May 10, 2015

Another rum excursion on a Sunday

I know we’ve decided to focus on regions (or styles), but I’m not sure there are many rum regions that are truly interesting. For example, as a whisky guy, I just won’t try a dozen (or less) rums from the Dom Rep in one go, that would be the equivalent of a booze suicide. Or a sugary hara-kiri. So, let’s just wander off again if you don’t mind… Coz only fools never change their mind.

Panama 2004 (42%, Plantation, +/-2015)

This might be too sweet to a whisky palate, let’s see. Colour: deep gold. Nose: this kind of works, there’s a phenolicity (hey?) that hints at Trinidad or Jamaica, all for the better. So rather black olives plus dried bananas, as well as drops of diesel oil, and little molasses/sugar syrup. Cool! Mouth: a bit too sweet indeed, and even sugary, but there is some backbone. Black olives again, liquorice… Sadly, the sugar wins it, and the whole tends to become sugary. I’m dead sure this baby would have been pretty lovely without added sugar/syrup. Now, is there a market for dry rums? Not too sure… Finish: a bit short and a little too sweet, but what’s in the back seems to be of rather high quality. Salty liquorice and all that. Comments: I’d have loved to be able to try this before it got sweetened. But then again, I’m a whisky guy. SGP:742 - 70 points.

Brugal 'XV Reserva Exclusiva' (38%, OB, Dominican Republic, +/-2014)

Brugal is a great house, but this is another example of some shady tactics. The ‘XV’ suggests this is 15 years old, and yet it’s said to rather lie between 5 and 8. Frankly and just between us, these 20th century tactics just stink. Why not state that this bottling was done as a tribute to rugby, while they were at it? Colour: gold. Nose: okay. Mild smokiness, banana skin, molasses, fresh concrete and raisins. The whole’s light. Mouth: syrupy, sweet, not exactly unpleasant, just sugary and too thick. Liqueurs and syrups, oranges, raisins, honey… and ‘stuff’. The mouthfeel is rather thick, and yet the body’s thin. That doesn’t happen very often. Finish: short, sweet. Candy sugar, sugarcane syrup. Comments: I don’t know what to say. Flabby rum, probably drinkable at around 8°C. Or in cocktails, of course. SGP:720 - 55 points.

Mount Gay '1703' (43%, OB, Barbados, +/-2014)

A rather expensive baby (+/-140€). I’ve quite liked other Mount Gays, such as the ‘Extra Old’. Colour: orange. That’s scary, but you never know… Nose: no, this is very fine, leafy, tobacco-like, complex, with some passion fruit, tinned pineapples, hints of aromatic herbs (oregano?), peonies, orange blossom, high-end leather (polo saddle – ha ;-)), honeydew… It’s a complex one for sure. And probably quite old. Mouth: oh good! Tarry and liquoricy, salty, prune-y, with some quince jelly, traces of green olives, dried figs, tar liqueur, some salt, and then a rather big spiciness, with some black pepper and chilli… The body’s oily, and there seems to be a little sugar coating all this, but balance is achieved. Finish: quite long, with some oak, coffee liqueur, olive oil, citron liqueur, a drop of smoked tea, two drops of brine… Comments: very likeable. Its main asset is its complexity, and only the relatively low strength made it a tiny-wee bit weak at times. High quality for sure. SGP:652 - 84 points.

Trois Rivières 1977 (43%, OB, Martinique, +/-2000)

This is genuine agricole, as you may very well know. So French rhum, which is supposed to be better regulated than rum from other ‘free market’ countries where anything’s allowed. I agree, no politics, let’s try this baby! Colour: amber. Nose: ah yes. We’re more on polished woods, ‘the dashboard of an old Jaguar’, dried fruits (pineapples, bananas), and then plenty of mentholy notes, including tiger balm, embrocations ala old Laphroaig, Kool cigarettes, old wine cellar, mushrooms (oyster mushrooms), old pu-ehr tea, garden peat, humus, black earth… A pretty stunning nose, I have to say. Mouth: I believe this baby’s the equivalent of Laphroaig’s old 30, only with more, much more liquorice. Not easy to describe since it’s ‘a compact whole’, but indeed there is a lot of liquorice, salty seaweed, some kind of salted citrus, wagame, a feeling of salty balm… And then even more liquorice. I don’t think I’ve tried many spirits that have been that liquoricy. Finish: long, salty, liquoricy, as phenolic as an old Islay… Great! Comments: no wonder these were legendary. Epitomically agricole! (okay, okay). SGP:553 - 90 points.

Okay, one of the few rums that could ‘climb over’ that Trois Rivières is an old Caroni. Yeah, even if it didn’t age under topical climates…

Caroni 34 yo 1974 (46%, Bristol Spirits, Trinidad, +/-2008)

Many rums from Trinidad or Demerara did actually mature in Scotland or England, and didn’t reach the extreme concentration that’s to be found in their counterparts that matured in their birthplace or thereabouts. Which does not always mean that they’re ‘less good’. Let’s check this one, even if there’s no dead proof that it is, in a way, ‘early landed’ rum. Colour: pale amber. Nose: aaah, oooh… Whiffs of pencil shavings at first, then old engine oil, car engine, Bakelite, dried porcinis, cigars, old Tarragone (Chartreuse)… Then rather fruits, around nectarines, cantaloupes, figs… There is, in a way, a feeling of old arrak sipped somewhere in an old town in the Middle-East. I mean, before we started to create havoc down there. Stupid western politicians, stupid oil companies, stupid weapon dealers… Mouth: wait wait wait, this is a whole world made out of salted fruits, sweet herbs, resinous oils, all things in an old garage, salmiak, dried fruits, greases, tobaccos, mints… In short, this is very Caroni. There’s even some kind of peat. Strength and body are just perfect. Oh and did you notice we were almost on Islay? Finish: long, mentholy, liquoricy, herbal, medicinal… The aftertaste is extremely salty. Comments: I think we managed to find one rum that was even ‘above’ the superb Trois Rivières ‘77. No mean feat, is it. Very phenolic rum. SGP:454 - 91 points.

UPDATE: according to John Barrett via our friend Cyril Weglarz from durhum.com, "From date of distillation this rum was aged at the distillery on the island of Trinidad. Filled into used American Oak barrels it was stored in hot humid conditions and gained a lot of extract from the wood showing good oak flavours. The colour is deep amber and on the nose fruit is still in balance which is interesting for such an old rum stored in wood . We shipped it to the UK in 2007 and bottled it in 2008 . Only four barrels remained..."

(And gracias again, Carsten)

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