Rums, aperitifs, and the whole lot


April 28, 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!

Rums, aperitifs, and the whole lot

As usual, are you going to tell me…

(Original, discontinued bottle of 10 Cane/Ten Cane, produced in Trinidad from 2005 to 2015, juice now to be found only at some indies'.)

Naga 'Anggur Edition' (40%, OB, Batavia Arrack, Indonesia, +/-2022)

It's all over, humanity won't last much longer; they are now doing red wine finishes on just about anything! They've used Saint-Emilion for this particular one. The Nagas we've already tried were decent, just too sweet for my taste. Colour: red copper. Nose: it's rare to encounter such a pronounced red wine aroma in a spirit. It really adds a very pre-mixed vibe, quite amusing but miles away from the realm of rum. Honestly, it reeks of merlot so much, one might almost think they're in "Sideways". It's quite funny, really, and not even that bad. Mouth: this is tricky. Bell pepper, prune, crushed strawberry, molasses, caramel, Schweppes, blood orange, grenadine… Fortunately, all of this remains light and not too overpowering. Finish: fairly short. Merlot, hints of perfume and soap... Comments: a kind of post-modern madness, with a comical nose. The laugh's a bit less on the palate, in short, it was a bold move.
SGP:840 - 40 points.

Cihuatàn 8 yo 'Indigo' (40%, OB, El Salvador, bourbon, +/-2022)

Honestly, we've always found the labels of Cihuatan, which seem to be Maya-inspired, quite lovely. There's no finishing and no added 'stuff' in this one; it's authentic rum. Colour: straw. Nose: it's all in on pistachio nougat, popcorn, white chocolate, coconut balls, vanilla cream... It's truly delicately beautiful and it feels like the bourbon barrels were used 'just right'. Mouth: yes, it's pretty nice, light, a bit more on the hay side and with a hint of coconut liqueur on the palate. Had the palate actually mirrored the nose, it would have been a superb rum. Finish: short, more herbal, with a slightly greener woodiness but also quite a bit of sugar in the aftertaste. That seems a bit 'added'. Comments: some good aspects, but the palate is more challenging for me. The 40% ABV doesn't help much, let's say that. But we'll keep watching Cihuatàn.
SGP:750 - 77 points.

Providence 3 yo 2020/2023 (52%, Velier, Distillerie de Port-au-Prince, Haiti)

A very young Providence from Haiti, oddly aged in ex-Caroni barrels, which has undoubtedly left its mark on this nascent spirit. It's a bit like when certain Scottish distilleries, which we won't name out of Christian charity, age or finish their very first 3-year-old spirit in ex-Laphroaig barrels; it can make sense organoleptically, but the message sent is quite pejorative to me. Especially if it's not stated, which is not at all the case with this Providence. But enough of the chatter… Colour: gold. Nose: well, let's forget that, it's not Caroni-driven. They know what they're doing. Then, I really find a lot of citron and mandarin, then a bit of thyme honey giving it a medicinal side, a touch of camphor or tiger balm, and just a drop of motor oil. Delicate, pretty. With water: it remains soft. Some notes of copper, old tools, coins… Mouth (neat): a salty side and lots of fermenting fruit. A lighter side of compost and bagasse. It calls for water… With water: those citrus notes return but also the herbal side. Not too sure about those light saline and petrol notes, is it from Providence or is it from Caroni? Finish: medium length. Pressed cane, hay, orange peel. Comments: my simple mind might need a bit more clarity and definition. I'm a basic taster, everyone knows it. We hope things are going fairly well in Port-au-Prince.
SGP:452 - 82 points.

Wait, let's have a white one. At least it won't have seen any Caroni...

Distillerie de Port-au-Prince 2021 (59%, Habitation Velier, Haiti)

289 gr ester/HLPA. Colour: white. Nose: oh how I like this better. Stupendous notes of white chocolate (huge white Easter rabbit) all over the place, plus just ripe apples and jujubes. Simple and effective. With water: you can get the fermenting cane, this is a bit like visiting the distillery. A lovely freshness, quite lemony. However, the esters are quite faint. Mouth (neat): yes rather perfect, a bit warm and 'uncertain', herbaceous and even veering towards vegetables, but it has depth. White asparagus and yellow peaches. With water: everything comes out, perfect. Lemon zest, cane juice, dill, a bit of fennel... That said, the still(s) seem to purify quite a bit. Finish: medium length, cane syrup, those yellow peaches, lemon zest... Comments: the first time I heard about this young distillery, I thought they were going to make clairin, or something of that type. Well, not at all, it's much more 'civilised' (a somewhat foolish word given the political context of Haiti, I must admit).
SGP:451 - 85 points.

TDL 2008 'Heavy' (64.9%, Swell de Spirits, That's The Spirit 0.1, Trinidad, 351 bottles)

Sometimes there are somewhat cryptic things on the labels of Swell de Spirits, but at least it's entertaining. The contents aren't bad either, especially since TDL has been a major discovery for me over the past 12 months. In any case, some TDL (that is, Angostura, imagine). Colour: amber. Nose: it's a bit like when you fill up at a petrol station, you know the smells? But there's also an extraordinary fruitiness, with overripe tropical fruits, especially mangoes and guavas. Also, there's ink and oil from a fondue – after the fondue. With water: you almost find peat, as well as real gentian spirit (fermented, not macerated) and roasted (hojicha) and smoked (lapsang souchong) teas. Mouth (neat): watch out! Rose water, walnut stain, teak oil, homemade myrtle liqueur, Iberian ham… All this is quite extreme and frankly, let's say creative. With water: still crazy, it seems like someone has smoked lemons and ham with conifer wood – together. Finish: long and, as a friend once said about a very great Pauillac, 'conquering'. Comments: that said, all this is not very balanced, it's mostly very spectacular. Very difficult to score. Well, let's not get too excited.
SGP:663 - 89 points.

Since we are in Trinidad...

Ten Cane Distillery 13 yo 2008/2021 (64.4%, The Duchess, Tropical Reef Series, Trinidad, cask #18, 259 bottles)

You remember, it's the famous distillery in Trinidad built and then quickly closed down after ten years by Pernod-Ricard – or wasn't it LVMH? I think so. It's gratifying to see barrels surfacing thanks to the independents. Colour: American coffee. Nose: yet another very unusual rum, this time starting off with old, somewhat oxidised or rusty metal, but tomato jam quickly takes over, followed by prunes and currants willing to gain control, along with some rubbery notes. With water: very, very nice wafts of grilled herbs (thyme) and cured meats, salty liquorice, umami sauce, miso… Mouth (neat): it's really massive, loaded with varnish and armagnac, tyres and burnt cakes, bitter chocolate… But we're nearly at 65% ABV, in case you hadn't noticed. With water: gentler, more on chocolate and liquorice. Can you imagine the cruel, almost philosophical dilemma at this strength, to dilute or not to dilute? Finish: very long, with more burnt rubber and salty liquorice. The aftertaste becomes civilised again, with toffee and marmalade. Comments: another somewhat mad rum.
SGP:462 - 87 points.

Alright, seeing as we're in Trinidad, let's finish with a Trinidadian.

Caroni 1994/2019/2023 (52.8%, La Maison & Velier, Paradise #3, cask #6132, dame-jeanne #2, 215 bottles)

Aged in demijohns in Cognac, since 2019. You see! The prices of these bottles are, in our own words, 'typo-y'. A second-hand little Toyota. Well, on the other hand, in January we found the 1996 Paradise #4 just sublime (WF 92). Colour: dark gold. Nose: yes, shoe polish, exhaust fumes, boat varnish, black olives, those tarry ropes also famous on Islay… With water: new rubber boots and that famous petrol station, as well as the new products section at IKEA. Not the food. Mouth (neat): of course it's magical. There's a lot of wood spices, as in many of these old rums aged in the tropics (the real debate is there, in my opinion), then this very marked saline side from all kinds of hydrocarbons, a side of ashes and charcoal... With water: would bend a little bit and become slightly astringent. Maybe it's better to savour it at the original strength, which isn't so high. Finish: quite long, dry, lacking just a tad in oomph. Comments: perhaps not entirely on the level of the other 'Paradise', but still absolutely excellent, of course. As usual, just one man's opinion.
SGP:453 - 89 points.

Oops, it's been a long time since we had a rum session without any 90+. It's true we've had neither Jamaicans, nor old Demeraras, nor great agricoles. We'll make up for it next time, that's a promise...

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