartreuse and, once again, stewed Williams pears and apricots. Southern Comfort (I know). Quite some liquid caramel, fudge, figs, touches of pinewood… With water: more wood spices, mulled white wine, Xmas spices (I know we're late – or early?) Mouth (neat): stewed, sweet, spicy. Cedarwood, cinnamon, orange zests (orangettes), woodruff liqueur, old genever… With water: touches of lavender and some curious notes of fresh mushrooms. Chocolate truffles. Finish: rather long, still pretty cask-driven, but it was great cask (or parcel). Comments: very contemporary J.M.
SGP:651 - 87 points.

HMPDN 2012/2023 'Pop' (59.1%, Swell de Spirits for Intercaves, Jamaica, second-fill bourbon cask, 310 bottles)

Intercaves is an excellent network of wine and spirit retailers here in France. This is a low-ester HMPDN – but is there any real low-ester HMPDN? Colour: pale gold. Nose: it is, indeed, pretty 'low-ester-count', which means that beyond the diesel oil, carbon dust and tiny olives, you'll find more flowers and soft fruits, plantains, perhaps even a little manioc. With water: carbon paper. Who remembers carbon paper? Some ink too, new magazine… Mouth (neat): firmer, tighter, more estery on the palate. Olives, varnish, rotting oranges, lemon zests, some tar, some liquorice… You could think it's a neighbour but indeed, it remains very Jamaican, and we're not talking Appleton. Right. With water: salt, olives, anchovies, tar. Nature will out. Finish: long zesty, salty. Anchovies in brine, olive oil and lemon juice. Comments: an admirable finish, with quite a sublime freshness. That's what we call 'moreish'.
SGP:562 - 89 points.

Uitvlugt 31 yo 1991/2023 'Time Travel' (59.25%, Jack Tar, Guyana, cask #32)

A new prestige rum offered by our Polish friends from Jack Tar. One wonders if this old Uitvlugt would pair well with Pierogi (I prefer them steamed rather than fried, it must be said). Colour: gold. Nose: incredible, light, almost ethereal, but without the slightest weakness. Sublime flowers (honeysuckle, acacia) and white peaches, plus little flat oysters and old paints and varnishes. This nose is of great beauty. With water: incredible salty and windy tension (yes). We are right in the middle of the ocean. Palate (neat): we are in the territory of the great Islay malts, especially Caol Ila of similar vintages. Absolute freshness, oils and unguents, oil paint, turpentine, candied lemon, shellfish, langoustines, samphire, seaweed... But it is beautiful! With water: everything converges and all molecules unite to become one. Only the greatest spirits achieve such 'oneness'. Finish: alas. Comments: have you ever felt like marrying a bottle of rum or whisky (or cognac or armagnac)?
SGP:463 - 93 points.

What could you taste and savour after that ultimate beauty? Perhaps this…

Enmore 31 yo 1990/2022 (58.4%, Rum Sponge, Guyana, 244 bottles)

AWAITING DILIGENT VERIFICATION
Enmore 31 yo 1990/2022 (58.4%, Rum Sponge, Guyana, 244 bottles)

We had tasted a more recent Enmore 1990 by the 'sponge' last year, it was superb (53.6%, WF 91). Indeed, we're doing everything backwards… Colour: reddish amber. Nose: Cuban cigars, very black soil, liquid tar, liquorice, chen-pi, garden compost… That speaks volumes too. With water: incense and cedarwood, plus some dried fruits. Dates wrapped in ham. Mouth (neat): unbelievable earth and fermented fruits, tons of pipe tobacco, a huge amount of salty liquorice, black olives, kerosene (rather a kerosene feel, we agree)… It's superb. With water: absolute liquorice beauty. Finish: long, salty, sublime, powerful, incredible. Comments: the prices of these magnificent old rums remain indecently low when you think whisky. I think it's due to the internet; to social media, and to the plateauing or even decline in the IQ of the world's populations, now widely documented (yes, including ours, my dear friend).
SGP:563 - 93 points.

Shall we have one last little try?...

Guyanese Rum 29 yo 1991/2021 (58.6%, Scotch Malt Whisky Society, Guyana, 1st Fill Bourbon barrel, #R14.1, 'Papaya The Sailor', 172 bottles)

This is Uitvlugt again, so the wooden double-column still if I'm not mistaken. Colour: gold. Nose: but yes, it's very beautiful. This time we have parsley, sage, asparagus, liquorice, very ripe banana and oil... But no papaya for the moment. With water: polish and paraffin, as well as banana peel. Mouth (neat): immense, ultra-powerful, spicy, with fruit brandies of all kinds and grass juice. This brandy-like aspect makes it less convincing than its predecessors in this session. With water: salty touches but quite a light structure, a thousand miles away from the robust 1991 from Jack Tar. Finish: medium length, a little fruitier. Green tea and, indeed, perhaps a bit of papaya. Comments: a very pretty old Uitvlugt, perhaps a little light and fragile. One would perhaps need to know about its mark.
SGP:461 - 86 points.

We stop here, okay?

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