Beach Craft Spirits

Bythefatrumpirate

Beach Craft Spirits Rum by the fat rum pirateBeach Craft Spirits – Crowdfunding in the Rum World.

A husband and wife team are opening a coastal based rum distillery.  It will be the first in Scotland to offer crowdfunding.

David and Lara Beach aim to raise £65,000 by the end October. To begin their dream of owning and operating what will be only the second craft rum distillery in the country.

Beach Craft Spirits – named after themselves but also their passion for the Moray coast where they live – will be based on the coastline near to their Hopeman home.

David and Lara are crowdfunding to generate the money needed. Without resorting to bank loans and credit cards.  If successful they hope the distillery will be operational by next Spring.

As part of the crowdfunding campaign, Beach Craft Spirits is offering five different exclusive benefits packages for investors.  Ranging from £50 to £1000.
Investors that donate a minimum of £50 will receive a launch party ticket and a 500ml Bottle of Spiced Rum.

Those putting in the top level of funding of £1000 will get a launch party ticket, will be able to turn distiller for the day and will personally bottle a 700ml of the spiced and intense rums.  They will also be given a three year old aged rum in a specially crafted driftwood presentation box, a t-shirt, samples bottles of new flavours, branded glasses, a hoodie, six rum stones and an exclusive 36 Knots beanie in the Beach Craft colours.

There are only 30 of the top-tier options available.

Beach Craft Spirits rum by the fat rum pirateLara Beach said: “We are so excited about launching the crowdfunding and we hope that people will understand our ethos and want to become part of the Beach Craft Spirits journey. It has been so busy the last few months, trying to get this up and running. We have sold what we can of our own to get started and we are now ready to move to the next stage. We want to people who have a passion for spirits and of course, in particular rum to get involved. The craft gin market exploded onto the scene a couple of years ago and craft rum is going to emulate this success”

David who has a degree in brewing and distilling with 16 years’ experience in the drinks industry, latterly working for Diageo, added: “There is an abundance of local gin distilleries popping up all over Scotland and the United Kingdom offering people a wide range of choice of gins with exciting flavours. The rum market is completely different and is dominated by the mainstream players. We will be proud to become only the second rum distillery in Scotland.”

He added: “Morayshire is also a fantastic hub for craft produce. It already supports five craft breweries, and two craft gin distilleries all within the heart of whisky country. Such support for new and exciting produce, sets Beach Craft Spirits in a prime position for the rum sector in this area.”

Once operational, Beach Craft Spirits intend to launch a trio of rums.  A spiced rum, a sloe rum and an intense rum which will be a unique blend of fruit, coffee and liquorice.
The company plans to use local suppliers and companies to ensure the best quality of ingredients.  As well as specially selected cane molasses which will be distilled in purpose made copper stills.Beach Craft Spirits rum by the fat rum pirate

David added: “This is not a pipe dream or some pie in the sky idea. It has been well thought out and researched. Forecasts show that craft rum sales will explode in the same way as gin has, hence our strapline, ‘It’s a Shore Thing.’
“Our goal is to create a range of drinks that encompass the beach lifestyle. Beach may be our name, but it’s also where we feel most at home. Our spirits are aimed at people who have a similar vision to us, who like to work hard, but play hard too.”

To find out more about Beach Craft Spirits visit: www.beachcraftspirits.co.uk. There is also a promotional video available on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKlKvCX-12s

 

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  • Tellura Prata

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Tellura Prata Cachaca Rum Review by the fat rum pirateTellura Prata. Tellura is a recent addition to the Cachaca producing family in Brasil. Formed in 2015 Tellura with the aim to produce quality, handmade and sustainable Cachaca.

    Cachaca has been produced at Abadia Farm, Campos dos Gotacazes in the north of the state of Rio de Janeiro for over 100 years. Tellingly Tellura is located strategically just 48km to Port do Acu so it is already, geared to export outside of Brasil.

    The export market may also play a part in the presentation of Tellura. As a relatively new company I would expect quite a modern design. The design is clean and clear and reminds me a little of the presentation of Leblon. Leblon is one of the biggest Cachaca exports and is widely available in Europe. The colour scheme of green, grey and white is clean and crisp. The bottles are bar tender friendly and they do look well set to break into the “Caiprinha” market with this white Cachaca.

    Tellura Prata is bottled at 40% ABV.

    The sugar cane on the estate/farm is harvested manually and it is milled on the same day. They have 4 Copper Pot Stills with an annual capacity of 600,000 litres of Cachaca. Despite only being in production for a few years it is one of the biggest Cachaca plants in Brasil. Quite an achievement when you consider how many they are!

    Tellura use a variety of different barrel types and have three different Cachaca’s on offer. Tellura Prata is not aged in wood. It is stored in stainless steel tanks for 6 months after distillation. It is noted as being a Cachaca for mixing rather than sipping.

    In the glass Tellura Prata is crystal clear. The nose is a little like a muted version of Wray & Nephew. It has a slightly glue like note and hints of black pepper and hints of pear and pineapple.

    It is quite vegetal and grassy – the overwhelming note is very cane forward with a slight sourness on the nose. For a 40% spirit it is very punchy with some very punchy fruity notes like bruised bananas and fermented pineapple juice.

    A fan of funky Jamaican rums or Clairin will be very much at home with this Cachaca. It has a freshness which is sadly lacking in some white Cachaca which is produced in a more industrial manner.

    Even without the native Brasillian woods which are quite floral Tellura Prata has a lovely sweet floral note – something which makes it recognisable as a Cachaca. It’s light and pleasant and really balances out the more pungent notes.

    Sipped it is a very clean spirit. It isn’t as flavourful as I was expecting from the nose. It has an initial burst of sweetness, mixed with some pepper and a touch of what I can best describe as solvent.

    The grassy notes and the fruity notes don’t come across in the sip. There is a slight soapiness in the profile. The mid palate and finish don’t last very long and don’t offer a great deal. The finish gives a bit of smokiness akin to a Mezcal but its a little muted.

    Treated solely as a sipper this wouldn’t really stand up with the aged Cachaca’s. As this is marketed and I assume priced as a mixer it would only be fair if I reviewed it that way.

    Tellura Prata Cachaca Rum Review by the fat rum pirateCoke isn’t the best test of a Cachaca so I’m venturing into making a Caiprinha and a simple Ti Punch.

    Both work nicely but Tellura Prata isn’t the most punchy of Cachaca’s. It’s light and perhaps a little neutral in flavour. This can obviously work well with mixed drinks but for my preference I  would be seeking something that gives some more flavour of its own.

    Tellura Prata is pleasant enough as a mixer and does a decent job. However like so many White Rums it is perhaps a little to simple in its delivery. To neutral and doesn’t pack enough punch to really stand out from the crowd.

    I also have an aged Tellura to try going forward. I do expect that to be better. This is a nicely balanced well put together spirit but I think it could do with a bit more “oomph”.

     

  • 1931 St Lucia Distillers – 6th Edition

    Bythefatrumpirate

    1931 6th Edition St Lucia Distillers Rum Review by the fat rum pirate1931 St Lucia Distillers 6th Edition. Hard to believe we are upto the 6th edition of this annual release, already. We had to wait a while for the 5th edition to arrive in the UK. This arrived about the same time, towards the end of 2017.

    We’ve reviewed all of the previous St Lucia 1931 bottlings and I snapped a bottle (or two) of these up as soon as I could. As with all the 1931 bottlings, I have taken my time with the review as they are very complex at times challenging rums.

    Going forward this will be the last of the “old style” annual 1931’s. St Lucia Distillers are having an overhaul of just about all their ranges and whilst they are keeping the 1931 in the portfolio it will no longer be a scheduled annual release.

    In the UK a bottle of 1931 St Lucia Distillers – 6th Edition will set you back around £60. The ABV is now set at 46%. Presentation wise this is the same as previous efforts though this time the colour scheme is a slightly off white/cream colour. Everything else remains the same. I really like the bottles they are really classy and the cork stopper is huge and gives a very premium feel to the package. This rum celebrates the 85th Anniversay of the Distillery. I have bottle number 2951.

    The 1931 blends are very complicated. This effort is no exception. Once again Michael Speakman from St Lucia Distillers has been very kind with us time and gave us the following information on the blend

    6%: Column Still, Blend No. 101, Aged 11 years, matured in Bourbon Oak.
    16%: Column Still, Blend No. 101, Aged 7 years, matured in Bourbon Oak.
    35%: Column Still, Blend No. 104, Aged 10 years, matured in Bourbon Oak.
    10%: John Dore 2 Pot Still, Aged 11 years, matured in Bourbon Oak.
    10%: John Dore 1 Pot Still, Aged 9 years, matured in Bourbon Oak.
    10%: John Dore/Column Still blend, Aged 7 years, matured in Bourbon Oak.
    3%: Caroni (Trinidad), Aged 9 years, matured in Bourbon Oak.
    10%: Sugar Cane Rum/John Dore Pot Still, Aged 8 years, matured in Bourbon Oak (Agricole)
    Totals:
    60%: Column Still
    30%: Pot Still
    10%: Pot/Column Blend

    1931 6th Edition St Lucia Distillers rum Review by the fat rum pirateSo as you can see their is a lot going on with this rum.

    So lets move on and see how well this years (well last years) effort has done.

    In the glass the 1931 6th Edition is a familiar colour. The 1931 rums are all roughly the same golden brown colour with red and orange flashes. Caramel Colouring for consistency? I think so though I could be wrong.

    The nose is familiar – brine and sea salt and those notes of pine cone and conifers. It’s very “woody” but in terms of green trees in woods rather than oak. Further nosing reveals some lighter vanilla notes, a slightly perfumed almost pot pourri note. Hints of cinnamon, nutmeg and some lemon juice.

    Further nosing reveals a hint of tobacco leaf, some dried fruits – hints of raisins and just a little bit of cocoa. It has a nicely balanced and very refreshing note the more you nose. As you progress with the nosing the initial salty and pine like notes become less obvious. Time in the glass reveals a lot with this rum. I recommend highly that you leave it to stand for 10-15 minutes.

    It’s a really complex and very rewarding nose. You can spend a lot of time nosing this rum.

    Sipped the 1931 6th Edition is equally complex. Most of the notes of the nose transfer beautifully across to the taste buds. It is sweeter than the nose would suggest with a good integration of the spices from the various oak barrels. The cane juice rum is very apparent giving it a feel very similar to Rhum JM XO. There is a lot of zesty and vibrant spicy notes coming through.

    The Caroni element doesn’t really show itself all that much but there is much going on in this blend it is difficult to pin point what is coming from where.

    I’m a big fan of well blended Pot and Column distilled rums – I often feel they produce the “best” rums. The Pot adds rich flavours and the column balances and calms things down. This rum is no exception and it has a really nice balance to it.

    1931 6th Edition St Lucia Distillers rum Review by the fat rum piratThe initial sweetness and bursts of zest and spice go alongside some really nice tropical fruit notes -pineapple juice and a touch of red apple. The mid palate is refreshing with a good weight of oak and spice – ginger and some really nice bourbon like sourness.

    The finish is really enjoyable as well and long-lasting. Again its rich and very vibrant – really nicely defined and very “clear”. It is a well-defined and very complex sipping rum. Hints of tobacco and more of the pine cones and a little bit of Christmas tree?

    All the 1931 releases have been excellent (the 3rd edition was perhaps an exception). I think this one may well be my favourite so far. But its all very close. I wouldn’t turn down a glass of any of these excellent rums.

  • Dràm Mòr Single Cask Rum Foursquare Distillery Aged 13 Years

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Dràm Mòr Single Cask Rum Foursquare Distillery Aged 13 Years rum review by the fat rum pirateDràm Mòr Single Cask Rum Foursquare Distillery Aged 13 Years. The success of the Foursquare Distillery is ongoing. Bottles in the Exceptional Cask Series are now being available only via a ballot at some of the bigger UK retailers. To be honest the very idea of a ballot, whereby you enter a raffle to actually spend your own money is pretty mind boggling in the rum world. However, it has been fairly common place for some time in the world of Scotch Whisky.

    As a result of this popularity I am noticing an increasing number of Independent bottlers are releasing single cask bottlings.

    Now until recently I haven’t taken that much notice of such bottlings. I’ve certainly not attempted to collect them all or anything like that! Having said that I’ve still managed to review a fair few. Thanks mostly to samples from friends and other enthusiasts.

    In fairness Independent bottlings have usually been a more Premium price than Distillery bottlings. For example a few years ago you could pick up a bottle of R L Seales 10 Year Old rum for around £35. A similarly aged rum from an Independent bottler would have set you back in excess of £50.

    Whilst it isn’t the case for a lot of distilleries – I am beginning to see an increasing number of Independent bottlings from Foursquare that are very keenly priced in comparison to “similar” distillery bottlings. I use “similar” in quite a broad sense.

    Today I’m reviewing a 13 Year Old Rum from the Foursquare Distillery, Barbados which has been aged in ex-Bourbon barrel and an ex-Scotch Whisky cask. It is noted as being cask number #3 and it has been bottled at 60.9% ABV. The rum is a blend of Pot/Column distilled rum as is very much the Foursquare style. There were 277 bottles released.

    It has been released by Dràm Mòr Group an Independent bottler of Scotch Whisky and now rum from Dumbarton, Scotland. The group have been in operation since early 2020. They are a small company ran by Viktorija and Kenny MacDonald.

    I was going to review Foursquares own recently released 2009 but its pretty much sold out everywhere. So as you can still buy this bottling (and can even pick up 2 at the same time) I thought this review might be more useful?

    Currently you can only order this rum via the wonderful people at The Good Spirits Co. You can order online or pop into one of their Glasgow stores if you are in the area. Heck you can probably ring them up and order over the phone as well, I’m sure.

    Dràm Mòr Single Cask Rum Foursquare Distillery Aged 13 Years is priced at £64.50 which in todays market I don’t think is bad at all. Refreshingly the rear label of the bottling also reveals more details about the ageing. So it has been aged for 8 years in an ex-bourbon barrel in Barbados and a further 5 years in an ex-Scotch Whisky cask in the UK.

    So lets see how this particular Foursquare offering is.

    In the glass we have a slightly hazy medium golden brown liquid. It’s not especially vibrant and doesn’t have any hue around the edges. In all honesty I don’t worry too much about what a rum looks like. Unless its green or something. Then I might worry.

    On the nose – it’s about as Foursquare as Foursquare can be. Instantly recognisable. So we have some light oak spices and some bourbon like notes from the time in the barrel. There is also a slight savoury/scotch like note as well. These aromas are held together by the familiar coconut notes attributed strongly to both Foursquare and Mount Gay.

    Further nosing reveals some milk and dark chocolate notes, a touch of cocoa powder and little icing sugar. There are some fruity aromas – a touch of sultana and some red plum. There is also a white pepper note which really tingles the nostrils.

    So far so good.

    Sipped it is a little more fiery than I was expecting from the nose. I’m trying it initially at full strength. I may need a drop or two of water. We’ll see.

    It has a hot, quite spicy entry. It’s quite peppery and has a youthfulness about it I wasn’t expecting. It doesn’t seem quite as integrated and balanced as usual for a Foursquare.

    It’s quite woody and pretty dry on the mid palate. It’s not a very sweet rum. There’s quite a of influence from the oak.

    Finish wise it has a nice gentle fade out and is a good length. More of the coconut and some hints of banana are present.

    I’ve quite enjoyed this rum at full strength but I am wondering if a couple of drops of water might be in order with this bottling. I feel like something is missing.

    A couple of drops maybe a teaspoon seem to be doing the trick. The rum is visibly lighter and less cloudy in the glass now and I’m getting much more of what was promised on the nose.

    The entry in particular whilst still keeping its spicy heat is much better as it is now getting a good blast of those coconut and chocolate notes. A little bit of cinnamon and some toffee was well as we move onto the mid palate.

    Dràm Mòr Single Cask Rum Foursquare Distillery Aged 13 Years rum review by the fat rum pirateFinish wise – it is perhaps a touch shorter but the improvement to the rest of the experience means I’m not so bothered about it. I’d thoroughly recommend anyone who buys this bottle does add a drop or two of water. It’s not always necessary or indeed beneficial but it really does work well with this bottling.

    It is interesting to try this rum bearing in mind it has spent some time in an ex-Scotch Whisky cask. I’m not the biggest Scotch Whisky fan and whilst it does have a little impact on the profile it is not for me, hugely noticeable. It’s perhaps slightly different but nothing radical.

    A really nice bottling at a really good price.

     

  • Foursquare Convocation

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Foursquare Convocation Rum Review by the fat rum pirateFoursquare Convocation. If like myself you have a fairly limited lexicon with regards to Latin and words derived from it you’ll have no idea what a Convocation might be. It might not even come from Latin for all I know.

    It does actually (maybe I’m not so thick after all) according to the gospel which is Wikipedia

    “A convocation (from the Latin convocare meaning to call/come together, a translation of the Greek ἐκκλησία ekklēsia) is a group of people formally assembled for a special
    purpose, mostly ecclesiastical or academic.

    The Britannica dictionary defines it as

    a large formal meeting of people (such as church officials)

    I did actually think it might be something along those lines but only really from hearing the words convent and conclave which are similar.

    Anyway, this is the 28th release in the Exceptional Cask Series. It has been just under 10 years since the Exceptional Cask Series was “revived” (there was only one previous
    release) with the Port Cask Finish and the 2004.

    How time flies.

    It is a testament to the quality of the ECS that the rums are still selling out and are much sought after by consumers. They have certainly not been a passing fad.

    Despite this only being released in the UK in the last couple of weeks there are already a few reviews floating around. My knack for being the first person to get a review out has slipped of late. I need to get that sorted and show these young whippersnappers who’s boss……….

    Foursquare Convocation is a blend of Pot and Column distilled rum. It has been distilled and aged at Foursquare Rum Distillery, Barbados. So 100% “Tropical Ageing”. The rum has been matured in ex-Bourbon and ex-Madeira casks. To be more exact we have the following

    1 ex-Bourbon barrel aged for 14 years
    1 ex- Madeira barrel aged for 14 years
    1 cask ex-Bourbon aged for 10 years and then aged for 4 years in ex-Madeira.

    The above has then been blended/married to together to from the final product. Foursquare Convocation comes in at a hefty 62% ABV and (if you can still find a bottle)
    will set you back just under £100. Ivar over at Rum Revelations knocked up a review as early as May and he asked Richard Seale a few questions about the use of Madeira casks. You can read that review here.Foursquare Convocation Rum Review by the fat rum pirate

    Despite Foursquare having more ex-Madeira casks than ex-Sherry casks there haven’t been many ECS releases using ex-Madeira. Criterion is the last that I can think of without looking into all my reviews. That I recall being told by Richard was aged in “very old” ex-Madeira casks.

    The reason why ex-Madeira isn’t used more in the ECS is quite simple. Foursquare use the ex-Madeira Casks for their core range of Doorly’s rums. The 12 and the 14. As these are a continuous release and not a “limited edition” the ex-Madeira casks have to be more carefully managed than others.

    I think I have exhausted my information so lets see how this one goes down.

    In the glass we have a dark brown liquid with a yellow/orange hue. It looks a little cloudy – likely due to the ABV. This is not a criticism remember. This means flavour!

    On the nose it is rich, warm and invitingly familiar. The immediate hit is off rich dark stoned fruits – plums, dark cherries, raisins and some prunes. So a mixture of standard and dried fruit aromas.

    Beneath this is a lovely balanced hit of oak and all spice. Some cardamon and a touch of black pepper.

    Time in the glass alllows more of the vanilla, coconut and banana notes to come through. A nice smattering of marmalade as well fills out the profile.

    So the nose has plenty going on but its all very harmonious (and very Foursquare).

    Sipped at full strength this is quite intense – it is 62% ABV after all. It’s more than manageable though. It doesn’t drink at 62% thats for sure. Be careful is what I will say even if sipping slowly!

    Foursquare Convocation is rich, intense and quite sweet (not sweetened!). There is a big hit of Marsala cask influence straight off the bat so a lot of the rich dark fruits come through straight away. It’s quite Blackcurrant-ey. Which I don’t mind as I’m partial to Blackcurrant squash etc.

    Going past the initial intense fruity-ness you get a real hit of spicy oak. Which is dry but huge in terms of flavour. Lots of woodyness mixed with the stoned fruits and some spicy heat.

    In terms of this I think Foursquare Convocation is pretty much at its peak in terms of ageing. Any older and perhaps without the Marsala influence it may have been too oaky or woody for my tastes.

    The mid palate gives you an array of flavours with the dark fruits allowing more of the peppery notes to come through alongside some light vanilla ice cream and some papaya notes.

    Foursquare Convocation Rum Review by the fat rum pirateThe finish as you would expect from a 62% spirit is long and very, very good. It reminds of the everlasting gobstopper scene in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory….theres just so much going on and it never seems to completely fade.

    The fruity notes continue through the finish alongside more oak and some leather, a hint of toffee, vanillla the list goes on and on and on……..

    I’ve not had a great deal of ECS recently. I think the break has done my palate the world of good to be honest. This is (from memory) one of my most favourite ECS releases thus far.

    I really like this. Top, top drawer stuff.

     

  • Velier Diamond 1999 -S- 15 Year Old Rum

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Diamond Velier 1999 rum review by the fat rum pirateWhen “Premium” Rum is spoken about Velier really should be seen as the pinnacle if any such category really, truly exists.  Especially when it comes to Demerara Rum from the Diamond Distillery.

    With the luxury of being able to hand pick and barter for his own individual casks from the distillery Luca Gargano has his own unique foothold into Demerara Distillers huge stock of aged rums.  Or he did………

    Unfortunately, it seems Luca will no longer have access to casks from DDL, which could be a great loss to the rum world if DDL and other independent bottlers don’t spring a few surprises in the future.

    One of Veliers 2014 releases was this 15 Year Old Diamond rum.  Diamond was/is the distillery which is now DDL.  With stills from other former distilleries on Guyana it can be quite confusing and difficult to determine which still produces each “Demerara” rum you come across – with many being blends.

    Housed in the usual opaque “red wine” style bottle  Velier Diamond rums are identified by a black font on a yellow/orange background.  The sparse and clinical style on the bottle and the box gives only information in relation to the way the rum was distilled and aged.  No fancy marketing nonsense here!

    The rum was distlled on a Metal Coffey Still in 1999 and matured in Guyana till July 2014.  It is actually a vatting of 4 barrels which yielded 1137 bottles. 72% Angel’s Share is also noted on the bottle. It’s also noted that the barrels which housed this rum were newly charred.  Bottled at 53.1% ABV.  Quite what the  relates to is unclear and was likely a marque on the casks.

    When poured the Diamond 1999 is a rich, deep dark brown liquid with a reddish hue running through it.  It is slightly hazy with it being un-chill filtered.  Rich and slightly viscous clinging a little to the sides of the glass.

    The nose as I am finding with these tropically aged Demerara’s from Velier is very intense.  There is a huge hit of rich deep dried fruits and Christmas Cake.  It is similar to the 1999 Enmore/Port Morant.  There is a slightly burnt almost aniseed like note and a serious amount of char evident.  It reminds me of very sweet red licorice sweets.

    With each nosing the complexity seems to build giving more definition to the fruitier notes in the rum.  Pineapple, plums along with the familiar Demerara rum-raisin twang.Velier Diamond 1999 rum review by the fat rum pirate

    At 53.1% ABV it is pretty much at my limit when it comes to sipping – taking as is from the bottle its quite a spicy affair.  It is very intense and makes the mouth water – it has a very strong oak char to it.  Slightly bourbon like in terms of mouth feel – sweet/sour.

    After a couple of sips it calms a little giving way to some very strong licorice and notes of stoned fruits such as cherries and plums.  The oak runs all the way through the rum giving it a nice long lasting finish.  There are some slightly tannic red wine like notes maybe a touch of port.

    A couple of drops of water are certainly recommended with this rum as without it the oak notes can be a little overpowering – a little water really brings this rum to life and gives an extra layer of flavour to the spirit.

    As far as recommending this rum – it really is a no-brainer if you are fortunate enough to find a bottle available at a reasonable price.  It originally retailed at around £120 if I remember correctly.  It was released in 2014 and even with over 1000 bottles available sold out pretty quickly!

    The difference between tropically aged Demerara and bottlings from the likes of Mezan, Bristol Classic Rum and even Samaroli and Silver Seal can be night and day.  The tropical ageing adds so much depth and intensity to the rum.  That is not to say there is anything wrong with non tropically aged rum – it can be excellent.  It’s just that its very different.

    Of the three Velier Demerara rums from 2014 I have been lucky enough to try, I think the Uitvluigt 1996 was my favourite, with this and the Diamond/PM 1999 coming in just slightly behind.

    Another great bottling from the genius of Demerara!

    4.5 stars

     

     

     

  • Foursquare Rum Distillery Elysium

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Foursquare Rum Distillery Elysium rum review by the fat rum pirateFoursquare Rum Distillery Elysium. Hurrah! For this release Foursquare are using their older label template which includes “Rum Distillery”. Despite the appearance this release is not the latest in the Exceptional Cask Series (ECS). It is in fact a Private Cask Selection release from The Whisky Exchange.

    A number of these Private Cask Selection bottlings have appeared in various markets. I’ve not been able to source all of them but I have been fortunate enough to not only receive samples of Elysium but also find myself able to buy a couple of bottles a few weeks after the release. Something which has been nigh on impossible for a while when it comes to the ECS.

    Curious about this I asked Richard Seale what the numbers were for this release and he advised around 2400 bottles (suggesting to me that around 4 to 6 casks were used for this release). Though don’t quote me on that.

    I bought a bottle around two weeks ago and at the time of writing you can still pick up a bottle here.

    Priced at £86.95 it is not particularly expensive, the ECS prices have been creeping up of late and the Foursquare/Velier releases have always been higher in price. Quite why this hasn’t been snapped up instantly is a bit of a mystery to be honest. Perhaps it has fell under peoples radar. I also think there may be an issue with shipping to certain parts of the world due to the current climate.

    Despite the constant talk of “hype” around Foursquare they do not have the marketing budget of the big producers. The “hype” has been created mostly by enthusiasts enjoying their rum. Word of mouth. Some people should research what “hype” actually means……..

    Foursquare Rum Distillery Elysium rum review by the fat rum pirateFoursquare Rum Distillery Elysium is a Single Blended Rum – so it is a blend of Pot and Column distilled rums. It has been aged for 12 years in a combination of ex-bourbon and ex-sherry barrels. 100% Tropically Aged in Barbados. Bottled at a punchy 60% ABV. Non chill filtered with no added colour or other additives.

    For the curious, Elysium is a heavenly realm celebrated in ancient Greek philosophy and poetry. Quite what this has to do with rum is anyone’s guess…….Nice name though.

    That’s pretty much it then I guess. The only thing left to do is to is for me to review Foursquare rum number 3 million and 87…….or thereabouts. Foursquare really are becoming the “Guided by Voices” of the rum world with a new release seemingly sprouting up all the time. That said Foursquare tend to have a bit more quality control than GBV.

    In the glass we have a dark brown/copper coloured rum with an orange hue running through it. It’s a classic “aged” rum colour.

    On the nose Foursquare Rum Distillery Elysium is has a sweet perfumed note which is offset by some strong spicy ex-bourbon oak notes. There a touch of black pepper which takes away some of the sweeter notes. I’m getting stoned fruits and marmalade – though maybe with a hint of icing sugar.

    Little hints of strawberry and some very subtle vanilla also come through with more time in the glass. The nose has a nice balance to it and despite the ABV it is surprisingly “easy” on the nose.

    There is no lack of complexity and this is certainly a rum which I would advise nosing for a while. It’s very enjoyable.

    Sipped the rum begins to show its higher ABV (higher than standard 40% I mean). It is quite spicy, some tingly notes of ginger and a little bit of sweet chilli heat. Nice overtones of oak and a touch of barrel char giving a little hint of smokiness.

    Further sips reveal more of the ex-sherry influence with a sweeter fruitier profile coming through especially on the mid palate. Some raisin, plum and a touch of red apple.

    IFoursquare Rum Distillery Elysium rum review by the fat rum pirate wouldn’t say this rum is particularly “heavily” sherried a criticism often waved at certain Scotch Whisky’s but there are elements that are often found in a Foursquare rum which aren’t as present as usual. Coconut and Vanilla notes in particular. I’m not suggesting this as a downside – it’s just an observation. If you aren’t a fan of Sherry than you might not find this completely to your tastes. That said I can’t say I’m mad on Sherry but I am pretty fond of this rum……..

    I’m on to my second bottle after all and as you can see from the photos I’ve been enjoying a canny sized tot…….

    Finish wise Foursquare Rum Distillery Elysium is best described as elegant. It slowly and gently fades out but it leaves you with a lovely rich, warming “tingle” in the back of your throat.

    The finish is long and comforting – like a warm blanket. Sweet and Spicy (not Sweet and Sour I don’t like that!) but with a re-assuring blast of something a little boozy.

    I checked back on the ABV on this bottle a few times, as it really does drink far too easily for something at such high proof.

    This is a really excellent and complex rum. However, with so many releases recently from Foursquare I am looking towards their next steps. As I’m sure some of you are aware, Foursquare have a number of genuinely innovative, as opposed to gimmicky projects in the pipeline.

    It will be interesting to see how these evolve.