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| Hi, this is one of our (almost) daily tastings. Santé! |
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November 10, 2019 |
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A word of caution
Let me please remind you that my humble assessments of any spirits are done from the point of view of a malt whisky enthusiast who, what's more, is aboslutely not an expert in rum, brandy, tequila, vodka, gin or any other spirits. Thank you – and peace! |
Rums that wouldn't lie to us
(so proper malternatives) |
Friends, the situation here in France is getting utterly terrible on the rum front. I just went to a Leclerc supermarket yesterday morning (I usually tend to avoid those depressing places) and found out that whilst we make some superb authentic rums in France, like in Martinique, Guadeloupe, Réunion, Guyane and other smaller places, the pretty large rum shelves at Leclerc were just shock-full of the worst hyper-marketed and sugar-soaked junk there is on this wee planet. |
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Almost only names that are not recommended by dentists, such as Diplomatico, Zacapa, Plantation, Don Papa, Bumbu, Kraken and other such putrid rotguts that now seem to manage to simply evict the good juices from our shelves. That the average consumer, just like the average voter, is dumb as a doorknob is no secret, but still, I almost puked in front of those miserable shelves. Tell lies and give sugar to the masses, and you'll win or make a fortune in no time!
Well, I think I may need a few proper pick-me-ups now… |
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Cadenhead’s Classic Rum (50%, Cadenhead, blended rum, 2019) 
From their continuous stock. Colour: dark amber. Nose: well, this is all fine, and really a blend somewhat in the style of old White Horse, with good high-ester ones blended with some rounder, more caramelly ‘easy’ rums, Nicaragua, Panama, whatever. What’s good is that the estery ones are leading the pack, which gives this baby good relief and character, even if it remains a tad too molassy for me. With water: really rather navy-style. Black olives and fudge, old copper coins, books… Mouth (neat): good! Jamaica? Demerara? Both? Good saltiness, olives and brine, tar, over some rounder, molassy, caramely base. Works. With water: same, but with more coffee liqueur. Coffee liqueur always tends to try to come to the front, in any spirits. Nasty stuff if you ask me. Finish: rather long, saltier again, tarrier, all good. A little sugar in the aftertaste, there must have been some added to some of the casks. Demerara? Comments: very cool rum, very fairly priced. This one will disappoint no one, from beginners to hardcore cane lovers. Maybe not the bar rats, having said that.
SGP:642 - 82 points. |
Since we were just having something pretty ‘navy’… |
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Black Tot Rum (46.2%, Elixir Distillers, 2019)
Black tot means British navy. Colour: amber. Nose: it’s drier than the Cadenhead, but there are similarities. More toasted cake and burnt wood here, toffee, bitter chocolate, black tea, molasses… Now the style isn’t very obvious, it’s really more ‘a bend’ so far. Only touches of bananas and pineapples at the fruit department. Mouth: we’re much closer to the CAD, with a similar sweetness, just as many molasses, perhaps more caramel and toffee, and more tinned pineapples. I have the feeling that this rather rum for rum lovers (hey Einstein!) and that whisky drinkers may find it a tad too sweetish, even if we’re extremely far from all the ugly heavily sugared junk that’s available these days. Finish: rather long, molassy, with some burnt cakes, a little pipe tobacco, and quite some sugarcane syrup. Comments: I like them drier, but this is good, very honest navy-style rum. Even if I was expecting a little more Jamaicanness. You know, pot stills, esters…
SGP:641 - 80 points. |
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Fijian 8 yo (46%, Berry Bros & Rudd, Fiji, +/-2018) 
This little baby most certainly from the South Pacific Distillery. Colour: gold. Nose: Jamaican style, on olives, brine, tar and ink, with a softer vanillaness rounding everything off. Notes of branches and fresh butter. Mouth: lovely salted liquorice, some apple juice, grapefruit, passion fruits, then tar and olives. I’m finding this extremely good – looks like the Fijians are as good at making rum as they are at playing rugby. Finish: medium to long, perfectly balanced, fresh, with bananas and pineapples, beyond the usual tarry olives. Rose jelly, perhaps. Comments: that was short and sweet. Perfect rum at a very drinkable strength, so alert, alert!...
SGP:453 - 88 points. |
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Diamond (Port Mourant Still) 11 yo 2005/2016 (45%, OriginR, bourbon, 1270 bottles) 
This little Port Mourant was aged for 5 years on location in the tropics, then 6 years in Europe. But with global warming, I’ve heard Europe will become tropical as well sooner or later. Colour: white wine. Nose: yet another dangerous strength, in the sense that it makes the spirit very drinkable. This Port Mourant is rather subtle, moderately expressive, rather on branches and leaves, as well as green tea and a little dried lemongrass, before it would become tarrier and rather briny. Lovely whiffs of earthy tea and anchovies, which is very Port Mourant in my book. Mouth: perfect. Salt, tar, green tea, sardines, rose jelly, orange blossom, pink bananas, and just some, wait, some peat? There are echoes of Caol Ila indeed. Somebody pinch me. Really. Finish: rather long, luminously salty. Comments: very high-definition Port Mourant of the best kind, with an amazing freshness that really reminds me of, yep, Caol Ila. They don’t have wooden pot stills at Caol Ila, do they? Come on, can't we have a bit of fun?
SGP:453 - 90 points. |
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Long Pond 12 yo 2007/2019 ‘TECA’ (63%, National Rums of Jamaica) 
This baby come with 1200-1300 g esters/hlpa, while it says continental flavoured on the label. Why flavoured? Do Velier add tomato sauce? Tabasco? Irn Bru? You’ll soon need a PhD before you can enjoy these ranges, I tell you… Colour: amber. Nose: extreme. Walnut stain, kerosene and tarmac, ‘at IKEA’, grassy green olives, chlorine, chalk, fumes, coal dust, old magazines, concentrated lemon juice… With water: no changes. You may add the content of a whole swimming pool, that won’t change much to this beast. Mouth (neat): very extreme. Grass juice, chalk, more concentrated lime juice, capers… I don’t think you could do any more extreme. With water: huge salty liquorice, chalk, and the juice of the-mother-of-all-lemons. Finish: yeah… A petrol station in the midst of the month of August. Comments: this one would unclog many vessels and recipients, if I may. Extreme stuff, perhaps designed for enlightened masochists only? Are we part of them? I don’t know what to say, I’m rather lost, I say night-night. Don’t read my score, it doesn’t mean much. Reminds me of those guys who would chew on finger chilis without even noticing.
SGP:373 - 86 points. |
 Check the index of all rums we've tasted so far
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