A few more rums


February 23, 2025

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!

A few more rums...

We really need to come up with more original headlines. Let’s see what we can find in the stash (talking about rums, eh) ...

Kirk and Sweeney ‘Gran Reserva’ (40%, OB, Dominican Republic, +/-2024)

The label ‘Gran Reserva’ on a rum bottle makes about as much sense as a ‘I save the Planet’ sticker on a Tesla (now replaced with 'I bought this before Elon went crazy'). You remember Tesla, don’t you? Colour: gold. Nose: amusing, slightly on metal polish at first, then come toasted sesame oil and salsify. It’s unusual, far less exuberant than expected, and rather pleasant. A very faint touch of brandy de Jerez. Mouth: drat, there’s far more sugar than hoped for, coming across like liquid caramel flavoured with violet essence and coffee, all resting on a feather-light structure. A shame, as the nose showed decent promise. Finish: short. The dregs of office coffee from an electric percolator at 9pm. Comments: in any case, the bottle is ‘too much’, always a bit suspicious.
SGP:730 - 68 points.

Cartavio ‘XO’ (40%, OB, Peru, +/-2023)

We’ve already tasted XO versions claiming an age of ‘18 years’, whereas this one is NAS. Colour: amber. Nose: hay, burnt wood, molasses and pipe tobacco, with added roasted hazelnuts and instant coffee powder. To be honest, it’s not bad, with a bit of a Starbucks touch, though fairly discreet. Mouth: clearly superior to the K&S, more toasted, less sweet, leaning towards molasses and sugarcane, though some bitter orange liqueur and instant coffee start to take over. Finish: short and slightly liqueur-like. Not its finest moment. The aftertaste turns cloyingly sweet, and I imagine people usually drink this over ice. Comments: just a reminder that cold/ice reduces the impression of sweetness. A rather average rum overall.
SGP:740 - 70 points.

Patridom 12 yo ‘Seleccion Exclusiva’ (40%, OB, Dominican Republic, +/-2023)

I believe, though I might be mistaken, that Patridom is also sold under the name ‘Ron Esclavo’, a name so daft it surely must be the result of the team’s overly generous self-consumption. That said, for some brands self-consumption seems to be the future. Colour: gold. Nose: not much, almost nada, niente, nichts. Cold coffee. Mouth: three tonnes of sugar with a few drops of maple syrup and Frappuccino. Finish: very short but sticky and awkward. Comments: quite a pitiful little thing, though perhaps on the beach, with plenty of ice, a tiny paper umbrella, and your Blaupunkt playing Kid Creole and the Coconuts...
SGP:810 - 30 points.

Maybe it’s time to stop the jokes...

Saint James 18 yo (43%, OB, Martinique, agricole, +/-2024)

It’s a real joy to taste an 18-year-old rum without having to wonder if it’s actually 18 years old. In any case, we’re fans of Saint James and will always remember the very old ones, 1885, 1932, 1939… Colour: amber. Nose: incredibly earthy, in the best possible way. It feels like stepping into a tropical greenhouse, with esters wafting up as model glue and brake fluid. Gorgeous liquorice deep down, and an outstanding nose overall. Mouth: heavily yet elegantly oaked, though leaning towards peach skin and mentholated tobacco, then bacon and cumin or caraway liqueur (kummel). Ultra-distinctive and, above all, very distinguished. Finish: fairly long, more on dark chocolate, with plenty of strong black tea and bitter chocolate. A tarrier aftertaste. Comments: beware, the 43% make it dangerously drinkable. A big fan of this rather… er, earthy bottle.
SGP:462 - 89 points.

How about we go to Cambodia? …

Samai 3 yo 2018/2022 (53.2%, OB, for La Maison du Whisky Singapore, Cambodia, French oak, cask #SAM18FO36)

Colour: gold. Nose: honestly, this brings to mind two rums from the same (very, very large) region, Issan and Chalong Bay from Thailand and, to a lesser extent, the Fijians. Yes, we do know where Fiji is. In other words, it’s very pretty, subtle, highly exotic (tropical eucalyptus and similar trees) and beautifully saline and tarry. Earthy notes and the scent of brand-new electronics from Temu. We love it—the gadgets never work, but the packages smell wonderfully of crazy plastics when they arrive. With water: seawater, seaweed, tarred ropes and freshly laid asphalt. Mouth (neat): oh yes, honey and lemon juice mixed with olive oil and, above all, loads of salted liquorice. Perfect. With water: even better. Like some kind of manzanilla with salted liquorice. Finish: long, fairly rich, almost thick, but superbly saline. Cough lozenges lingering in the aftertaste. Comments: I wonder if we could start talking about a regional style here. Well, let’s not bring up the dreadful SangSom from lovely Thailand.
SGP:563 - 87 points.

Foursquare 17 yo 2006 (58.83%, North Coast Distillers, Pinball series, Barbados, 2nd fill bourbon barrel, cask #43, 243 bottles)

This is the classic self-blend of column and pot still. Independent bottlers seem to love Foursquare, and who could blame them? The label can’t help but remind us of The Who’s Pinball Wizard. I know, boomer stuff. Colour: deep gold. Nose: it’s packed with glues and varnish, and we love that. Is that a problem, doctor? Honestly, it feels like we’re on holidays in Kentucky (well, not so much these days, as those references are slowly being cancelled since you-know-what). With water: fresh sawdust, gum arabic, balsa wood, bananas, and seawater. Mouth (neat): bang! Solid, thick, and it feels richer than usual, as if the pot still proportion was higher this time. Varnish, overripe banana, liquorice, and lime. With water: the citrus notes show up in full force. Finish: fairly long, getting a bit fizzy at this stage, though we won’t go so far as to mention Schweppes Lemon (too late, S.) Comments: always that elegant lightness from the column still side. A magnificent bottle in any case.
SGP:652 - 89 points.

Chairman’s Reserve 14 yo 2009/2025 (58.3%, OB, Wu Dram Clan, St Lucia, ex-bourbon, cask #0139112009)

We’ll say it again—we have boundless admiration for this Chairman, who, much like Cadenhead’s own back in the day, is willing to part with his personal reserves, displaying an unparalleled generosity (even the folks in D.C. must be envious). Colour: amber. Nose: joking aside, this is impressive. St Lucia Distillers has been one of our greatest rum revelations of the past decade. Sublime precious woods (rosewood, snakewood, yew) and a liquorice note of absolute subtlety. Long story short, this is a truly great rum on the nose. With water: black earth, old leathers, cigars, bay leaves, fig tree… Mouth (neat): never has such a massive oak presence been so beautiful; in that sense, it’s not far from the Saint James 18. Huge tannins, an avalanche of black teas, ultimate tobaccos… And yet, it’s stunning. If only it would kindly return our tongue, please… (just kidding). With water: and what’s more, it swims beautifully, though the overall profile remains unchanged, apart from this black pepper settling onto your palate. Finish: as expected, bitter chocolate and espresso take control. The aftertaste is very peppery. Comments: I find this St Lucian quite mad, in a rather extreme way. A truly superb discovery.
SGP:572 - 91 points.

Caroni 26 yo 1998 (58.3%, Whisky Concerto, refill American oak)

We’re now left wondering if, back in 1998, Caroni hasn’t produced more rum than the entire Arabian Peninsula did oil. But no one’s complaining, quite the opposite… Colour: deep gold. Nose: well, this is gentler than the St Lucian, softer, rounder, more on pastries, though those typical metallic notes slowly creep in. Little orange blossom cakes with mint, a touch of butterscotch, then thyme honey. With water: pistachio syrup and soft glues, a hint of spearmint, a bit of chervil, orange blossom… Mouth (neat): nothing like the nose. Wood, liquorice, mint, lime. I repeat, wood, liquorice, mint, lime. Quite a bit of tannin at this stage. With water: water works wonders, turning it fresh like a young verdejo, though the tannins still linger in the background. Finish: long, far more petroly and saline. In short, more ‘Caroni’. Citrus in the aftertaste. Comments: a lovely journey in your glass, with plenty of twists and turns. Caroni always tends to be rather classy.
SGP:562 - 88 points.

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