January 17, 2016

Possible malternatives, another bag of rum

We’ve already done a few ‘specialised’ sessions, but the funniest and easiest sessions to do are the ones where you just taste what falls into your hands. Not very serious, but there, so…

Angostura ‘1919’ (40%, OB, Trinidad, +/-2015)

I hate this bottle. Don’t get me wrong, I haven’t got anything against the juice, the company, or even the country, but I find these ‘fake’ vintages in big letters just appalling. Just yesterday (at time of writing) a friend saw this bottle and asked me whether everything was distilled in 1919, or if that’s just a part of the vatting. No comments. Colour: gold. Nose: honest, rounded, honeyed, caramelly, easy, with a cane-y side indeed, and perhaps touches of pineapple syrup. What I do kind of enjoy is this meaty side, around smoked beef. It’s discreet, but it’s there. Mouth: sweet and too sugary for my taste, which is a shame because beyond this liqueury side, there’s something pleasantly fruity and ‘exotic’. A little too much vanilla, though. Banana liqueur, caramel, maple syrup, white chocolate… Finish: short, syrupy, sugary. Asks for ice, but it’s certainly not ‘bad’. I even kind of like it. Comments: there certainly is much worse in the sweet, undemanding style. I would even recommend it to absolute beginners (sweet D.B.!) SGP:620 - 70 points.

Cockspur ‘12’ (40%, OB, Barbados, +/-2015)

Contrarily to what the rooster on the label may suggest, this is no French rhum. It’s actually a ‘Bajan rum’, so a blend of pot still and column still rums. Well, apparently. Once again the figures on the label are very misleading, as it doesn’t say that the bold ‘12’ are years. Nasty, very nasty… (unless that’s 12 yo indeed!) Colour: amber. Nose: not big, more austere than the Angostura, perhaps a little earthier and grassier. In fact there isn’t much happening, so nothing bad and nothing good. Perhaps a little coffee? Back to square one… Mouth: ah, this is quite to my liking. It’s much more talkative than on the nose, and despite a weakish arrival due to the low strength, it unfolds nicely on pineapples and bananas, with a very small petroly side that adds dimension. A touch of salt. Finish: a little short, but nice. Earthy, slightly tarry, a little salty… Comments: the problem lies in the inappropriate strength. This style deserves 43 or 45% vol., and I’m sure it would be pretty excellent. SGP:462 - 78 points.

Plantation ‘20th Anniversary’ (40%, Plantation, Barbados, +/-2014)

With a deluxe packaging, always a little, say suspicious. And once again, a nasty figure that suggests an age, while it just isn’t. It’s an anniversary, get it? Even beats Zacapa’s vicious solera number, if you ask me. I’m so glad you can’t do that with Scotch, so glad… Colour: amber. Nose: it’s okay, but there is a little too much coconut for me. White chocolate, custard, a little marzipan… Other than that, we aren’t that far from the Cockspur. Not much happening, I’m afraid. As always with aged spirits, a good plumage doesn’t make a beautiful bird. Mouth: too much sugar! This is doped to the ears, I’m afraid. I find it really difficult to swallow. Finish: medium, but cloyingly sweet. Comments: no thanks, really. An anti-malternative. Bah, it’s almost sugarcane liqueur, actually. Heavily disappointed, I had a good image of Plantation. SGP:730 - 50 points.

Good, let’s get down to the nitty gritty…

Neisson 'L'Esprit' (70%, OB, Martinique, white agricole, 2015)

You know, it sometimes happens, when you’re visiting any distillery and taste the new make – and find it excellent – that you tell the distillers that they should issue it ‘like that’, without aging. Generally, they just shrug their shoulders, but some are getting into it, such as Neisson. Indeed, this baby’s bottled just after distilling, almost straight from the still. But let’s be careful… Colour: white. Nose: you can’t do more spirit-driven than this, can you? Sure white rhum is extremely common, and sure you can find 5l-packs at 55% vol. for very cheap in Martinique, but this is something else. I find almond biscuits, plenty of praline, a cane-y side of course - but we’re far from bombs such as the Haitian clairins – and then rather fresh pineapples, whiffs of ylang-ylang, and fresh strawberries. Funny, that. With water: there, the sugar cane, the olives, the brine, the diesel oil, and the crushed capers on a little black truffle. Mouth (neat): very strong, but provided you only take a tiny drop, you don’t instantly die. I find it sweet and lemony, which can’t be bad. With water: we tamed it. It’s somewhat half-way between Jamaica and Cuba (have to check a map), with perfect earthy tones (and yes, some gentian, for sure) and some salted, pickled fruits. Very good. Finish: long, earthy, briny… But not too much. Comments: I like the clairins even better, I think they’re a little fatter and more profound, but this sure rocks. And it is a perfect malternative – who needs wood when the distillate’s great? SGP:562 - 87 points.

A last one for the road – and let’s fly to Haiti, since we were talking about clairin…

Barbancourt 11 yo 2004/2015 (43%, Compagnie des Indes, Haiti, cask #BMH18, 263 bottles)

This should be column-Barbancourt. Colour: white wine. Nose: oh lovely. It’s delicate, fairly grassy, with a briny side yet again, very close to the cane, and with great notes of noble vegetables. Such as stewed white asparagus, or perhaps samphires… Rotting bananas as well – hey rotting doesn’t mean rotten! Mouth: goody good. There’s a buttery side, some cumin, then wormwood, lemon, traces of overcooked beans (no problems at all) and perhaps roasted peanuts. What I particularly like is the way it is un-sweet, and yet smooth and approachable. But some fruits there are, of course, especially the traditional bananas and pineapples. There’s a lot happening in this spirit that stands the 43% vol. as if they were 50% vol. Finish: pretty long, grassy, but with a sweeter aftertaste. Comments: I had the impression that modern Barbancourt had less presence than this. Good news! SGP:452 - 86 points.

Wait wait wait, we’ve got one at cask strength!

Barbancourt 11 yo 2004/2015 (59.4%, Compagnie des Indes, Haiti, cask #BMH32, 285 bottles)

Oh, yes, you may already know that Barbancourt distil cane juice, and not molasses. Colour: straw. Nose: just more powerful, and perhaps a little ‘sweeter’, but I’m not sure. With water: no, rather a little grassier. But we’re extremely close. Mouth (neat): power and glory (ach, er…) We’re really right between the Martinique and Jamaica here. Wonderful lemons, salt, olives… With water: this time it gets a little gentler, but very oily. Cress soup, green bananas, liquorice, perhaps even a touch of garlic… Finish: long, briny, lemony, grassy, just slightly fruitier. Comments: a great malternative. Very good, I think, but careful when you don’t add water. It starts kind of cool, so you could think you’re fine, bit if you need your tongue and your gums, please use H2O. SGP:462 - 87 points.

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