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| Hi, this is one of our (almost) daily tastings. Santé! |
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May 31, 2026 |
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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 more rums and quite a wee mess
This Sunday, we’re first heading to a country where nothing seems to scare anyone, the good old US of A, in search of our traditional apéritif, featuring a Bayou Rum from Louisiana.
(Bayou Distillery, Lacassine) |
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Bayou ‘Reserve Rum’ (40%, OB, USA, +/-2025) 
Made from molasses produced in Louisiana rather than imported by tanker loads (you catch my drift), distilled and matured using a ‘solera’ system, which is always a little alarming, although only the end result truly matters. We had already tasted a Bayou ‘single cask’ that had been rather tasty indeed back in 2021 (WF 78). Colour: orange gold. Nose: very pleasant, almost malty, with coffee and orange liqueurs, though without excess and displaying a certain balance. Light fudge and caramel, then cinnamon rolls. Hints of pink pepper, everything is rather charming here. Mouth: a slight caramelised softness at first, then once again coffee liqueur, with touches of chocolate and fudge. It loses a little momentum after that, although that is no doubt down to the minimal strength. Finish: orange liqueur, caramel and indeed molasses. Corn syrup. Comments: this is pleasant, there are no flaws, we would quite like to try one with a few more watts behind it. Why not while listening to Irma Thomas…
SGP:640 - 79 points. |
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Spinnaker 8 yo 2016 ‘LFCH’ (61.2%, Jamaica, +/-2025) 
Ooops, I thought we were staying in the USA with this recent range of rums selected in Texas, but this is in fact Hampden, although with a very light marque, LFCH meaning 60 to 120 grams of esters per HLPA (against ten to fifteen times more for the highest marques). Still, it is perhaps a little early in our modest session to already be tackling Hampden, but since we are here, we might as well press on… Colour: deep gold. Nose: proper Hampden, even the lighter marques are stamped by the style, diesel oil, slightly overripe oranges, but also, here, a fruity fattiness typical of pot stills. With water: a little earthier, petrichor and all that. Mouth (neat): this almost feels like a blend of a very fine agricole with a touch of heavier Hampden, which is rather interesting and, above all, very good indeed. More lightness of course, but no less depth. Candied oranges coated in cane sugar eventually take control. I cannot help thinking of Neisson, I swear. With water: but this really is extremely good! Orange liqueur with white pepper, lemon juice and a few drops of varnish. Finish: same again, long, almost fresh at this strength. Comments: conclusions, let us never overlook the lower marques from Jamaican distilleries. Well played, Spinnaker and gang.
SGP:651 - 89 points. |
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Mainland Rum 10 yo 2015 (70.1%, Superlative Spirits, USA, California, K&L exclusive, virgin white oak, +/-2026) 
We managed it this time. This baby comes from the Stark Spirits Distillery in Pasadena, where they also make whiskey but I haven't tried any yet. Well the name K&L already tells us plenty. As for the strength, let us just say we did not notice anything anyway, our lawyer is still unreachable for the moment (which means he is on the golf course). In any case, their 11-year-old Louisiana ex-rye had been excellent (WF 89). Colour: coffee. Seriously. Nose: somewhere in bourbon territory, rosewood, cedarwood, honeysuckle, coconut liqueur… With water: an exhibition of antique pencil sharpeners. Plenty of graphite, charcoal sticks and cedarwood. Mouth (neat): cedarwood in full force, fudge, dark chocolate, salt and pepper, salmiak galore… As a matter of fact, we rather like this. With water: the esters and green pepper come charging in, much to our delight. Finish: very long, concentrated, heavily oaked yet with grace and confidence (hey?). A nice change from you-know-who. Lots of dark chocolate in the aftertaste. Comments: the fact that it is so different naturally adds to the charm of the whole thing. Crazy stuff.
SGP:371 - 87 points. |
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Easy Peasy ‘Exotic Blended Rum’ (51%, Swell de Spirits, 1,400 bottles, +/-2025)
A blend of rums from Ghana, Vietnam, the Philippines and Eswatini (what is Eswatini anyway?) Colour: white wine. Nose: brilliant, a mix of green apple juice, white asparagus, jujube, fresh rubber and wheat beer. If that is not fun, what is… With water: this edges a little closer to wort. Well, you see what we mean… Mouth (neat): a mirror image of the nose, only slightly sweeter, with notes of Williams pear joining the asparagus. How amusing this is! Salty touches too, moules marinières… With water: the saltier and more fermentary aspects come further to the fore, mild vinegar, pot ale, although the pear keeps everything in check. Finish: same again, with more lovely bitters. Frankly salty aftertaste. Comments: we are adding one or two extra points for originality. The global south in our glass!
SGP:462 - 88 points. |
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Clarendon 27 yo 1995/2023 (64.7%, Distilia x Rhum Attitude x Bar Lamp Tokyo) 
It was high time we tasted this baby. This is 100% tropical ageing, let us hope it has not been too crushed by the wood and high temperatures. Colour: dark amber. Nose: very elegant, the esters are almost entirely melted into the whole, while fresh fruits rule the proceedings, especially papaya, including in its candied form. Especially in its candied form, in fact. With water: the water lifts little notes of mint, varnish, glue and furniture polish. Mouth (neat): oh, this is so good on the palate! There is a Caroni side to it, seriously, plenty of liquorice and preserved lemon, then mint. Liquorice wood and salmiak dominate the debate. With water: it absolutely loves water. Very fine peppery, earthy tension, heavily liquoricy of course. Finish: very long, earthy, utterly packed with liquorice. Comments: could somebody certify for us that this is not a liquorice distillate? Or some kind of liquorice maceration? Because frankly, we adore this stuff. There is green olive too.
SGP:362 - 90 points. |
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A French Antilles Distillery 2017/2024 (57.6%, Bedford Park, 225 bottles)
Now this is intriguing, an anonymous Frenchman… Colour: full amber. Nose: in the style of le Galion, so not agricole, rather refined, with fudge, vanilla custard tart, popcorn, along with edible flowers (wood sorrel, borage, pansies) and quite a lot of poppy syrup. Poppy syrup is utterly wonderful. With water: white chocolate (a proper sin) and pancakes drenched in maple syrup. Mouth (neat): absolutely excellent, this almost puts the agricoles in the shade, with an astonishing floral and earthy lightness, dill, fennel, aniseed… Good heavens! With water: even better, with tremendous subtlety. Touches of coriander and chia seeds. Finish: not eternal yet displaying remarkable earthy and floral precision. Everything leads towards lime in the end. Comments: these are the kinds of rums that can slip somewhat under the radar, but believe me, they are well worth your attention. A bottle for rum lovers who already own everything, as they say in central London or Paris.
SGP:462 – 89 points. |
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Jamaican Rum 18 yo (49.3%, Decadent Drams, 2025)
A blend of Clarendon and Long Pond. A kind of local blend if you will. We are not entirely sure about the dates here, although frankly we do not care very much. Colour: chardonnay. Nose: the softness of candle wax, drained engine oil, almond milk and bergamot liqueur. It is not especially funky, but it is charming, rather like Kid Creole and the Coconuts (boomer stuff alert). Mouth: distinctly saltier, almost vinegary, although we absolutely adore that, frankly far superior to the nose, which had felt a little more ‘commercial’ all things considered. Lovely peppers, very dry wines, inks, papers… Finish: long and now genuinely magnificent. Touches of rose petals, balancing beautifully against the vinegary and acidic side that we so enjoy. Comments: a long-distance runner, starting gently yet ultimately winning the race. The hare and the tortoise, in other words.
SGP:363 - 90 points. |
 Check the index of all rums we've tasted
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