1931 St Lucia Distillers – 4th Edition

Bythefatrumpirate

1931 4th edition rum review by the fat rum pirate1931 4th Edition is the latest release in the series from St Lucia Distillers.  Originally produced to commemorate 80 years of the Dennery Distillery we are now celebrating 83 years of rum production at the distillery.

Released in the UK shortly before Christmas 2015 this is batch 04, bottle 5806 which was bottled on the 8th December 2014.  In the UK a bottle of this rum will set you back around £60 it is a 70cl bottle and the ABV is 43% which as the bottle kindly points out adds upto 30 UK units of alcohol.

Presentation wise it is the same as previous years the only difference being the colour scheme which this year is black, gold and yellow.  The presentation is still as striking as ever and as ever the huge cork stopper gives a very satisfying pop when opened.

With each year the blend changes – this year we have the introduction of some of St Lucia Distillers Sugar Cane Juice r(h)um.  I’ll stop short of calling it agricole just in case it isn’t 100% agricole – the French can be very touchy about it!

The blend in this years offering is as follows from what I have been able to gather up (unfortunately they haven’t released as much information on their website about this or the 3rd edition).  It is a blend of pot and column distilled rums aged 6 to 12 years.  There is a new component in the Cane Juice r(h)um which St Lucia distillers have only recently begun producing.  The rum has been aged in Bourbon casks and blended together to finish in Port Pipes/casks.

Recently St Lucia Distillers Group of Companies (SLD) has been acquired by Martinique conglomerate Group Bernard Hayot (GBH).  Founded in 1960, GBH has a number of businesses through the French overseas departments including Martinique, Guadeloupe, French Guyana, Reunion and New Caledonia, as well as other enterprises based in Trinidad & Tobago, Dominican Republic, West Africa, China, Morocco and Algeria. In terms of rhum they own two distilleries on Martinique – Clement and J.M.  It’s certainly an exciting merger and one which I am sure help grow St Lucia Distillers profile even further.

1931 4th edition rum review by the fat rum pirateAt this stage I’m going to show you a photo of something really good to pair with this rum.  Regular readers will no doubt be aware just how excited these chocolates made me! (If the picture isn’t that clear they are Dark Rum truffles made with Chairman’s Reserve)

So lets move onto the actual rum now.  It may be the colour scheme used but this rum does look a shade darker than the other rums in the 1931 series.  Particularly in the bottle but even perhaps in the glass.  Not much at it might just be my eyesight.  It an inviting vibrant reddish/mahogany brown.

The nose on the 4th Edition 1931 is also very inviting and refreshingly familiar.  Although coming up “clean” on a Hydrometer test Michael Speakman of St Lucia Distillers has since revealed the 4-6 g/L of sugar have been added to this rum.  Michael also gave the following information regarding the blend.  You’ll struggle to find anything more transparent than this.

1931 – Fourth Edition (Black Label) – 43% alc/vol; 86% proof
Molassas Base – 89%
Column Still – 46%
6% – 11 year (Bourbon Cask)
9% – 9 year (Bourbon Cask)
9% – 7 year (Bourbon Cask)
9% – 9 year (Bourbon Cask)
7% – 7 year (Bourbon Cask)
3% – 9 year (Port Cask)
3% – 9 year (Port Cask)
Pot Still/Column Blend – 11%
11% – 10 year John Dore 1/Column 50%/50% (Bourbon Cask)
Pot Still – 32%
13% – 15 year – John Dore 1 (Bourbon Cask)
5% – 9 year – John Dore 2 (Bourbon Cask)
7% – 10 year – Vendome (Bourbon Cask)
7% – 9 year – John Dore 1/Vendome 50%/50% (Bourbon Cask)
Sugar Cane First Press (Rum Agricole) – 11%
11% – 6 year – John Dore Pot (Bourbon Cask)

Maturation: 94% Bourbon; 6% Port Cask
Ages: 13% 15 year; 6% 11 year; 18% 10 year; 36% 9 year; 16% 7 year; 11% 6 year

Familiar almost Jamaican like funk and notes of coffee, chocolate, vanilla and a fresh almost minty note are present as expected.  Alongside some slight hints of caramel, leather and tobacco.  As with all the St Lucian rums it has a profile all of its own yet it has so many recognisable influences.  The rhum in the blend seems to be adding the fresh minty notes – there is nothing grassy or immature on the nose.  Nice but not overdone oaked notes and an almost bourbon-ish note also contributes to the very complex nose.  This is a rum you can spend a lot of time nosing and enjoying more and more flavours.  It’s very complex and multi layered. Overall it is best described as fairly sweet.

Sipped and this is the only way to enjoy this rum – (it is wasted mixed believe me) you ST LUCIA DISTILLERS LOGOare enjoying a rum which is very distinctive.  Whilst St Lucia Distillers rums have similarities with rums of other Caribbean Islands (Jamaica and Barbados) they have at the heart of them their own thing going on.  The funk which reminds me of Jamaican rums has a more earthy almost vegetal feel to it than the more ester heavy Jamaican rums.  It has a nice funk heavy bite but flavour wise it is much different – the bourbon cask (they use a lot of different bourbon casks) is very active in the rums profile giving a sweet sour  mouth feel especially on the first few sips.

It is like all the 1931’s amongst the most complex sipping rums you will encounter.  There is a lot going on and whilst all the components occasionally feel like they are clashing its still a very good rum. The only thing that lets the 1931 series down is a slight lack of balance overall.  Almost as if it is trying too hard.  There is nothing wrong with it as such- but on occasion you can find it all just a bit too busy.

It is a rum which carries all the promise of its nose through to the flavours when sipped.  It is best enjoyed slowly.  It has a very long and layered finish.

A rum which really needs to be savoured.  Great stuff.

4.5 stars

 

 

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  • El Dorado Spiced Rum

    Bythefatrumpirate

    El Dorado Spiced Rum is a spiEl Dorado Spiced Rum Review by the fat rum pirateced rum from the El Dorado brand, funnily enough.  You would think that this would be a pretty easy bottling to come across? Surely a global powerhouse such as DDL know the selling power of Spiced Rum?

    It would seem they don’t as this is pretty hard to find here in the UK.  I don’t even think it is distributed over here.  It is more commonly found in mainland Europe but even still it is a rum many people are unaware of.

    If you do an image search on Google you will see a few different designs for this rum.  I am not sure how old this bottling is.  It seems pretty “old style” but the cap has the more recent El Dorado motif.  The bottling on the official El Dorado site is different but that is not guarantee that it is the most current bottling.  To say DDL are a little slow in doing things would be an understatement.

    The rum comes in a standard bar bottle with a good metal screw cap.  The design and colourway in my opinion is uninspring.  You get no information regarding the spices used other than “Subtly Spiced”.  It is bottled at a respectable 37.5% (making it qualify as a Spiced rum rather than Spirit Drink here in the UK).  The hydrometer test revealed less additives in this rum than most of the standard El Dorado range (especially the older bottlings).  Which is interesting.

    Fortunately the El Dorado website has some information regarding the spices used

    “Its unique blend of aged Demerara rums and natural spices – cinnamon and vanilla with hints of citrus – delivers a genuine Caribbean flavour with a smooth taste and rich aroma.”

    I actually picked this bottle up in Italy (San Remo) in what was a very interesting and well stocked store.  On the back label of the bottle is a white sticker giving details of the importer – Velier SPA our friend Luca Gargano nonetheless.

    Another interesting point about this rum is its colour.  It’s much lighter than your usual dark El Dorado Demeraras.  It reminds me very much of Foursquare’s Spiced Rum.

    In the glass and visible from the bottle the rum is a classic straw/gold colour.  It looks very much like a more “regular” rum.  It hasn’t been heavily coloured like so many Spiced Rums/Spirit Drinks.

    Nosing the rum I am once again thinking of Foursquare’s spiced.  It is very spice heavy rather than high on the added sugar content.  So many spiced rums are sugary vanilla laden atrocities.  So its good to see El Dorado didn’t go down that route.

    The rum in the blend I would say will be pretty young.  Even with the adEl Dorado Spiced Rum Review by the fat rum pirateded spices its still reasonably aggressive.  Quite which still it may come from I really couldn’t hazard a guess its likely from the Enmore but it could easily be that or the Versailles.  I doubt its from Port Mourant or contains much rum from that still if a blend.

    As a sipper its okay once you get past the youth of the rum.  It’s probably best with a block of ice.  It has a peppery spice to it and you also get a lot of bark, a cinnamon stick and some cloves.  It’s quite woody and earthy.  There is a sweetness to it but its counteracted by quite an oaked/woody bitterness.

    When you begin mixing the spices seem to retreat a little.  More in the forefront come the citrus and vanilla notes.  Wrapped up in a sweetness which is refreshingly not too sickly and cloying.  In all honesty I think I prefer this neat to mixed as I like the rummy-ness of it that way.

    I’m not sure how well distributed or how well this spiced rum sells.  I doubt it will appeal to the average spiced rum fan who seeks a vanilla and lime super sweet sugar bomb. Nor is it easily recognisable as an El Dorado product.  I would have expected a Spiced Rum from El Dorado to be very dark, heavy and rich.  Christmas Pudding like.  This is not like that at all and is quite “natural” tasting.  It’s more of an infusion than what perhaps most people would recognise as a spiced rum. It’s quite an odd product really and perhaps more evidence that El Dorado and DDL don’t really have their finger on the pulse.

    El Dorado Spiced rum review by the fat rum pirateIt has most in common with Foursquare Spiced and Elements Eight Exotic Spices, if you seek comparisons.  For all its relative pleasantness I don’t think it is as good as either of those.

    It’s pretty decent and if I could pick it more easily I’d probably by a bottle from time to time but I can’t say I’ve fallen in love with it.  If I wanted a sweet El Dorado kick I’d probably still just opt for mixing some of the 8 or 15 with coke if I’m being entirely honest.

    Still it has a certain authenticity about it which lets be honest El Dorado rums don’t always have.

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Revolte Rum – White

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Revolte Rum White Review by the fat rum pirateRevolte Rum – White. Revolte Rum are a rum brand from Germany. Germany is perhaps more famous for its Rum Verschnitt and fledgling Independent bottling scene than any notable entries into the Rum Producer ranks.

    The brand have already started to make ripples in their native Germany and their rums are available in the UK via Urban Drinks. They currently have four rums/spirits in their line up – this White Rum, an Overproof White Rum, an aged rum and a Falernum.

    Revolte Rum is produced by Felix Kaltenthaler in Westhofen, Germany. It is produced using untreated sugar cane from Papau New Guinea. This is then fermented for 12-13 days using a proprietary yeast strain before being distilled on a hybrid copper pot/column still. It is then aged in Earthenware pots for six months before being bottled.

    It is bottled in an angular semi transparent 500ml bottle. The branding of Revolte is clean and modern. They have a website which continues the image of the brand. Bottled at 41.5% ABV a bottle will set you back just under £40 at Urban Drinks.
    Revolte Rum is a true small batch production. Each batch yields 500 bottles. My bottle is from batch 19 and is number 85. Revolte are another relatively new rum company who are very keen to press that they do not use additives. They are very proud of this and we fully commend this here at thefatrumpirate.

    Unaged or very young white rum has become a bit of a thing over the past couple of years. Velier’s championing of the Clarin’s from Haiti opened the door along with a continued appreciation of high strength White Agricole Rhums and Jamaican Overproof rum.

    So what can the German’s bring to the white rum table? Let’s find out.

    In the glass Revolte Rum is a crystal clear spirit. The nose is the first indication that this, however is a million miles away from a Bacardi Superior or a similar dry white rum.
    It has some grassy notes similar to an agricole. Fresh cut cane and some citrus notes – freshly squeezed lemon a touch of washing up liquid perhaps.
    There are some funky notes as well putting it more in the Jamaican Overproof camp. Albeit without the ABV.  Over-ripe bananas and sour pineapple. A touch of Green Olives but muted slightly.Revolte Rum White Review by the fat rum pirate

    Some sharp spicy notes also exist an almost chilli powder like hit which moves into a very metallic note. You can really “smell the still” with this – clean, sharp, copper. It’s quite strange but surprisingly pleasant.

    The nose is big and you would easily mistake this for a much higher ABV rum. You certainly wouldn’t confuse it for Bacardi Superior. It is not as grassy as a Clairin or a Rhum Agricole or as funky as a Jamaican. The metallic notes make it quite unique though.

    Sipped Revolte is very sharp and surprisingly clean. It’s very clinical in its delivery. Black Pepper a little oily, which gives way to a slight hint at Green Olives but with no real briny-ness so to speak. A dried Olive perhaps?

    Further sips reveal a really nice peppery spirit. There isn’t any real sweetness to speak of. The vegetal and grassy notes on the nose have dialled back as well. There is a touch of vanilla the more you sip but its quite faint.

    The finish isn’t overly long it’s not bad but does fade quite a bit. It’s quite smoky with notes of charcoal and a touch of turmeric.
    I’ve actually mixed this quite a bit. It works very well with fruit juices and even cola. As it doesn’t have a lot of sweetness it works surprisingly well and gives you a slightly funky and very spicy drink. You get quite a lot of peppery and spicy notes so it works really well tomato juice in a Bloody Mary.

    It might well lose its way a little due to being diluted down to 41.5% ABV. These kind of white rums do tend to work best at a higher ABV. It’s one of those rums that you aren’t to sure about to start with but once you get used to the flavour you really start to enjoy it. I often find the same with White Agricole. They just take time to get used to. If you are going to try Revolte try it as your first drink. It’s not a very good follower especially if it’s a lighter or sweeter rum you’ve had first.

    Definitely showing promise and I also have the Overproof variant up for review soon as well.

    Watch this space.

  • Plantation Xaymaca Special Dry

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Plantation Xaymaca Special Dry Rum Review by the fat rum piratePlantation Xaymaca Special Dry. Unless you have only very recently gotten into rum or have been living in a cave, Plantation Rums should really need little or no introduction. Headed by Alexandre Gabriel Plantation Rum is a part of Maison Ferrand. They are based in France and a lot of their “double ageing” or secondary maturation takes place in cellars in the Cognac region of France.

    Xaymaca (zay-muck-uh), is probably not a term you have heard a lot. It is the old Arawak term for the island of Jamaica. The Arawaks were the first human inhabitants of the island. As well as buying West Indies Rum Distillery on Barbados last year Maison Ferrand have also bought a stake in National Rums of Jamaica. As a result Plantation have more access to Jamaican rum than ever before.

    Using this to their advantage Plantation have created a 100% Pot Still Blended Jamaican rum. Plantation Xaymaca Special Dry comprises rums from the Long Pond and Clarendon (Monymusk) distilleries.

    In the UK a bottle of Xaymaca Special Dry should set you back around £35 for a 70cl bottle. The ABV on this one is 43%. It is denoted as “Special Dry” as it has none of the usual Plantation “dosage”. Dry is a term used to describe champagne which has no added sugar. From what I understand the name is a bit of a “fuck you” to Plantation’s critics. They know it will piss some people off.

    Presentation wise Plantation have returned to their stubby bottle with the twine covering. Aside from decorative purposes this twine does have a purpose. In warmer climates it prevents the bottle from slipping from the bartenders hand when pouring or moving the bottle. Presentation of all Plantations rum is pretty top notch and this is no different.

    Further information on the actual rum including 0 g/L for dosage is also on the back label. The rums in the blend were fermented between 1 and 3 weeks prior to distillation. Esters are noted as being 156 g/hL AA Which is not considered particularly high by Jamaican standards. Those familiar with Independent bottlings may recognise the use of rum “marques” on bottles. Codes which make little sense at times. These codes are used to identify the different types of rum that each still/distillery produces.

    In this case the rear label kindly advises us that Plantation Xaymaca Special Dry is a blend of the following Clarendon EMB and LMC marques and Long Pond VRW and STC^E marques. I’m not really sure why Plantation have included this information on the label and not then clarified what the marques actually mean. It seems a little pointless to do that to be honest. Anyway the marques are as follows

    EMB – Is from Clarendon and was distilled on a Vendome Pot Still. The rum used in the is blend is 2-3 years old with less than a year of that spent in the Caribbean. Maturation took place mainly in France in ex-cognac casks.

    MLC – Again from Clarendon this is also produced on a Vendome Pot Still but this was fermented for 2 weeks and is much higher in esters than the EMB marque. EMB was fermened for just the one week, it’s esther count is noted as between 125-175 g/hL AA. MLC is noted as being between 500 and 600 g/hL AA. The age of the rum is the samPlantation Xaymaca Special Dry Rum Review by the fat rum piratee as EMB with a similar maturation.

    VRW – Is the first marque from Long Pond. It has been aged for less than one year in the tropics before being transferred to France for a year or two in ex-cognac casks. Fermented for 1 week with esters at 150-250 g/hL AA. John Dore Pot Still distilled.

    And finally we have

    STC^E – Also from Long Pond this is the highest ester rum of the whole blend coming in at around 550-650 g/hL AA. Again it is from a John Dore Pot Still. This is the oldest rum in the blend having been distilled in 2009. It spent 8 years ageing in the Tropics before spending one year in ex-cognac casks.

    There is actually a 5th marque in the rum as well. This may or may not remain as part of the blend. Blended rums are tricky to judge and that is why so many do not have exact age statements. The 5th marque is a 2000 Long Pond rum aged for 17 years “mostly” in the Tropics. The marque is ITP.

    There is a very detailed breakdown and review of Plantation Xaymaca available at Cocktail Wonk.

    It is worth noting at this stage that Xaymaca is not a Limited release. As with Stiggins’ Fancy and O.F.T.D., this will become a permanent part of the Plantation line up. Once again like the two rums before them Plantation have ramped up the hype machine ahead of this release. For the previous two releases the hype has been justified. So it will be interesting to see how this rum shapes up.

    In the glass I am presented with a golden to dark brown rum with a reddish hue. It looks very vibrant and inviting.

    The nose is quite sweet and oaky. The double ageing in the cognac casks is very noticeable. It is interesting to try one of Plantation’s Cognac finished rum minus the dosage. Further nosing reveals more familiar Jamaican notes. Pineapples juice and black bananas. Some nice weight of spicy oak and a touch of lemon zest.

    The Long Pond elements of the rum make themselves known by giving the rum a sharp very fruity but almost varnish like notes. This is what I was expecting or hoping for. Yet despite all the talk of “hogo” (on the label and in other reviews) this rum it isn’t really THAT funky. For those not familiar with the term “hogo” its not one I use. The word “hogo” derives from the French term “haut gout,”. Which means both slightly tainted game meat as well as a strong yet desirable flavor. I wouldn’t say the nose on this rum is all that strong to be fair.  It certainly isn’t in the Smith & Cross “funk” bracket nor is it as full on as numerous Independent bottlings of Long Pond and HamPlantation Xaymaca Special Dry rum review by the fat rum piratepden Estate rums.

    As a rum though, it has a nice balance. I quite like the cognac influence. It’s a very pleasant nose. Just not hugely Jamaican. I would have mistaken it for a rum blend with Jamaican rum in it rather than entirely 100% Pot Still Jamaican rum. In fact I am struggling to reconcile Xaymaca Special Dry with any 100% Pot Still rum I have had before.

    Sipped Plantation Xaymaca Special Dry is quite spicy – I’m getting quite a lot of heat – white pepper, ginger and all spice. Once again I’m left wondering where all the Jamaican Pot Still rum has gone. As I found with the sip it’s not hugely obviously Jamaican Pot Still – this transfers across to the sip. It’s good a really nice spicy delivery with some nice fruity notes and some sweeter notes of toffee. It’s really easy to sip at 43% ABV.

    However, beyond the initial spiciness and the sweeter fruity notes the mid palate doesn’t really develop into a full on funky Jamaican rum. I can only assume it is the Cognac Casks which have softened the rums up and made them a little more easy-going. Which whilst making this rum balance nicely and sip easily – I feel it also makes it a little to soft.

    The only other feasible reasons why a rum comprising Long Pond and Clarendon Pot Still rums would be as light as this is if some lighter column distilled rum is in the mix. I think a lot of people who buy this will be expecting something more akin to Smith & Cross or Appleton Signature. After all Plantation have made a point of it being 100% Pot Still and full of “hogo”.

    Plantation Xaymaca Special Dry doesn’t really carry itself as a big bruising Jamaican rum. It’s too soft, too polite. The mid palate on this rum fades a little too quickly and the finish is all just a bit woody. The finish doesn’t last all that longer either.

    As a mixer it works quite well but it isn’t as funky as Appleton Signature. I wouldn’t sub Plantation Xaymaca for it. You do get some of the Long Pond notes I so enjoy in a rum and cola – pineapple juice and nail varnish but they are kind of muted and again just to damn polite.

    It’s kind of like Jamaican rum for beginners. Which may well be something people find comfort in. I’ve seen it referred to as a possible gateway Jamaican rum recently. Plantation may claim that this is what it is intended to be. If that is the case then I do not really understand making a play on the “hogo” and 100% Pot Still characteristics of this rum. Anyone seeking that will be disappointed. The 43% ABV will not encourage rum enthusiasts to seek this out rather than cask strength bottlings of Monymusk (Clarendon), Long Pond and the current favourite amongst Jamaican Dunderheads Hampden.

    This rum reminds me of the Plantation Barbados 5 Year Old. It’s nice enough but its not quite there as an authentic Bajan rum. I always blamed the dosage for that but this has achieved a similar “not quite there” type of profile. It’s appeal probably will appeal to lovers of that rum but I remain unconvinced that is what Plantation were aiming for originally with this rum. I feel they have ended up with a rum which is trying to hard to please too many people. If anyone is thinking this may have benefited from “dosage” then I would definitely say no. That would have totally killed it like it does other Plantation Jamaican vintages. The one style of rum that doesn’t need or benefit from dosage has got to be Jamaican.

    It’s a decent wePlantation Xaymaca Special Dry rum review by the fat rum piratell balanced rum but it goes to far away from its Jamaican roots to make it feel like a Multi Island Pot/Column Blend rather than the 100% Pot Still “hogo”, ester and dunder heavy Jamaican rum it is trying to convince us it is. If Smith & Cross gets a 8 out of 10 in terms of funkiness then Plantation Xaymaca Special Dry is a 2.

    If you want a reasonably priced introduction to Jamaican Rum and Appleton Signature Blend is a bit “rough” for your tastes then I recommend trying Rum Bar Gold. It’s a better rum than Xaymaca and has enough sweetness not to scare of people new to Jamaican rum.

    It’s nice but not what I was hoping for.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Silver Seal Dennery Superior St Lucian Rum

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Silver Seal Dennery Superior St Lucian Rum Review by the fat rum piratSilver Seal Dennery Superior St Lucian Rum. The use of the “Dennery Distillery” on this bottling (and others) by Silver Seal has caused quite a lot of consternation from those currently involved at St Lucia Distillers.  Dennery is a completely different site to where the only St Lucian rum producer – St Lucia Distillers are now housed.

    The distillery hasn’t operated since around 1972 so that is why the current owners of St Lucia Distillers are a bit perplexed by the use of the name.  Maybe this rum is from around that period?

    At around £60 for a 70cl bottle with an ABV of 43% I very much doubt that.  There isn’t a great deal of information on this bottling.  It is believed to be from 1988/89.  Presentation wise – the label looks like something a small child has drawn.  It’s absolutely hideous.  I don’t know what it is with some indie bottlers but their presentation is stuck way back in the seventies for some reason.  To be fair Silver Seal have improved their presentation recently but some of it still looks dated.

    Unfortunately I’ve no information on the actual rum – whether it is Pot, Column or a blend etc.  So a lot of this I will try and guess at as we go through the tasting of this bottling.  As its bottled by Silver Seal I would guess most of the ageing has taken place in Scotland – not much Tropical Ageing.  It is estimated that this rum was bottled around 2012 so the rum is around 22 to 23 years old.

    I’m a big fan of St Lucia Distillers so I’ve been curious to try this rum for a long time.  So lets see how it went….

    Very dark in the glass almost mahogany.  Caramel? I would reckon.  If I’m right about the tropical ageing then this wouldn’t be so dark.  Maybe a charred barrel? Possibly

    Nose is pretty uninviting.  Almost sterile.  Little really to pick out just a bite of alcohol and a very woody bitterness. It doesn’t really say or do much.  Column distillation? I’d have to say so, yes. It offers little of what I expected.  There may be a few very faint notes but they are more odours than anything else.  Something old and a bit musty.

    No salt, brine, herb or touch of Jagermeister.  It’s almost neutral beyond woody bitterness. Lacks any real vanilla or cocoa to balance it like Admiral Rodney.  It’s just a bit boring.  A million miles away from the 1931 series.Silver Seal Dennery Superior St Lucian Rum Review by the fat rum pirat

    Sipped its got a bit of cocoa and a touch of caramel but it just tastes a bit old.  Any real flavour quickly disappears into woodiness and muskyness.  Muted, aged in barrels that have had their best days.  Maybe re-charred and just knackered.  Slightly murky and just a bit tired. Initially its quite fiery and peppered but it goes nowhere.  Just runs into a very boring fade of tired oak, faint caramel and a bitter almost sour note.  The finish is virtually non-existent bar the sour/bitter hit.

    One thing I never thought would that I would actually be bored by something coming out of St Lucia Distillers. I’ve seen them on Social Media question whether this is their product at all!  Which is a bit worrying.  Mind you, even the way Silver Seal presented this would make me want to distance myself from it.  That’s not counting the very average contents inside.

    A real disappointment for me.

  • Bundaberg Original UP Rum

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Bundaberg Original Bundy Rum ReviewBundaberg or “Bundy” as its more popularly known in its native Australia is that particular nation’s most famous spirit drink.  It is available in a variety of guises and the Bundaberg company even makes its own Cola for its pre-mixed cans and bottles.

    I’d seen this rum a lot when I was in Australia on holiday a few years back.  However, I wasn’t into rum back then so I never gave it a try. Since becoming more interested in rum I’d seen the rum online a few times at around £20-25.  I finally thought I’d give it a try.

    The packaging is reasonably good, it is a medium size bottle which is quite distinctive.  As it is entry level rum the closure is the usual metallic screw cap.  The Bundy Polar Bear is used as it will ward off any chill.  I’m not sure how much the Australians know about chilly but it does give an indication that this rum should be quite rich.

    The rum is gold almost orange in colour.  I would imagine some artificial colourings are used as I doubt this is aged any more than 2 years. It smells very sweet, a little like an agricole rum but there is a very noticeable smell of booze.  Neat it just doesn’t work.  It’s far too rough.  All you can taste is the booze.  I was surprised how boozy it tasted as it is bottled at 37% and in some circles it isn’t actually a rum but a cane spirit.  Personally I couldn’t really give a toss about that nor can I understand why anyone else would….

    Mixed with cola or ginger beer it is supposed to come into its own.  Now you can definitely taste the spirit in the glass, you certainly wouldn’t go back to the bar thinking they’d forgotten to add your spirit with this!

    It’s sweet and as already mentioned it tastes of alcohol.  Even when poured as a single measure you notice much more booze than with other rums.  This probably accounts in some way for its popularity in Oz.  To me it tastes almost like a cheap sweet blended whisky.  The alcohol taste to it overpowers the drink it doesn’t really taste like a rum at all.

    I wasn’t overly surprised with this rum, I had read that it was a little rough and ready and it certainly proved to be.  As said there really wasn’t much to taste other than sweet alcohol.  I can understand why some people would see it as their rum, it is distinctive.  However, I could understand people who like this not actually liking other rums.  Or having much left by way of brain cells.

    The rum also comes in a overproof version I double checked my bottle at first to check they hadn’t sent that one!

    This is terrible and gives rum a bad name.  I don’t think I’ve had a rum worse than this.

    0.5 stars

     

     


     

     

  • Cacique Ron Anejo Superior

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Cacique Anejo Rum Review by the fat rum pirate Cacique (which means leader of the tribe in Spanish) is the top selling rum brand in its homeland Venezuela.  This news may come as a surprise to those more familiar with Venezuelan rums such as Pampero and Diplomatico.  What shouldn’t come as any surprise is that Cacique has the marketing power of Diageo behind it.

    Pampero, Diplomatico and Cacique are all distilled at Distilarias Unidas, S.A.  The major market for Cacique is actually Spain rather than its home country.  Rum especially less expensive gold mixing rum is very popular in Spain where it is commonly mixed with Cola.  Havana Club have even introduced a rum specifically for this purpose Ritual Cubano to the Spanish market.

    So it is perhaps unsurprising that the rum I am reviewing was obtained in Spain.  Fresh from another holiday my colleague Craig Gabbatiss once again came up trumps for me with another bottle of unusual rum.  In Spain alcohol is much cheaper than most of Europe in particular the UK and Scandinavia.  A bottle of this Cacique when it was available via the Whisky Exchange retailed at just over £30.  Likewise the upgrade the Cacique 500 was £40.  The price in Spain was just under 15 Euro which equates to roughly just over £10.  Safe to say by any standards a rum at this price is certainly worth investigation!  To be fair if the rum was widely available in the UK I would expect it to be more in line with Pampero Anejo around £18-22

    For a rum at such a price point you should expect some compromises.  The presentation, particularly the shape of the bottle and the way it is crafted is surprisingly good for what should be an entry level mixer.  It’s shape is unsual and it has Ron Anejo Superior etched on the front of the bottle.  It has a metallic screw cap but again it’s pretty decent quality and not cheap and nasty at all.  In terms of appeal on the shelf it would certainly have that amongst similarly priced rums.  It has quite a nice presentation and the Red Indian is explained by the fact Cacique means leader of the Cacique Anejo Rum Review by the fat rum piratetribe.

    So where might the rum compromise? Well for a start the rum is not 40% ABV it is 37.5% ABV which for me suggest supermarket economy own brand rum.  Very few commercially successful branded rums are bottled as low as this.  To be honest I don’t really notice a difference in a 40% and 37.5% rum when I’m just mixing them (liberally).  Note to producers – don’t think this gives you license to reduce the ABV!

    Any information on the bottle is all written in Spanish – so I’m afraid I’m left with just getting on with reviewing the golden contents of the bottle!

    Cacique Anejo Superior is a very bright and vibrant gold rum.  It is light and fragrant on the nose.  It reminds me a little of VAT19 or 1919 from Angostura.  However, the vanilla notes have more complexity behind them than those rums.  There is a little smoke and slightly tobacco like notes, hints of chocolate and perhaps a little nuttiness.  It is very similar to Pampero Reserva Exclusiva on the nose, though slightly muted.  It is not quite as deep and rich but has many similarities.  It may be similar to the regular Pampero Anejo but I don’t recall that having quite such a strong nose as this.

    Comparisons to Pampero shouldn’t be a surprise after all this comes from the same distillery.  It’s a shame I don’t have the Pampero Anejo to hand to compare – would be interesting.

    Sipping Cacique Anejo is a surprisingly decent experience.  It’s a lot sweeter than I was expecting especially on the entry.  This rum has “passed” the Hydrometer Test but I wouldn’t bet my house on there being no additives at all in this.  Vanilla and honey like sweetness with minimal burn on the finish.  I seem to remember reading this rum is 3 years old.  It seems smoother than it perhaps should be.

    It’s not a very complex sipper other than sweet vanilla and brown sugar it doesn’t offer a great deal.  It doesn’t have a very long finish.  It’s smoothness kind of bothers me……

    Mixing Cacique it is one of those rums that kind of smooth out the cola it is mixed with.  It almost smooths out the fizziness of the cola.  It works pretty much as it does as a sipper.  It’s an very easy going pleasant unchallenging drink.   Easy drinking.  If I could find this in the UK at around the £15-20 price mark I would certainly call on it from time to time on a Friday as a rum I wouldn’t expect to last till Monday.

    Best way to describe this rum is slightly above average, when available at a reasonable price point but nothing to challenge rums in the next price bracket.  An easy going, mellow and pretty sweet gold mixer or a less interesting sipper.

    Slightly above average.

    2.5 stars

3 Comments

  2. Kudo’s Wes once again for noting and promoting additive-free/non-altered/sugar-free rums…

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