Bounty Saint Lucia Rum Premium Dark

Bythefatrumpirate May 26, 2019

Bounty Saint Lucia Rum Premium Dark. Not be confused with the Bounty Rum brand which comes out of Fiji. I reviewed an Overproof from Fiji Rum Company here. I also have previously reviewed the “original” Bounty Gold here.

I’d actually tried for a long time to get a taster of the Bounty Gold. I eventually tracked down a bottle – hence the review last year. No sooner had I got the rum I began hearing that a new range of Bounty rums was coming to the UK.

As long term readers of the site will know I am very partial to Saint Lucian rum. Chairman’s Reserve pretty much started my rum journey so I was pretty excited to learn that a few more expressions would be making their way to our shores.

Bounty Saint Lucia Rum Premium Dark is available in the UK via Emporia Brands who have been importing Saint Lucia Distillers rum range, for quite some time now. Bounty now has 6 expressions in its portfolio. Ranging from Dark Rum to Flavoured Rum.

Today’s rum is a blend of Pot and Column “double distilled” rum made from Guyanese molasses. It’s worth noting a lot of islands no longer use exclusively molasses from their location. So this isn’t something “unusual”. The rums are then aged for 2 years in ex-bourbon casks. They are then “softened” by Dark Caramel for “balance and finesse”. I find this claim a little odd and it suggests quite a liberal use of caramel and one which will result in a change of flavour/profile.

In the UK you can pick up a 70cl bottle of Bounty Saint Lucia Rum Premium Dark for a little over £20. Distribution seems a little haphazard at the moment so you may have to shop around to find a bottle. I could only find them easily on Amazon and at The Drink Shop. That’s not to say The Whisky Exchange or Master of Malt won’t have them in next week!

A good point about this “entry level” rum is that the ABV is 43% which gives it a little more oomph. Certainly better than the 37.5% that seems acceptable to some producers to save a few pennies!

Presentation wise Bounty comes in a standard bar bottle. The neck however is a little shorter and stubbier. Presentation is nicely done and it looks a very good product at the price. If you want even more information on Bounty Rum then they have their own website here.

In the glass – well we get a Dark Rum. Not as dark as some. It’s not black but its certainly a very dark brown with a red hue.

Nosing the rum I’m not getting as much herbal and pine like notes as I usually do with Saint Lucian rums. Nor am I getting any of the salty brine. I’m getting a fair amount of alcohol on the nose and a fair amount of molasses and burnt caramel aromas.

Further nosing reveals hints of tobacco, dark chocolate and some raisin. I’m not getting the Spiced Pear and Papaya noted on the rear label. I wouldn’t say it’s a very fruity rum overall.

Sipped it’s better than the nose. Which was a little straight forward. It’s still quite caramel heavy. Oak or rather wood is now also coming into play. It’s quite bitter. It notes Charred Oak on the rear label. I’m getting this but sadly perhaps a little too much of it.

It’s not a horrible rum sipped it’s certainly better than most Dark Rums at this price point. It’s not great though. As this is an entry level mixer we really should evaluate it as that.

So lets get some cola and see how that goes.

It certainly works a lot better. Maybe I was expecting too much of this rum. I really do like Chairman’s Reserve and the Bounty Gold. Unfortunately this one just isn’t giving me the same joy. It’s more molasses/caramel heavy and it’s just not as fruity and complex as either of those rums.

The biggest problem I would say Bounty Premium Dark and even Bounty Gold have is that they are priced similarly to Chairman’s Reserve. Chairman’s Reserve is now easily available in Sainsburys for £20. Sometimes discounted to £16. It’s simply a better all round rum than both of them. Likewise if I want a more caramel/molasses heavy rum I will opt for Myers’s Original Dark. Again at a similar price point.

As I progress down my rum and cola I am noticing a little more of the more traditional Saint Lucia notes of pine cones and a little brine. But just not enough to really grab me. It’s all just a bit straight forward.

I’m actually quite surprised how I found this rum. I had tried it at Rumfest in London last year and I quite enjoyed it.

Sitting down with it at home I was less impressed. I’ve given it a fair few tests as well over quite some time. I originally bought it late last year and have returned to it on a number of occasions. Each time I’ve been underwhelmed by it.

A little better than average really. Disappointing. It’s slightly above average but it’s just not as good as I had expected.

Marks & Spencer Guyanese Rum Single Estate XO

Marks & Spencer Guyanese Rum Single Estate XO
Bythefatrumpirate June 3, 2018

Marks & Spencer Guyanese Rum Single Estate XO. As those who know me personally and perhaps as regular readers will agree I am proper posh. As a result I have reviewed rums from “supermarket” Marks & Spencer before. It is of course worth remembering that M&S is not just any supermarket….

Whether M&S qualifies as a Supermarket is up for argument. I think it’s more of ganny’s clothes shop with a rather well stocked and tasty foodhall tagged on the back.

Anyway M&S have stepped up the “supermarket” standard rums in recent years. We’ve had their Bajan and Guatemalan efforts which (in all but name) were Plantation rums.

In late 2017 I noticed a few more “own brand” rums in their selection. These Guyanese rum was amongst them. A 10 year old Pot Still rum instantly appealed. The Marks & Spencer Guyanese Rum Single Estate XO comes in a 3/4 almost stubby style bottle. It has similarities in presentation to Plantation and does have quite a lot of detail about the rum in the bottle. It is sealed with a plastic topped real cork stopper and bottled at 40% ABV. A bottle will set you back £40.

It has been aged in American Oak for 10 years and is a 100% Pot Still Rum. Though I cannot find any details on the exact still – there are 3 Pot Still at DDL at present. I would discount Port Mourant for this rum (on taste) and plump for either the Enmore or Versailles still.

In the glass Marks and Spencer Guyanese Rum Single Estate XO is a light to golden brown.

It’s interesting because on other M&S bottlings if sugar has been added it has been noted on the ingredients list on the back of the bottle. This doesn’t mention any additives other than Caramel Colouring and water.

It’s interesting because this rum has the strangest of noses. Similar to the Rum Nation Demerara No14. I have my suspicions that the rum may be sourced from there or one of their “chemists” may have helped with the overall flavour.

It is strange that a 10 year old Pot Still Demerara rum should have a nose which smells of Candy Rock and Werthers Originals. No don’t get me wrong it’s not an unpleasant nose. If it were a liqueur or another spirit I wasn’t familiar with I would think it was very nice. But it doesn’t smell like a rum and it doesn’t smell like a Demerara rum. Not even close.

Caramel, pear drops, vanilla and sweet sugary toffee. It all smells very artificial and just a bit over the top. There are no notes which indicate the 10 years of ageing – no oak or spice just a lot of – pear drops!

Sipped its thankfully not as sweet. A lot of the sweet notes on the nose disappear. You get some nice spicy interaction with the oak and a good weight of oak and wood on the mid palate. It’s pleasantly spicy and has little real burn. It’s very easy to drink and has next to no finish at all. You get a bit of a tingle on the tongue but nothing much else.

In terms of taste you get some nice green apples, a touch of citrus and some light spiciness (for once the tasting notes on the bottle are pretty accurate – aside from the finish)

I’m pleased M&S are bottling more interesting rums but I’m disappointed. I spoke with Peter of the Floating Rum Shack about this rum online and he got it right when he said it just wasn’t what he was expecting from a 100% Pot Still Demerara. Which is spot on as its just a bit weird and there is “something” added to this rum to make it this strange.

Aside from the weak finish its actually not bad in terms of a very easy sipper and mixer. Its not overly exciting though and it all just feels like its been knocked down to about 60% of its potential.

A missed opportunity – a 10 year old Pot Still rum, even in the Supermarket should have been much more exciting.

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Chairman's Reserve Master's Selection 2011 8 Years Old

Chairman’s Reserve Master’s Selection 2011 8 Years Old
Bythefatrumpirate June 18, 2020

Chairman’s Reserve Master’s Selection 2011 8 Years Old. Another The Whisky Exchange exclusive following on from the 2006 – 13 Year Old, released earlier in the year.

These bottlings from Saint Lucia Distillers have been popping up all over the place with a number of retailers buying single casks as well as other rum groups commissioning bottles.

Ultimately a lot of them are very different. Though if you look around you will see a few very similar casks or badged with different groups names. I wouldn’t even try to collect them all at this point! My pockets aren’t deep enough by a long stretch.

As we can see from the numbers, this is a younger rum than the previous effort by 5 years. Price wise that is pretty much reflected. The 13 Year Old rum retails at £69.95. This is going at what I consider once again to be very reasonable £49.95. Unlike the 13 Year however, which was bottled at Cask Strength or near enough this has been reduced down to what some might say a quite pedestrian 46% ABV.

In all honesty I still see 46% ABV as a more than acceptable drinking strength for me. It’s not a huge problem though other people demand Cask Strength.

Chairman’s Reserve Master’s Selection 2011 8 Years Old is a blend of Pot and Column distilled rum. The Pot element of the rum comes from the 1500 litre capacity John Dore 1 Pot Still and the Column element from the Traditional Coffey still at Saint Lucia Distillers. It has been aged in ex-bourbon barrels for 8 years in Saint Lucia.

As with all these Master’s Selection it comes in the “traditional” stubby rounded Chairman’s Reserve bottle. The colour scheme of white, gold and black works nicely. The rum comes housed in a cut out style brown card box. A chunky synthetic cork stopper seals the rum. As mentioned it is available exclusively at The Whisky Exchange.

In the glass we have a light to golden brown spirit. The nose is comfortingly familiar. It reminds me of a couple of Berry Bros independent bottlings that I picked up a few years ago. A bit of fresh continental aged feel to it. It doesn’t smell young per se but it has a kind of more mineral like quality. It’s less intense and fruity than certainly the 13 Year Old.

It has the familiar herbal note and burnt rubber I associate with Saint Lucia Distillers. I’ve always struggled to quite pin point a lot of what I nose with SLD’s rums. They are a kind of fusion of Jamaican funk, Caroni tarriness and Barbadian balance and approachability. It just depends on the actual rum which mix of what you get and in what amount. This certainly seems a lighter more Barbadian like profile (but still with a bit funk and tar!)

Vanilla, Burnt Banana, Pineapple, Payapa a touch of liquorice are all present on the nose. Encompassed by those rich herbal pine cone like notes and a slight astringency adding a bit oomph to proceedings.

Sipped Chairman’s Reserve Master’s Selection 2011 8 Years Old is a strange mix of quite a punchy spirit yet it is very easy to drink. That may be the ABV. Maybe at Cask Strength I may have found this a bit too “boozy”. It may just be and I know some Rum Geeks might find this a horrific statement – sometimes these Master Blenders and bottlers actually know what they are doing reducing the ABV. Maybe but don’t quote me on that.

The initial entry is quite intense with a fair amount of charred oak and some quite spicy woody notes. These fades quite quickly though and is less pronounced the more you sip. The mid palate is where we find the best balance.

The vanilla and soft chocolate notes make their appearance once the initial heat of the entry dies down a little. It is a little agricole like at the start – a little grassy but as the mid palate evolves, it definitely mellows out.

There is also an undercurrent of bitter liquorice and some burnt tyres which add a further complexity to this rum.

Finish wise, it fades nicely into some ginger, oak spice and a tiny touch of orange zest.

If you enjoy the standard Chairman’s Reserve range and were looking at something a bit pricier as an upgrade then this is not badly priced at all. I would recommend trying this over the Chairman’s Reserve Forgotten Casks. I don’t think that offers as much of a progression as this.

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West Indies Rum & Cane Merchants Jamaica XO Rum

West Indies Rum & Cane Merchants Jamaica XO Rum
Bythefatrumpirate March 15, 2018

West Indies Rum & Cane Merchants Jamaica XO Rum. A recent bottling from a new Independent bottler on the block in the shape of the West Indies Rum & Cane Merchants.

Based in Berkely Square, London – West Indies Rum & Cane Merchants are the Single Cask bottling operation branch of Crucial Drinks. Who also distribute Six Saints rum from Grenada. They have released numerous Single Cask and blended rums over the past 18 months.

As you can see from the photo above the company are clearly trying to do things “right”. Not chill filtered and no added colour is prominent on the bottle. They also do not put any additives in their rums – bottling them as they receive them. The rum I have up for review today is a Single Cask Bottling of Jamaican Rum.

This rum hails from the Worthy Park Distillery it is noted as a molasses based rum which has been aged in a “refill rum” cask (though I suspect it will be ex-bourbon. My bottling is number 324 from Cask Number 2.

Unfortunately I don’t have any information on how old this bottling is. I neither now when it was distilled or for how long it was aged. XO could mean just about anything – I assume it is more than 5 year old (probably nearer 10) but that is just based on guesswork form the overall taste of the rum.

Presentation wise I really like the bottle shape which is the kind used on old sailing ships (because it won’t easily tip over). Its similar to the bottle used by Pyrat XO. The branding is clear and the information which is provided is clear (though I would like more). In the UK this rum retailed at around £55 for a 70cl bottled at 46% ABV. So not Cask Strength.

In the glass the Jamaica XO is a golden brown/straw colour so the lack of colouring is evident. It is also a touch cloudy, a little “milky”.

The nose is familiar of the Worthy Park Pot Still style. Huge notes of strong breakfast tea, milk chocolate and toffee. Further notes of coconut and pineapple and a nice fruitiness to the mix. Light spices and some white pepper and ginger add a further layer.

The nose is nicely balanced and I’m a big fan of Worthy Park so its all good so far.

Sipped the rum is quite heavy on the tea notes – black tea maybe over stewed tea left in the pot with the tea bags in. It’s not as sweet as the nose suggests and it has some notes which remind me of a cheaper blended Scotch Whisky. I’ve found the tropically aged Worthy Park rums to be more fruity and sweeter than those aged in Europe. I’m more than sure this has spent most (if not all) its maturation in Liverpool or Amsterdam.

There is an initial sweetness of white chocolate on the sip but it quickly gets carried away by the tannic notes of the tea. There’s some banana trying to make its presence felt on the mid palate but its over taken by a pretty spicy and quite woody profile. Fortunately further sipping reveals a more balanced and slightly sweeter rum. This definitely improves after the first glass. The tea seems to fade out more and you get more of the sweeter toffee and chocolate notes. Nice notes of banana and coconut as well.

This isn’t a bad rum. Its good no question. Problem is I’m comparing it to the Habitation Velier releases and Worthy Park’s own output. The benefit of the Tropical Ageing really adds an extra layer to the rums of the Worthy Park Estate. If you prefer a drier profile this may suit you more – this is about my palate rather than the overall quality of the rum.

I was initially a little worried by the ABV but I honestly don’t feel like I am missing anything with this at 46% ABV. I think the dilution from the Cask Strength rum has probably given it a slightly sweeter, less dry profile. Which appeals to me.

It’s not as complex and fruity as the Habitation Velier I reviewed previously its similar to the Cadenheads but I feel it might just have the edge.

An encouraging start for the new brand.

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Compagnie des Indes Jamaica New Yarmouth 12 Year Old (Danish Bottling)

Compagnie des Indes Jamaica New Yarmouth 12 Year Old (Danish Bottling)
Bythefatrumpirate January 11, 2018

Compagnie des Indes (East India Company) Jamaica New Yarmouth 12 Year old rum. Compagnie des Indes are an independent bottler from France.

So far they have not achieved fame for any particular bottling or style, the way the likes of Velier, Rum Nation and Bristol Classic have. Though they have established a reputation for bottling an eclectic series of single casks and their own signature blends.

This Jamaica New Yarmouth is a different cask and bottling to the one I tried recently at the London Rumfest. This effort has been bottled exclusively for the Danish market. Compagnie des Indes have made a few Cask Strength expressions available only in Denmark.

The New Yarmouth distillery came as a surprise to me as I had previously not heard of it. New Yarmouth is a part of the Appleton Estate. It is based in Clarendon Parish and produces the white unaged rum in Wray and Nephew Overproof. Operating both pot and column stills. It is not a small distillery, its just a bit like Hampden in that its rums appear more in blends and “branded” rums rather than their own line up of New Yarmouth rums.

Jamaica New Yarmouth comes in your standard stubby Compagnie des Indes bottled. It is noted that this rum was distilled in 2005 and bottled in 2017. Noted as being 12 Years old. It is a single cask (so it is different to the standard 55% offering) the cask is noted as JNYD9 it is bottled at a very hefty 65.2% ABV. In Denmark it would set you back around 900-1000 Kroner or which Google tells me is around £107-120. As far as I am aware, this is a 100% Pot Still rum.

Poured in the glass the rum is very light in colour -white wine to straw coloured. It clearly has not been coloured with caramel. Or if it has it hasn’t worked!

The nose as one might expect of a 65.2% rum is enormous. It is high ester Pot Still Jamaican funk. When poured it absolutely reeks! You can smell it in the house next door! I’d imagine even after only a small sample of this you’ll smell like a brewery for the rest of the day!

It is sweet like a Long Pond. Huge fruity notes of banana, coconut, strawberries, apples and blackcurrants. It has those big varnish like notes but there is not as much burn as I was expecting. The age in the cask has certainly tamed it a little. It’s a huge nose but there is also a nice balance to it. There is a little spicy oak there and some calming vanilla. Touch of menthol – its very fresh and vibrant.

Sipped it is jam packed with flavour. Everything on the nose transfers into the mouth. Even tiny sips of this are incredible. It is initially sweet with a lot of banana and funky sweet alcohol driven notes. The mid palate introduces a nice amount of oak and some spiciness from the cask. It is one of the most intense rums I have ever tasted.

Even at full strength and taking into account the amount of flavour in the distillate it stills keeps itself in order. Once you get used to it its very easy to sip even at the full ABV. Each sip adds something else – mint, coconut, raisins, a touch of nail polish which gives these rums such a fresh taste.

The more I delve into Jamaican rum the more I am taken by the Pot Still rums that come out of Hampden, Long Pond and now New Yarmouth. All are similar. I would have thought that this was from Long Pond but I have tried Hampden rums where I have thought the same. I do not think the differences in the rums from these distilleries are as big as say Worthy Park. Worthy Park is a very modern operation and they produce a Jamaican rum which is quite a bit different to the rest, with no drop in quality it must be said.

This rum caused quite a fuss at London Rumfest. I immediately pointed out to anyone listening to try it. Florent Beuchet who runs Compagnie des Indes gave a very telling smile when I commented no how good it was.

Spending time with this rum at home I find this cask no less impressive than the one I had at London. This is rum for the more serious enthusiast. It’s not for everyone, miles away from Appleton 21 or Joy. Hugely funky, medicinal yet fresh and fruity. I really hope Florent has a lot more casks of this rum as it could becomes CDI’s signature…….

Stunning.

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Dràm Mòr Single Cask Rum Uitvulgt Distillery Aged 24 Years

Dràm Mòr Single Cask Rum Uitvulgt Distillery Aged 24 Years
Bythefatrumpirate August 14, 2022

Dràm Mòr Single Cask Rum Uitvulgt Distillery Aged 24 Years. We are back today with what I think is the second Guyanese rum I have tried from Dràm Mòr Group. This time we are stepping back in time and enjoying a rum from a now defunct distillery – Uitvlugt.

Whilst the Uitvlugt distillery has long been mothballed a couple of the stills housed there, are now at Diamond Distillery/Demerara Distillers Limited. This particular bottling is noted as having the marque MPMM. Which suggests heavily that this a rum produced on the Port Mourant Double Wooden Pot Still.

The rum was distilled in 1997 and bottled in 2022 and is noted as being 24 years old. It is noted as being cask number 14 and has been bottled at 46.6% ABV. I assume this is cask strength but I have not had this confirmed.

The rum was available via The Good Spirits Co in Glasgow but is now out of stock. It retailed at £120. Which is not a bad price for a rum of this age. There are/were only 141 bottles. Stockists of Dràm Mòr products are listed here should you wish to try and hunt down a bottle.

Dràm Mòr Single Cask Rum Uitvulgt Distillery Aged 24 Years has been released as an exclusive bottling for The Rum Mercenary. As far as I am aware The Rum Mercenary are an Independent bottler based somewhere in Europe (possibly Belgium/The Netherlands). I’ve tried a quick google search but I’ve not had much luck finding anymore information on the brand. Please feel free to get in touch if you have any info/links. Unfortunately my time is a bit tight at the minute so spending hours researching just isn’t an option!

As in keeping with other Dràm Mòr releases we are presented with a standard “bar bottle” complete with a chunky synthetic cork stopper. Presentation is clear and concise and information is provided on both the front and back label.

The front label this has been aged in “Finest Oak Barrels”. So I assume ex-bourbon. I don’t know if this had a different “finish”/maturation once it reached Scotland. Nor do I know how long it was aged in Scotland/The Tropics.

So it will be interesting to see how I find this and whether I pick up any potential “finish” on this rum.

In the glass we have a golden brown spirit. It is a little hazy which shows its non-chill filtered and hasn’t been messed with. No colouring either not at the bottlers end anyway.

The nose is unmistakably Port Mourant. Aniseed, liquorice and English Breakfast Tea. Stewed prunes, touches of ginger and vaniila. Further nosing reveals a malty note a bit like hops and some slightly bitter custard and burnt shortbread. Some Banana Bread and light tobacco notes round of the nose.

It’s complex and quite easy to nose at the ABV of 46.6%.

SIpped Dràm Mòr Single Cask Rum Uitvulgt Distillery Aged 24 Years, has quite a smoky, peaty profile. I’m pretty sure this has some kind of Scotch Whisky Finish to it. It’s quite a departure from the nose. Being honest I’m not big Scotch Whisky fan and as a result I am often left a little non-plussed by Scotch Whisky finished rums.

Subsequent sips show more the rums character with a nice hit of Port Mourant aniseed, banana and some breakfast tea. I’m enjoying more with each sip. The peaty/smoky Scotch notes are now relegated mainly to the after taste and I’m getting more used to them.

The mid palate is classic Port Mourant and I’m really enjoying the sweet aniseed notes and the tobacco and smokiness of the rum. It is sweet and savoury at the same time.

At 46.6% ABV it is very easy drinking and still maintains a complexity which I think most rum drinkers will enjoy.

The finish is long but again quite easy going to fades gently with a nice weight of oak spice, ginger, tobacco and some sweeter notes of liquorice/aniseed. The after taste is a little peaty and smoky. It’s not my favourite part of the rum I must say.

I suspect I might have enjoyed this (and assuming I am correct on this but please let me know if not!) more had it not been matured at some stage in an ex-Scotch whisky cask.

That said its still a good example of a well aged Port Mourant at what was a very decent price.

Another solid offering from Dràm Mòr.

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Black Ven Distillery Dark Rum

Black Ven Distillery Dark Rum
Bythefatrumpirate September 17, 2023December 9, 2025

Black Ven Distillery Dark Rum. There has been quite an explosion of rum production in the UK over the past 5 or so years. Many of these rum “producers” are doing little other than “spicing” an existing imported Caribbean rum base and then proclaiming it as British, English or Scottish or even Welsh “rum”.

I’ve not focused very much on such offerings, though I have tried quite a few of them. It’s just not something I really wish to encourage or “promote” if you like.

What I am interested in however are the actual distilleries in the UK that are producing their own rum from scratch.

Black Ven Distillery in Lyme Regis, Devon is one such operation. The ethos behind the brand led by John Tucker is refreshing and in line with what a lot of Rum Enthusiasts are seeking nowadays. Tired of being deceived by so-called Premium (and Ultra Premium) brands and bored with the never ending cycle of Spiced Rums.

I reached out to John upon trying his Black Ven Distillery Dark Rum and he provided a lot of quite “geeky” information on his distillate. I will share that with you in this review as it is refreshing to get so much information from a producer.

Black Ven Distillery Dark Rum is handcrafted from scratch in a small distillery housed in a converted artist’s studio. The distillery/studio itself is flooded with soft natural light with high ceilings and far reaching views of the Black Ven cliffs. Which give the distillery its name. The rum is aged nearby in a small eco-friendly warehouse.

The molasses used in the production of Black Ven Distillery Dark Rum is sourced from a local bakers co-operative. Black Ven is currently the only distillery customer. The molasses is not overly processed which means more of the natural sugar remains.

The rum is produced in small batches. Typically around 900 litres of rum wash at a time. Produced from 100% molasses. A healthy drop of dunder is taken from each batch and recycled into the next fermentation. This is typically done up to 10 times before the cycle is reset. This is because large amounts of dunder can make the fermentation overly acidic and begins to have an impact on alcohol yield.

Once the fermentation is complete a Continuous Still is used to strip the wash. The whole strip takes around 8 hours to complete.

The spirit run is conducted on a smaller Hybrid Still. Once distillation is complete then the rum is diluted to 60% ABV. The rum is then aged for 4 years in oak or more specifically ex-French Red Wine Barrels.

The final bottle strength is 50% ABV. Black Ven Distillery Dark Rum batches are typically around 250 bottles with the batch and bottle number hand scribed on the bottle. The bottle designs are from a local student (Jack Price) and the bottles are spray painted – labels are not used.

Black Ven Rum Distillery Dark Rum is available direct from their own website. It is priced at £48 for a 50cl bottle.

So there you have it. Thanks to John for supplying so much information. I hope you all have found it interesting. Don’t quote or question me on any of the technical aspects of what I have been told. I have long confessed to not being much a Rum Geek in that regard…..

In the glass Dark Ven Distillery Dark Rum is a a very dark brown colour with an orange/reddish hue.

On the nose you initially get molasses but perhaps a sweeter more “golden syrup” like note than you might be used to. Beneath this I am getting some tannins and some fruity red wine notes – blackberries and redcurrants. The nose is rounded off by a very light smokiness and a nice hit of oak spice and vanilla.

It’s rich and very intense. The molasses note is particularly strong giving aromas of black treacle, caramel, treacle toffee and some dark chocolate. Its a powerful rich nose which reminds me of Navy Style Rum.

Sipped at the full 50% ABV the rum packs a nice punch but the sweet fruity notes and the treacly molasses notes make it a very enjoyable sip. Its sweet but not overly so and has a nice weight of dark berries and acidic wine like notes to give it a more rounded flavour.

This is backed up further by a drying on the mid palate. Which brings out more of the dark chocolate notes. Throughout the sipping experience you get a nice backdrop of oak spices. Followed by vanilla, which gives further depth to the sip.

The finish is a good length and you get a nice hit again of the oak spices alongside a touch of zesty lemon and some vanilla. The molasses notes continue throughout right to the very end.

As well as sipping this I was curious to see how this would fair in cocktails and in a simple rum and coke.

Black Ven Distillery Dark Rum works brilliantly in a rum and coke giving a very rich and very intense taste experience. It certainly isn’t overshadowed by the coke that’s for sure!

In cocktails again it seems to work well with cocktails calling for a “dark rum”. It works very nicely as a float in a Zombie.

That said I would predominantly use this particular rum as a sipper. Although relatively young it does have a unique profile.

At the price point I certainly think this is more than worth a punt. I’ve really enjoyed my bottle. I would be keen to see how this evolves. I feel longer ageing will further enhance the distillate. So maybe some longer aged releases are in the pipeline? It is a young distillery after all.

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