Malternatives, big rums, big guns


August 18, 2024

Malternatives: big rums, big guns

Until yesterday, it was always a bit too warm to enjoy some old cognacs or armagnacs, so we'll stick with rum this Sunday. First, our usual little apéritif.

#freepaulwatson #seashepherd

FRC 5 yo ‘Caribbean Rum from Barbados and Jamaica’ (40%, FRC, blend, +/-2023)

They mentions a ‘dosage’ of 17g/l sugar, which amounts to about three sugar cubes, so still more than five times less than in Coca-Cola. I’m not entirely convinced that ‘dosage’ is the most fitting term here, as it's typically associated with champagne (liqueur de dosage), and while ultra-brut champagnes, which contain no dosage, are currently in vogue. Colour: gold. Nose: it’s sweet, leaning towards almond cream, orgeat, orange liqueur, followed by orange blossom brioche and hints of paraffin. I suspect the smoky almond note comes from the Jamaican part of the blend. It’s a very lovely nose. Mouth: the ‘dosage’ is quite apparent, with cane sugar, triple sec, and almond liqueur... Personally, I struggle with this style, but I can’t deny it’s well crafted. Now it’s almost impossible for me to drink this type of spirit without ice. That said, I imagine that was precisely the intention here. Finish: medium length, sweet, with a touch of bagasse on the finish. Comments: in fact, this is far from the overly sweetened rums or mainstream spirituous drinks (Diplo, D. Papa, Zac, Bumbu, and other such bombs), so we’ll remain quite sensible with our modest score.
SGP: 831 - 80 points.

Ecuador 8 yo 2015/2024 (47.2%, FRC, supporting Sea Shepherd, 100% Pot Still, medium toast American oak)

Well, since this rum supports Paul Watson and Sea Shepherd in their fight against the horrific business of fishing and trading endangered species (whales, rorquals), let’s go ahead and add an extra 20 points at the end! I do hope Mr. Watson is freed soon. Colour: gold. Nose: I shouldn’t have written that, now you’ll think I’m inflating my comments, which I absolutely am not. Lovely whiffs of dried flowers, cherry stem tea, then curiously Provençal touches (pastis and tapenade) and notes of fresh paint and varnish. Liquorice and mint (we call that a perroquet, pastis with mint). I imagine this is one of those Romero rums. Mouth: very nice, vegetal and complex, with a Guadeloupean side, lime, some petrol notes, more liquorice, and even a hint of absinthe. It’s quite surprising, far from most South American rums, certainly tauter. Very good. Finish: long, on grapefruit, pepper, and a salty touch. The aftertaste is rather ester-heavy, with a bit of green wood too. Comments: for me, this is worth 105 points! Alright, we’ll have to take off the 20 extra points I mentioned.
SGP: 562 - 85 points.

Nicaragua Rum 24 yo 1998/2023 (50.8%, Whisky Concerto, Op. 9, refill American oak, cask #15, 160 bottles)

These babies are generally Flor de Caña with quite a bit more oomph. Colour: gold. Nose: this remains a rather light rum in terms of texture, quite delicate even, mostly dominated by milk chocolate, coconut, cane honey, and maple syrup… But actually, it’s rather charming; we don’t always need rums that smell primarily of crude oil from the North Sea, do we? A little Nutella side as well. With water: cappuccino, cane juice, custard, and nougat. Mouth (neat): very lovely oranges, chocolate, Jaffa cakes, honey, fudge, millionaire’s shortbread—in short, all those dangerously delicious things they sell you in Scottish airports. You know the drill. With water: a bit more herbaceous, but I’m not sure water is needed here, this rum is better at its bottled strength. Finish: medium length, this time with more tropical fruits. Ripe banana and cane honey. Comments: undeniably at the top of this style (which isn’t my favourite, but to each their own).
SGP: 640 - 85 points.

Foursquare 16 yo 2007/2023 (61.7%, Maltbarn, Barbados, bourbon cask, 257 bottles)

We’re always on the lookout for Foursquare’s ‘pure pot still,’ aren’t we... Could this be one of them? Colour: deep gold. Nose: this one bursts with marzipan and fresh varnish. At this strength, that’s pretty much all there is, but no complaints here, we love marzipan and varnish. With water: still plenty of varnish, but pine needles and cones have replaced the marzipan. Cigar box, thuja wood, cedar wood... Mouth (neat): orange blossom honey, cane syrup, triple sec, varnish. Full-on. This isn’t a pure pot still Foursquare. With water: it turns creamy, with cane sugar, oranges, and lightly spiced honey (Christmas honey). Finish: quite long, but with a light texture, indicating the presence of a good amount of ‘highish column’ rum. Cane syrup and soft spices. Comments: I don’t think I’ve tasted a Foursquare I didn’t enjoy this millennium.
SGP: 641 - 87 points.

Fiji 14 yo 2009/2024 (65%, FRC, supporting Sea Shepherd, 100% Pot Still, rum cask matured, 206 bottles)

Magnificent label by the Flensburg Rum Company (FRC, got it). It’s certainly good news that this rum spent its life in a rum cask, avoiding any unnatural alliances this time. Or, to put it very bluntly, none of those ‘silly casks’. Colour: white wine. Nose: I immensely regret the first time I tasted one of these rums from the South Pacific Distillery. Ah, if only such surprises could happen again! Incredible nose, full of turpentine, olive oil, seawater, diesel fumes, and carbon dust. Very ‘high ester’. With water: seawater, olive oil, anchovies in brine, lime, rubber boots. Mouth (neat): beware, at 65% ABV, this one splits you in two. Grapefruit, salmiak, seawater, varnish, glue, acetone. With water: extraordinary, I’m loving these Fijians more and more. Sublime salty liquorice. Finish: very long. Tropical fruits start peeking through. Comments: I wish the French had shared their Olympic rugby gold medal with the Fijians. They could have then experimented with Fijian rum + Armagnac blends—I doubt anyone would’ve complained. Well, anyway... I absolutely love these ‘clear line’ rums.
SGP: 653 - 91 points.

Hmpdn 11 yo 2012/2024 (57.5%, Spiritori, Jamaica, bourbon, cask #8, 163 bottles)

It’s quite interesting to have this little Hampden after the South Pacific, as it really highlights the similarities and differences. Colour: gold. Nose: this Hampden is more acetic, more vinegary, more vegetal, and less mineral, likely even saltier, more maritime, and Ardbeggian. Tar, oysters, and seaweed. Well well well… With water: fresh linoleum, bits from an Ikea shop’s backyard, fresh tar, new faux leather… Mouth (neat): much closer to the Fijian in style. After all, the bird's-eye distance between the two locations is only about 12,000 kilometres. Magnificent Hampden, slightly mustardy, probably not a very ‘high’ mark. A little hint of strawberry, not unusual in some... Ardbegs. With water: truly one of the world’s great spirits. Salt, tar, black pepper, lime, black olives… and so on and so on. Finish: very long, very peppery, not very easy, but that’s part of the fun. Cardamom. Comments: it’s impossible to give a different score than that of the Fijian. I love that slightly ‘tough boy’ side, which will make some of your guests give up, leaving more for you in the end. Clever bee.
SGP: 563 - 91 points.

One last one, but it's impossible to leave Jamaica...

Clarendon 2010/2022 (67.2%, Malt Grain & Cane, Jamaica, ‘Qin, Nian, Youth’, bourbon barrel, cask #433012, 249 bottles)

I must say, likely another assassination attempt via DHL seems apparent. That said, I absolutely adore the quote from the Polish poet Stanis?aw Jerzy Lec on the label: ‘Youth is the gift of nature, but age is a work of art.’ It resonates with me perfectly, modesty aside (that’s right). Matured for 8 years in the tropics and 3.5 years in Europe. Colour: gold. Nose: it’s completely balanced, despite the hefty 67% vol.! Pear, mango, passion fruit, bananas, with the faintest hint of liquorice and caramel. It doesn’t seem like a ‘high-ester’ rum at this point, but then again, Clarendon/Monymusk doesn’t usually go beyond 600-700 gr/HLPA, compared to Hampden, New Yarmouth, and Long Pond, where the maximum reaches 1,700, just to give you an idea. Plenty of liquorice here. With water: it becomes quite herbal. Pine wood, grass, soapwort, shampoo. Mouth (neat): magical. Olives, varnish, liquorice, tangerine, concentrated lime juice, pink peppercorns, and… 67% ethanol. Utter madness. Adding water: nailed it! It doesn’t fall apart at all at around 45% vol. (give or take), but instead becomes resinous, with pine, pine nuts, green chartreuse, lime zest… But this isn’t a tasting, it’s a battle. Finish: long and, curiously, increasingly easy. Well, in a way. Lime, sage, tarragon, fino, ashes. Aftertaste: sharp and resinous. Comments: I find these rums increasingly intrusive, but I’m not complaining, at all. Mind you, this isn’t an easy Clarendon, but I loved it…
SGP:373 - 89 points.

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