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Dwelling
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| Hello, that is one among our (nearly) day by day tastings. Santé! |
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Might 8, 2022
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| Map of Guadeloupe from an outdated Air France journal advert |
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Rums have been piling up whereas we have been busy with brandies. Time to have a couple of beasts, randomly and with an open coronary heart. Solely the apéritif will not be chosen at random (or it would not be a correct apéritif)…
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Dictador ‘Claro – 100 Months Aged’ (40%, Rum, Colombia; +/-2021) 
This well-aged child (100 months = greater than 8 years, so far as I can inform), is filtered after maturation, most likely by means of some kind of charcoal, to catch that significantly pale color whereas retaining the flavours, supposedly. Jogs my memory of all these ‘mild’ whiskies within the Seventies… Color: pale white wine. Nostril: cellulose, a bit of paint thinner, sugarcane syrup, vanilla sugar… All that’s extraordinarily unobtrusive, you’d actually consider you are nosing cane syrup. . Mouth: akin to the pretty good rhums they’re having in Madagascar. Very mild, smoother than smoothness, with touches of sugarcane certainly (test!) plus vanilla and a few type of wooden varnish. It’s actually whispering and will get nearly silent after round thirty seconds. End: nearly non-existent. Just a little fruit alcohol, fantasy kirsch… Properly, something. Nearly cane vodka. Feedback: don’t get me unsuitable, this isn’t horrendous in any respect, it is simply, I consider, the lightest rum I’ve ever tried. All you want is a couple of ice cubes, Steely Dan and a swimming pool. I discover it higher than an earlier model from 2014.
SGP:210 – 70 factors. |
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Mauritius Diamonds 7 yo 2015/2022 (64.8%, Alambic Classique Assortment, Mauritius, cask #20025, 181 bottles) 
In concept, this might/needs to be the superb Labourdonnais, however that is only a wild guess. I am additionally glad to see that Alambic Classique hold firing on all cylinders. Color: deep gold. Nostril: a contemporary agricole fashion, already advanced regardless of the scarily excessive power. Just a little burnt fudge, some tin, roasted peanuts, coconut liqueur, barbecued marshmallows… However then once more, nearly 65% vol., so let’s not push our luck any additional. With water: touches of greens (wee cabbage), metallic polish, asparagus, cane juice, plasticine, new fir needles, grapefruit, a bit of seawater… It is a very uncommon fashion for certain. Mouth (neat): a bit of shoe polish once more, olive, lime, even a sense of cachaça… However then once more, 65%. With water: the very best half, very vegetal, on high-class inexperienced tea, fennel, celeriac, liquorice wooden… End: each a tad skinny and fairly lengthy, not a contradiction thoughts you. Extra roots and greens, parsnips for instance… Feedback: a really uncommon fashion, a lot much less ‘apparent’ than different current distilleries, however actually filled with charms. Forgot to say a drop of pastis within the aftertaste.
SGP:562 – 85 factors. |
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Random mode quickly inactivated…
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Chamarel 2014/2021 (55%, OB for LMDW and Navigate World Whisky, Mauritius, Highveld Growing old Sequence, oloroso, cask #B30, 664 bottles) 
Matured for six years in Mauritius, then one yr in South-Africa. That is pure pot-still distillation from sugarcane juice. Color: amber. Nostril: a fan. Feels a lot older, displaying fantastic hardwoods, polishes, toffee, chocolate, cigars, walnut stain, molasses (I do know), earth, liquorice, cedarwood, espresso, camphor, roasted pecans… And way more. Relatively riche and playful this far and also you do really feel that it was high oloroso. With water: touches of soy sauce popping out, hoisin… That is good! Mouth (neat): this time there is a sweetness that feels a bit of ‘pushed’ nevertheless it’s true that we have discovered this coffee-liqueury aspect in a number of Mauritian rums. Triple-sec, Kahlua, black chocolate, oloroso dulce maybe… With water: water brings some welcome dryness, extra tobacco, menthol, walnuts (from the oloroso I suppose), cocoa powder reasonably than espresso liqueur… That is all higher information. End: medium, a tad salty and olive-y, which is nice. Fermentation. Feedback: a a lot rounder, sweeter Mauritian after the Alambic Classique, however water works effectively.
SGP:651 – 83 factors. |
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Panamanian Rum 15 yo 2004 (62%, Scotch Malt Whisky Society, #R9.7, ‘Patacones with Pikliz’, second-fill bourbon barrel, 229 bottles)
The one phrase I used to be understanding of within the nickname right here was ‘with’. Color: deep gold. Nostril: ten instances extra espresso liqueur on this one! Plus easter eggs, sugar-coated peanuts, cotton sweet and, err, Bailey’s Irish cream. With water: oh good! Gentle cigars, walnut oil, a drop of oyster sauce, bagasse, tangerines about to begin to start to scent foul (wonder-foul!) Mouth (neat): enormous sweetness, enormous cane syrup as effectively. Plus a petroly aspect that, so far as I can bear in mind, I had by no means discovered earlier than in rums from this area of the world. With water: tremendous good, regardless of some extreme sucrosity right here and there and touches of cologne. End: medium, candy, a tad liqueury however the core stays of excessive grade (provided that this can be a Panamanian). Feedback: I suppose this was Don José. I am unsure anybody might do significantly better inside this fashion.
SGP:730 – 85 factors. |
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Bonne Mère 6 yo (59.6%, Pattern X, Rum Mercenary and Kintra, Guadeloupe, 242 bottles, 2021) 
That is ‘rhum de sucrerie’ or ‘industriel’, distilled in Sainte-Rose from molasses reasonably than cane juice. They used to supply the manufacturers Delisle and Palmier. Whereas not precisely a part of the aristocracy of Guadeloupe or Martinique, these rhums can actually ship. Suppose Le Galion. Color: gold. Nostril: nice enjoyable! Citron and tangerine liqueurs, plus plain cane juice and a contact of aniseed. Very straight, pure, and nice. With water: even nicer! Great whiffs of wormwood, genepy, verbena… All issues that don’t, so far as I can inform, develop in Guadeloupe. Mouth (neat): completely glorious and way more than only a filler. As soon as once more, that is pure citron and tangerine liqueur, simply most likely higher than citron and tangerine liqueur. Fennel seeds and celery within the background. Superior freshness. With water: grassier, with olives, carbon, engine oil and liquorice. Implausible. End: medium lengthy, contemporary, reasonably on mint, aniseed and liquorice. Salty absinth within the aftertaste. Feedback: I feel this can be a first. Great pure drop, very effectively caught, ‘Pattern X’.
SGP:651 – 88 factors. |
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Domaine de Courcelles 1972/1973/2008/2009 ‘Grande Réserve’ (58%, OB, Guadeloupe, for Rhum Home Winterthur) 
These have been the final batches of Courcelles. There have been completely different variants, at 42% (WF 90), 47% (WF 91), 54% (WF 91), plus this stronger one at 58% vol. that we have not tried but. It’s ex-molasses as effectively, so rhum de sucrerie, made with the ex-Courcelles stills that had been moved to Sainte-Marthe after Courcelles Distillery was closed in 1964. These stills have then been in use solely from 1964 to 1972. No concepts the place they went after 1972, however I am certain true rum consultants might inform (please advise!) Simply to make issues clear, this was distilled in 1972, put into oak in 1973, casks disgorged in 2008, bottles stuffed in 2009. Color: amber. Nostril: you can actually consider this can be a very outdated agricole – or a really outdated Yquem. Flabbergasting pralines, chocolate, prunes (tons and tons), sloe, pure rubber, dried porcini and morels, tiny drops of rose and orange blossom waters, sandalwood and incense… However prunes are having the higher hand this far. With water: identical, no adjustments. Mouth (neat): it is One and its myriads, would a nasty poet say. Salted caramelised prunes. Oh, what a oneness (relax, S.) With water: very outdated Yquem, as soon as extra. Caramel, mushrooms, apricots, quince, roasted nuts and, many times, tons of prunes, plums of Ente, quetsche…. End: maybe the weaker half due to touches of alcohol/ethanol, however we’re nit-picking, it is nonetheless throughout the first decile, and simply. Feedback: nearly 93. Most likely the very best inside all of the Courcelles 1972. Hope we have not tried all of them, having mentioned that.
SGP:641 – 92 factors. |
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Plantation Barbados WIRD 1986/2022 (55.1%, West Indies Rum Distillery, Barbados, Excessive Sequence V, 286 bottles)
Thoughts you, this one is 34 or 35 years outdated. It’s molasses rum, batch-distilled on the West Indies Rum Distillery, aged for 34 years in ex-bourbon within the tropics, then completed for one yr in a ‘Ferrand cask’ – I might suppose that is ex-cognac. I might additionally suppose that final half is a gimmick, just like the umbrella within the boot of any Aston Martin, which doesn’t make them any sooner or extra dependable. Ha. Color: gold. Nostril: I am unsure we have ever been this near pure olive oil. And to outdated books and magazines, with a number of outdated paper and ink, clearly. New-sawn plywood, sauna oils, a tiny little bit of onion chutney, maybe… With water: who remembers carbon paper? Additionally leather-based polish, outdated vehicles, outdated storage… Mouth (neat): it is advisable bow. Luminous citrus, marginally acetic, very faintly smoky (coal) and fermentary (chen-pi). With water: reasonably distinctive and considerably in whisky territories. The oak begins to really feel (was it already earlier than the ending half?) however at 35 years of age, there’s strictly nothing to quibble about. End: medium, with some elements that do really feel a bit of Jamaican. Brine, olives, tar… Feedback: no ‘sweetness’ or ‘dosage’ as they name that humorous observe in anyway on this outdated WIRD, Any sincere, candid taster will bow, I feel. I actually do, and we all know that it wasn’t straightforward after the Courcelles ’72. Properly achieved, lure thwarted!
SGP:562 – 91 factors. |
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South Pacific 17 yo 2003/2020 (58.6%, The Rum Cask, Fiji)
What’s a bit of unusual is that our excellent pals in Germany would have completed this entrancing (most likely) Fijian rum in a ‘Jamaica JNY cask’. I might be offended. Color: gold. Nostril: these Fijians will not be very well-known however they do ship, with their smoky dried herbs and teas, the banana skins, drawing gum, leatherette, plasticine, camphory oranges, these whiffs of petroly and smoky arduous cheese (see what I imply? Like some very outdated roqueforts)… With water: first rainwater after two months of drought, tarmac, olives and tinned bamboo shoots… Mouth (neat): very glorious, however is it the Fijian or is it Jamaica? Smoked and salted mangos marinated in olive oil. With water: tremendous good, actually. Extra smoky olives, rotting mangos, Swiss cheeses, carbon and rubber… End: lengthy, salty, olive-y, with a bit of plastic and rubber. Which I discover fairly Fijian. Feedback: beautiful, however cautious with H2O. What’s a ‘Jamaica JNY cask’, by the way in which?
SGP:463 – 88 factors. |
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Enmore 30 yo 1998-1990 ‘Alpha & Omega’ (51.6%, Jack Tar, Guyana, casks #42, 40, 55, 251 bottles)
A multi-vintage providing with a really constructivist label. I hope we’ll quickly be capable to quote Russian artwork freely and calmly once more. Color: amber. Nostril: very uncommon, very beautiful. Pine and thuja woods ultimately of a sizzling summer time day, caraway, cedar, cloves, borage, extra cedarwood, much more cedarwood, eucalyptus wooden, extra thuja, extra cedar, extra eucalyptus, pencil shavings… I discover this wanzenig (could not discover a correct phrase in English). With water: extraordinary, otherworldly woodiness. Visiting any of Leonardo’s workshops, in Italy or France. Mouth (neat): elegant. Maracuja, cedar and eucalyptus, all synchronised to perfection, just like the Invoice Evans Trio (no matter). With water: unsure it wanted any water. Water’s nearly an intruder on this recreation. End: I will dare say that we’re in early Seventies Ardbegs territories. Aren’t the best outdated spirits about convergence? Salty, tarry… Solely the aftertaste is a tad bitterer, on propolis. Feedback: what a session right now! Now let’s be honest, the more durable end and aftertaste made it lose one %. Dura Lex and so forth.
SGP:373 – 92 factors. |
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We could also be going overboard at this level, however is that this Whiskyfun or is it solely a pansy way of life weblog for sissies? (diving to even decrease lows now, S….)
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J.Bally 1949 (45%, OB, Martinique, agricole, 75cl, Nineteen Eighties)
An incredible outdated bottle from the Plantations Lajus du Carbet, in Martinique. This very rhum z’habitant was already labelled as ‘agricole’, even when the right appellation (AOC) was solely given within the yr 1996. Now let’s be sincere, the oldest vintages will not be all the time the very best, my favorite Bally being the 1960 (which, very by the way, can be my very own yr). Color: deep amber with bronze hues. Nostril: very dry, nearly oloroso-y, with reasonably a number of chocolate in addition to a bit of pinewood. Espresso and a drop of fir liqueur, plus one drop of nocino (inexperienced walnut). Drops of meaty sauces as effectively, dry gravy… That is a number of drops, eh. Mouth: a bit of jumbled, very meaty, bouillony, cardboardy, salty, dry… It is nearly like some outdated bone-dry Madeira (bear in mind Madeira has additionally bought an agricole appellation!) Tends to develop into extra cardboardy and salty over time, that is nearly some type of condiment for sashimi. End: medium, ultra-dry, oxidized, oloroso-y certainly. Beef inventory and caramel within the aftertaste, not a nasty feeling thoughts you. Feedback: mental outdated rhum. Let’s be sincere, it could not battle the Enmore, the WIRD or the Courcelles.
SGP:361 – 85 factors. |
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That is ten, what a session once more! Thanks everybody, there shall be extra quickly, way more…
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 Verify the index of all rums we have tasted to date
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