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| Hello, that is one in all our (nearly) day by day tastings. Santé! |
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February 6, 2022
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A phrase of warning
Let me please remind you that my humble assessments of any spirits are accomplished from the viewpoint of a malt whisky fanatic who, what’s extra, is aboslutely not an professional in rum, brandy, tequila, vodka, gin or some other spirits. Thanks – and peace! |
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Searching for malternatives, as at all times. Let me insist as soon as extra, I am tasting rum from the viewpoint of a whisky fanatic and positively not from that of a rum professional or something like that. Cheers, let’s have a look at what we have now…
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Phraya ‘Parts’ (40%, OB, Thailand, +/-2021) 
It is true that we have tried each some wonderful Thai rum (Issan, Chalong Bay) and a few plainly putrid swill (earlier SangSom), so in reality and regardless of some barely overdone packaging that is by no means actually excellent news, we simply do not know what to anticipate right here. Properly, besides that we have simply seen that Phraya was really made by… SangSom. Let’s fasten our seatbelts then… Color: gold. Nostril: not a lot, it is slightly akin to many a really mild rum resembling Havana Membership or Bacardi. Touches of coconut, vanilla, orange liqueur, mild caramel, a bit cane syrup. Very mild and slightly characterless, actually not harmful this far. Mouth: nicely, it is okay, actually. First, no feeling of sugar, that is good. Then some coconut water, vanilla, Fanta and, whereas we’re at it, Coca-Cola. In brief, it’s totally mild, with nothing really repulsive and even marginally disagreeable, nevertheless it’s most likely destined to turn into a mixer. End: brief, clear. Cane syrup and vanilla. Feedback: I used to be afraid this might be a sugar bomb; it is not. In all probability nice on a mountain of ice cubes, whereas ready on your Pad Thai (S., this isn’t TripAdvisor!)
SGP:430 – 75 factors. |
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Damoiseau 5 yo ‘Rhum Vieux’ (42%, OB, Guadeloupe, bourbon barrel, +/-2021) 
Combined feeling final time we tried a younger Damoiseau from Bellevue on Grande-terre, however the potential was clearly there. Shall we discover olives and wonderful quasi-bacterial notes? Color: gold. Nostril: sure! olives and wonderful quasi-bacterial notes, vesou, liquorice wooden, then bamboo shoots and a bit engine oil, liquorice allsorts (nicely, the orange ones) after which a stunning earthiness. I take pleasure in this nostril slightly quite a bit, it is fairly complicated, properly olivey, with superior earthy/natural notes. And salmiak! Mouth: 45 or 46% would have been welcome however aside from that, this salty arrival is fairly good and the olives and artichoke cake are pretty too. Contact of tar and naturally, liquorice. A disgrace that it might simply be a tiny-wee-tad wishy-washy. Properly, not fairly however you get the drift. I suppose a 100proof model would kind it out… Wait, do not inform me that exists! End: a tad brief, however superb, with touches of honeyed oranges with some olive oil. Excellent combo, that, orange-honey-olive. Feedback: how do you rating frustration?
SGP:551 – 84 factors. |
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Rhum J.M 6 yo 2014/2020 (55.11%, OB for Rum Gallery, Martinique, agricole, recent American oak, cask #140061, 270 bottles) 
Color: amber. Nostril: the recent oak feels a wee bit however as in some new trendy malt whiskies, it is nicely built-in and would add natural and smooth spicy tones, so I am nice with this oaky inflation. In any other case some superior cane juice, praline and backyard peat, liquorice once more, custard, recent ginger, tiny whiffs of lilies… Curious to examine what water will carry out, hope that will not be extra oak spices. With water: we’re secure, phew. Cedar wooden and marmalade, contact of hibiscus syrup. Mouth (neat): could I name this contemporary rum? It is clearly spiced-up however they have not added any spices, soups of juices, that is all of the work of some very lively oak. Nutmeg, ginger, cloves, caraway, juniper… And slightly a variety of curaçao too. It is fairly candy, did they not deep-char this barrel? With water: success, the spice inflation has been curbed and we’re slightly discovering candy roots. Beets? (takes the biscuit when in rum, ha). End: lengthy and, nicely, a bit candy. Feedback: extraordinarily good, as many J.M.s are, however maybe on the restrict so far as oak is worried. Whats extra, the juice was not very heavy.
SGP:641 – 85 factors. |
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JMH 29 yo 1992/2021 (57.7%, The Whisky Blues, Jamaica, barrel, 253 bottles) 
I’m afraid I do not know this marque, however then once more, I am the worst rum professional on this facet of the Atlantic. In all probability Hampden anyway. Color: pale gold (hurray, at 29 years!) Nostril: extraordinarily pure, nearly crystalline, on new electronics, olives and capers, bitter almonds, rotting bananas and new tyres. Yep I am discovering this ‘crystalline’. With water: highest high dresser rum, simply totally beautiful. 24,434,354 sorts of olives. Mouth (neat): superb. Prime spirit of this world. With these +/-30 yo ‘Jamaicans’ it is like after we have been often stumbling upon these new Ardbegs single casks that used to get bottled circa 2000-2005. 1972-1976 vintages. Woo-hoo. Wonderful brines, lemons, rubbers, seashells and resinous smokes. With water: that it might get even higher when diminished right down to +/-45% is scandalous and outrageous. What a drop. End: lengthy, sublimely salty. Rumporn alert. Solely the aftertaste is a notch flabbier, with a bit Szechuan pepper which may be barely misplaced. BS alert this time. Feedback: wonderful rum, clearly the 1972-1976 Ardbeg of rum. Maintain on, have they got purifiers at Hampden? Are they functioning? I imply, have been they functioning again in 1992? (attempting to sound sensible, you understand).
SGP:463 – 92 factors. |
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Hampden 2010/2020 ‘LROK’ (62.5%, Velier for Navigate World Whisky, 250 bottles)
Comes with a white-chinned thrush on the label, which I had instantly recognised (yeah proper). Aside from that, an incredible Jamaican rum sourced and chosen by a legendary Italian firm for an enticing South-African agency, that completely is sensible would not it. LROK suggests that is lighter Hampden (am I proper this time?) Color: gold. Nostril: you do really feel the ‘lighter’ facet, though this might by no means get categorised as a ‘mild’ rum. Maybe a tad extra on floral and banana-y smells, the remainder being earthy and spicy, with the anticipated olives ‘after all’ and one thing of an agricole, not one thing I’ve by no means seen in these ‘low-marque’ Hampdens. In brief, extraordinarily good. With water: immense viscimetry. Backyard pond (muck?) and carbon, anchovy paste, eucalyptus and cedar woods, turpentine and lovage… I am going to say it once more, ‘woo-hoo’. Mouth (neat): lighter Hampden my hat. Smoked oranges, crushed olives and sardines, banana pores and skin, riesling, carbolineum and salted liquorice. With water: a bit lighter and rounder certainly, however the saltiness and the rounder tarriness are simply terrific. End: lengthy and salty. Extra anchovies. It could simply by no means get ‘lighter’. Feedback: you can not query these, even when they’re rather less majestic than these early-landed 30 years outdated.
SGP:462 – 90 factors. |
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We have now time, let’s push this session additional…
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Jamaican Rum 19 yo 2000 (55.8%, Scotch Malt Whisky Society, refill bourbon barrel, #R7.3, ‘Shiver me esters!’, 185 bottles)
Stated to be Hampden. It is nice that the SMWS would have many new rums, however the marque can be welcome right here. Color: gold. Nostril: after all, extra carbon, new electronics, liquorice and black olives, new plastics, rotting fruits, paint… With water: rainwater and tarmac, rubber, leaves… Mouth (neat): nice drop, salty, varnishy, additionally slightly fruitier than the opposite Hampdens (together with the one we’ll style after this one), with some preserved peaches and plums. Vine peaches and liquorice allsorts. And I imply ALL kinds of allsorts this time. Excellent drop in any case. With water: simply tops. An excellent glass of petroly riesling is to be added. End: lengthy, actually salty, with kippers and oysters ala Caol Ila. Nice enjoyable. Feedback: what can I say? In case you like this model you will love this bottle. I nonetheless imagine the oldsters who give you the names have to see a health care provider (after all not, they’re humorous and good).
SGP:553 – 90 factors. |
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C<>H 1993/2021 (57.8%, Salon du Rhum Belgique, Jamaica, 187 bottles)
The 1990 for Salon du Rhum blew us out of our rieslings the opposite day (WF 93). That is high-ester early-landed Hampden. I am unable to fairly see what might go mistaken right here. Color: white wine. Nostril: it’s a little excessive, to inform you the reality, very ‘burnt’. Burnt tyres, new footwear, Jerez vinegar, olives ‘after all’, large fats Sicilian capers, samphires, brake pad mud, recent concrete, magazines, new Tesla, ammonia… With water: new polyester. An acquired style ;-). Mouth (neat): very excessive certainly. Very inexperienced, ultra-grassy, salty, vastly acetic, acetone-y… I am not too positive this time. With water: salty, vinegary, with some sage, sorrel, nettle soup and garlic butter. And plastics. All proper then. End: lengthy and on smoked vinegars and paraffins. Bone-dry. Feedback: extraordinarily spectacular, however most likely extra for Hampden exegetes than for this humble whisky lover. The beautiful 1990 anytime, plus money.
SGP:273 – 87 factors. |
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A really final one, that is turning into a bit arduous…
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Pattern Seventeen (60.5%, The Whisky Mercenary & Kintra, Jamaica, +/-2020)
This can be a mix of varied unaged marques of ‘H’. Excellent straightforward touchdown, I’d suppose… Color: white. Nostril: concrete mud, inexperienced bananas, ink, olives and capers. Good funk, pretty much as good as a white rum will be. Frankly, who wants oak? With water: chalk, benzine, olive oil and simply turpentine. Mouth (neat: superb large fats fermentary and bacterial arrival, you’d nearly imagine that is some six-year-old Comté cheese. Then diesel oil, ink, plastics and sorrel. With water: simply plain Hampden, it is to be questioned why oaked and time are wanted. Magnificent distillate. Maybe a wee bit on the lightish facet, however between us, that is higher for us. Wonderful. End: Think about the cocktails. Like this, plus wild mezcal, plus white Ardbeg, plus lime juice. All proper, some nice tuning to be accomplished, I agree – who’s sport? . Feedback: extraordinarily nicely accomplished, Mr Mercenary. Oops, forgot to say cane juice, you do really feel the cane.
SGP:463 – 87 factors. |
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Subsequent week on Sunday, cognac once more.
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 Verify the index of all rums we have tasted thus far
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