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| Hello, that is one in all our (nearly) day by day tastings. Santé! |
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June 29, 2025
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Rum, and but extra rum…
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| As normal, some oddities to start out with as an aperitif, then extra traditional, tried-and-tested choices. Does that be just right for you? |
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A.H. Riise ‘Non Plus Extremely Ambre d’Or Excellence’ (43%, OB, Virgin Islands, +/-2023) 
Simply the identify is sufficient to make one chuckle, a lot so that there is actually no must trouble with vintages or age statements. Color: gold. Nostril: no hint of rum by any means, it is all orange liqueur, mirabelle plums and apricots, with a visitor look from syrupy white wine. Mouth: similar once more, precisely the identical. Sugary Easter eggs, bubblegum, sugar syrup, it is edging in the direction of the disagreeable. End: quite quick, which is frankly the excellent news. There’s a cloying edge that have to be acknowledged. Feedback: the difficulty lies in its classification as rum. As a liqueur, naturally, why not, ‘chacun son goût’ and all that, nevertheless it must be served at, say, 5°C. However, the model’s founder was apparently a pharmacist, specialising in treatments for abdomen illnesses and different diseases. Proper.
SGP:910 – 30 factors. |
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J. Bally 1999-2006-2007 ‘Cuvée Artwork Déco’ (43.5%, OB, Conquête, batch #2, Martinique, agricole, 6,000 bottles, +/-2023) 
The Martiniquais are quite keen on assembling multi-vintage cuvées, and one will get the impression this may increasingly have impressed sure younger Scots too… Color: deep gold. Nostril: beautiful spices, cumin, ginger, poppy seeds, fennel, jasmine, nougat, butter caramel, figs, thyme honey, liquorice… A superbly advanced bouquet, maybe owing to the classic mix. Mouth: fairly uncommon, very peppery and quite drying (floor espresso, darkish chocolate, cracked pepper), earlier than the citrus and herbs take management. However there’s an excessive amount of liquorice wooden, walnut husk, and nonetheless extra darkish chocolate… End: lengthy, oaky, with an excessive amount of bitter almond and pine resin on the aftertaste. Feedback: a quite wood-driven cuvée, fairly excessive in that regard, however following a hearty meal, it may simply stand in for a double espresso. Joking apart, we fairly like this very authentic fashion, even when we are likely to desire the common 7.
SGP:371 – 84 factors. |
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Nicely, the distinction with poor AH Riise, which tasted effectively and really dolled up like a stolen lorry, couldn’t have been higher!
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Foursquare 12 yo 2008/2021 (60.8%, The Colors of Rum, Barbados, No.12, bourbon cask, cask #26, 244 bottles) 
This fiery teenager spent two-thirds of its life within the tropics. Color: gold. Nostril: very clear, the column nonetheless clearly in cost, with oranges, orgeat syrup and molasses honey. With water: orange liqueur, amaretti, maple syrup. It’s gentle on the nostril. Mouth (neat): very traditional, once more numerous orgeat, fairly apparent, then triple sec and a tray of varied desserts and biscuits. Together with shortbread, would you consider. With water: gentle earthiness and candy spices. Faint salty and tarry touches. End: medium size, now a little bit extra natural. Notes of lovage within the aftertaste. Feedback: much less persona than the Bally, however extra stability general. Superb, in fact.
SGP:551 – 85 factors. |
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Beenleigh 8 yo 2015/2023 (60%, Velier, Australia, Alex Webb Version, Magnum Sequence #2, bourbon)
Ah, it’s a magnum! So, I shall double the rating… solely joking. Value noting, Beenleigh employs uncommon double distillation, column then pot nonetheless, which strikes me as quite uncommon. It’s not a column-and-pot mix à la Foursquare, as an example. Color: gold. Nostril: the combination of varnish and strawberry is all the time a peculiar one, often present in some Islays, really. Then comes a wave of honeysuckle and jasmine, all very charming. However at 60%, issues can shift drastically with water… With water: a sudden storm of cumin and pink pepper. Mouth (neat): wonderful, uncommon, let’s say alongside the traces of lemon, orange and mandarin liqueurs, with a wild streak of celery stalk. With water: it calms down, however stays splendidly natural and, above all, very authentic. End: lengthy, on fruit peels, quince, muesli, peppercorns, and as soon as once more cumin… Feedback: a method you gained’t discover elsewhere, and that alone is a mark of high quality. We’re followers of Beenleigh.
SGP:561 – 87 factors. |
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Since we’re within the Pacific…
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Fiji 2006/2024 (72.5%, Dos Deliquentes, FRC & WDC, bourbon, 256 bottles)
I do love that they clearly state it’s cask power, not that one would have doubted it, thoughts you. Let’s hope each FRC and WDC have strong insurance coverage cowl… That mentioned, we’re keen on South Pacific juice. Color: pale gold. Nostril: nearly nothing, nada, niente, nichts, rien in any respect, and that’s clearly right down to the ABV, I let you know. With water: we’re almost including extra water than there’s rum! Actually, it is a a lot lighter Fijian than normal, with apparently low ester ranges. Cane syrup, peanut oil, white chocolate, cereals, gentle honey… Mouth (neat): sure, effectively, alright, let’s transfer on… With water: even with few esters, or nearly none, this stays a really fairly rum, on orange and pear liqueur, nougat, preserved lemon, tinned pineapple… End: similar once more. Feedback: the lighter aspect of Fijians, extra of a winger than a prop, rugby-wise.
SGP:541 – 83 factors. |
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Diamond 13 yo 2011/2024 ‘PM’ (59.7%, Swell de Spirits, for V&B, Guyana, Arcade sequence, bourbon, 348 bottles) 
So, the double wood pot nonetheless from Port Mourant. Color: golden amber. Nostril: cease it proper there! A chic and razor-sharp combo of acetone, ink and previous papers. With water: perfection. Amontillado from the afterlife, dried seaweed, wooden glue, new tyres. Mouth (neat): extraordinary salinity, with tarred lemons, peat-smoked olives, or one thing of that ilk. With water: sea water and polish, mellowed with lemon juice and olive oil. End: very lengthy, intensely saline, on ashes—excellent. Feedback: I wasn’t shocked, however nonetheless, sure, only a bit.
SGP:463 – 91 factors. |
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When placing collectively a line-up, surprises like this are all the time a little bit of a headache, now now we have to seek out one thing that may maintain its personal after that legendary younger PM. Maybe an previous Enmore…
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Enmore 30 yo 1994/2024 (46.2%, The Whisky Blues, Guyana, barrel, cask #70, 171 bottles)
The very younger girl on the label seems to be a bit forlorn, she may actually use a dram of this Enmore. Is she a personality from the Brothers Grimm or from Andersen, by any probability? Color: mahogany. Nostril: please name the Anti-Rumporn Brigade. I find it irresistible when the wooden takes the lead, but stability is preserved, dwelling in that in-between world the place all of the molecules converse and evaluate emotions (you alright, S.?). Rosewood, cedar, hibiscus, wild strawberries, Timut pepper, meadow caraway… In reality, it’s all refined and of nice magnificence. Magnificent aromatics. Mouth: I feared it might need tipped into over-oaked territory, and certainly there’s loads of liquorice, pine and fir sap doing many of the heavy lifting, however minty flashes are available to stability all of it out, and the top result’s nothing in need of magical. End: lengthy, with little lemons arriving late to carry everybody spherical. Feedback: the one who selected to bottle this cask with out ready one other day is a sheer genius and deserves a statue. And what gorgeous liquorice—if you happen to love liquorice as a lot as I do, that’s.
SGP:363 – 92 factors.
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We’ll end in Jamaica, at this level, nearly solely Jamaica can rise to the event…
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Hampden 13 yo (61.6%, Secret Cask, Ramseyer’s, 2025)
A high-quality run of impartial Hampdens from this home lately, and right here comes the most recent instalment. Color: gold. Nostril: in fact it’s pretty explosive, with nice wafts of brake pads after a Stelvio descent, adopted by sauna oils and, naturally, olives of each persuasion, but it’s all effectively balanced, elegant, with notes of very saline, maritime manzanilla and a faint contact of recreation, quite uncommon. This little Hampden is most pleasing, although we quite anticipated as a lot. With water: fairly the shock, it tones down into sunflower oil, hay, paraffin, Italian white olives, even smoked salmon. Mouth (neat): instant, apparent. Sea water, black olives this time, acetone, tar, pine resin, lemon. And but, it stays pretty elegant. I am very curious at this stage… With water: by no means thoughts, it’s textbook Hampden, which is excellent information certainly. Salted liquorice, olives, glue, sea water, a contact of recent plastic. End: continues in the identical course for fairly an extended whereas. Feedback: it held up superbly after these chic Guyanese bottlings.
SGP:463 – 90 factors. |
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 Verify the index of all rums we have tasted thus far
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