Listed below are a number of of the rums that I’ve tried prior to now few days. Two of them are from Clarendon distillery. Then two well-known names: Uitvlugt and Caroni. The final one is a little bit of a shock: an undisclosed Australian rum.
The truth is extra rum is coming quickly, as we’re getting ready an enormous Colors of Rum session as nicely. Keep tuned.
Uitvlugt 1989 (46,7%, The Whisky Jury for Nanyang Singapore 2022, refill barrel #8, 203 btl.)
Nostril: wealthy and pretty rounded, with brambles and plums, molasses and occasional sweet. Then darker hints of liquorice, earthy spice and hints of outdated Pu Erh truffles. Tarry notes and whiffs of polished brassware. Reasonably refined regardless of the extreme aromas.
Mouth: similar comment. Darkish flavours however the texture is thinner than anticipated. There’s bitter espresso, baggage of dried herbs, extra tea, anise and liquorice. Additionally iodine and mentholated notes. Petrol, black olives, and leafy notes. Drier than the nostril recommended maybe.
End: lengthy, with hints of darkish chocolate and occasional, herbs and a delicate tobacco sourness.
A terrific bittersweet theme and extremely drinkable. A gentleman’s dram: very erudite and at all times holding again a bit, simply in case. Deciding on a black panther for this rum is spot on. Nonetheless some out there from Nanyang apparently.
Clarendon 15 yo 2007 (57,1%, Rum Sponge 2022, refill barrel, 262 btl.)
Nostril: funky but additionally fairly fruity. Overripe bananas and fermenting pineapples, with salted caramel and ginger beer. Then solventy notes and hints of modelling glue, with a bit vinyl and creosote. Dried citrus and hints of engine oil.
Mouth: fairly gritty and salty at first, with liquorice and white pepper, in addition to contemporary mentholated notes. Inexperienced apples, charred bananas and calmly floral notes. Then some punchy bourbonny wooden shavings too. Will get fairly savoury in the direction of the top, with a bittersweet spicy word.
End: lengthy, on chilli, extra bittersweet fruits and pencil shavings.
So Clarendon is the identify of the distillery and considered one of their makes / ester classes is called Monymusk, which is a extra acquainted identify. This teen doesn’t disappoint. It’s funky with a solventy and woody facet, but additionally loads of fruits. Good one. Bought out. Rating: 88/100
Now I ponder what Clarendon has to supply at a a lot greater age. Wait…
Clarendon 26 yo 1995 (57,1%, Treasured Liquors for Auld Alliance 2022, cask #433941, 196 btl.)
Nostril: much more fruits now, in a barely extra tropical register with the next acidity. Bitter pineapple and lime cordial, alongside grapefruit. Additionally beeswax, leafy notes, soy sauce and liquorice. Nonetheless a agency woodiness and whiffs of acetone. Mango and eucalyptus seem after some time – good combo.
Mouth: extra richness and focus than the 2007, clearly. Menthol, liquorice and tarry notes, with flashes of pink grapefruit, guava and pineapple in between. Then brambles, hints of armagnac, eucalyptus, black tea, pinewood and bittersweet natural extracts.
End: very lengthy, barely petroly, with salty notes and tropical fruits.
That is fairly spectacular. Such complexity, this can preserve you entertained for the whole night! Excessive energy rum, amplified by energetic wooden, however it’s the tropical fruits that make it shine. Very stunning. Rating: 92/100
Caroni 21 yo 1999 ‘Blackbeard’ (65,7%, Distilia ‘The Golden Age of Piracy’ 2021, cask #197, 228 btl.)
Nostril: fairly industrial, with engine oil, diesel and greasy notes. Additionally rubbery notes and tobacco. Then it evolves on peppermint and natural potions, in addition to overripe plums and darkish honey. Smoked vegetal notes and earthy wooden.
Mouth: once more not a straightforward one, however fairly an explosion. A lot of natural extracts, charred wooden, mint and eucalyptus, ginger and chilli warmth. Extra oily notes, camphor and medicinal hints. Dutch liquorice and sufficient tar to resume a random freeway. Greater than a touch of Fernet Branca. Very dry, very natural.
End: very lengthy, nonetheless natural, tarry and spicy.
It is a actual pirate rum, completely unscrupulous. The depth, the tarry notes and natural extracts blow your socks off. A terrific assertion and an excellent discover. Out of inventory, though Distilia additionally says it’s ‘on request’. Rating: 90/100
Whereas formally from a secret distillery, it appears the subsequent one could possibly be from Beenleigh, Australia’s oldest working distillery. They’re making molasses-based rums for nicely over a century.
Australian rum 2012 (66,9%, Swell de Spirits 2022, single cask, 368 btl.)
Nostril: molasses and polish, a bit of latest oak once more, in addition to leatherette and new trainers. Some wellness middle aromas (fragrant herbs), imprecise fruity sweetness (orange / apricot maybe) and a light-weight medicinal contact.
Mouth: ripe bananas evolve into contemporary pineapples and oranges. Then eucalyptus, brass polish, crushed peppercorns and natural tea. There’s astringency and an intruiging contemporary fruitiness on the similar time. Varnished notes, tobacco leaves and cinnamon come out as nicely.
End: fairly lengthy, on spicy notes and natural tea.
Australia: one other piece within the large puzzle that’s rum. It’s actually totally different from what we’re used to (or in search of) in a rum. This one affords a pleasant mixture of fruits and funky notes. Arriving in shops as we converse. Rating: 87/100
