
January 25, 2026

The Rum Sessions,
Topping up with a bit more sugarcane spirit

The days stretch out slowly, as if still reluctant to let go of winter. The cold lingers, biting and familiar, greeting our flushed cheeks each morning. And yet, now and then, the sky shows a touch of mercy: a few rays of sunshine, rare and precious, break through the grey and gently brush our faces. They warm the body as much as the spirit, casting a soft, almost hopeful light, and bringing with them that priceless dose of vitamin D that stirs something long dormant. With this new brightness comes a hazy, comforting, almost tropical yearning: the urge to travel without moving, to summon far-off places in a few glasses of rum.
I know, I know, what a pitiful and utterly pointless introduction. My bad, we won’t do that again…

Depaz ‘VSOP’ (45%, OB, Martinique, agricole, +/-2025)

The core range Depaz expressions are generally very much to our liking and the extra 5% bottling strength, compared to other brands, works very well indeed and avoids the slightly limp character some others can display. Except the pot still ones, which sometimes don’t need that boost… These days, Depaz belongs to La Martiniquaise, alongside Saint James, J.Bally and Dillon. In short, some very respectable houses… Colour: gold. Nose: a touch of glue and varnish to start with, always a good sign for me, then we dive into ultra-ripe tropical fruits and sweet spices, bringing to mind a banana and cinnamon salad. It’s very classic, it’s very pretty. Mouth: we’re back with the glue, now joined by liquorice, then quite a hefty dose of rock sugar and caramel, the latter quickly taking the upper hand, supported by sugarcane, fermented fruits and a little pine resin. It works very well. Finish: long, on varnish and liquid caramel, the kind that’s sold already runny to home bakers for drizzling over cakes or flans. Comments: I find it superior to a version that preceded this one by about ten years.
SGP:551 - 84 points.

Dominican Republic 17 yo 2018/2025 (60.8%, La Maison du Whisky, Flag Series, Collection Itinéraires, Madeira cask, cask #DR08MD01, 225 bottles)

We’ve always dreamt of finding one or several rums from the Dominican Republic that weren’t just pure ethanol from monstrous multi-column stills, later aromatised with some sort of who-knows-what. Well, we know the story… I must confess, Bristol had sourced some truly excellent ones in the past, so hopes are high here… Colour: very dark amber. Nose: instantly brings to mind some of the better Cubans, such as certain Santiago bottlings one can enjoy locally. Perfect toffee and roasted nuts, hints of cedarwood and cinnamon rolls, but also quite a lot of alcohol. With water: a family-sized pack of honey and molasses-coated roasted peanuts. A faint earthy edge too, which is most pleasant. Mouth (neat): very probably my favourite DomRep to date. Granted, it’s a wee bit sweet, but the woodiness delivers a welcome bite, and the sheer abundance of roasted or even burnt oily nuts works a treat. Also a few drops of pineapple liqueur. With water: good news, the water doesn’t make it feel thin, even if the structure itself reveals a certain lightness. Again those lovely varnishy notes and super-ripe fruits—mango, banana—with a whiff of acetone… Finish: of medium length, more on molasses. Comments: probably from AFD (Alcoholes Finos Dominicanos). No sugar added here, or at least nothing detectable.
SGP:531 - 85 points.

Bellevue 2016/2025 (64.3%, Bedford Park, Marie-Galante, bourbon barrel, cask #417, 236 bottles)

Marie-Galante! Let me remind you that administratively it’s part of Guadeloupe. And in terms of flavour, Bellevue sits among the best distilleries in the world, across all categories. Colour: white wine. Nose: chiuso, fermé, closed, geschlossen, cerrado, fèmé. Well, almost, and that’s down to the high strength. Only two remedies exist—either wait three hours or add water. We’ll go for the latter. With water: it remains surprisingly light in structure, you’d think it was a traditional rum rather than an agricole. But it’s very pretty, elegant, now distinctly more vanilla-led. Mouth (neat): this really is a bridge between the French Caribbean and Jamaica, in terms of profile. Salty but close to the cane, tarry, varnished, yet also soft and almost amiable. But once again, nearly 65% vol. So… With water: the effect of water on the nose doesn’t quite carry over to the palate as strongly, there’s still a trace of funk, some esters, very ripe fruit, and even a drop of acetone. Finish: thin, long, again with that ‘cross’ character. A touch of lemon or limoncello, sugarcane syrup. Comments: a Guadeloupean that still feels a bit mysterious to an eternal layman like me.
SGP:541 - 84 points.

Réunion 2019/2025 (67.7%, Bedford Park, bourbon barrel, cask #42, 255 bottles)

Have you seen the strength? That’s pure provocation! And to think our lawyer remains unreachable—they claim he’s sorting out international tariff issues, but I know full well he’s actually out on the golf course… Right, in theory this should be Savanna, let’s see if it’s grand arôme… Colour: white wine. Nose: splendid. Wood glue, curry, near-rotten bananas, fromage blanc, puncture repair glue, eucalyptus, paraffin, aged Gouda, and linden tisane. What an improbable mix, and what a beauty! With water: same notes, just rearranged in a different order. Mouth (neat): unbelievably medicinal, fermentary and spicy. It’s as if someone had added loads of pepper and orange peel to cough syrup, along with a few drops of wild strawberry liqueur. Glorious madness. With water: let’s say coriander seed up front, then an obvious gin-like character, followed by peppers and chillies, all wrapped in a tropical honey of great charm. Finish: extremely long—which is useful if you’re still waiting for your lawyer to call you back. A saline touch right at the very end. Comments: I’m completely in love with this improbably wonderful rum that’s almost certainly rather a little ‘bacterial’. See what I mean.
SGP:563 - 90 points

TDL 22 yo 2003/2025 (57.5%, The Antelope, Trinidad, refill barrel, cask #R002, 220 bottles)

Ten years in the tropics, the rest on the continent—though what exactly ‘the continent’ means these days is anyone’s guess. Right then, let’s see if this is an exotic fruit bomb or a jerrycan of petrol… I do hope the NSA isn’t reading this… Colour: gold. Nose: definitely a fruit bomb, though the hydrocarbons are lurking in the shadows. Think old Redbreast or Bushmills, with 5% 1970s Ardbeg chucked in for good measure. You get the picture… With water: it all integrates further, absolutely splendid. TDL Major. Mouth (neat): an incredible parade of pink bananas, mango, papaya, fresh rubber, liquorice and olive oil. With water: not even worth continuing, it’s that good. Finish: long, saltier and more peppery now, with more olives and salmiak, yet the super-ripe fruits still hold the fort. Comments: there's an almost slightly aggressive streak to this, which seems to be all the rage these days, globally speaking. Only joking—it’s splendid.
SGP:562 - 91 points.

I think we’ll finish with a couple of Jamaicans—perhaps some Monymusk?
Yes, I know, there’s “Musk” in Monymusk, but please, let’s not dwell on that… Oh and, you’re right, also ‘Mony’. But Monymusk is no Don Tesla, is it.

Monymusk 27 yo 1998/2025 ‘MMW’ (60.1%, Thompson Bros., Jamaica, 174 bottles)

MMW—I believe we’re looking at around 300 g esters/HLPA here. Just a reminder that, like ppm peat, none of that behaves linearly once it’s in your glass. I should also add that the price of this bottle is about the same as a cold calzone and a lukewarm pint somewhere around Covent Garden, and you don’t even need to leave a tip. Madness. Colour: pale gold. Nose: it’s the brisk Atlantic freshness that strikes first, the elegance of the whole, seaweed, little green olives, small lemons, oysters, and freshly bought pullovers straight from The House of Bruar… It’s a bit like what Caol Ila is to Ardbeg (compared to Hampden, if you see what I mean). With water: not the slightest change, and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. Mouth (neat): precise to the millimetre, on mentholated liquorice and shellfish, with tar and rubber added in manageable quantities. With water: the salinity comes to the fore, somewhere between seawater and brine. Finish: there are ‘almost’ a few anchovies. Comments: if you enjoy very saline spirits as much as I do, this one’s for you (too). Never mind the calzone and pint in central London.
SGP:462 - 90 points.

Monymusk 24 yo 2000/2024 (62%, The Whisky Blues, Jamaica, barrel, cask#13908, 148 bottles)

Colour: white wine. Nose: it’s the very high strength that takes charge here, with notes of seawater and lime hovering in the background while ethanol keeps a firm grip on the reins. No worries… With water: even with plenty of dilution, we’re still firmly in that chemical, rubbery territory… Mouth (neat): ultra-powerful, it gives you three slaps and leaves you flat on the mat. Seriously, it’s extremely full-on, you get the impression you’re sipping jet fuel for an F-35 (or Gripen, or Rafale, or Eurofighter etc.) With water: ah, now it’s a little more civilised, though it still feels like you’re north of a kilo of esters/HLPA, which I didn’t think even existed at Clarendon/Monymusk, right? Finish: a bit burning, very long, more acidic, more vinegary. In short, very ‘pickled’. Comments: this one’s a brute, really, and demands a fair bit of resistance. Pretty surprising.
SGP:364 - 85 points.

Best to leave it there… but stay tuned.

Check the index of all rums we've tasted

The Rum Sessions, Topping up with a bit more sugarcane spirit

The Rum Sessions,
Topping up with a bit more sugarcane spirit