A few rums to get through the snow and storms


January 11, 2026

A few rums to get through the snow and storms

Winds reaching 200 km/h along the Atlantic coast, thirty centimetres of snow here and there, that’s more than enough to have us dreaming of the tropics and their most famous produce: mangoes. I mean, rum. Let’s see what we can find to warm us up (though I should remind you — as any skier knows — that technically, alcohol doesn’t warm you up, quite the opposite). Let’s begin with our traditional little apéritif…

Mount Gay ‘XO Triple Cask Blend’ (43%, OB, Barbados, +/-2025)

Unclear proportions of column and pot still rum in the mix, sadly undisclosed, matured in American whisky casks—presumably American oak, though perhaps not first fill—and in Cognac casks, so French oak, but again likely not first fill either. Still with me? Colour: full gold. Nose: honestly, rather lovely to start with, opening on a touch of nail varnish before moving towards roasted peanuts and vanilla cream, eventually settling on shortbread biscuits dipped in milk chocolate. The whole affair feels fairly composed, not too loud, which we do quite appreciate. Mouth: follows on nicely from the nose, with good weight despite the modest strength, showing a bit of mango juice (there it is)) and fig cake. Hints of liquorice, very faint, though no obvious raisins from the Cognac casks, which might have been expected. Finish: not overly long but very well balanced, with notes of black tea. Comments: very likeable, fairly dry, and I do find it a touch better than the earlier XO (WF 82).
SGP:351 - 83 points.

Since we’re in Barbados…

Foursquare 13 yo 2007/2021 (62.1%, The Colours of Rum, Barbados, No.10, cask #14, 328 bottles)

This one, too, could be considered a kind of finishing, as the wee thing spent eleven years in the tropics before a final two in a former English malt cask, likely St. George. Yes, we’re running a tad late here... Colour: full gold. Nose: very close indeed to Mount Gay—could one speak of a unified Barbadian style? Fairly light structure but with serious alcoholic clout, showing vanilla, nail varnish, macarons, and white chocolate... With water: still weightier and more unctuous than its compatriot, which might, I do say might, point to a greater share of pot still. Mouth (neat): hefty power, a sharp and energetic arrival that has one wondering whether that English malt wasn’t kind of peated. Quite a bit of lime, verging on premixed mojito, indeed we're being dramatic again. With water: everything softens and rounds off nicely, though the welcome liveliness remains. That impression of light peat has now vanished. Walnuts, pecans, café latte. Finish: a touch of drying oak, though still entirely pleasant. Remarkably close to Mount Gay in style. Comments: handsome bottle, as expected.
SGP:451 - 85 points.

Spanish Heavy Rum 18 yo ‘Long Fermentation’ (59.2%, C. Dully Selection, 214 bottles, 2025)

This one fermented for no fewer than three weeks in wood, was pot-distilled, and matured in Spanish oak from the Pyrenees. In theory, proper Spanish rum (as opposed to Spanish-style or foreign rum dressed up in Spanish packaging) ought to hail from the Canaries, perhaps Arehucas? Then again, we really haven’t the faintest clue... Colour: gold. Nose: smells of cane juice, old copper, roasted pecans and black turrón... With water: more nougat, hazelnut cake, and assorted Lindt chocolates (as the house of C. Dully is Swiss, after all) ... Mouth (neat): phew, not a trace of the sugar that’s usually dosed with wild abandon in rums of this persuasion. We do get that faint metallic touch we rather enjoy, alongside ripe passion fruit and toasted oily nuts. So far, not exactly ‘heavy’ on the palate, but a few drops of water could shift things. With water: indeed, not a total volte-face but we’re now finding notes of brine, salmiak, earth, even olives, which do rather evoke those rums from Madeira. But Madeira is in Portugal, not Spain (bravo, S.) Finish: long, salty, brisk, now bringing in salted anchovies. Comments: astonishing how much water transforms this one. Our rating refers to the hydrated version. In any case, I believe this is the finest Spanish rum we’ve ever tasted.
SGP:552 - 85 points.

Cuban 46 yo 1978/2025 (57.5%, The Whisky Blues, ex-Islay STR barrels, cask #2315303, 268 bottles)

So it turns out they’ve been STR-ising whisky casks too, not just wine casks, though one suspects this might simply be automated rejuvenation à la Cambus Cooperage. On paper, it sounds a touch Frankensteinian, but as always, the truth lies in the glass… Colour: deep gold. Nose: at first nosing, this leans towards a low-mark Jamaican, with a modest ester count and lashings of roasted and salted peanuts. Clearly richer than your average elderly Cuban. With water: cigar ash and Tesla brake pads. Mouth (neat): quite the surprise—this is peated rum, no less. Ashy coffee. It’s like a whole new sub-category, though we've encountered a few like it before—just not a 46-year-old Cuban, mind you. With water: well, it works, though it clearly straddles two worlds. Finish: medium in length, more rooty now, which often happens with these. Comments: something of a Cuban in Jamaican drag, rather like those old Porsche Turbo-looks. No turbo, but jolly good fun.
SGP:453 - 85 points.

Navy Blend (57.1%, Famille Ricci and RumX, blend, 2025)

A British Navy-style blend uniting Caroni, TDL, New Yarmouth, Hampden and Diamond—a true feat for a French house, I must say, in channelling the spirit of the Royal Navy. Then again, it’s been over two centuries since old Napoleon’s time. The youngest rum in the mix is a 2014 Hampden, so we’re looking at something around 10 or 11 years old here. Psst, could we one day have a rhum of the Marine Nationale as well? Colour: amber. Nose: a proper big band of a rum, no doubt about it, with perhaps only the TDL manning the violins—then again, heavy TDL certainly exists. I do love this sort of ultra-classic composition, though it leans heavier than, say, Black Tot. With water: it softens, clears up, grows more refined, but also heads towards petrol and olive oil territory. That, we do enjoy. Mouth (neat): it’s heavy, though far from overwhelming, lifted by some rather lovely preserved citrus fruits. With water: this is where it truly shines for our palate, the saline edge swelling beautifully, almost evoking black olives. Finish: long, pure salmiak liqueur, if such a thing exists, with a touch of slightly burnt caramel in the aftertaste. Comments: really excellent for a blend.
SGP:562 - 86 points.

Check the index of all rums we've tasted