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| Hello, that is one in every of our (nearly) every day tastings. Santé! |
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March 2, 2025
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A phrase of warning
Let me please remind you that my humble assessments of any spirits are completed from the standpoint of a malt whisky fanatic who, what’s extra, is aboslutely not an skilled in rum, brandy, tequila, vodka, gin or every other spirits. Thanks – and peace! |
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Just a few extra rums on this stunning Sunday
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Let’s select them considerably at random, however nonetheless so as. I do know what I imply…
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Ingenio La Cabana 7 yo (43%, Cane Island, El Salvador, American white oak, +/-2023) 
By the makers of Cihuatan rum, of which now we have already tasted some quite first rate variations (WF 77-80). Color: deep gold. Nostril: a slight metallic contact (copper wires) accompanied by hints of recent varnish and walnut oil, then sugarcane, orange syrup, and a few more and more outstanding hay. It’s quite fairly and, most significantly, not overly liqueur-like on the nostril. Mouth: there may be some added sugar, fairly evidently, but the entire stays pretty balanced between orange liqueur, nougat, and cane syrup. All in all, a quite candy rum. End: quick, sugary. A cup of Nescafé with 5 sugar cubes. Feedback: actually very sincere, it simply wants some ice, or in any other case, maintain your bottle within the fridge and drink your glass shortly, earlier than it warms up.
SGP:740 – 75 factors. |
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Dictador ‘Platinum’ (40%, OB, Colombia, +/-2024)
The Dictador ‘Insolent’ was extra first rate than anticipated a few weeks in the past (WF 72 – whereas we had been bracing for the worst). This ‘Platinum’ was distilled in chrome steel, which ought to, in concept, retain a dirtier aspect as there’s no ‘cleaning’ impact from copper, then aged in deep-charred sherry and port casks. Color: amber. Nostril: a number of espresso and caramel, then much more turrón and floor espresso as soon as once more. Small touches of cumin and roasted, caramelised peanuts. In brief, the key phrase right here is ‘caramel’, although I discover it to be a quite good caramel. Mouth: candy, however not excessively so. That stated, the Nescafé and caramel return, making it quite one-dimensional, whereas the low power causes it to lose altitude in a short time. End: quick, barely syrupy, and nonetheless carrying that sugar-laden Nescafé and caramel profile. Does Nestlé have a stake in Dictador? A way more bitter aftertaste, but nonetheless very candy, within the type of Montenegro. Feedback: I believe it wants plenty of ice. The Cihuatan was nonetheless superior.
SGP:840 – 70 factors. |
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Centenario ‘30 Solera Edición Limitada’ (40%, OB, rum, Costa Rica, decanter, +/-2024)
A rum that everybody presents as a 30-year-old, although in fact, it isn’t, with the youngest element seemingly round 8 years outdated. I tasted it in 2013, and Angus in 2018, and we each discovered it quite common (WF 70-72), however maybe this current bottling fits our style higher. Color: darkish reddish amber. Nostril: solely within the Salvadorian type, barely metallic, with oils (walnut, sunflower), molasses, and low laced with caramel. Definitely not an disagreeable nostril. Mouth: a number of caramel, a number of molasses, roasted nuts, and all the time that well-known on the spot espresso. Black tea and bitter chocolate. It’s undeniably candy, nevertheless it nearly feels dry after the loopy Dictador. End: quick, on molasses honey and a touch of black nougat within the aftertaste. Feedback: as soon as once more, ice or the fridge appear inevitable. Or Coca-Cola.
SGP:740 – 70 factors. |
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We’re stopping the sugar bombs; we’ll have extra subsequent time, however carefully.
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Karukera ‘Black Version Alligator’ (45%, OB, Guadeloupe, agricole, +/-2023) 
Karukera has pulled an Ardbeg-like transfer with this ending of a four-year-old rum in ‘very-deeply-charred’ casks, colloquially generally known as ‘alligator’. Like Longueteau, Karukera is produced on the Domaine du Marquisat de Sainte-Marie. Color: amber. Nostril: an ideal success! Charcoal, smoked sausage (Morteau), soot, salted liquorice, cloves, bitter oranges, crème brûlée, brown sugar… Extremely charred casks don’t impart smoky notes, however right here, they actually form of do. Mouth: pretty smoky bitterness, burnt cake, dry molasses, touches of lavender, honey-glazed ham, liquorice wooden, rosemary… The mouthfeel is simply excellent. End: shorter than anticipated however nonetheless fantastically smoky. A extra honeyed and liquorice-laced aftertaste, with a splash of recent orange juice. Feedback: you nearly get the impression that this inconceivable therapy truly enhances the agricole character. A incredible malternative bottle.
SGP:651 – 88 factors.
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We had beforehand tasted an earlier batch of this Karukera, which had left us far much less satisfied. Have they improved the recipe?
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Foursquare 22 yo 1999/2022 (61%, The Colors of Rum, Barbados, Version No.14, 210 bottles)
The Colors of Rum have launched a tremendous collection of well-aged Foursquare. Color: wealthy gold. Nostril: ultra-typical, even at 61% ABV, opening on nougat, maple syrup, and honey popcorn, with touches of coconut and a touch of diesel gas. A recent profile resulting in notes of recent sugarcane juice and violets. Actually very fairly and chic. With water: pretty notes of recent rubber, ‘new Nike’, brake fluid, orange zest, genever, and so forth. Mouth (neat): the excessive power brings out a marked bitterness, artichoke liqueur, and really darkish chocolate—it wants water. With water: a great deal of oranges of every kind, together with Seville oranges, with a pinch of salt and pepper, in addition to ginger. End: lengthy, however unchanged. That wasn’t wanted anyway. Peppery aftertaste. Feedback: extraordinarily fairly, simply as anticipated.
SGP:651 – 89 factors. |
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T.C.R.L. 8 yo 2014/2023 (49.6%, Transcontinental Rum Line for The Navigator NWW, Fiji, cask #F14WP24, 240 bottles) 
A bottling for South Africa! Time to place the good Abdullah Ibrahim on the stereo… Matured for two years in bourbon in Fiji, the remaining in ex-rum casks in Europe. Color: gold. Nostril: that is petrol! Petrol with a handful of inexperienced and black olives, a little bit of lemon, a contact of seawater, after which, to drive the purpose dwelling, strawberries and some tubes of glue. The funniest half is that it stays elegant and refined—I’ve no concept what sort of sorcery is at work right here. Mouth: a chic composition, putting a masterful stability on a fantastically bitter base. Salt, liquorice, olives, acetone, lemons, rubber, seashells, benzine… End: excellent salty liquorice. Feedback: not precisely a shock, and but… it’s, in a means. In spite of everything, we’re solely 12,098 km from Jamaica because the crow flies.
SGP:572 – 91 factors. |
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Caroni 1994/2019-2024 (58%, Velier, Rum Paradise #8, ‘Guyana Heavy Trinidad’, Trinidad)
This Caroni aged for 25 years in Trinidad, then in Guyana, earlier than transferring to Cognac for resting in demijohns from 2019 onwards. Color: amber. Nostril: that typical lapsang souchong and coal tar profile, but in addition menthol, hibiscus, violet, and jasmine, adopted by a field of fifty Cuban double coronas. Completely pretty. With water: it goes “full fractal peacock tail.” I do know what I imply. Small broths, dim sum, chervil, coriander, parsley, miso, dates and Corinth raisins, earth, mushrooms, moss, paint, varnish… and an entire array of different issues, together with small citrus fruits. Mouth (neat): intensely resinous, mentholated, liquorice-laden, and bitter (in the absolute best means). A great deal of varnish and fir honey. With water: very woody, broadly talking, leaning in the direction of valuable black teas, highly effective espresso beans, and bitter chocolate. It’s important to love this type—we actually do. End: identical story, with hydrocarbons lurking behind the dominant woody essences. Feedback: you possibly can actually really feel the time spent in British Guyana—there’s even a bit of outdated Port Mourant character in there. Simply joking, in fact.
SGP:473 – 92 factors. |
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Clarendon 23 yo 2001/2024 ‘MLC’ (51.5%, Plantation, for LMDW Foundations, Jamaica, 300 bottles) 
Aged for 18 years in Jamaica, then 5 years in cognac casks at Ferrand, who additionally personal a part of Clarendon. The ester degree is pretty excessive at 500g/HLPA, so we don’t suppose the cognac affect might have impacted this rum an excessive amount of. The MLC mark is the very best at Clarendon. Color: deep gold. Nostril: an amusing smoky honey cake notice, complemented by eucalyptus, camphor, and menthol. Seawater and engine oil spherical off a quite tender and civilised profile. Might that be the cognac affect, ultimately? With water: the rum nonetheless takes the lead, ha! Although a touch of frivolously mentholated triple sec seems, together with a contact of chamomile. Mouth (neat): quite shocking, with a seemingly apparent cognac affect—honey, sultanas, and peach syrup coating seawater, gentle solvents, and olives. With water: now at its finest, the weather meld fantastically, it’s fairly spectacular. Liquorice, peach, lemon, peppermint, Earl Gray tea. End: now with inexperienced pepper and honey, evolving considerably over time. Feedback: a shocking but actually wonderful Cognac-Jamaican puzzle.
SGP:562 – 87 factors. |
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 Verify the index of all rums we have tasted to this point
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