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| Hi, this is one of our (almost) daily tastings. Santé! |
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March 8, 2015 |
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Malternatives on Sunday,
yet another bag of rums |
With quite a few hundred different rums behind your tie, we might be approaching some kind of very low-grade connoisseurship. Let’s say we’re not quite total beginners anymore, so while we’ll still have a mixed bag today, we might start to do better ‘focused’ sessions soon, such as single countries, styles, ages… We’ll see. But in the meantime… |
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Caña Brava 3 yo (43%, OB, Panama, Las Cabres Distillery, +/-2014)  This is molasses rum that’s aged for two years in virgin American oak, then one further year in refill barrels, then blended with older rums, then carbon filtered and chill filtered, which removes the colour and any excessive oakiness. I believe that’s called the ‘carta blanca’ style. Colour: white. Nose: dry, slightly feinty and very spirity. Whiffs of wood alcohol and raw kirsch. Not too sure this should be nosed. Pass. Mouth: sweet this time, almost sugary. Sugarcane syrup mixed with slivovitz. Finish: rather long, very spirity and sugary. Crunching muscovado sugar dipped into kirsch, what we call ‘un canard’ over here. Maybe a little pineapple in the aftertaste. Comments: not for sipping. Maybe in cocktails, but it hasn’t got much character. SGP:720 – 35 points. |
I’ll try to find more rewarding rums later on… We deserve them! But let’s try another ‘white aged rum’, you never know… |
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The Real McCoy 3 yo (40%, OB, Barbados, Foursquare Distillery, +/-2014)  The process is similar to that of the Cana Brava, but of course Foursquare’s got a much higher reputation and their rums are usually much more flavourful. Let’s see… Colour: white. Nose: yeah, there’s something happening in this one. Olives and tar plus plasticine and clear notes of sugar cane. It’s not big, and it’s even a little frustrating, but yeah, something’s happening. Mouth: indeed, there’s more ‘stuff’ than in the Panamanian, but I still find it spirity and rough, and quite narrow. Less sweet, but the spirity side is obvious. Not a sipper either, I’d say. Finish: rather long, a bit hot and rough, then sugary. A touch of olive brine in the aftertaste, phew! Comments: for a mojito, not for a tasting glass, unless you add piles of ice. SGP:531 - 59 points. |
There’s also a properly aged 12 yo, let’s try it! |
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The Real McCoy 12 yo (40%, OB, Barbados, Foursquare Distillery, +/-2014)  What’s very important is that Foursquare do not add any ‘sugar, flavours or perfumes’ to their rums. Bravo! There are so many ugly sweetened rums around… Colour: dark gold. Nose: there! Sure there’s a little new oak (coconut, pencil shavings and warm sawdust) but all the rest is extremely pleasant, both rounded and with asperities (is that possible, S.?) Dried bananas, a touch of tar and ink, something slightly coastal (tarry ropes on an old boat and all that), then more toasted bread and brioche. Very nice balance. Mouth: a bit on the sweet/liqueury side, with some coconut biscuit and macaroons coated with a little sweet oak and quite a lot of vanilla, but I find it pleasant. It’s rather Foursquare light, I’d say – as far as I can tell. No big body this time. Finish: short, on vanilla and toasted bread. Comments: a modern style that reminds me of some contemporary light yet oak-driven Scottish malts. But it goes down very well. SGP:620 – 78 points. |
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Nicaraguan Rum 10 yo (46%, Cadenhead, Green Label, +/-2012)  Nicaragua does not quite make my favourite style of rum, but you never know… Colour: dark straw. Nose: shy. Sugar and grass, perhaps? Some hay, some gravel, some paper, perhaps… Hello? It’s only after ten good minutes that a little tobacco comes through, as well as very faint notes of fermentation, manure and things. Also coconut of vanilla from the cask, but the whole remains very quiet. Mouth: nah, it’s pleasant, sweet but not too sweet, roundly grassy, with some hay and tobacco again. But other than that, not much. A shy distillate. Finish: short, a tad dirty (dust, cardboard). Comments: probably not bad at all, just kind of uninteresting. Unless you try to bottle rum from just any country that makes rum, of course. SGP:430 - 70 points. |
... And while I'm no Zacapista... |
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Zacapa 'Centenario XO Solera Gran Reserva Especial' (40%, OB, Guatemala, decanter, +/-2013) Another go at Zacapa. Little luck so far, I’ve always found the Zacapas way too sugary. Colour: dark amber. Nose: oh but this is rather nice, very fragrant, flowery and fruity. Rosewater, orange blossom, banana liqueur, then caramel, praline, warm croissants, raisins and honeysuckle. More and more honeysuckle, actually, this is fun! A feeling of self-restrained PX. Mouth: yeah, this is where the problem lies, it’s more liqueur than spirit, and the mouth feel is light and even thin. Raisins, banana liqueur, Turkish delights, Cointreau, more Cointreau, and even more Cointreau. Oak-aged triple-sec. Finish: short and sweet. Comments: you just need to have a sweet tooth, and then I’m sure you’d like this, because it’s well made. I haven’t. SGP:820 - 74 points. |
Enough with the weak ones, let’s have a monster! |
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Travellers 8 yo 2005/2014 (64%, Compagnie des Indes, Belize, cask #SF48, 277 bottles)  Let’s hope this little baby won’t tear our tongue out. Colour: amber. Nose: Werther’s Originals, vanilla, warm brioche, caramel and milk chocolate. It might be a little blocked. With water: the sugarcane is coming out, and so are the cigars, raisins, dried porcinis, menthol, seawater… I love water! Mouth: bang! Burns you a bit. Marshmallows and caramel plus coconut and vanilla. Mars bar at cask strength. Water is obligatory, its rather locked when neat. With water: hurray! We’re right between the phenolic Jamaicans and the rounder and sweeter South-Americans, although it’s the sweet sides that tends to take over. Finish: long, with a little more grass, oranges and molasses, as well as more spices and liquorice. Comments: as I wrote, water is deeply needed here, but then it really delivers. SGP:651 - 83 points. |
Let’s try to find something older and rarer as the digestif… |
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Appleton Reserve 20 yo (43%, OB, Jamaica, stone flagon, +/-1970)  We’re bordering rum mania with this kind of bottling, aren’t we? And there will be more of those kinds in the future. I have to say I have found the modern aged Appletons I could try pretty uninspiring (and almost sickly sweet), while the younger ones have been much more to my liking. But let’s try this oldie… Colour: amber. Nose: bingo! This is some pure Jamaican, with everything briny, tarry, olivy, and tropical at the same time. For example, there are these passion fruits and mangos that are akin to those found in some old Laphroaigs, such as the first 10 yo CS (green stripe) or the famous Bonfantis. There’s also a tarry earthiness, perhaps a mix of pitch and clay? A wonderful nose, this baby kept well in its stone flagon. Mouth: exactly the same as in the nose, word for word, plus a touch of honey and toffee. Exceptional notes of sugar cane and tropical fruits, especially a lot of citrus and mango. Blood oranges. Finish: not extremely long, possibly because of the lower strength, but the freshness and the sappy/phenolic side are quite stunning. A touch of salt in the aftertaste. And tinned sardines and anchovies! Comments: some (including this humble taster) usually claim that rum, however great, is rather less complex a spirit than malt whisky. Well, this is a perfect counterexample then. Please call the Anti-Rumoporn Brigade! SGP:653 – 92 points. |
Oh hell, we could as well try another ‘last old glory’ while we’re at it. Let’s try to match that brilliant old Appleton with some agricole… |
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Montebello 1948/1990 (47%, OB, France, Guadeloupe)  Montebello’s not a very old distillery, as it was built in 1930 as ‘Distillerie Carrère’. I remained very small and right after WWII – so when this baby was distilled – it was almost transformed into a theatre. I’ve read that Montebello believe in longer fermentations, which can’t be bad. Having said that, not 100% sure this 1948 is rhum agricole, not all distillers in the French Caribbean only make agricole, contrarily to popular belief. This 40yo was matured in an ex-armagnac cask. Colour: amber. Nose: this should be agricole. It’s got these very phenolic and tarry notes that can be found in contemporary Bellevue from Guadeloupe – and possibly in modern Montebello, not too sure as I haven’t tried them yet. Soot, liquorice, cellar earth, burnt caramel, tarry ropes, seawater, salty ham-filled prunes, fir liqueur, cough syrup… This mentholy and tarry earthiness is truly wonderful. Mouth: a tad smoother than the Appleton, but we’re well in the same ‘dundery’ family, with plenty of phenols and ‘congenery’ notes, salt, black olives, rotting oranges, other fermenting fruits (bananas), some eucalyptus, myrtle, caraway… All that on top of some raisiny oranges that bring a sweeter side. Finish: it’s funny that the sweeter side took over (crystallised oranges) but the salty liquorice hasn’t given up, especially in the aftertaste. Comments: less an instant hit than the Appleton, and it may well be a little less complex, but brilliant old rhum it is. SGP:642 - 89 points. |
(and grazzie mille, Francesco) |
 Check the index of all rums I've tasted so far
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