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| Hello, that is one in every of our (virtually) every day tastings. Santé! |
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July 6, 2025
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Rums of all types, within the shade
Because it’s summer season! Granted, rum isn’t – or shouldn’t actually be – notably related to summer season, however it’s most likely onerous to erase 2 hundred years of promoting constructed round parasols, daiquiris, and wide-eyed vacationers spending the day of their swimsuits or Hawaiian shirts (white dinner jackets within the night). Observe that this time we’ll be steering away from these ‘apéritif’ rums sweetened to a near-fatal diploma, in order to keep up a contact of grace (excuse me?) this primary weekend of July. Effectively, you already know what I imply.
(Journal advert, mid-Eighties) |
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Isautier 10 yo (40%, OB, La Réunion, agricole, +/-2024) 
We’ve already had a go at this child, albeit in a earlier guise. It wasn’t half dangerous, although these 40% will all the time be one thing of a handicap until your distillate is actually huge, huge, huge. Color: gold. Nostril: we’re in mild agricole territory right here, I’d say. A contact of rubber, a sprinkle of caraway, natural orange liqueur, three drops of banana liqueur, then merely some cane syrup. Relatively pretty nostril, let’s simply hope it doesn’t collapse on the palate. Mouth: not too removed from a number of the agricoles from Madeira, with a reasonably distinctive natural facet, a wee little bit of burnt hay, some charming citrus and a discreet salty edge. End: not the longest however agreeably saline, natural and spicy. The caraway’s again within the aftertaste, together with fairly a little bit of aniseed and black pepper. Feedback: actual pity in regards to the 40% vol. All of the extra so since we’ve tasted fairly a couple of high-voltage Isautiers (LMDW, Velier) that had been completely excellent.
SGP:551 – 80 factors. |
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Papalin 6 yo (54 .1%, Velier, Haitian mix, pot nonetheless solely, ex-sherry, 2023) 
This can be a mix of three Haitian rums, matured at Distillerie de Port au Prince/Windfall. Because it’s pot nonetheless solely, I’d suppose there’s no Barbancourt. Color: amber. Nostril: smells like there’s fairly a little bit of clairin in there, it’s very briny, very a lot on a mixture of gherkins and lemons, with some cracking whiffs of bicycle inside tube (what with the Tour de France nearly to kick off as we write this). With water: a freshly opened pouch of pipe tobacco. Or a field of Dunhills. Mouth (neat): I discover the sherry behaves impeccably, first-rate salty liquorice far and wide, then throat pastilles made with lemon and eucalyptus. One feels immediately revived, doesn’t one. With water: some recent walnuts, pleasant acidity, a charmingly sharp and full profile suddenly. End: lengthy, nonetheless very saline. Feedback: completely dominated by the clairin. No complaints, we love that stuff. The sherry itself was characterful, presumably not solely ‘seasoned for the enterprise’.
SGP:563 – 88 factors. |
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Agitator ‘Chestnut Reserve’ (40%, OB, Sweden, +/-2024) 
Molasses-based rum, distilled and aged in chestnut casks in Sweden. All of this makes good sense, doesn’t it. Price noting, chestnut wooden was as soon as utilized in wine, notably in Burgundy, because it was cheaper and simpler to work than oak. It was principally used for transport (therefore all these chestnut casks as soon as present in Scotland) or for modest desk wines. It’s notably extra tannic, which additionally helped to masks flaws within the wines, although I don’t consider that was the goal of the superb of us behind Agitator. Color: gold. Nostril: once more, reasonably odd to have bottled this at 40%. We’re getting some burnt tones, pine, cloves studded into oranges, a couple of whiffs of geranium and fig leaves… Briefly, it’s fairly the curious factor. Mouth: fairly an inconceivable combo of espresso and peppermint liqueur, rock sweet sugar, myrtle liqueur, and some touches of honey… End: pretty quick and reasonably candy. Cumin and occasional liqueur. Feedback: it’s amusing stuff, although reasonably anecdotal for me. Not very ‘rum’ both, however then once more, that figures—we’re in Sweden. Personally, I a lot desire their whiskies.
SGP:760 – 72 factors. |
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Let’s head again to la Réunion…
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Savanna 2019/2024 (63%, The Nectar of The Day by day Drams, for LMDW, La Réunion, completed in ex-Pineau des Charentes)
What’s the hyperlink between rum from La Réunion and Pineau des Charentes? Easy: they’re each French merchandise. I do know, it’s a little bit of a stretch. Color: very pale white wine. Nostril: rose liqueur, pineapple liqueur and nail polish remover, 33/33/33. With water: a slight mousey observe, then model new trainers and acetone. Excessive-ester. Mouth (neat): utter insanity, it’s so loopy you find yourself loving it. Esters, hairspray, varnish, glue, peach liqueur, rosewater, grilled aubergines, even charred ones. With water: the spices cost in, Timut pepper, cumin liqueur, nonetheless glue, tar, then an oyster and a splash of lemon. End: liquorice takes over, because it typically does. So do cough syrups. Bonkers. Feedback: it’s not a lot the top end result (which is great) that fascinates me, however the sheer thought course of behind it. A rum for the lunatics amongst us, in one of the best ways.
SGP:663 – 88 factors. |
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We’re nonetheless in bizarre territory…
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MacNairs ‘Exploration Jamaica Rum’ (46%, Glenallachie, Jamaica, peated, +/-2024) 
Some Clarendon matured at Glenallachie, most likely for a brief time period. It was truly completed in some ex-peated Glenallachie wooden. Yeah, why not, different manufacturers did this stunt, comparable to HSE in Martinique. What’s amusing is that this child already appears to have scooped extra medals than a retired Russian area marshal. Color: pale white wine. Nostril: on the nostril, the Jamaican rum clearly takes the lead. Seawater, basalt, charcoal, acetone, lemon, petrol. Mouth: the peat should be there, little doubt, however what stands out most is the lime, the glue, the ashes (hey!), the seawater and all of the anticipated ‘funk’ that comes with this concept. End: pretty lengthy, a contact candy, however the stability holds, particularly as some amusing notes of pear and pineapple now seem. Salty aftertaste. Feedback: terrifying concept, profitable execution. Higher that approach spherical, I ought to suppose.
SGP:652 – 85 factors. |
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Now then, relating to Clarendon…
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Clarendon 29 yo 1995/2025 ‘EMB’ (61.5%, The Colors of Rum, Jamaica, N°16, 148 bottles) 
23 years within the tropics, thoughts you! And but it’s paler than an Americano espresso in an airport lounge. The EMB mark suggests an ester degree of 250g/HLPA, which is already not half dangerous. Color: tea in some airport lounge (proper). Nostril: cease proper there! That is fairly astonishing—ardour fruit, mango, each gros and petit manseng, recent mint, elegant glues and varnishes, plus a wee contact of recent tyre. And all of it stays remarkably compact and recent. With water: simply stunning! Superb unique fruits with a bit of rubber and tar, all 100% pure. Mouth (neat): in fact it’s a tad aggressive, and sure, it does really feel like swallowing 5 litres of pine sap, however at 61.5%, hardly shocking. I’d be curious to know whether or not the casks have been topped up throughout ageing in Jamaica (one cask nourishing the others, and so on., which the Scots don’t and may’t actually do, for instance). With water: let’s admit it, it’s a bit ‘woody’. That mentioned, until you’re allergic or illiberal to conifer saps and resins, it’s totally stunning. End: lengthy, ultra-mentholy and resinous. Feedback: the nostril takes you straight to the celebs, and the remainder stays top-notch too.
SGP:572 – 91 factors. |
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Since we’re with Wealth Options, let’s wrap issues up by making an attempt the possible reverse…
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Hampden 1 yo 2023/2025 ‘Madeira’ (62.2%, The Colors of Rum, Version Inexperienced for Catawiki, Jamaica)
1,300–1,500 gr ester/HLPA, that’s the C<>H marque, proper? At such a younger age, they nonetheless managed to offer it a Madeira cask end, and judging by the color, it wasn’t white Madeira. Let’s see, in any case we belief the Catawiki crew. And CoR, in fact. Color: Provence rosé wine, or partridge eye. Nostril: cautious, this does unscrew your nostril and maybe your complete head. Burning tyres, one would possibly say. Or reasonably, tyres actively burning. But the background appears subtler, peach skins, mild glues, solar lotion… With water: a staggering gangster vibe, submachine gun, cartridges… And heaps of glue. Mouth (neat): even at this excessive, Hampden stays one of many world’s biggest distillates, fairly merely. Earth, chalk, petrol (sure, we as soon as had petrol within the mouth again after we used to siphon tanks with mates, given how thirsty our automobiles have been), and certainly this one’s color does reasonably remind you of petrol. Additionally plenty of black olives. With water: in come the brined fish—anchovies, sardines, mackerel… And lashings of salt. End: very lengthy, on acetone and salt. Feedback: maybe essentially the most discreet Madeira wine affect we’ve ever encountered, and but it was clearly there, judging by the color of this child. In any case, we love this child Hampden.
SGP:464 – 89 factors. |
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 Verify the index of all rums we have tasted thus far
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