March 6, 2016

Rums from the Caribbean

I know, a hugely wide category, but let’s go sail the seven seas. Well, make some coasting, around a few islands and shores…

Kill Devil (40%, Hunter Laing, Caribbean blended rum, +/-2016)

Hunter Laing are into rum! In theory, ‘Caribbean’ would include Guyana/Demerara, although that would be on the continent. In general, I’ve noticed that whisky people bottle good or great rum. Colour: gold. Nose: it’s rather English-style, with phenolic Jamaican-like notes, some brine, rotting fruits (which is good), olives, salted liquorice (yes you nose the saltiness), and some cane juice. Certainly quite cane-y! Mouth: all pretty good. A tarry arrival, then some salt, olive brine, sugar cane, some lemon juice, a perfect sourness, and a very moderate sucrosity. Touches of pineapples and bananas – after all, this is rum. Good body at just 40% vol. even if 43 or 45% would have worked better in my opinion. Finish: medium, all on salted liquorice. And one black olive. Comments: I find this excellent. A very ‘Jamaican’ blend. SGP:552 - 84 points.

Westerhall 14 yo 1998 (45%, Alambic Classique, Grenada, +/-2012)

We’ve already tried some great ones from this little series by and for Germany. Colour: white wine. Nose: it’s a bit more agricole, I’d say, with more pure cane juice, and candy sugar, and a minimal petroly side but it’s there. There are also interesting medicinal notes, certainly some iodine, and probably some fermenting hay. Mouth: starts easy, but gets then pleasantly ‘dirty’, and certainly unusual. Would you crush sardines and drizzle with strawberry liqueur? There’s also an earthy side, but then again, there’s also bonbony side (yup) that turns straight into the opposite direction. Fun stuff. Finish: medium, earthy, with a sweeter background. Redcurrant jelly? Comments: intriguing and interesting. We’re a bit between two worlds. SGP:551 - 80 points.

Barbados 2001 (42%, Plantation, +/-2015)

Some Barbadian blended rum that was finished for three years in some of Ferrand’s cognac casks. Was that necessary? Colour: gold. Nose: light, almost delicate, rather on the sweeter side, apparently, but much shier than the Westerhall, let alone Hunter Laing’s power blend. Banana liqueur, perhaps? Mouth: very sweet – Plantation’s rums are always sweet in my experience – and a little syrupy. Liqueurs, pineapples, maple syrup, caramel, honey… Finish: short and sugary. Comments: no luck with Plantation. They have an excellent reputation, but I just cannot stand all the sugar they always add to their rums – from a whisky drinker’s POV, of course. I’m sure it’s not them, it’s me! SGP:720 - 60 points.

Cubaney 18 yo 'XO' (38%, OB, Dominican Republic, +/-2015)

Yes, they called it Cubaney, and it’s indeed an old Cuban brand, but this rum is not from Cuba anymore. It’s made by former expats in the DomRep. Let’s hope it won’t be as sweetish as most rums from there. Colour: amber. Nose: I’m afraid it does nose sweet. Molasses, maple syrup, pineapple syrup, some caramel, and some fudge. Bananas flambéed. It’s absolutely not unpleasant, quite the opposite, it’s just not great news wrt the palate. Unless I’m wrong, which happens more often than never. Mouth: well, it’s certainly sweet, and probably sweetened up, but in a way it’s pretty pleasant. Plenty of liqueurs plus some sugarcane syrup. Bananas, pineapples, guavas… There’s also some white chocolate, a regressive flavour that’s immensely sexy. Like Nutella ;-). Finish: short – that’s the 38% - and probably a little sticky, because of all this sugar. Comments: given that this is my least favourite style of rum, this Cubaney did pretty well. SGP:730 - 72 points.

Admiral Rodney (40%, OB, St. Lucia, +/-2015)

Quite curiously, this rum that bears the name of yet another British admiral that defeated the French fleet (they had thousands, apparently) seems to be relatively popular in France. Colour: amber. Nose: this one’s more perfumy than the others, and that works. Vetiver, green oranges Hermes-style, a little musk… But it tends to become liqueury, and should you nose it blind, you would think it’s some kind of special cuvee of Grand-Marnier at times. But there’s also some very nice chocolate, as well as more and more roasted nuts. Yet another sugar bomb? Let’s see… Mouth: you could think it is for one second, but no, it becomes appropriately dry (well, dryish) and rather molassy, while this very pleasant perfumy style remains there in the background. Rose jelly, some vanilla, some honey sauce, sweet oak, then more jelly babies, and liquorice allsorts. Drops of sweet white wine. Finish: medium, perhaps a little oaky. Comments: we’re between two worlds. It’s not exactly dry, but it’s not sweet either. I find it good, this little admiral. SGP:630 - 75 points.

While we’re in St. Lucia, let’s have a last one…

Chairman's Reserve (40%, OB, St. Lucia, +/-2015)

Another one by St. Lucia Distillers. I believe it’s cheaper than the Admiral, so probably younger – but as we can see in the whisky world, there are no rules anymore. No, just saw that it is 5 years old, while I think the Admiral was around 12. Colour: gold. Nose: like it better! It’s more phenolic (kind of), less sweet, with more sugar cane, and drops of diesel oil, maybe pitch, and certainly some tarry rubber. Perhaps more ‘natural’. Mouth: oh yes, much more to my liking. Fish, oils, tars, rotting fruits, green bananas… In short, rum! And what I enjoy most is that you do not feel any added sugar. If there is any, that’s in very tiny quantities. Finish: a little short, but dry and leafy, which is nice in my book. Comments: tends to nosedive on the palate because of the strength, but other than that, this is very fine natural rum. Not quite the same quality as their very good ‘1931s’, but I find it, well, very honest. SGP:541 - 79 points.

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