More rums, looking for malternatives


March 16, 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!

More rums, looking for malternatives

The magnificent Jurançon vineyard with the Pyrénées in the background
(P. Carton, La Vie Economique du Sud-Ouest)

Always with one or two aperitifs...

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

We tasted the ‘Gran Reserva’ a few weeks ago, rather akin to coffee liqueur, though within a fairly modest style—yet relatively drinkable (WF 68). This ‘superior’ version is a little pricier, so in theory, it ought to be a little better. In theory… Colour: full gold. Nose: it’s very much on maple syrup and cane juice, with bitter almond liqueur, a few fermentary and tarry touches that are quite pleasant, and even a drop of diesel oil. Not unpleasant at all—quite the opposite. Mouth: disaster, it’s very sweet, though there are notes of burnt cane and caramel that are relatively enjoyable. This carries on with moscatel and Cointreau, even elderflower liqueur, always with heaps of sugar, though I must admit the aromatic profile, aside from that, is rather likeable. Just-roasted coffee. Finish: not very long but a little tiring, due to all that sugar making itself known. Comments: I’ll say it again—with ice, why not.
SGP: 731 - 72 points.

Chairman’s Reserve ‘The Forgotten Casks’ (40%, OB, St. Lucia, +/-2023)

We tasted an older batch six years ago, and it wasn’t bad at all (WF 80). Colour: deep gold. Nose: lovely nose, with varnish, a touch of solvent, hay, herbal teas, and some tea… Alas! The low strength makes it feel a thousand times more fragile than the marvellous single casks we’ve been tasting in recent months and years. A cappuccino and orange blossom note emerges a little later, mind you. Mouth: the real handicap here is the strength, though everything else is of very good quality—walnuts, liquorice, a mentholated touch, heather honey… But there’s also the impression that a little sugar or syrup has been added, even if that seems surprising. Finish: liqueur-filled chocolates and cooled tea. Alas, still too light and, in this case, short. Comments: a truly frustrating version, especially when single casks at natural strength can hit 90/100 without raising an eyebrow on this miserable little ‘blog’.
SGP: 631 - 79 points.

Père Labat ‘Réserve familiale’ (42%, OB, Marie-Galante, agricole, +/-2024)

Hand-cut canes, naturally. Colour: pale gold. Nose: full-on sugarcane, really full-on, with a mix of brown sugar, violets, hibiscus, jasmine, and a touch of caraway. It’s a nose close to the earth and the cane, yet also very pure and fresh. I really appreciate the near absence of wood, even though the maturity is fully present. Mouth: same combination, plus heather and pine honey. A bit of wood this time, though more in the style of acacia. Finish: fairly long, with the arrival of more classic dried fruit notes and a hint of coffee. Comments: I find this cuvée much better than other low-strength versions from previous years. Lovely aromatic precision.
SGP: 551 - 85 points.

Rhum J.M 9 yo 2014/2024 (54.8%, OB, Martinique, agricole, LMDW Foundations, cask #170350, 257 bottles)

Kirsch Import in Germany had some superb J.M 2014s two years ago. I’ve found recent releases to be rather oaky, in a modern style, but everything was very well controlled—never just plank juice. Colour: amber. Nose: varnished, very much in a ‘bourbon of rum’ style, but with a backbone of very ripe banana, menthol, and eucalyptus, which gradually take us elsewhere, towards liquorice in all its forms. With water: mosses, pine needles, salted butter caramel… Mouth (neat): very rich yet also tight, deeply liquorice-driven, with plenty of lemon, ristretto, and cedarwood. The oak spices are in charge. With water: water barely tames it, with star anise, nutmeg, and cinnamon fully taking control. Finish: long, spicy, oaky, but the distillate had enough personality to keep everything balanced throughout. Comments: a very fine bottle, but the opposite of the Père Labat indeed.
SGP: 561 - 86 points.

Bonne Mère 3 yo (52%, Vagabond Spirits & Multiverres Spirits, Harmony, Guadeloupe, +/-2025)

Finished for three months in an ex-sweet white Jurançon cask (love many white Jurançons). Bonne Mère, owned by La Martiniquaise, is based in Sainte-Rose, where I believe they produce traditional molasses-based rhum rather than cane juice-based agricole. Colour: pale gold. Nose: it’s soft, fresh, joyful, with plenty of cane juice notes but, above all, kilotons of fresh pineapple, mango, and guava. This is utterly spectacular and completely irresistible. With water: it’s worth noting that white Jurançon, whether dry or sweet, already displays such exotic notes, though always with a fine freshness, given its proximity to the Atlantic. Splendid nose, even if, in a way, this all feels a little pleonastic. Mouth (neat): this is fortified fruit juice, no way around it… This time, passion fruit takes the lead, followed by mango, pineapple, papaya, and blood orange. A true tropical pop concert. With water: naturally, the question becomes how much of this profile comes from the Jurançon cask. Finish: the same unstoppable fruitiness, with no missteps whatsoever, except for a slightly ‘hot’, more alcoholic aftertaste. Comments: bonne mère! as the Marseillais would say. Brilliant for making an exotic fruit cocktail without adding a single exotic fruit juice.
SGP: 831 - 87 points.

About fruits...

TDL 21 yo 2002/2024 (54%, Valinch & Mallet, Trinidad, 300 bottles)

Always with those lovely back labels (but which one is the label, and which is the back label, at the end of the day?). Colour: deep gold. Nose: it’s a bit like a TDL that kept a close eye on its old colleague Caroni and the styles it was producing back when the distillery was still operational. A mix of petroly and tarry notes on one side, and very, very ripe fruits on the other. And right in the middle, freshly picked mint leaves. With water: banana cake drizzled with honey and paraffin, or something along those lines. Mouth (neat): superb, powerful yet fresh, taut yet fruity, and above all, quite phenolic and almost salty, though we’re still far from the raw style of some batches from its former compadre. With water: rich, still with that sensation of extra-ripe banana, salted liquorice, and hints of tar. Finish: long, in perfect continuity, just with more black pepper and even a touch of chilli. Comments: a very, very fine bottle in an ultra-British style. Talking about rum, of course.
SGP: 652 - 89 points.

Hampden 1 yo 'LROK' (64.6%, OB, La Maison & Velier, The 8 Marks Collection, Jamaica, ex-bourbon, 20cl, 2024)

From this superb series showcasing Hampden’s different marks, first released as whites two years ago, then as 1-year-olds last year. LROK is a fairly light mark, corresponding to 150–400 grams of ester per HLPA. Colour: white wine. Nose: I love these well-balanced Hampdens that combine seawater, anchovies, olives, and a restrained mix of tar and glues. With water: old magazines stacked in a cellar and a hint of wet dog, yet it all remains very clean. Right, so a clean wet dog. Mouth (neat): it’s very good, but the style is still extremely ‘high-ester’, and at this strength, it could set your throat on fire. Best to avoid, I’d say… With water: now that’s excellent—smoky citrus and fat oysters with lemon, along with green olives and tar lurking in the background. Finish: long, very elegant, saline, smoky, lemony, and almost refreshing. That’s its main flaw—luckily, we only have (or rather had) 20cl of it. Comments: Hampden is truly a rum that doesn’t rely on age. I mean, it can be splendid at 0 years old or at 40. Few spirits have that talent.
SGP: 563 - 90 points.

In general, the rum that goes best after a Hampden is another Hampden...

HD 2000/2024 (52%, The Whisky Jury, Jamaica, refill barrels, casks #42, 48, 75, 173 bottles)

We don’t think, in this context, that ‘HD’ stands for ‘Harley-Davidson’. By the way, we have a Road King 1994 for sale if anyone’s interested, as we no longer ride American. Though it does need a bit of a restart. And no, the bike has never been fuelled with cask strength whisky, rest assured. Oh, and it’s a first-hand owner. Colour: gold. Nose: absolutely stunning—fairly gentle, with honeyed smoked banana, ocean water, oysters, olives, whelks… There really is that maritime edge that sometimes makes us say Hampden = Ardbeg (just as Neisson = Macallan or Bielle = Springbank). But moving on… With water: it turns highly mineral, almost basaltic – and ballistic. Mouth (neat): oh yes—medicinal, lemony, tarry, very much like Ardbeg, and above all, packed with more olives than an olive tree before harvest. With water: fruity resins of all kinds. Absolutely perfect. Finish: same story, lasting a good while, with tar putting up quite a fight and a bright lemon shining through in the aftertaste. Comments: how could anyone resist these rums? Should we even try?
SGP: 563 - 91 points.

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