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| Hello, that is certainly one of our (nearly) day by day tastings. Santé! |
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August 4, 2024
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A phrase of warning
Let me please remind you that my humble assessments of any spirits are performed from the perspective of a malt whisky fanatic who, what’s extra, is aboslutely not an professional in rum, brandy, tequila, vodka, gin or every other spirits. Thanks – and peace! |
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Some fairly Olympic rums. Oh, and some birds…
Based on widespread knowledge, rum is slightly a summer season drink, isn’t it? Until you might have it as a grog, I suppose. (AI)
BTW, kudos to St. Lucia’s Julien Alfred for having gained 100m gold in Paris simply yesterday.
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Ron Colon ‘Salvadoreno Excessive Proof’ (55.5%, OB, mix, +/-2022) 
That is meant to characteristic 70% younger column nonetheless rum from El Salvador, plus 30% younger pot-still Jamaican rum. The title ‘colon’ isn’t notably ‘woke’, is it? If you happen to can have a colon, I suppose you may have a plantation too. Color: white wine. Nostril: think about a mix of 70% Glenmorangie with 30% Ardbeg, to call simply a few LVMH malts. Or maybe Glen Moray as a substitute of Glenmorangie – who remembers their ‘Serendipity’? Anyway, the Jamaican half utterly dominates, a lot to our delight, with notes of tar and sand, seawater, engine oil, the primary rain after a month of drought, and the inevitable inexperienced olives. Add in some aniseed and liquorice, and also you get a really… intelligent profile. With water: a contact of vanilla softens all of it, remaining pretty. Mouth (neat): it’s superb, lemony, salty, fairly wealthy nonetheless, with the standard varnish, a touch of acetone as typically, grapefruit, then some ultra-ripe fruits. With water: comparable, with an much more pronounced lemony and salty aspect. Wonderful. End: lengthy, nonetheless very salty. Liquorice and inexperienced olives return within the aftertaste. Feedback: jogs my memory of the ‘dwelling vatting’ we used to do with malts. You are taking one third Ardbeg or Lagavulin and add two thirds of absolutely anything else. Positive success. Wonderful blended rum, a beautiful shock.
SGP:563 – 87 factors. |
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Since we’re considerably off the street…
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Off-Highway Rhum #01.2 (55%, Vagabond Spirits, Venezuela) 
This rum hails from poor Venezuela, with a 4-year tropical ageing adopted by a 2-year Mediterranean ageing (what on earth?) and was lastly completed in a stout cask. Naturally, being French, the thought considerably jogs my memory of the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics. We love to impress, and everybody performs alongside ;-). Color: gold. Nostril: you may clearly sense the function of the beer, which has possible added a roasted and earthy be aware to the ripe bananas and papaya. Maybe even a touch of chocolate. With water: I swear it really works nicely. Mouth (neat): it’s a slightly good mixture, fruity with out being overly simplistic as Venezuelan rums can typically be (strictly my very own opinion). Papaya, banana, and pineapple liqueurs, with roasted malt and a contact of darkish chocolate. You may strive including some Guinness to a Diplomatico or a Santa Teresa. I’ll depart that as much as you… With water: superb! Pineapple liqueur with malt, toffee, and perhaps a touch of strawberry liqueur and grenadine. Grapefruit juice within the background supplies a stable basis. End: medium size, similar profile. Barely candy aftertaste. Feedback: I feel the stout added 10 factors – simply – to the standard scores for Venezuelan rums on WF.
SGP:630 – 84 factors. |
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South Pacific Distillery 11 yo 2012/2023 (57.5%, The Whisky Jury, Fiji, refill barrel, cask #12, 292 bottles) 
One should pay tribute to the marvellous Fiji sevens rugby crew, who took silver on the Paris Olympics, solely bested by France’s Antoine Dupont; or slightly Antoine Dupont’s France. They produce a few of the most interesting Jamaican rums within the Fiji Islands. Nicely, you get what I imply. Color: gold. Nostril: it’s already within the bag, we will transfer rapidly. A little bit of cumin and coriander seeds in a mixture of olive oil and motor oil (for example Veedol, our favorite within the glass). Unstoppable. With water: extra notes of seawater, crushed slate, and new sneakers (EU measurement 43) … Mouth (neat): oily texture, elegant liquorice, reasonable salinity this time however fantastic notes of varnish, tobacco, and grilled nation bread. Extraordinary. With water: inexperienced pepper and lemon zest come into play. End: very lengthy, all the time oily, enveloping, citrusy, and peppery. Feedback: it isn’t a really sophisticated rum, however all the pieces is simply completely good. As thrilling because the Fiji rugby crew.
SGP:653 – 91 factors. |
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Diamond 20 yo 2003/2024 ‘SVL’ (51.6%, The Roots, Guyana, bourbon cask, cask #23, 174 bottles) 
That is the ex-Uitvlugt Savalle column nonetheless now at Diamond (SVL, acquired it.) Color: darkish amber. Nostril: it’s candy, with millionaire shortbread, butterscotch, praline, and that Italian branded hazelnut unfold, adopted by touches of petrol, charcoal, ripe banana, and fermented cane juice. A slight agricole aspect that I’ve often famous from Uitvlugt, although after all, this wasn’t cane juice. Very good. With water: these little metallic touches (copper pots, pennies). Mouth (neat): wonderful, not heavy in any respect, very fruity with shocking notes of smoked ham and candy mint. Marked notes of woodruff. Anybody who hasn’t tasted woodruff syrup or liqueur… ought to achieve this. With water: the return of esters, overripe fruits, olives, hints of carbon, ash mud, and charcoal… However the construction stays comparatively mild. End: medium size. Ash and a little bit of tar, plus tropical fruits. Feedback: after the Fijian from Jamaica, right here is the Guyanese from Martinique. In brief, we’re having enjoyable.
SGP:651 – 88 factors. |
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Caribbean Rum 30 yo 1993/2024 (60.5%, eSpirit, Liquid Treasures, fifteenth anniversary, barrel, 282 bottles)
I discover that impartial rums typically sport labels that make extra sense than these of impartial whiskies. Wild animals, tropical vegetation, parrots… It definitely makes extra sense than the slight nonsense – typically humorous although – we typically see on whisky labels, no matter graphic high quality. Color: darkish gold. Nostril: it’s considerably paying homage to Cubans. Very Cuban, in reality. Previous beeswax, beeswax, praline, cane honey, white chocolate, with hints of peanut butter… With water: touches of coconut and really ripe pineapple. Mouth (neat): the energy brings out the citrus and liqueur-like qualities, considerably akin to a candy white wine from the Loire or Jurançon, if that rings a bell. This energy isn’t very Cuban, to be trustworthy. With water: I’m a bit at a loss. There’s the sunshine construction of Cubans, but in addition some tangy, even mineral sparks that appear to return from elsewhere. In any case, it’s superb. End: medium size. Evenly woody, chocolate, nougat, cane honey once more… Feedback: nicely, it’s superb within the lighter type. Very, superb.
SGP:551 – 89 factors. |
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One final one, more likely to be a fruity bomb…
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Trinidad Distillers Restricted 14 yo 2009/2024 ‘Version N°1’ (62.9%, The Colors of Rum, Up Spirits Membership, bourbon cask, cask #106, 259 bottles)
A decade within the tropics and a club-exclusive bottle. We’re completely enamoured with the overwhelming majority of those explosive TDLs. Color: darkish gold. Nostril: what a magnificence. Beeswax and mango jam, in divine proportions. With water: a fruit salad dominated by citrus, plus honey and olive oil. Chic stability. Mouth (neat): extraordinary. Excessive-ester notes and brined olives be a part of pink grapefruits, mangoes, and Wrigley’s ‘Juicy Fruit’ chewing gum. Unbelievable, terribly regressive, nearly pornographic. With water: saline touches, brine, even seashells, and an ideal rubber/tar compound. End: alas, all good issues should come to an finish (solely sausages have two, as our expensive German mates say). Feedback: are these items even authorized? You’ll in all probability inform me one have to be a member of that illustrious ‘Up Spirits’ membership to come up with it – God solely is aware of what goes on in these non-public golf equipment.
SGP:752 – 92 factors. |
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Oh, and whereas we’re at it…
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Caroni 25-year-old 1998/2023 (60.1%, Impressions by The Colors of Rum, Trinidad, cask #8, 120 bottles)
We have already tasted an outdated Hampden 1990 on this new collection, which was actually wonderful (WF 93). Nonetheless, we do have a small criticism (would not be French in any other case): how will you put a tiny hummingbird on the label of such a robust and big rum as Caroni? Even when it’s a ‘mild Caroni’? Nicely, we’ll recover from it, I suppose… Color: darkish gold. Nostril: it’s not extraordinarily demonstrative, extra like lamp oil, asparagus, teak oil, candy almond oil, and recent hazelnuts… It’s even fairly delicate, however at 60% vol., one ought to keep away from over-interpreting what one smells. With water: it stays a bit light however then shifts in direction of new plywood, new Ikea furnishings, that well-known new sneaker be aware we’ve talked about at present (possible because of the Olympic Video games impact). Mouth (neat): very good and strange composition, acidic, nearly vinegary, very sharp, with miso, verjuice, liquorice wooden, excessive salmiak, Arbois yellow wine, mustard, inexperienced walnut… Chances are you’ll must brace your self, however it’s spectacular. With water: it’s lastly tamed. Ripe bananas and barely loopy guavas, tar, ink, cedar wooden, whelks, dry white wine, oysters… End: lengthy, nearly like seawater blended with rapeseed oil. What a French dressing! Feedback: a Caroni that shakes you up a bit. In reality, there’s little that would comply with the unbelievable TDL with out stumbling a wee bit.
SGP:463 – 90 factors. |
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A short remark: one could be inclined to distinction these impartial TDLs with Caroni since they each come from Trinidad & Tobago, and I’ve even heard the time period ‘Caroni killer’, however I consider that is merely nonsensical, particularly on condition that the types are vastly completely different.
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 Verify the index of all rums we have tasted up to now
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