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| Hi, this is one of our (almost) daily tastings. Santé! |
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October 11, 2026 |
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The Rum Sessions,
the new rums start to pour in |
It’s peak season for new releases, and we’ll try to stem the rising tide. That said, the succession of festivals of interstellar calibre is making it a little tricky to put together the grand malternative line-ups we so enjoy, but things should be back to normal next week, provided we survive the German currywursts this weekend (it’s Hamburg, baby). I should add that we adore currywurst and only wish we found its aromas and flavours in our spirits a little more often… Right, an apéritif…
The 18th century Rockley still (Stade's Rum/W.I.R.D.) |
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Bahari ‘South Africa Edition’ (43%, OB, South Africa, +/-2026) 
A very young blend of aged and unaged pot still rums, sourced entirely from South Africa (Sugar Baron and L’Atelier). I humbly confess to knowing neither distillery… For now! Colour: white wine. Nose: it’s young, a little sweet on the nose, a little grassy, a little pear-led, but lovely sugar cane notes then emerge, and the whole is pleasantly fresh. Mouth: really not bad, though it doesn’t quite scale the heights of Mhoba. Perhaps a little light, but rather nicely saline. Green apple. Finish: very short, which is a bit of a shame. Comments: we’ll call this baby honest, fair and fit for trade. We appreciate the absence of added sugars, syrups and assorted liqueurs, at least any we can detect.
SGP:440 - 78 points. |
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Mhoba ‘Odyssey’ (58.5%, OB, South Africa, LMDW Collection Anthologie, bourbon barrel, cask #BC-1, 188 bottles, 2026) 
Mhoba just keeps getting better, it’s almost becoming worrying. We’re joking, but this baby is 86 months old. If my arithmetic is sound, that makes it a little over 7 years. Colour: gold. Nose: immediately fragrant with Jamaican-style esters (I know, esters are esters), rubber, dried seaweed, acetone, new plastics, overripe banana and seawater. With water: and dried mushrooms, especially morels and ceps! Mouth (neat): excellent, of course, perhaps slightly less extreme and a little more citrusy than other expressions, though I could be wrong. Lemon, olives, varnish, agave… With water: very little change, and we’re not complaining, perhaps the olives move a little further forward. Finish: long, a little sweet, but still full of character. Comments: we’re thinking of a decidedly global triangle linking Jamaica, Fiji and South Africa. Last year’s ‘Satara’ was perhaps slightly more assertive, though.
SGP:552 - 89 points. |
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Rhum J.M ‘L’Empreinte’ (41.5%, OB, Martinique, agricole, 2026) 
A very young, limited edition of J.M at a modest strength, let’s see whether there are still a few watts or horsepower under the bonnet… Colour: gold. Nose: very typical but spicier than usual, with cinnamon biscuits and toasted buckwheat, then Seville orange marmalade and wafts of jasmine. You almost feel you’re in a (very good) Chinese restaurant. Mouth: consistent with the nose, though a little weaker, which is only to be expected at this strength. Lovely oranges, a little juniper, cane juice, cedarwood, a touch of mild curry. Finish: a shame, it takes a bit of a nosedive here, which is rather frustrating, let’s admit it. But the spices in the aftertaste remain very, very lovely. Comments: come on, a slightly more ‘unbridled’ version, please, the profile is quite magnificent.
SGP:541 - 82 points. |
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Ron Tepuy ‘Destino’ (40%, OB, Venezuela, +/-2026) 
A brand I hadn’t come across before. Obviously, at 40% vol., our hopes aren’t terribly high, although it’s better than 38% (what a useful comment that was, S.!) Colour: deep amber. Nose: oranges, agave syrup, caramel, triple-sec… Not bad. Mouth: a little flabby, not too sweet, becoming drier, with black tea sweetened with honey and a touch of bagasse. Very light structure. Finish: ultra-short. Comments: not too bad, actually, at least it hasn’t been ‘dosed’ to death, but perhaps best kept for cocktails? I mean, light cocktails?
SGP:320 - 69 points. |
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Stade’s Rum ‘Rockley First Drops’ (49%, OB, Barbados, bourbon cask, 1,200 bottles, 2026)
A rum from W.I.R.D., distilled in the Rockley Still, said to be the oldest rum still in the world. 200+g esters/HLPA. Colour: chardonnay. Nose: it’s all there, but gently so, with seawater, a little vinegar, a touch of acetone and ammonia, brine, liquorice root, a little lime juice and hints of gentian. Tropical gentian, of course. Mouth: much the same, in a style we really must call Jamaican. Trelawny, a little less oily and with a little more pepper from the distillate. Finish: fairly long, still with lovely peppery notes alongside the classic combination of liquorice, salt, olives and varnish. Comments: I find this very good indeed, with something of a ‘Bowmore of the Caribbean’ character (eh???) We’re hoping for a 100-proof version.
SGP:462 - 88 points. |
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Hampden 10 yo 'Great House Distillery Edition 2026' (55%, OB, Jamaica) 
Colour: full gold. Nose: of course. With water: of course. Mouth (neat): of course. With water: of course. Finish: of course. Comments: more seriously, the nose combines pencil shavings, charcoal and shellfish, while the palate is much more saline, with olives, brined lemons, capers, seaweed, rubber, seawater and salmiak. Let’s not forget the customary drop of fresh paint and that slight hint of peat that so often has us calling Hampden the Ardbeg of the Caribbean. Note that neither Hampden nor Ardbeg have ever complained.
SGP:463 - 90 points. |
There’ll be plenty more rums (and Hampdens) on WF over the coming weeks, stay tuned. |
 Check the index of all rums we've tasted
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