About ten spring rums with plenty great ones


March 9, 2025

About ten spring rums with plenty great ones

Just a bit more rum of all kinds, as spring approaches in the Northern Hemisphere. And we’re starting with apéritifs…

(Montebello)

Guatemala Rum ‘Gran Reserva’ (40%, Rum Nation, +/-2023)

Here we are in Zacapa territory, with a young little rum that should be very sweet on the palate… Colour: gold, thick texture – it moves like oil. Nose: a very pretty nose, mainly on blood oranges and light acacia honey, with tangerines emerging thereafter. Highly seductive, no doubt about that, though without the somewhat heady aromatic side found elsewhere. Mouth: oily, very sweet, on cane syrup blended with tangerine juice and honey. It’s a bit ‘too much’ when sipped neat like this, but plenty of ice should make it more enjoyable and less cloying. Not that we’ll try, as that’s not how we operate. At least it isn’t overloaded with coffee. Finish: short, sweet. Honey, dates, cane syrup, and maple syrup. Comments: not at all our preferred style, but within this genre, undoubtedly a fine success. With ice.
SGP:730 - 75 points.

The Duppy Share ‘XO’ (40%, OB, Barbados, +/-2024)

Rather loved the other ones by Duppy Share, one was a Jamaican, the other one a blend of Bajan and Jamaican rums. Colour: rich gold. Nose: extremely aromatic yet elegant, let’s say a mix of triple sec, juniper, Timut pepper, and fresh cane juice. It’s an unusual nose, almost giving the impression that pink pepper has been added. Mouth: hmm, this doesn’t feel very natural—there’s even more pink pepper on the palate, along with pineapple liqueur and sweet gin. Very surprising, though not unpleasant. Finish: rather long due to all these peppery liqueurs, but once again, ice is an absolute must. But then, watch those intake levels… A touch of quinquina in the aftertaste. Comments: a humorous rum, shall we say. My favourite Duppy Share remains the Jamaican white, by far.
SGP:740 - 72 points.

Beenleigh 7 yo ‘Platypus Edition’ (43%, FRC, Australia, +/-2024)

This baby aged for 5 years in ex-bourbon on location and was then finished for 2 years in sherry wood in Europe. As for the platypus, it filled our childhood years—we loved seeing pictures of that bizarre creature from the Antipodes in National Geographic. I would add that its face also reminds us of certain Hollywood actresses who are no longer in the prime of their youth and who may have gone a bit overboard with plastic surgery. Right. Colour: gold. Nose: very typical, on old leathers and fresh tar, then modelling clay, cocoa powder, and cloves. Some metal polish. A very different profile, for sure. Mouth: brilliantly unusual, with flavours that rarely come together—thyme, tar, ashes, juniper berries, bitter oranges, the bitter nuts from sherry, plenty of green pepper, and even a faint peaty touch. Finish: long, tarry, and peppery, with Campari and oak bitterness in the aftertaste. Comments: a strange beast indeed. The choice of label design and name suits the rather unusual style of this rum perfectly.
SGP:462 - 85 points.

Since we were in Australia...

Cargo Cult ‘Navy Strength Batch No.1’ (54.5%, Small Batch Spirits Company, blended rum, Australia, +/-2024)

An intriguing blend of 3 yo pot still rums from Fiji and Papua New Guinea, done in Australia and shipped to us. We're not going to look at the carbon footprint, are we? First time we’re trying rum from Papua New Guinea, hurray! Colour: light gold. Nose: the Fijian roars and hits you with its smoky and petroly profile. South Pacific Distillery for sure. Add green olives and a touch of custard laced with white chocolate, and you’ve got an excellent composition. With water: clearly in a Jamaican-Guyanese style. Love those wafts of fresh pleather. Mouth (neat): obviously excellent. The Fijian element is top-notch, leading the whole with its usual profile (you know, olives, seawater, tar, solvents), while some superb citrus adds a touch of softness (right?). With water: honeyed and smoky touches. Finish: long, maritime, and still tarry, while once again, the citrus brings everything back into balance in the aftertaste. Comments: well played, that’s for sure.
SGP:563 - 87 points.

Montebello 8 yo ‘Batch Année 2022’ (42%, OB, Guadeloupe, agricole)

We’d love to taste this Papua rum as a ‘single’ one of these days. Anyway, let’s carry on…

Montebello 8 yo ‘Batch Année 2022’ (42%, OB, Guadeloupe, agricole)
Another rather distinctive distillery from the French islands. Colour: gold. Nose: plenty of fudge and salted butter caramel laced with orange, with a distinctly agricole character. Hints of bitter almonds and jasmine, then liquorice with violet and mint, the liquorice quickly managing to dominate the whole. Mouth: a rather surprising style, both chocolatey and floral, with a light smokiness and resinous notes reminiscent of conifers, even veering towards thuja, then very ristretto-like coffee. Finish: long, with the return of bitter orange and liquorice. Violet notes linger in the aftertaste. Comments: I don’t know why, but this very lovely Montebello brings to mind a well-made young Pomerol.
SGP:562 - 87 points.

Uitvlugt 26 yo 1998/2024 (51.6%, Silver Seal, Guyana, cask #V44-24, 210 bottles)

They do have a thing for parrots at Silver Seal, as evidenced by the magnificent label on this old Demerara rum, distilled two years before the distillery closed. Colour: deep gold. Nose: a gentle and rather light style, leaning towards maple syrup and all sorts of citrus liqueurs. I reckon water will wake it up further. With water: the faint petrolic notes now emerge, along with metal polish, old copper pennies, blond tobacco, then a touch of parsley, chervil, Corinth raisins, and dried figs… Mouth (neat): very lovely, more refined than your usual Demerara, with orange cake and, once again, maple syrup—just missing the pancakes. With water: in come camphor, cough syrup, liquorice, and even a few wayward shellfish, adding a saline touch. Love them. Finish: not the longest but highly complex, a little sweet-and-salty. Salty liquorice lingers in the aftertaste. Comments: don’t be fooled by the relatively civilised bottling strength, water transforms it completely and takes it to near-supersonic levels.
SGP:562 - 91 points.

Mhoba 2020 ‘WR1’ (55%, OB, South Africa, for Navigate World Whisky, South Africa, bourbon, 241 bottles, +/-2024)

100% pot still and a South African rum for a South African (very skilled) distributor—how coherent is that? It was aged in ex-Woodford Reserve wood, and it’s said this rum has always seemed ‘smokey’. Let’s see… Colour: gold. Nose: well, yes, it’s smoky, petrolic, tarry, smelling of a brand-new iPhone (the thing no one actually needs) and grilled bacon, along with olive oil. In fact, it’s very beautiful. Borderline moringa, but let’s not overdo this. With water: no change, though none was needed. Mouth (neat): bonkers. Smoky indeed, very salty, packed with natural rubber and citrus peels, plus the usual liquorice and an unusually large dose of tarragon. With water: you’re practically propelled to Jamaica, except there’s also this fresh rubbery side that’s just delightful. Finish: lovely, saline, liquorice-laden, earthy, and—unless my brain is playing tricks on me—hints of amarula. Comments: no surprise, we’ve known for a few years now that Mhoba makes brilliant stuff. But this one is particularly brilliant.
SGP:462 - 90 points.

SVN 2003/2025 (61.3%, Vagabond Spirits, Silva Collection, Réunion, 240 bottles)

SVN, Réunion—it does bear a strong resemblance to Savanna. Let’s also take a moment to think of that wonderful island, which was struck just last week by a particularly violent cyclone. To you, friends! Colour: amber. Nose: even on the nose, it’s comforting, warm, with prunes, coffee, and black olives. I’m not sure if this is grand arôme, but it very well could be. That said, at this strength, one must protect both the olfactory bulb and receptor neurons… With water: earth and varnish galore, with a faint gamey touch… Mouth (neat): explosive, packed with concentrated liquorice and acetone. No suicidal tendencies here, mind you… With water: tons of orange blossom honey! Incredible… Finish: long and splendid, on coffee, black nougat, and natural varnish, then dark chocolate and, increasingly, cloves. Comments: as with the Mhoba, there are some, let’s say, ‘different’ elements—not exactly orthodox—but that only adds to the pleasure these rums provide. Let’s not forget that this rare Savanna (if it is indeed Savanna) is over 20 years old.
SGP:462 - 90 points.

Here, let's try something...

Savanna 14 yo 2008/2024 (65.1%, Swell de Spirits, Wild Card series, Réunion, cask #699, 240 bottles)

This is a ‘traditional’ Savanna, meaning theoretically molasses-based. Colour: glowing red amber. That’s right. Nose: much gentler, softer, more restrained, despite the 65% ABV—which did lead us to contact our lawyer. Alas, as usual, he was out golfing, iPhone 16 Pro switched off. What a fool. With water: abundant cedar, spruce wood, and chocolate. Not particularly complex, but still extremely lovely. Mouth (neat): sublime varnish and old walnuts, but we won’t dwell on that further—at least not without H2O. With water: oh, delightful—orange cordial, cumin, and even a faint Chartreuse-like note. You can feel the lighter texture of these ‘traditional’ styles. Finish: fairly long, on chocolate, mint, and orange. A hint of glue in the aftertaste. Comments: without a doubt, about as good as it gets in this category.
SGP:561 - 88 points.

Good, one last one—a Jamaican, of course...

Clarendon 13 yo 2010/2024 (56.6%, Valinch & Mallet, The Spirit of Art, Jamaica, cask #432920, 334 bottles)

8 years in the tropics, the rest under a European climate. Messrs Valinch & Mallet continue to offer us beautifully designed bottles, with the artwork here done by Luca Coser. I don’t know him, but he seems talented! Honestly, there’s nothing sillier than a plain bottle of rum or whisky—you might as well decorate it elegantly. Colour: gold. Nose: that slightly ‘mid-esters’ side of Clarendon/Monymusk is back, which can sometimes be frustrating, but not at all here—quite the opposite. Wonderful notes of brined anchovies, stuffed olives (stuffed with anchovies, to be precise), then paint, old varnishes, bitter almonds, and Calvados… With water: a stroll on the beach at low tide, with tar in the air. Mouth (neat): incredible, almost like being at Caroni, I swear! Perfect salinity, petroleum notes (only desirable in this context), and overripe exotic fruits at their pinnacle. With water: perfect. This must be a Clarendon at 500g (referring, of course, to the esters per hectolitre of pure alcohol). Finish: the olives come roaring back, supported by lemon. Comments: seriously ester-packed for a Clarendon. In short, excellent.
SGP:563 - 90 points.

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

		High scores and stuff
		I still need to repeat something. We are fully aware that there are a lot of top-tier whiskies, rums, and brandies on WF, many of which we believe deserve 90 points or more. I know we sometimes get criticised for this, but you have to understand that distillers, bottlers, and merchants almost never, or barely ever, send us entry-level or average-quality spirits. They’re not stupid! That doesn’t stop us from publishing reviews of them as often as possible, but to do so, we have to source these ‘average’ spirits ourselves because, quite simply, no one will send them to us voluntarily. And certainly not the distillers, whose main objective is to try to control (or, let’s be honest, buy) what ‘influencers’ and the press have to say. Between us, we can’t really blame them—they’re just doing their job, and many of them do it very well. Angus would also add the point that we are at heart and remain absolutely spirits enthusiasts who love searching for and tasting the very best and most pleasurable drinks. It is fun to taste the average or downright bad on occasion as it adds very necessary perspective, but we are not masochists and we will always err on the side of pleasure and fun! Right, let’s carry on…