A few rums from the French islands and quite some cognac


December 7, 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 rums from the French islands and quite some cognac

We’ve tasted some very good Seychellois rums in recent weeks, the Takamaka in particular, though it's not the only brand available. After the rather disappointing Vasco last time (WF 25), we still have an Endemic to try, and then we’ll attempt to add a few rums that have remained French (unlike the Seychellois, right) …

Christmas in the Islands (WF archive, 2025)

Endemic ‘Dark Original’ (43%, OB, Seychelles, +/-2025)

It’s ‘craft’, but ouch, we’re only just realising that this baby is, in the brand’s own words, ‘Made with real cinnamon extract, pure vanilla extract, and a kiss of caramel’ So this is, in fact, a spiced rum, but never mind, we’ll taste it anyway… Worth noting that none of these ingredients is endemic to the Seychelles, unlike, say, the coco de mer. Colour: gold. Nose: quite a bit of cinnamon, as expected, on a rather light base. Turns out we do like cinnamon. Mouth: it’s almost a liqueur, though I must admit we find it rather nice, you’d just need to throw in quite a lot of ice to make it more drinkable. Nice cinnamon. Finish: long and a little more spirit-driven, still very much on the cinnamon, with a touch of pepper as well. Comments: well, this really isn’t bad at all, just don’t approach this spirit as if it were a proper sipping rum.
SGP:630 - 70 points.

Isautier 5 yo (40%, OB, La Réunion, blended rhum agricole and traditionnel, +/-2025)

Isautier has recently been releasing some cracking high-strength versions, so let’s see if this little half-agricole, half-traditionnel number can hold its own. Colour: pale gold. Nose: lovely notes of fresh sugarcane with a fair bit of herbaceousness, as well as hints of olive and almond milk. I rather like that. Mouth: very light funk—as the rum folks say—pleasant salinity, touches of pickled lupin, then bitter almond and a faint earthy side. Finish: fairly long, grassy, earthy, with a little olive that lingers on the aftertaste, alongside a faint suggestion of cologne. Comments: a rather dry expression, certainly not in the league of their recent cask strength monsters, but it’s got personality.
SGP:361 - 79 points.

La Favorite 2024 ‘Cuvée No.2’ (53.7%, Les Frères de la Côte, Martinique, agricole, 1,400 bottles, 2025)

This is a young amber rum aged first aboard a ship and then in France, in an ex-Monbazillac cask, that being a sweet wine from South-Western France, as you know. Colour: white wine. Nose: this works very well indeed, the aromatics are nicely balanced, the sugarcane is fairly vivid, with some lovely notes of hay brimming with flowers. Sultanas show up next, no doubt courtesy of the cask. With water: a few puffs of flint. Mouth (neat): very good, rather on tangerine, an unusual profile that could be the result of this rum-meets-Monbazillac combo. With water: the rum takes the upper hand, with salted earth, plenty of nutmeg and turmeric, while the tangerine turns to lemon. Finish: long, tighter, saltier, peppery, more lemony and even prettier. Comments: a very fine young rum, with a Monbazillac influence that works a treat, just as it did in a recent Ballechin, by the way.
SGP:462 - 86 points.

Bologne 7 yo 2014/2022 (54.9%, Velier, Flora Antillarum, Cuvée Luca Gargano, Guadeloupe, agricole, cognac cask, 1,000 bottles)

A bottle I somehow missed three years ago. Colour: full gold. Nose: this is rounded and toasty, with lots of pecans and roasted peanuts coated in caramel, in a style that feels rather Martiniquais. Dried figs, jasmine, toasted bread… With water: a touch of natural rubber, which is fairly typical, and a basaltic, near-volcanic edge. Mouth (neat): tighter on the palate, not exactly ultra-fresh, but bursting with zest and even a splash of triple sec, alongside all those roasted and caramelised nuts. With water: it turns more floral, with lavender and violet, plus an increasing presence of nutmeg and cinnamon. Finish: long, again quite caramelised, but the lavender, liquorice and salty touch remain very much in play. A black olive lingers in the aftertaste. Comments: really very good, and if it nosed a bit like a Martinican, it certainly tasted fully Guadeloupean. The cognac cask is incidental.
SGP:462 - 88 points.

Savanna 20 yo 2005/2025 ‘Grand Arôme’ (57.5%, Planteray, La Réunion, for LMDW Itinéraires)

Matured for ten years on site, then another ten in France in a Ferrand cognac cask. Let’s not forget, grand arôme means high esters. Colour: deep gold. Nose: very much on fresh mastic, marzipan, orange peel, orgeat, jasmine and honeysuckle—it’s almost as gentle as a lamb at this point. With water: rubber boots and even more mastic, plus rich black potting soil, morels and truffles. All rather unusual and very lovely. Mouth (neat): powerful, with perhaps a few hints of vineyard peach from the cognac, but also a grating edge in the style of proper marc, along with salted dark chocolate and menthol tobacco. Quite spectacular, really. With water: in come notes of dry-cured ham—think Iberico—coffee beans, and a touch of school glue. The kind we used to eat as kids when the teacher wasn’t watching. Finish: long, still showing that pleasant sharpness. Dark chocolate. Comments: this Savanna feels like it came in a kit, which is fun. Fun and excellent.
SGP:562 - 87 points.

Still more cognac…

Neisson 2021/2025 ‘Full Proof Cognac Cask’ (58.9%, OB, Martinique, LMDW Itinéraires, ex-cognac, agricole, 570 bottles)

600 litres of white rum went into this, and after 4 years, we’re down to just 400 litres. That gives a fair idea of the angels’ share, doesn’t it? The thing with Neisson is, you know from the outset that it’s going to be very good. Colour: pale gold. Nose: who came up with the daft idea of mixing coffee with olive oil, a hefty dose of engine oil, and a few drops of some rather peppery ladies’ perfume? It’s slightly locked in at cask strength. With water: doesn’t shift all that much—it’s quite an austere Neisson, contrary to what the mention of cognac might have suggested. Mouth (neat): very powerful, borderline violent, grassy, packed with lemon zest. Not sure you could actually sip this neat. Let’s do the sensible thing… With water: and there we are—cue the trumpets—this one opens up. Citron, geranium liqueur, service tree berries (as eau-de-vie), three drops of seawater, herbes de Provence, and quite a bit of lemongrass. Finish: increasingly characterful, tense, almost refreshing. The aftertaste turns nearly rooty. Comments: this Neisson makes you work if you really want to get to the bottom of it. But it’s well worth the effort! There’s even a quirky Caol Ila-like side to it—I swear.
SGP:462 - 87 points.

J.Bally 2010/2025 (53.8%, OB for WDC, Martinique, agricole, bourbon barrel, 192 bottles)

WDC, that’s the Wu Dram Clan, a power trio that sits somewhere between ZZ Top and Khruangbin when it comes to spirits. More or less… Colour: reddish amber. Nose: we know WDC are fond of their bourbons, so it’s no surprise to find classic bourbony notes straight away in this Bally—wood glue, varnish, dried meat and banana-vanilla cream. And it works. Then comes cigarette tobacco, menthol, and a mix of spruce and eucalyptus. With water: hardly any change, just a box of very dark little cigars joining the fray. Mouth (neat): very much on the ‘bourbon’ woodiness again—varnish, bitter chocolate, and resinous buds. There’s something extreme here, but it’s excellent. With water: same profile, though this time a few citrus notes sneak in, particularly bitter oranges. Finish: long, and oddly even more complex, on pine buds, essential oils, thyme, rosemary, and thin mints… Comments: an intense profile with a strong oak presence but perfectly done. In short, this baby has plenty to say (as does the WDC).
SGP:371 - 90 points.

J.Bally 2009/2025 (62%, OB, Martinique, agricole, for Kirsch Import Germany, Awakening Series, American oak, 192 bottles)

This could well be quite the duel… Colour: dark reddish amber. Nose: very bold but rounder than the WDC, on orange zest and even peony, then back to those classic bourbon-like notes, especially wood glue. Surprising hints of raspberry eau-de-vie too. With water: resinous earth, cigars, thuja wood, vegetable broth… Certainly no boredom here. Mouth (neat): very powerful, very oaky, closer to the 2010 in that regard. Mint and salty liquorice. With water: more on black earth, maduro cigars, pine needles, herbal and mint sweets and, let’s just say it, a good splash of Jägermeister… Finish: long, wonderfully resinous, saline, veering even towards salted tar, or salmiak for that matter. Comments: let’s not try to pick a winner between these two Bally (Ballys? Ballies?), that would be unseemly, wouldn’t it. Two splendid beasts with plenty of action in your glass.
SGP:372 - 90 points.

How about we finish with another Savanna?

Savanna 17 yo 2001 ‘Grand Arôme’ (51%, OB, La Réunion, The Very Rare Casks, Cellar 3, cask #537, 300 bottles, +/-2018)

Another version aged entirely on site in an ex-cognac cask. Colour: amber. Nose: I’ve rarely come across this much smoked ham, bresaola and Bündnerfleisch in a spirit. Loads of ashes, tar, charcoal, coal tar—you’d almost think it was a young Port Ellen aged in a rum cask. Seriously. With water: splendid, on cold firwood ashes in the hearth the morning after. Mouth (neat): seriously, this is like Port Ellen mixed with ultra-medicinal Laphroaig and Spanish olive oil, the latter actually taking the lead. Madness. With water: sublime grand arôme, both tight and salty, still driven by black and green olives. I think it’s extraordinary. Finish: sublimely dry, in the manner of a fine coastal fino. Comments: not really a surprise—and yet, it is a surprise. A formidable Savanna grand arôme, dry as a whiplash and almost philosophical. Six days of fermentation, no less!
SGP:373 - 92 points.

Check the index of all rums we've tasted