A few fairly common rums and some true rarities


February 16, 2025

A few fairly common rums and some true rarities

Rum is back on WF. We've got plenty, but we'll avoid structuring our line-up too much—for more fun. Well, that's the plan, anyway!

(the stunning wolfsonian-fiu library)

Reimonenq ‘Première Cuvée’ (40%, OB, agricole, Guadeloupe, +/-2024)

I’m afraid we don’t have that much experience with Reimonenq, but we’ll try to remedy that over time. This little one seems to be a young three-year-old—some say four (which is why they call it ‘rhum vieux’, ha). Colour: gold. Nose: lovely vanilla, intertwined with fresh cane juice and wisps of mimosa and jasmine, followed by crème brûlée. More and more crème brûlée, in fact, along with candied orange zest. Mouth: not so light and, more importantly, quite singular, with charred wood and vegetal tar, then increasingly leaning towards cough sweets. A touch of (a feeling of) rosewood and, once again, a generous dose of crème brûlée. Finish: rather long, with a hint of curry and notes of violet, liquorice, and lavender sweets. Some dried apricot in the background. Comments: quite surprised by the complexity of this young creature—it’s really good and doesn’t taste ‘too young’ at all.
SGP:550 - 84 points.

HSE ‘VSOP Port Cask Finish’ (45%, OB, agricole, Martinique, +/-2024)

As occasional rum drinkers, the idea of flavouring it with sweet wine through finishing isn’t particularly appealing, but since it’s the trend, we won’t resist too much. Colour: reddish copper. Nose: cedarwood, blackcurrants, and black cherry jam, somewhat in the style of those from Itxassou in the French Basque Country. It doesn’t feel much like rum at all—more like a wood-aged liqueur—but in that sense, it’s quite pleasant, I think. Mouth: the Port is very present, as are the woody spices. This gives it a dry, astringent edge despite the red fruits. Still plenty of cherry jam and a good dose of grated cinnamon. Finish: long, with heavily infused black tea, candied cherries, and cloves. Comments: this Habitation Saint-Etienne feels a bit like a ‘premix’, or like a 'rhum arrangé au porto' but if you enjoy these kinds of blends, it’s well done.
SGP:651 - 78 points.

About finishing...

Don Papa ‘Sherry Cask Finish’ (45%, OB, Philippines, +/-2024)

18 months of finishing in four types of sherry casks: fino, PX, cream, and palo cortado. It’s a ‘limited edition’—some might say that’s for the better. Apparently, the sugar content in this version has been moderated enough to qualify as “rum” rather than “spirit drink” in the EU, unlike some other Don Papas. Right then, let’s taste it… Colour: gold. Nose: not bad! Plenty of molasses with mentholated and liquorice-like touches, then moving towards wisteria, raisins, and cane honey. Honestly, the nose is rather good, but we all know where the devil hides—the palate… Mouth: what’s this, no avalanche of saccharose? Quite surprising, actually, even straying into HSE territory in terms of balance between wine, wood, and rum. Then it veers towards a family pack of liquorice allsorts but, I insist, not in the ultra-sweet way of other versions. That’s kind of remarkable. Finish: medium length, clean, again with black tea, followed by Corinth raisins and peach. Comments: the sherries seem to have done a superb job. The blenders too—one should never lose hope. One also gets the impression that Diageo is doing something similar to what they did with Zacapa at the time—essentially getting the brand back on a better track 'transparency-wise' after acquiring it just two years ago, whether they were forced to or not..
SGP:651 - 81 points.

Since miracles seem to be happening today...

Dictador ‘XO Insolent’ (40%, OB, Colombia, +/-2024)

One must admit that both the low bottling strength and the fact that it’s yet another ‘solera’ are somewhat concerning, but you never know. A very pricey rum for a NAS at 40% (around €100)—perhaps that’s the ‘insolence’ they’re referring to. Colour: amber. Nose: fir honey and coffee liqueur, Werther’s Originals, candied sugar, then prunes and figs. It’s very liqueur-like but, for now, also quite seductive (if a little, shall we say, risqué). Molasses honey, pancake syrup… Mouth: this is a rum-based liqueur. Nescafé, maple syrup, Kahlua—well, we can’t say we weren’t expecting that. It’s well made, to be fair, but it belongs to a different category altogether. Finish: drier than expected, with tobacco, chicory, tea, and chocolate. Comments: not catastrophic at all, but definitely not our preferred style.
SGP:740 - 72 points.

Let’s shift up a gear...

Neisson 2018/2024 ‘Straight From The Barrel’ (58.2%, OB, LMDW Singapore, 18th Anniversary, agricole, Martinique, cask #264, 241 bottles)

It’s noted that the barrel originally contained 200 litres, with 170 remaining at disgorgement. That suggests an average annual angel’s share of… er… 2.5%, is that right? All within their warehouse known as ‘Mainmain’. Colour: gold. Nose: the pure, mineral elegance of Neisson is unmistakable, with a hint of crushed slate scattered over a broth of bananas, brown sugar, jasmine, liquorice, and a couple of olives. Well, more or less. With water: it veers almost violently towards pure sugarcane—not that one would complain. Mouth (neat): very precise, rather oily, mineral, still on liquorice but also showing a slight diesel note. With water: and here comes the cavalry. Still tight and compact despite an explosion of about thirty well-ripened exotic fruits and plenty of honey-softened spices. Then the expected earthier side emerges. Finish: spices and fruits of all kinds, lingering for quite some time. Increasingly honeyed in the aftertaste. Comments: Mainmain? I might have likened it to a Chablis 1er Cru Montmains, but that would have been taking liberties. We do have standards, you know. Well, of course, it’s a superb Neisson.
SGP:651 - 90 points.

T.D.L. 22 yo 2003/2025 (55.2%, Wu Dram Clan, Trinidad, bourbon barrel, 242 bottles)

Matured for 13 years in the tropics, with the remainder in Europe. These labels feature traditional masks from various indigenous peoples of the countries of origin, and this is certainly no AI slop—bravo. Colour: deep gold. Nose: it’s round, it’s soft, yet it remains firm, combining a basaltic, saline, and varnished edge with white and yellow fruits. It seems to fizz slightly, as if asking for a few drops of water. Quite normal. With water: tar, natural rubber… playing a little game of hide-and-seek with us, it would seem. Mouth (neat): this time, it’s the intensely fruity side of certain TDLs that takes the lead, followed by bold woody spices (balsa, cedar, cinnamon, pepper) that bring back some dryness. An amusing little duel in your glass… With water: ultra-ripe fruits meet touches of varnish in an immediate riposte—this is definitely not only a ‘fruit bomb’ TDL Finish: always well-balanced, leaning more towards the style of the best ‘Lighter’ Caronis. A pepperier aftertaste. Comments: a real adventure in your glass, like a Netflix mini-series.
SGP:651 - 90 points.

La Réunion 7 yo 2017/2024 (60.9%, Spirit of the Day, 325 bottles)

A column still rum from Réunion, though the distillery remains a secret. Let’s see what we’ve got… Colour: light gold. Nose: curiously gentle, though such high alcohol levels can sometimes suppress or block aromas, can’t they. A faint touch of wood smoke and bacon, but let’s not try too hard to coax more out of it… for now. With water: fresh hay, bagasse, charcoal, and bitter chocolate. Not a typical nose, but we like it. Mouth (neat): oh yes, you can feel the power. Petrol, lime, and green olives… for now. With water: boom, there it is (if one may say so). Lime, olives, brine, tar, sweet paprika, peppers, fresh ginger. Finish: very long, carrying the same flavours. Comments: very good, this should start with an ‘S’. The column still makes it less oily on the palate, but the overall profile remains beautifully taut and rather phenolic.
SGP:462 - 87 points.

Foursquare 2006/2024 (58.1%, Precious Liquors, for Versus France, cask #4, 250 bottles)

Foursquare 2006/2024 (58.1%, Precious Liquors, for Versus France, Barbados, cask #4, 250 bottles)

Yeah, good idea—send more Foursquare to France. This one spent 8 years in Barbados before another 8 years in the UK. Apparently, this is pure pot still FS, which brings us even more joy than a French victory over the mighty All Blacks. Colour: full gold. Nose: maximum citrus tension and petrol-like notes but wrapped in almond paste and guava seasoned with mint. Earth and varnish in the background. Needs a little time… With water: yes, it’s beautiful. Ferns, moss, and peppermint, followed by a hint of truffled chicken broth. Really. Mouth (neat): plenty of pepper over orange juice, apple, then turmeric. A faint cologney touch. With water: water works wonders, turning it distinctly ‘FS’, with praline, agave syrup, and a touch of triple sec… Finish: rather long, with ferns making a comeback. Let’s not forget that ferns once dominated our planet—they predate the Mesozoic era, that’s some 350 million years before D. Trump, according to websites. Comments: very, very, very good.
SGP:551 - 89 points.

Let's turn the last one into a very, very old rum...

Cuban Rum 67 yo 1955/2023 (46.3%, Lucky Choice & HanShes, drum, cask #1/1955, 78 bottles)

A legendary old spirit, seemingly shared with Sansibar for Europe. Not entirely sure about all that… In any case, the renowned Auld Alliance bar in Singapore appears to have played a role in this thoroughly pre-Castro affair. Colour: reddish mahogany. Nose: it’s difficult to remain impartial—let alone neutral—with cases like this. This old Cuban has lost none of its profoundly chocolatey personality, naturally marked by precious tobaccos. But to be honest, this could just as well be a very old Macallan or an Armagnac; it’s a sublime mix of antique waxes, leathers, smoky elements, coffees, blood oranges, camphor notes, then heading towards dark honeys and very old Sauternes (of the same hue). Not a hint of fatigue in sight. Also, touches of black truffle. Insane. Right, let’s cross ourselves and tackle the palate… Mouth: what power! Pre-war Calvados, toffee, pipe tobacco, Turkish coffee, Seville oranges, then the grandest crus of chocolate. It’s quite incredible how compact, coherent, and almost tightly coiled this remains—like a jaguar poised to pounce (what?). Finish: simply a sublime chocolate cake prepared in a *** Michelin restaurant. Yes, really. A nearly liqueur-like aftertaste, intensely honeyed, which is surprising. Comments: I have no idea where the deep ruby glow of the colour comes from, nor the liqueur-like touch at the very end (a bit of ‘preparation’?), but one thing is certain—this is an utterly incredible aged spirit. It’s not too difficult to find old pre-Castro Cuban rum bottles, but full casks? Now that’s a feat!
SGP:661 - 93 points.

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