Rathlee Distilling Co Golden Barrel Aged Rum Aged 3 Years. Rathlee Distilling Co are the brainchild of husb
and and wife team Stuart and Paolo Leather. Formed in 2012 they originally released their rum under the Revolver rum brand.
Originally Revolver rum was a blend of rums aged around 18 months to 2 years. They have since been able to further age their stocks in Cornwall. Now the rum is aged for a minimum of 3 years. 2 Years of this is aged in Latin America and a further year here in the UK. It is a column distilled rum.
Once the rum is aged it is brought down to 40% ABV with Cornish Spring Water. It’s ageing process is entirely in ex-bourbon barrels. The actual rum is from a very well-known producer in Latin America. Upon trying the rum I could identify where the rum was from.
However, for contractual reasons Rathlee are not allowed to identify where the rum hails from. much like some of the other Independent brands that are from unidentified distilleries in the likes of Panama and Fiji (Fiji is a funny one as there is only one distillery).
Another thing worth mentioning is that Rathlee aren’t actually distilling any rum at present. That is not to say they won’t give it a try going forward. They merely additionally age and blend the rum prior to bottling.
Presentation wise Revolver Rum was quite a modern and upto date brand but the presentation has taken an upturn with this release. A nice colourful yet tasteful stubby bottle with a quality cork stopper, with wooden topper. Information (aside from the distillery) on the actual rum is provided. You should be able to pick the rum up for around £25-30 for a 70cl bottle. Distribution wise it is currently only really available in the UK. However, many UK stockists will ship it abroad.
It is sometimes easy to dismiss younger rums. I have learnt this in the past to my detriment in the shape of Neptune Rum which is way better than it’s 3 years would suggest. As is Doorly’s 3 Year Old.
In the glass Rathlee Distilling Co Golden Barrel Aged Rum is unsurprisingly – golden brown.
On the nose it is a very clean, slightly mineral-y smelling spirit. Lightly aromatic and slightly perfumed. It’s not a huge bruiser of a nose and it is in keeping with what you might expect from a Latin style “ron”.
It’s youthfulness is not immediately apparent. It doesn’t smell hugely boozy. Nice notes of vanilla and some light toffee. It has a slightly sweet perfumed aroma and decent amount of spicy ex-bourbon like notes of ginger and a touch of tobacco.
At 40% ABV none of it is overwhelming and it has a nice, uncomplicated balance to it.
Siiping Rathlee Distilling Co Barrel Aged Rum is a surprisingly mellow and pleasant experience. Once again whilst many rums under 5 years old can be too boozy or unbalanced to enjoy as a sipper this actually works quite well.
It’s quite spicy and woody on the initial sip but it has a really nice zestiness of marmalade and some lime zest. It’s quite more-ish and it’s one of those rums which gives you a bit of a thirst. Clean, gently spicy it really makes your mouth water bit like a bourbon.
The mid palate is a touch on the bitter side but it has some nice notes of chocolate, toffee and some smokiness and a nice top note of tobacco – but not overly sweet like you find with Havana club rums.
The finish is more of a fade out, than offering anything particularly new but it is again pleasant enough. Maybe a higher ABV might improve the finish but at under £30 I won’t 
quibble too much about it. I’ve paid a lot more for worse sipping experiences.
There is no hint of any additives with this rum and it shows clean on the hydrometer. Which is pleasing.
In overall terms I would imagine Rathlee Distilling Co Barrel Aged Golden Rum will view itself as a “premium mixer”. It passes the Rum and Cola test with flying colours. It delivers a really nice, smooth rum and coke but it also has enough spicy, oaky and zesty flavour to make it much more than just a smooth tasteless drink.
This is a good progression from their previous effort and at good price. Albeit at probably the most competitive price point in the market.
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