Some more rums


October 26, 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!

Some more rums

With joy and good cheer! We'll notably be getting another very, very old Cuban, a rare independent La Favorite, and of course, some Hampden.

The very fine people from Takamaka brought their Mini Moke to Whisky Live Germany last week. With that distinctive colour, one might assume they could then rent it out to Bruichladdich.(WF)

Takamaka 'Pti Lakaz Batch #3' (45.1%, OB, Seychelles, +/-2025)

Here comes a rum made from pure cane juice blended with molasses-based distillate, with a bit of meddling from Port casks and Foursquare barrels. Quite the concoction, but it’s the outcome that matters, isn’t it? Colour: gold. Nose: charming nose, fairly on the fermentary side to start with, with clear hints of diesel oil right from the off, then it pivots towards more exotic fruit, ripe mango and banana come to mind, before gradually veering into liquorice territory. All things considered, it’s rather dry and seriously well-composed. Mouth: liquorice and molasses up front, with a tiny pinch of salt, followed by marzipan laced with kirsch, and just a few drops of aniseed liqueur. Finish: sameish... Comments: we’re quite a bit closer to a Caribbean or even Martinican profile here, rather than the usual Indian Ocean style, Mauritius in particular tending to the sweeter side. Pretty splendid rum and three cheers for the Seychelles! We’ll have more Takamaka in the coming weeks.
SGP:552 - 83 points.

Ron Bodega 6 yo 'Batch 001' (46%, OB, Scotland, 2025)

A molasses-based rum from BrewDog Distilling Co., matured in a rather curious mix of oloroso, bourbon, and red Bordeaux casks—quite the cocktail. Colour: gold. Nose: the wine influence is fairly pronounced, bringing notes of blackcurrant bud and blackberry, with some rather surprising leeky undertones, a touch of beer (unless our brain is leading us astray again), and a little whiff of new rubber. Distinctive indeed, not unpleasant in the slightest, and not a million miles from a modern whisky either. Mouth: fresh, lemony and yeasty at first, then it leans more towards the herbal side, straddling several categories really, and not just rum. Liquorice eventually ties it all together. Finish: medium length, with hints of lemon balm. Comments: curiously herbal and not at all bad, though perhaps it suffers slightly in comparison to that lovely fellow from the Seychelles.
SGP:351 - 79 points.

Père Labat 5 yo 2017/2022 (46%, Tres Hombres, Marie-Galante)

This young rum matured on Marie-Galante before making its way to Europe aboard the 40-tonne sailing cargo vessel Tres Hombres, a five-month voyage said to have added a bit of 'stirring' and presumably a touch of maritime character. In any case, we do like Père Labat. Colour: pale gold. Nose: that unmistakable blend of fresh cane juice, aniseed, coriander and poppy seeds, underpinned by a rather earthy base with a whiff of mint, not unlike some top-notch small-batch cachaça. Mouth: we’re very fond of this singular style, herbaceous, earthy and distinctly anisic, with fennel, fermenting exotic fruits, and a lively citrus edge that lends it a lovely tension. Finish: long, sailing off into... craft pastis land. Both literally and figuratively, mind you as the ship did connect the islands to the mainland after all. Comments: absolutely brilliant, and one imagines it would make a stratospheric ti-punch.
SGP:562 - 87 points.

Very Fine Old Rum from Cuba 30 yo 1993/2024 (49.6%, Delia's Whiskyshop and The Whisky Agency, barrel, Christmas 2024)

We’re not entirely sure of the precise origins of these Cubans—there are whispers, naturally—but we’d rather dive straight into the tasting. Colour: gold. Nose: coconut macaroons, chamomile, sugarcane and dandelion honey, nothing earth-shattering in itself, but the molecular arrangement is spot-on and we’re utterly charmed by the overall impression. This simple yet patisserie-like freshness is just perfect. Above all, it smells unmistakably of Cuba. Mouth: gentle, yet always close to the cane, with a touch of earth, molasses honey, two or three salmiak pastilles, then a café latte with a drop of liquid liquorice stirred in. The background is more intricate, with white pepper gradually building. Finish: medium in length, becoming saltier, even more on the salmiak, but always with a soft touch. Pink grapefruit and lemongrass linger in the aftertaste. Comments: a delightful Cuban, fresh and lifted.
SGP:551 - 89 points.

Seeing as we're in Cuba...

Cabeza Llena 1948/2025 (49.1%, La Maison & Velier, Cuba)

Rumour has it these extremely old Cubans, fully aged on the island, hail from the remaining stocks of the former Havana Club distillery, Vizcaya, which was nationalised and subsequently shuttered by Fidel, who redirected production to other facilities, notably Bacardi, which had also been nationalised. We've already had the chance to taste some examples from this 1948 stock, and they were so marvellous that, dare we say it, we almost feel compelled to thank Mr Castro, posthumously. Truth be told, these casks might never have survived without his intervention in the early 1960s... but claro, let’s move swiftly on. Colour: amber. Nose: the first impression is that of opening a box of fine chocolates from a top-tier chocolatier, think Patrick Roger, Ferber in Niedermorschwihr, or Jacques Génin, but precious woods soon come to the fore: rosewood, macassar ebony, walnut, with a sensation not unlike sitting inside a freshly reupholstered vintage Jag. Beeswax too. The rest unfolds in waves of toasted hazelnuts, pecans, delicate tobaccos (not necessarily Cuban), and a lovely infusion of linden blossom. It is, naturally, glorious. Mouth: the esters! Completely unexpected! That green olive and pickled gherkin sharpness, beautifully sour and acidic, then a medley of vintage sweets and cough syrups (PulMoll springs to mind) with eucalyptus and cinchona leading the dance for a while. Then come the chocolates again, especially fruit ganaches, with mango standing out. Simply irresistible. Finish: long, saline, almost sherry-like, with walnuts and lovely touches of rancio. Comments: more than just a great rum, this is a truly great spirit that should also delight fans of fine malt, cognac or armagnac. What’s more, the price seems very well judged—seriously now, it’s seventy-seven years old! Less than 2K€.
SGP:562 - 94 points.

Well, it'll take some real beasts to live up to that wonder...

Martinique 7 yo 2017/2025 "MMLF" (65.4%, Rum de Luxe, Wild Series, cask #14, 258 bottles)

From some sharp independent bottlers in Denmark, this is a secret Martinican rum aged on the continent, though the marque rings a very loud bell. With LF, La Favorite comes to mind. Colour: white wine. Nose: the beauty of temperate ageing in inactive wood, which lets the distillate sing almost a cappella, like some William Byrd or Palestrina. Truly, this is a near-religious nose, with unfathomable purity and freshness, on sweet woodruff and wild garlic, with the gentlest touch of vanilla, as soft as a feather, and the most delicate thread of caramel. An utterly splendid nose. With water: veers into ultra-high-end aquavit territory. Those Danes, eh! (though to be clear, there's absolutely no suggestion that any aquavit was added!) Mouth (neat): a spell of pure cane juice, though with a hefty punch of alcohol that needs taming. A touch of mezcal, a lick of salt. With water: astonishing, just as medicinal as an ultra-medicinal Laphroaig, and just as oily and fat as a proper greasy Ben Nevis. What’s more, the woodruff returns. Finish: long, pure, elegant, and superbly herbal. Comments: extremely convincing. Slightly chilled, with caviar or oysters… yes please.
SGP:472 - 91 points.

I fear that for the last rum of this little session, we’ll have no choice but...

Hampden 2020/2025 'HGML' (63.3%, OB, Awakening Series, Germany, bourbon, cask #277, 193 bottles)

The HGML marque clocks in at a hefty 1,000 to 1,300 grams of esters per HLPA. In other words, in any given line-up, few rums stand a chance once this beast shows up. Colour: full gold. Nose: brand-new trainers fresh out of the box, pickled gherkins, green olives from the Iberian peninsula, nail polish remover, and pineapple just on the turn, fermenting, but not quite rotten. You get the idea. In short, everything we love. With water: the green and black olives seize total control, and we’re entirely on board. Mouth: surprisingly gentle for such a marque, with citrus and a cool, minty liquorice that nonetheless grabs hold of your palate straight away. Fear not, the acetone and seawater follow swiftly. With water: stone fruits! Cherries, plums, apricots... though all seemingly preserved in brine. We really must try that, one day. Finish: very long, salty and liquorice-laden, but this time it leans more towards sweet than bitter. Comments: I’ve lost track of how many Hampdens we’ve tried—surely quite a few—but it never ceases to be an immense pleasure.
SGP:463 - 90 points.

Hold on, we’ve still got a special weapon up our sleeve, just three letters: DOK...

Hampden 4 yo 2021/2025 'DOK' (60%, La Maison & Velier, Magnum Series #3)

A quick reminder that the ‘Magnum’ series isn’t about bottle size, it was launched in homage to the photographers of the Magnum agency. As for the DOK marque, or <DOK, this is Hampden’s ester behemoth, clocking in at a staggering 1,500 to 1,700 grams per HLPA, placing it somewhere between nitro-glycerine and TNT on the flavour detonation scale. And we’re only half-joking. Colour: white wine. Nose: pure nail varnish, hairspray, North Sea brine and cider vinegar. There’s a trace of quince eau-de-vie lurking in the background, that’s the civilised part. With water: pure carbon, fibreglass, topcoat and fresh faux leather. Mouth (neat): honestly, it feels like drinking seawater, if one were being deliberately crude, one might say “post-oil spill.” Shame on us. On the gentler and more peaceable side, there are hints of peach syrup. With water: salt, hessian, and lime. Finish: very long and razor-sharp, with an aggressively acidic lemon that takes full control and sends shivers right down your spine for a solid fifteen minutes. Comments: I’ve always wondered whether it’s entirely normal to enjoy these mad contraptions so much, or whether it’s time to seek professional help.
SGP:473 - 90 points.

After a DOK, nothing else will do. Goodbye. Stay tuned.

Check the index of all rums we've tasted