Some pretty Olympic rums


August 4, 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!

Some pretty Olympic rums. Oh, and a few birds...

According to common wisdom, rum is rather a summer drink, isn’t it? Unless you have it as a grog, I suppose. (AI)

BTW, kudos to St. Lucia's Julien Alfred for having won 100m gold in Paris just yesterday.

Ron Colon ‘Salvadoreno High Proof’ (55.5%, OB, blend, +/-2022)

This is intended to feature 70% young column still rum from El Salvador, plus 30% young pot-still Jamaican rum. The name ‘colon’ isn’t particularly ‘woke’, is it? If you can have a colon, I suppose you can have a plantation too. Colour: white wine. Nose: imagine a blend of 70% Glenmorangie with 30% Ardbeg, to name just a couple of LVMH malts. Or perhaps Glen Moray instead of Glenmorangie - who remembers their ‘Serendipity’? Anyway, the Jamaican part completely dominates, much to our delight, with notes of tar and sand, seawater, engine oil, the first rain after a month of drought, and the inevitable green olives. Add in some aniseed and liquorice, and you get a very... clever profile. With water: a touch of vanilla softens it all, remaining lovely. Mouth (neat): it’s very good, lemony, salty, quite rich nonetheless, with the usual varnish, a hint of acetone as often, grapefruit, then some ultra-ripe fruits. With water: similar, with an even more pronounced lemony and salty side. Excellent. Finish: long, still very salty. Liquorice and green olives return in the aftertaste. Comments: reminds me of the 'home vatting' we used to do with malts. You take one third Ardbeg or Lagavulin and add two thirds of just about anything else. Sure success. Excellent blended rum, a lovely surprise.
SGP:563 - 87 points.

Since we are somewhat off the road...

Off-Road Rhum #01.2 (55%, Vagabond Spirits, Venezuela)

This rum hails from poor Venezuela, with a 4-year tropical ageing followed by a 2-year Mediterranean ageing (what on earth?) and was finally finished in a stout cask. Naturally, being French, the idea somewhat reminds me of the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics. We love to provoke, and everyone plays along ;-). Colour: gold. Nose: you can clearly sense the role of the beer, which has likely added a roasted and earthy note to the ripe bananas and papaya. Perhaps even a hint of chocolate. With water: I swear it works well. Mouth (neat): it’s a rather nice combination, fruity without being overly simplistic as Venezuelan rums can sometimes be (strictly my own opinion). Papaya, banana, and pineapple liqueurs, with roasted malt and a touch of dark chocolate. You might try adding some Guinness to a Diplomatico or a Santa Teresa. I’ll leave that up to you... With water: very good! Pineapple liqueur with malt, toffee, and maybe a hint of strawberry liqueur and grenadine. Grapefruit juice in the background provides a solid foundation. Finish: medium length, same profile. Slightly sweet aftertaste. Comments: I think the stout added 10 points - easily - to the usual scores for Venezuelan rums on WF.
SGP:630 - 84 points.

South Pacific Distillery 11 yo 2012/2023 (57.5%, The Whisky Jury, Fiji, refill barrel, cask #12, 292 bottles)

One must pay tribute to the marvellous Fiji sevens rugby team, who took silver at the Paris Olympics, only bested by France's Antoine Dupont; or rather Antoine Dupont’s France. They produce some of the finest Jamaican rums in the Fiji Islands. Well, you get what I mean. Colour: gold. Nose: it’s already in the bag, we can move quickly. A bit of cumin and coriander seeds in a mix of olive oil and motor oil (let's say Veedol, our favourite in the glass). Unstoppable. With water: additional notes of seawater, crushed slate, and new sneakers (EU size 43) ... Mouth (neat): oily texture, sublime liquorice, moderate salinity this time but wonderful notes of varnish, tobacco, and grilled country bread. Extraordinary. With water: green pepper and lemon zest come into play. Finish: very long, always oily, enveloping, citrusy, and peppery. Comments: it's not a very complicated rum, but everything is just absolutely perfect. As exciting as the Fiji rugby team.
SGP:653 - 91 points.

Diamond 20 yo 2003/2024 'SVL' (51.6%, The Roots, Guyana, bourbon cask, cask #23, 174 bottles)

This is the ex-Uitvlugt Savalle column still now at Diamond (SVL, got it.) Colour: dark amber. Nose: it’s sweet, with millionaire shortbread, butterscotch, praline, and that Italian branded hazelnut spread, followed by touches of petrol, charcoal, ripe banana, and fermented cane juice. A slight agricole side that I've occasionally noted from Uitvlugt, though of course, this wasn't cane juice. Very nice. With water: those little metallic touches (copper pots, pennies). Mouth (neat): excellent, not heavy at all, very fruity with surprising notes of smoked ham and sweet mint. Marked notes of woodruff. Anyone who hasn't tasted woodruff syrup or liqueur... should do so. With water: the return of esters, overripe fruits, olives, hints of carbon, ash dust, and charcoal... But the structure remains relatively light. Finish: medium length. Ash and a bit of tar, plus tropical fruits. Comments: after the Fijian from Jamaica, here is the Guyanese from Martinique. In short, we’re having fun.
SGP:651 - 88 points.

Caribbean Rum 30 yo 1993/2024 (60.5%, eSpirit, Liquid Treasures, 15th anniversary, barrel, 282 bottles)

I find that independent rums often sport labels that make more sense than those of independent whiskies. Wild animals, tropical plants, parrots... It certainly makes more sense than the slight nonsense – often funny though - we sometimes see on whisky labels, regardless of graphic quality. Colour: dark gold. Nose: it’s somewhat reminiscent of Cubans. Very Cuban, in fact. Old beeswax, beeswax, praline, cane honey, white chocolate, with hints of peanut butter... With water: touches of coconut and very ripe pineapple. Mouth (neat): the strength brings out the citrus and liqueur-like qualities, somewhat akin to a sweet white wine from the Loire or Jurançon, if that rings a bell. This strength isn’t very Cuban, to be honest. With water: I’m a bit at a loss. There’s the light structure of Cubans, but also some tangy, even mineral sparks that seem to come from elsewhere. In any case, it’s very good. Finish: medium length. Lightly woody, chocolate, nougat, cane honey again... Comments: well, it’s very good in the lighter style. Very, very good.
SGP:551 - 89 points.

One last one, likely to be a fruity bomb...

Trinidad Distillers Limited 14 yo 2009/2024 'Edition N°1' (62.9%, The Colours of Rum, Up Spirits Club, bourbon cask, cask #106, 259 bottles)

A decade in the tropics and a club-exclusive bottle. We're utterly enamoured with the vast majority of these explosive TDLs. Colour: dark gold. Nose: what a beauty. Beeswax and mango jam, in divine proportions. With water: a fruit salad dominated by citrus, plus honey and olive oil. Sublime balance. Mouth (neat): extraordinary. High-ester notes and brined olives join pink grapefruits, mangoes, and Wrigley’s ‘Juicy Fruit’ chewing gum. Incredible, terribly regressive, almost pornographic. With water: saline touches, brine, even seashells, and a perfect rubber/tar compound. Finish: alas, all good things must come to an end (only sausages have two, as our dear German friends say). Comments: are these things even legal? You’ll probably tell me one must be a member of that illustrious 'Up Spirits' club to get a hold of it – God only knows what goes on in those private clubs.
SGP:752 – 92 points.

Oh, and while we’re at it...

Caroni 25-year-old 1998/2023 (60.1%, Impressions by The Colours of Rum, Trinidad, cask #8, 120 bottles)

We've already tasted an old Hampden 1990 in this new series, which was truly excellent (WF 93). Still, we do have a small complaint (wouldn't be French otherwise): how can you put a tiny hummingbird on the label of such a powerful and massive rum as Caroni? Even if it’s a 'light Caroni'? Well, we’ll get over it, I suppose… Colour: dark gold. Nose: it’s not extremely demonstrative, more like lamp oil, asparagus, teak oil, sweet almond oil, and fresh hazelnuts… It’s even quite delicate, but at 60% vol., one should avoid over-interpreting what one smells. With water: it remains a bit gentle but then shifts towards new plywood, new Ikea furniture, that famous new sneaker note we’ve mentioned today (likely due to the Olympic Games effect). Mouth (neat): superb and unusual composition, acidic, almost vinegary, very sharp, with miso, verjuice, liquorice wood, extreme salmiak, Arbois yellow wine, mustard, green walnut… You may need to brace yourself, but it’s spectacular. With water: it’s finally tamed. Ripe bananas and slightly crazy guavas, tar, ink, cedar wood, whelks, dry white wine, oysters… Finish: long, almost like seawater mixed with rapeseed oil. What a vinaigrette! Comments: a Caroni that shakes you up a bit. In truth, there’s little that could follow the incredible TDL without stumbling a wee bit.
SGP:463 - 90 points.

A brief comment: one might be inclined to contrast these independent TDLs with Caroni since they both come from Trinidad & Tobago, and I've even heard the term 'Caroni killer', but I believe this is simply nonsensical, especially given that the styles are vastly different.

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