November 16, 2014

More rum at random including a real surprise

We’re going on with our little exploration of the world of rum. What I think we’ve learnt so far is that not all rums – by far – can make for worthy malternatives, especially not the ones that are heavily sweetened with sugar or other additives, beyond the caramel that often makes it a lot darker. Any resemblances… But let’s go on…

Mulata 7 yo ‘Añejo’ (38%, OB, Cuba, +/-2014)

This is Cuban rum. We had the 5 yo the other day, and found it relatively honest and loyal (WF 71), but the 38% vol. really are a problem. Mulata 7 yo ‘Añejo’ (38%, OB, Cuba, +/-2014)Colour: amber. Nose: very fruity, quite pleasant, not molassy. I also find quite a lot of tar and liquorice, which makes it rather fatter than other Cubans I could try. Other than that, ripe bananas, pineapples and raspberries are ruling this fine nose. Mouth: yes, honest, and not even weak, although it tends to nosedive after five seconds on your palate. Caramel and molasses, sweet cane juice, certainly some cooked honey, then more spices from the oak, a little chocolate, ripe pineapples… I don’t think I would sip this, and I’m sure it’d take a few ice cubes, but there, we’ve seen worse. Finish: short, molassy, rather fruity – which is nice. Comments: good average rum. I enjoy the fact that it’s not sugar-forward. The strength’s a shame, though. SGP:740 - 73 points.

While we’re at it…

Mulata 15 yo ‘Añejo Gran Reserva’ (38%, OB, Cuba, +/-2014)

Colour: amber. Nose: its rather less fruity then the 7, and rather more on sugar cane. Why would we complain? It’s also a little shier, while I find very discreet touches of brine, which may make it a little more ‘multi-dimensional’. Hints of strawberry jam rather than raspberries this time. Some oak as well (warm sawdust.) Mouth: pretty similar to the 7, only a little more jammy and oaky. Blackcurrant jam plus caramel, a little fudge, a little mint perhaps, a little liquorice… What it’s really lacking is body, it’s anything but mouth-filling rum. Finish: short but rather pleasant, it’s even got a bit of these grassy and liquoricy tones that usually rather hint at agricole. Comments: I’m afraid I’ll have to use the word ‘honest’ again. The low strength really is a problem. SGP:741 - 74 points.

Let’s fly to Mauritius…

New Grove 8 yo 'Old Tradition' (40%, OB, Mauritius, +/-2014)

We’ve already tried a few rather pleasant rums from Mauritius, such as Chamarel or BB&R’s Penny Blue. This baby comes from Grays Distillery. Colour: amber. Nose: more presence than in the Cubans, with more tar and even smoke. This could be Guadeloupe’s Bellevue, in a way. After that, many ripe peaches and even apricots, then rather mangos. Peonies, lilac. Very aromatic, while keeping a pleasant cleanliness. I like this nose. Mouth: in keeping with the nose. First a touch of tar and smoke, even a little earth, then lush fruits, including mangos again, papayas, pineapples and peaches again. I find this kind of positive and optimistic, weird descriptors, I know, but that’s what I’m feeling. The body’s okay. Finish: medium, with a drop of brine, always welcome. Balances the sweetness. Liquorice allsorts in the aftertaste, as well as a few drying tannins. Comments: I find this baby sexy and pretty pretty good. I could sip this! SGP:641 - 82 points.

Now let’s fly from Mauritius to a country that’s not too far…

Takamaka Bay 8 yo ‘St. André’ (40%, OB, Seychelles, +/-2014)

This comes from the Trois Frères Distillery, which is a recent one (2002). Colour: deep gold. Nose: rather less expressive than the Mauritian, with more vanilla and something of a Martinique this time. White chocolate, custard, praline, a little marmalade, a little honey. This one seems to be very easy, let’s see… Mouth: even more Martiniquan. Good, balanced, rounded, not dull, with some liquorice and bananas, then more natural vanilla and a little gingerbread. A little orange juice too, then touches of assorted fruit liqueurs. Good body. Finish: medium length, a tad sweeter now, then relatively spicy (pencil shavings, ginger, cinnamon.) Comments: I haven’t got anything bad to say about this balanced rum. It’s even got a nice freshness. SGP:640 - 79 points.

While we’re East (of old Europe), why not fly further to…

Ryoma 7 yo (40%, OB, Japan, +/-2013)

This baby comes from Kikusui Distillery, in the middle of the largest sugar cane region in Japan. It’s partly made like a rhum agricole, that is to say that they use cane juice, not molasses. Colour: straw. Hurray! Nose: isn’t this a little malty? This is funny, I tried some malty sake right today, and there were similar notes. So malt (Ovaltine and such), then whiffs of rubber (bands), plenty of custard and then unexpected whiffs of wood smoke. Vanilla-flavoured yogurt, perhaps. It’s all rather discreet so far, but frankly different. Mouth: an amazing feeling of sake once again, or maybe barley soshu. How intriguing! It’s anything but sweet rum, in fact it’s rather dry, with notes of smoked fish, earth, then lime and, lastly, more natural vanilla (pods). Finish: good length, more smoke. Kippers, malt, brine. A wee feeling of good clairin from Haiti. Comments: a surprise! Tastes very Japanese, and that I enjoy mucho. As they say in whisky, great stuff, a crying shame that they wouldn’t bottle this at a higher strength – do they? SGP:462 - 87 points.

Let’s try to find something sweeter again… Like this:

A.H. Riise ‘XO Reserve Sauternes Cask’ (42%, OB, Caribbean blend, +/-2012)

A brand from the Virgin Islands. We tried their ‘Non Plus Ultra’ earlier this year and found it sweeter than plain sugar. Why anyone would finish some sweet rum in Sauternes casks is beyond me. But let’s see… Colour: gold. Nose: this is a blend of pineapple and apricot liqueurs, 50-50. Add a drop of litchi liqueur and a little kummel, and there, you have it. I have to say this is spectacular, in a way. Mouth: plain syrup and liqueur. Some kind of smoked pineapple liqueur? Actually, it may be ‘good’, but a lot of crushed ice is needed. In no way this is a spirit, it’s a liqueur. Finish: rather long, extremely sugary. Cloying. Kummel again in the aftertaste, caraway, aniseed… Comments: a funny drink, certainly ‘good’, just not rum. Unless the definition of rum is ‘any sweet spirit’. Or ‘sugar bomb’. SGP:940 - 65 points.

Let’s drop the sugary rums and fly to Trinidad!

Caroni 18 yo 1996/2014 (43%, Compagnie des Indes, Trinidad, cask #SC3, 456 bottles)

Caroni’s always a sure bet in my book, whether heavy Caroni or even lighter Caroni. So sad that the distillery went silent twelve years ago. Compagnie des Indes is a new indie bottler that already came up with an excellent ‘Caraïbes’ earlier this year. Colour: straw (hurray!) Nose: great strength, because while it’s a pretty phenolic Caroni, it’s not overpowering at all. Old engine oil, brine, olives, capers, smoke, tar, liquorice, sugar cane, camphor, menthol… As we say, what’s not to like? Mouth: a perfect salty cough syrup blended with a little honey and a drop of banana liqueur. Very pleasant profile, not totally phenolic, and not totally ‘Caribbean’ either. Middleweight Caroni, in a way. Well, upper-middleweight. Finish: quite long, salty, tarry and smoky. Good fatness, even at 43% vol. Comments: so good! (that was a worthy comment, S.!) SGP:542 - 88 points.

Maybe a last one and we’re done. Let’s try to find an (even) heavier baby…

Uitvlugt 17 yo 1997/2014 (59.7%, Velier, Guyana, Demerara, 1404 bottles)

A blend of five casks of Uitvlugt. Colour: dark amber. Nose: rather on varnish, chocolate and cedar wood at first nosing, maybe a little closed in fact. Marzipan, a little banana. No high phenols this time, or maybe are they blocked. With water: not that much changes, the wood’s doing a large part of the job, with a varnish that wouldn’t leave and notes of speculoos, cinnamon, cardamom and nutmeg. Mouth (neat): strong, rich, a little varnishy again, very sharp, with plenty of blood oranges and quite a lot of coconut. The spirit is extremely punchy, while the profile’s rather sweet and fruity, beyond vanilla and coconut. A feeling of pina colada at very high strength. With water: sweet oak, spices, oranges and more coconut. Malibu? A touch of camphor as well, crème de menthe… The heavy oak also brings more liquorice wood. Finish: very long, oaky, tea-ish, with a load of coconut oil and orange as the signature. Comments: a big beast. You have to like oaky rums, but if you do you’ll love this, since it’s not quite drying oak. Not a phenolic Demerara. SGP: 660- 85 points.

That was a very pleasant session. Only one real surprise though, the high-class Japanese sake-like Ryoma. Ha, the Japanese!

Check the index of all rums I've tasted so far