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Dwelling
Hundreds of tastings,
all of the ramblings
and all of the enjoyable
(hopefully!)
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| Hello, that is certainly one of our (virtually) each day tastings. Santé! |
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June 1, 2025
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A phrase of warning
Let me please remind you that my humble assessments of any spirits are achieved from the viewpoint of a malt whisky fanatic who, what’s extra, is aboslutely not an skilled in rum, brandy, tequila, vodka, gin or another spirits. Thanks – and peace! |
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Eight rums for this beautiful first Sunday in June
Only a few rums, chosen a bit of at random, with a free spirit and the wind in your face. In spite of everything, summer time is almost right here…
(Poster: most sadly solely AI slop)
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J.Bally 7 yo (45%, OB, Martinique, agricole, +/-2024) 
The well-known triangular bottle, or quite pyramidal, which we had tasted—and adored (WF 88)—final time from a 2018 batch. Since 1996, Bally has been produced at Saint James. Color: gold. Nostril: this can be a rum with rigidity, an earthy mentholated edge, considerably austere however to us that is a advantage. Somewhat leather-based, undergrowth, black tea, tobacco, recent sugarcane, and a beneficiant bundle of salted liquorice straight from Schiphol. Mouth: the palate could be very coherent, all the time marked by that salted liquorice, with a reasonably thick texture, then evolving into kirsch and bitter orange, walnut, and a mere droplet of pastis. The 45% works flawlessly. A faint contact of cane honey. End: lengthy, barely extra oaky, with darkish honey, liquorice, and mint. Aftertaste as soon as extra quite austere, extra on dry wooden. Feedback: nonetheless magnificent. We all the time drastically get pleasure from what comes out of Saint James.
SGP:462 – 88 factors. |
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Dominican Republic 11 yo (55%, Jean Boyer, Rum Bullion, 2025) 
The Dominican rum on its pure aspect, and not using a huge dose of added sugar or different barely doubtful concoctions. We tasted a quite good one from Bristol the opposite day. Color: gold. Nostril: that is very near sugarcane, even straw and hay, with a barely alcoholic edge but additionally a beautiful magnificence, just a bit diaphanous. A tiny observe of Nutella (sorry). With water: little change. Mouth (neat): it’s gentler now however all of this feels pure, with orange liqueur, banana, aniseed, tea and even some praline, although it retains a barely alcoholic, high-column aspect. With water: a touch of coconut liqueur joins in. End: pretty lengthy, a contact of fruit brandy and wooden. Feedback: for one thing from the Dominican Republic, I discover this nice regardless of the lightness of construction that’s inherent on this very rectified type of rum.
SGP:631 – 82 factors. |
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El Salvador 17 yo 2006/2024 (54.9%, Valinch & Mallet, The Spirit of Artwork) 
Most likely from Cihuatán. We’ve had very blended outcomes with these juices, so let’s see… Color: deep gold. Nostril: we’re in a world extraordinarily near that of the Dominican, with a lightweight texture even on the nostril, although that includes some beautiful honeyed touches, cane, banana and coconut, although by no means overdone. A slight observe of maple syrup aged in oak casks. With water: the anticipated vanilla turns up, in any other case not a lot change. Mouth (neat): very fruity, harking back to candyfloss, once more maple syrup, coconut liqueur, and roasted peanuts coated in caramel. With water: it’s virtually the identical rum because the Dominican, only a tad sweeter. End: a contact extra advanced, with a beautiful observe of pink pepper. Feedback: a quite amusing arrival of pepper on the end, with one thing of an Indonesian aspect, no matter meaning. In brief, excellent contemplating the profile, although not fairly a darling at WF HQ.
SGP:740 – 83 factors. |
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Isautier 16 yo 2005/2022 (65%, Velier, La Réunion, rhum traditionnel, 546 bottles)
Conventional, so molasses-based. We tried its agricole counterpart final yr and quite liked it (WF 87). Color: reddish amber. Nostril: that is extremely agricole for one thing conventional, loaded with liquorice, recent sawdust, varnish… and ethanol. So, with water: it doesn’t budge an inch, just about immovable, although some praline and roasted hazelnuts do handle to indicate up. Mouth (neat): very thick, candy, filled with varnish and fruit-flavoured liquorice, plus a observe of incense liqueur—if such a factor existed. With water: it retains all that, however a bit of pineapple eau-de-vie, black cleaning soap and clove seem as nicely. The oak is pronounced. Outdated-style genever. End: lengthy, nonetheless thick, barely medicinal however one will get the impression that every one of this comes from the wooden. Feedback: not really easy, this little monster. I consider we most popular the agricole model, which can most likely shock nobody.
SGP:461 – 84 factors. |
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Very Nice Outdated Caribbean Rum distilled in Cuba 56 yo 1968/2024 (49.7%, The Whisky Company, Cuba, barrel, 145 bottles) 
This little magnificence was after all distilled, but additionally aged in Cuba, almost definitely in one of many distilleries nationalised by Fidel, maybe at Bacardi’s, who had begun producing… Havana Membership after 1960. Oh, it’s difficult. The 1967 we tasted not way back was very good (WF 93). Color: crimson amber. Nostril: chic mocha, roasted hazelnuts, orange zest, pistachio praline and, above all, maple syrup reigning supreme. Nothing so as to add. Mouth: oh, how lovely that is! Extra praline, however now bathed in honey and maple syrup, rose liqueur and nineteenth century Grand Marnier. Okay, early twentieth. If something, it’s a bit of easy, however in probably the most good means. End: lengthy, barely candy however, as so usually, led by liquorice. Delicate liquorice and mild pepper. Feedback: it’s onerous to inform whether or not there haven’t been a couple of ‘additions’ over time—one thing like honey, maybe—but it surely hardly issues, that is magnificent, a real ode to the… revolution.
SGP:751 – 92 factors. |
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Let’s keep in Cuba, since we have been simply speaking about Havana Membership…
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Cuban Rum 76 yo 1948/2025 (48.9%, Chapter 7 Ltd, Spirit Library for Figee Nice Items Switzerland, 108 bottles)
The unique Havana Membership distillery, aka Vizcaya, was positioned in Cárdenas, near Varadero on the north coast. Following the Cuban Revolution, Fidel Castro’s authorities nationalised it, closed the distillery in 1960, and moved the manufacturing to ex-Bacardi services that had simply been nationalised too, earlier than transferring it to a brand new plant in Santa Cruz del Norte in 1977. Value noting, the Vizcaya model is now produced within the Dominican Republic, the place it’s marketed as a ‘Cuban Formulation’, however what we’ve tasted hasn’t satisfied us. Keep in mind, what I’m telling you right here is only anecdotal, it completely doesn’t imply that what we’re about to style now’s essentially from the unique Vizcaya or Havana Membership, after all not. Even when, oddly sufficient, the dates line up… Color: darkish amber. Nostril: what a shock to seek out olive oil and even black olives, very outdated balsamic from Modena (inevitably), probably the most valuable outdated varnishes and probably the most beautiful oil work, then an unbelievable array of glacé cherries, pipe tobacco and chocolate truffles. Completely mind-blowing, with a varnish-and-olive tandem that’s really superlative and completely no fatigue on the nostril in any way, regardless of the 76 years. Mouth: are we completely positive this isn’t a really outdated amontillado as a substitute? That hanging character actually highlights the Spanish affect on outdated Cuban rums, which have been usually within the palms of households of Spanish origin, equivalent to, on this specific case, the Arechabala household. Or so we assume. So then, we’ve received historical walnuts from an outdated hessian bag, liquorice, darkish tobacco, espresso, olives, a contact of seawater, sherry vinegar, and even a faintly mustardy observe. Fairly extraordinary, let’s say it plainly, and as soon as once more, not a jot of tiredness in any of it. Bonkers. End: unbelievably recent, as interminable as certainly one of Fidel’s speeches, salty, nonetheless on amontillado, walnut wine, morels, uncommon vinegars, then a really faint hint of wooden glue. Feedback: this splendour leaves you speechless, and that’s most likely not the least of its virtues. And let’s be sincere, what a coup from Chapter 7! I tip my hat to them.
SGP:462 – 95 factors. |
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Proper then, simply as a nightcap, let’s discover the precise reverse of that unbelievable aged Cuban…
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Worthy Park 8 yo 2015/2023 (64%, OB for the Whisky Change, Jamaica, calvados end)
To be sincere, one isn’t fairly positive what a Calvados cask is doing in Jamaica, however then once more, Willie Nelson did launch a reggae album too (Countryman, 2005). Proper, truthful sufficient, all comparisons have their limits… Color: gold. Nostril: nicely bravo, right here comes that vinegary tang of outdated Cuban rum, with seawater, and sure, cider vinegar too. And numerous ethanol besides. With water: this quite goes off-piste now, with notes of scallops flambéed in calvados, some potential king scallops as nicely, and even a impossible trace of Noilly Prat. However we do adore Noilly. Mouth (neat): I discover it quite worrying that I like this, particularly the sharpness of the apple slicing proper by means of the younger rum. Shocking stuff. With water: it’s doing windscreen-wiper issues between petrol and sharp apple, a curious feeling, not disagreeable however sufficient to ship your style buds right into a little bit of a flap. End: comparable and lasting quite a very good whereas. Feedback: I’m not fairly positive what to make of this. However after all, we love Worthy Park, The Whisky Change, and Calvados basically. Simply maybe not all collectively…
SGP:663 – 84 factors. |
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So, let’s shortly discover one thing else to wrap issues up — we’re by no means going to prime that outdated Cuban anyway…
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Jamaican Rum 18 yo 2007/2025 ‘WP’ (56%, Liquid Treasures, Love & Peace Collection)
Let’s see if this wee Worthy Park leans extra, let’s assume, orthodox. They do state, in spite of everything, that ‘The brand new bottling collection is devoted to extra peace, love, consciousness, extra collectively and in opposition to dictators, haters, populists, splitters and warmongers.’ One can hardly disagree, particularly if that features anybody harming kids, no matter their ‘excuses’,. Color: gold. Nostril: this can be a rounder WP, extra civilised, extra peaceful in a phrase, with some very fairly maritime notes, smoked anchovies, oysters, a touch of diesel and a beautiful vanilla that lightly smooths all of it out. With water: right here come the olives in full drive, with seawater and a contact of carbon. Mouth (neat): ah, excellent, with that typical WP readability, grilled sesame, citron and lemons, smoked fish, a contact of camphor… With water: marvellous maritime and tarry purity. End: comparable, with some quite bitter lemon peel that neatly ties every thing collectively. Feedback: a real blade, totally lovely. We’re wholeheartedly behind this most peaceable collection; for those who agree with them as a lot as we do, you merely should help them and purchase up all their inventory im-me-di-ate-ly.
SGP:363 – 90 factors. |
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They’re bl**dy proper, let’s make Peace & Love!
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 Examine the index of all rums we have tasted up to now
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