Rums of all kinds, in the shade


July 6, 2025

Rums of all kinds, in the shade

Since it’s summer! Granted, rum isn’t – or shouldn’t really be – particularly associated with summer, but it’s probably hard to erase two hundred years of advertising built around parasols, daiquiris, and wide-eyed tourists spending the day in their swimsuits or Hawaiian shirts (white dinner jackets in the evening). Note that this time we’ll be steering clear of those 'apéritif' rums sweetened to a near-fatal degree, so as to maintain a touch of grace (excuse me?) this first weekend of July. Well, you know what I mean.

(Magazine ad, mid-1980s)

Isautier 10 yo (40%, OB, La Réunion, agricole, +/-2024)

We’ve already had a go at this baby, albeit in a previous guise. It wasn’t half bad, though those 40% will always be something of a handicap unless your distillate is truly big, big, big. Colour: gold. Nose: we’re in light agricole territory here, I’d say. A touch of rubber, a sprinkle of caraway, herbal orange liqueur, three drops of banana liqueur, then simply some cane syrup. Rather lovely nose, let’s just hope it doesn’t collapse on the palate. Mouth: not too far from some of the agricoles from Madeira, with a rather distinctive herbal side, a wee bit of burnt hay, some charming citrus and a discreet salty edge. Finish: not the longest but agreeably saline, herbal and spicy. The caraway’s back in the aftertaste, along with quite a bit of aniseed and black pepper. Comments: real pity about the 40% vol. All the more so since we’ve tasted quite a few high-voltage Isautiers (LMDW, Velier) that had been absolutely superb.
SGP:551 - 80 points.

Papalin 6 yo (54 .1%, Velier, Haitian blend, pot still only, ex-sherry, 2023)

This is a blend of three Haitian rums, matured at Distillerie de Port au Prince/Providence. Since it’s pot still only, I would suppose there’s no Barbancourt. Colour: amber. Nose: smells like there’s quite a bit of clairin in there, it’s very briny, very much on a mix of gherkins and lemons, with some cracking whiffs of bicycle inner tube (what with the Tour de France just about to kick off as we write this). With water: a freshly opened pouch of pipe tobacco. Or a box of Dunhills. Mouth (neat): I find the sherry behaves impeccably, first-rate salty liquorice all over the place, then throat pastilles made with lemon and eucalyptus. One feels instantly revived, doesn’t one. With water: some fresh walnuts, delightful acidity, a charmingly sharp and full profile all at once. Finish: long, still very saline. Comments: totally dominated by the clairin. No complaints, we adore that stuff. The sherry itself was characterful, possibly not only ‘seasoned for the business’.
SGP:563 - 88 points.

Agitator ‘Chestnut Reserve’ (40%, OB, Sweden, +/-2024)

Molasses-based rum, distilled and aged in chestnut casks in Sweden. All of this makes perfect sense, doesn’t it. Worth noting, chestnut wood was once used in wine, notably in Burgundy, as it was cheaper and easier to work than oak. It was mostly used for transport (hence all those chestnut casks once found in Scotland) or for modest table wines. It’s notably more tannic, which also helped to mask flaws in the wines, though I don’t believe that was the aim of the excellent folks behind Agitator. Colour: gold. Nose: again, rather odd to have bottled this at 40%. We’re getting some burnt tones, pine, cloves studded into oranges, a few whiffs of geranium and fig leaves… In short, it’s quite the curious thing. Mouth: quite an improbable combo of coffee and peppermint liqueur, rock candy sugar, myrtle liqueur, and a few touches of honey… Finish: fairly short and rather sweet. Cumin and coffee liqueur. Comments: it’s amusing stuff, though rather anecdotal for me. Not very ‘rum’ either, but then again, that figures—we are in Sweden. Personally, I much prefer their whiskies.
SGP:760 - 72 points.

Let’s head back to la Réunion…

Savanna 2019/2024 (63%, The Nectar of The Daily Drams, for LMDW, La Réunion, finished in ex-Pineau des Charentes)

What’s the link between rum from La Réunion and Pineau des Charentes? Simple: they’re both French products. I know, it’s a bit of a stretch. Colour: very pale white wine. Nose: rose liqueur, pineapple liqueur and nail polish remover, 33/33/33. With water: a slight mousey note, then brand new trainers and acetone. High-ester. Mouth (neat): utter madness, it’s so crazy you end up loving it. Esters, hairspray, varnish, glue, peach liqueur, rosewater, grilled aubergines, even charred ones. With water: the spices charge in, Timut pepper, cumin liqueur, still glue, tar, then an oyster and a dash of lemon. Finish: liquorice takes over, as it often does. So do cough syrups. Bonkers. Comments: it’s not so much the end result (which is excellent) that fascinates me, but the sheer thought process behind it. A rum for the lunatics among us, in the best way.
SGP:663 - 88 points.

We’re still in weird territory…

MacNairs ‘Exploration Jamaica Rum’ (46%, Glenallachie, Jamaica, peated, +/-2024)

Some Clarendon matured at Glenallachie, probably for a short period of time. It was actually finished in some ex-peated Glenallachie wood. Yeah, why not, other brands did this stunt, such as HSE in Martinique. What’s amusing is that this baby already seems to have scooped more medals than a retired Russian field marshal. Colour: pale white wine. Nose: on the nose, the Jamaican rum clearly takes the lead. Seawater, basalt, charcoal, acetone, lemon, petrol. Mouth: the peat must be there, no doubt, but what stands out most is the lime, the glue, the ashes (hey!), the seawater and all the expected ‘funk’ that comes with this idea. Finish: fairly long, a touch sweet, but the balance holds, especially as some amusing notes of pear and pineapple now appear. Salty aftertaste. Comments: terrifying idea, successful execution. Better that way round, I should think.
SGP:652 - 85 points.

Now then, regarding Clarendon…

Clarendon 29 yo 1995/2025 ‘EMB’ (61.5%, The Colours of Rum, Jamaica, N°16, 148 bottles)

23 years in the tropics, mind you! And yet it’s paler than an Americano coffee in an airport lounge. The EMB mark suggests an ester level of 250g/HLPA, which is already not half bad. Colour: tea in some airport lounge (right). Nose: stop right there! This is pretty astonishing—passion fruit, mango, both gros and petit manseng, fresh mint, elegant glues and varnishes, plus a wee touch of new tyre. And it all remains remarkably compact and fresh. With water: just beautiful! Glorious exotic fruits with a little rubber and tar, all 100% natural. Mouth (neat): of course it’s a tad aggressive, and yes, it does feel like swallowing five litres of pine sap, but at 61.5%, hardly surprising. I’d be curious to know whether the casks were topped up during ageing in Jamaica (one cask nourishing the others, etc., which the Scots don’t and can’t really do, for example). With water: let’s admit it, it’s a bit ‘woody’. That said, unless you’re allergic or intolerant to conifer saps and resins, it’s utterly beautiful. Finish: long, ultra-mentholy and resinous. Comments: the nose takes you straight to the stars, and the rest remains top-notch too.
SGP:572 - 91 points.

Since we're with Wealth Solutions, let’s wrap things up by trying the likely opposite…

Hampden 1 yo 2023/2025 ‘Madeira’ (62.2%, The Colours of Rum, Edition Green for Catawiki, Jamaica)

1,300–1,500 gr ester/HLPA, that’s the C<>H marque, right? At such a young age, they still managed to give it a Madeira cask finish, and judging by the colour, it wasn’t white Madeira. Let’s see, in any case we trust the Catawiki crew. And CoR, of course. Colour: Provence rosé wine, or partridge eye. Nose: careful, this does unscrew your nose and perhaps your whole head. Burning tyres, one might say. Or rather, tyres actively burning. Yet the background seems subtler, peach skins, gentle glues, sun lotion… With water: a staggering gangster vibe, submachine gun, cartridges… And heaps of glue. Mouth (neat): even at this extreme, Hampden remains one of the world’s greatest distillates, quite simply. Earth, chalk, petrol (yes, we once had petrol in the mouth back when we used to siphon tanks with mates, given how thirsty our cars were), and indeed this one’s colour does rather remind you of petrol. Also lots of black olives. With water: in come the brined fish—anchovies, sardines, mackerel… And lashings of salt. Finish: very long, on acetone and salt. Comments: perhaps the most discreet Madeira wine influence we’ve ever encountered, and yet it was clearly there, judging by the colour of this baby. In any case, we adore this baby Hampden.
SGP:464 - 89 points.

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