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| Hi, this is one of our (almost) daily tastings. Santé! |
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May 19, 2019 |
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Our traditional bag of rums on Sunday |
Let’s see what we have on the table today... |
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Flor de Cana 7 yo 'Gran Reserva' (40%, OB, Nicaragua, +/-2018) 
'Slow aged', LOL. A very controversial brand since there’s been so many articles exposing their sugarcane workers’ huge health problems two or three years ago. Some have started boycotting it, while the owners are now pushing Fair Trade deals to try to counter the problem. I have to say I rather liked their 18 yo ‘Centenario’ (WF 82). Colour: gold. Nose: it’s not very expressive, and rather on cakes than on fruits. Some fudge, caramel, burnt brownies, large-brand chocolate, and an unexpected maltiness. Somewhat in midstream, shall we say. Mouth: starts a little sweet and spirity, gets then extremely coffee-ish, with a lot of bitter caramel, more burnt cakes, over-roasted nuts (pecans), and a lot of bitter chocolate and caffé ristretto. An unusual feeling of sweet and dry. Finish: a little short, roasted, rather on office coffee this time. Or coffee-schnapps. Artichokes in the aftertaste. Comments: not too bad, but I tend to prefer the Mexicans within this dry black style. It’s also funny that it would remind me of Macallan’s super-dark old ‘Gran Reserva’.
SGP:360 - 68 points. |
Since we’re in Nicaragua… |
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Compañía Licorera de Nicaragua 18 yo 1998 (57.5%, Scotch Malt Whisky Society, #R8.2, ‘The Hunt Master’, refill barrel, Nicaragua, 315 bottles, +/-2017) 
Those are well the makers of Flor de Cana. Colour: gold. Nose: pretty light and rather on sunflower oil as well as fresh almonds and hazelnuts, this goes to show how ‘wooded’ the official 7 was. Very light profile, with a little ethanol, perhaps bonbons, some green tea… With water: not much. Dried herbs and flowers, old potpourri and patchouli… Perhaps… And just a drop of benzine. Mouth: wasn’t this sweetened-up at the fillings? Some sucrose, syrups, light cane, grass, touches of liquorice allsorts… With water: some pears coming through now. Really, pears, plus some caraway (aquavit). Finish: medium, a tad grassier. More bonbons in the aftertaste. Comments: fair, but too undemanding and, well, bland(ish) to make for a proper malternative.
SGP:540 - 72 points. |
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Compañía Licorera de Nicaragua 12 yo 2004 (55%, Scotch Malt Whisky Society, #R8.3, ‘Fruit and nut case’, refill barrel, Nicaragua, 335 bottles, +/-2017) 
Colour: amber. Nose: there’s a little more happening in this one. Notes of peonies and old copper coins, for example, rainwater, chocolate cake (a very thin slice), some kind of distant peatiness (really), preserved pineapples… I have to say this is pretty nice so far, let’s see if it would stand water. With water: very nice liquorice and menthol! Also black earth, Pu-erh, pipe tobacco… It’s got nothing to do with the humble R8.2, I tell you. Mouth (neat): I suppose it’s the cask that did all the work here. Nice notes of pine resin, liquorice, ginger tea, coffee and chocolate, molasses, a touch of malt extract, also hints of old Pedro Ximenez or even moscatel, aquavit again... Good, there is some action in this one! With water: and the sugarcane comes out! Really very nice, if not as full as some pot-still or short-column rums. Finish: medium, pine-y and chocolaty. Liquid thin mints, shall we say, with some mentholy liquorice in the aftertaste. Comments: well, I was having little hope after the OB and the 1998 SMWS, but looks like I was wrong (who said again, who?)
SGP:462 - 86 points. |
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Foursquare 13 yo 2005/2019 (63.4%, Kinghaven, Barbados) 
This by a new Swedish bottler that’s very closely related to Smögen Distillery. Which cannot be bad news, even if they’ve done a finishing in Swedish oak on it (thought they were only having fir up there, ha ha…), which does not sound too Caribbean, does it. Please note that this is Foursquare’s usual single blend. Colour: gold. Nose: well, that worked. I’m reminded of Marie-Galante, don’t ask me why. Praline, warm oak, roasted pecans, lighter molasses, milk chocolate, priest’s garden (medicinal herbs), roasted hazelnuts, hazelnut cream (one that will not kill any orangutans), blond tobacco… With water: lovely! A lot of orange blossom, which I’m always fond of. A fresh panettone with rich golden sultanas. Mouth (neat): I think I’m getting the Swedish oak. There’s quite a lot of liquorice, more roasted nuts, some marmalade, some ginseng, more praline, and a feeling of sweet yellow curry. Or garam masala. With water: lovely green teas, more orange blossom water, chamomile tea, tangerines… Finish: medium, all on panettone (there!) Comments: I don’t think I could recognize Swedish oak, but this is some brilliant rum that swims extremely well. Needs your time, though.
SGP:551 - 89 points. |
Perhaps something pot still now? |
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Diamond 9 yo (55.9%, That Boutique-y Rum Company, Guyana, batch 1, 461 bottles, +/-2018) 
This one from the Port Morant/Mourant double wooden pot still, with a nice label depicting the still being moved to Diamond in Georgetown. Colour: white wine. Nose: hell and putrefaction, this one is high-ester! We’re almost nosing some crushed anchovies covered with olive oil and sea salt. Perhaps also some Stornoway pudding and the maddest, moistest black pipe tobacco. Spectacular. With water: p.e.a.r.s.! In truth this somehow noses like some young high-quality Domfrontais, really. Indeed that’s Calvados. Mouth (neat): big brine, big earthy marc de Bourgogne, big pickled anchovies, and small rotting bananas and pomegranates. It’s a wonderful combination, pretty unusual I think. With water: wonderful. Salted fruits, peppered strawberries, and sardines stewed in cider. Well, more or less that. Finish: long, salty, drier. Noilly Prat. Or bananas used as vegetables, with veal scaloppines. And I’m hungry now, not you? Comments: a masterstroke, really.
SGP:553 - 91 points. |
 Check the index of all rums we've tasted so far
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