Cane Island Dominican Republic Aged 5 Years

Bythefatrumpirate

CANE ISLAND DOMINICAN REPUBLIC RUM AGED 5 Years rum review by the fat rum pirateCane Island Dominican Republic Aged 5 Years is the final review in the recently released trio of rums from Cane Island.

As mentioned previously Cane Island are a new Independent bottler – at the moment their rums are only available from shops in Amsterdam.  Luckily most of these stores deliver to the UK so I didn’t miss out on trying these rums.

For me when it comes to Independent bottlings it seems that Demerara, Caroni (Trinidad) and Jamaican rums are the most popular offerings.  There are perhaps a few reasons for this – DDL do not release many rums that do not have additives – a gap in the market which Velier expertly exploited which heightened peoples awareness of Demerara rum without additives.  Velier were also in the favourable position of being able to have their rums aged in Guyana – unlike the rest of the competition.

Even said European aged Demerara is still very popular.  The myth that is built around the Caroni distillery and their “heavy” style rums ensures their enduring popularity.  Jamaican rum is popular because Appleton apart none of the Jamaican rum distilleries release many aged products.  So if you want aged Hampden or Long Pond rums you must buy independently.  The likes of Monymusk and Worthy Park are moving into the aged market.

So this makes a couple of Cane Island’s releases a little more interesting.  Especially this one.  Rums from the Dominican Republic are very popular especially in Spain.  Brands such as Brugal, Bermudez and Barceló are well known and well recognised.  Oliver & Oliver also have numerous bottlings available in numerous guises.

Very few indie bottlers have put out any Dominican rum.  This rum is aged for 5 years and has been column distilled at “Alcoholes Finos Dominicanos” the distillery location noted on the bottle is “San Pedro de Macoris”.  Which is the distillery which produces the Ron Barceló brand amongst others.

The rum from the Dominican Republic is produced in the “latin” style additives and adulteration take many different forms and information is hard to come by.  The hydrometer reveals 12g/L of “additives” in this rum.  It is likely this rum will be a light, approachable and sweet rum.

A 70cl bottle will cost around 40 euros – again slightly more expensive than the branded equivalent.   It should be noted though that the likes of Brugal. Barceló and Bermudez do not note ages of their rums..

The rum is noted as being column distilled and aged in American Oak (Bourbon) barrels.  No details of any “finish” or second maturation are noted.

In the glass the rum is a little dull – its not a particularly vibrant colour, it looks a little washed out.  It’s an ungolden brown.

The nose is not overly impressive either.  It’s quite muted and I’m not getting a great deal from it.  There is a slight sweetness to it.  It smells a little Cuban.  It’s very light and easy going.  There is nothing offensive about it but at the same time nothing exciting either. It has a slightly floral note lurking in the background.

When sipped it initially is quite “boozy”.  It’s youthful and the alcohol really comes out.  Further sips reveal more of the sweetness hinted at on the nose.  It’s a very familiar rum – it reminds me of Botran or a younger Panama rum.  It is not as sweet and as layered with chocolate notes, like Barceló Imperial nor is it is a dry and briny as Brugal.

Although the nose and appearance were a little disappointing its not an unpleasant experience sipping this rum.  At 5 years old it still has some of the youthful alcohol notes.  I enjoy these as they make it more “rummy”.  This make it less generic than some of the lighter column distilled rums from this part of the world.

It’s not massively sweet and is quite dry (especially on the finish).  It also has some nice spicy oak. A good deal of interaction with the barrel giving it some sweet/sour notes.

It’s a light latin style rum but its not afraid to show its teeth.  I wouldn’t call it particularly meaty or complex but it does have a bit of a twist and an extra dimension.  It’s easy to drink but it does give you a little bit of a kick.

All in all much better than I had imagined.

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  • Abelha Organic Silver Cachaca

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Abelha Organic Silver Cachaca rum review by the fat rum pirateAbelha Organic Silver Cachaca Despite attempts by some of the biggest players in the Drinks Industry cachaca remains very much a domestic product. There are thousands of cachaca brands available in Brasil. Only a very small portion of those brands even see the light of day outside Brasil.

    There are a few brands which are available in Europe but they are often brands that are not available in Brasil. In recent years we have seen achaca available from the likes of Avua, Yaguara and Novo Fogo. Products geared up for a European and US audience. By geared up I mean they are put in sleek elegant bottles. Given a more “Premium” appearance than some of the cachaca you will find in Brasil. I’m sure you will have noticed just how rustic some of the cachaca I have reviewed over the past couple of years is, in terms of appearance.

    However, fortunately these products have rarely meant that quality has been sacrificed. Abelha Organic Cachaca is available in Gold and Silver expressions. In all honesty whilst the Silver has been widely available here in the UK, I have not seen the Gold anywhere near as often. Marks and Spencer were at one point stocking this Silver cachaca.

    Abelha is actually a UK based company. In 2007 they first visited Brasil in the hope of setting up a cachaca brand which would be available in the UK and Europe. It was in the small town of Rio de Contas, Bahia state where they were introduced to Marcos Vaccaro who owned a small “fazenda” but had a history in cachaca making in Southern Brasil.

    Abelha was the first cachaca to be certified as Organic in Brasil. Everything from planting the sugar cane to bottling the cachaca is done at the “fazenda”. Abelha Organic Silver Cachaca is produced in small batches on Copper Pot Stills. It is then rested for 6 months in stainless steel vats before being bottled.

    The cachaca I am reviewing today is Abelha Organic Silver Cachaca, which is bottled at 39% ABV. If you visit their, very modern looking website you will notice that this cachaca is noted as being called Prata and bottled at 40% ABV. I have not seen this for sale in the UK as yet. Indeed if you do look to buy this product you will find the 39% Silver version. Expect to pay around £25 for a 70cl bottle of this cachaca.Abelha Organic Silver Cachaca rum review by the fat rum pirate

    Presentation wise as touched upon already this is aimed at the UK/European market so it has to look premium. You may also find when you look around for this cachaca that it has been available in a Bee House shaped box with a muddler and cocktail book. Presentation wise its very nice and on trend.

    So lets now move onto the fun part.

    In the glass we have, as expected a crystal clear liquid. No signs of any colour at all.

    Abelha Organic Silver Cachaca has a nice fruity nose. Lots of green apple and ripe white grape. There is a sweet note of sugar cane and icing sugar. It’s really fresh and vibrant. At an ABV of 39% it isn’t going to knock anyones socks off but it has a quite a big fruity well balanced aroma.

    It’s not the most complex nose in the world but was is there is very pleasant.

    As a sipper it is a little less rewarding. It’s got a fair amount of burn. It is much less sweet than I was expecting with quite a high concentration of alcohol notes – it’s a little bitter taken neat.

    It doesn’t really do all the much as a sipper it’s just a bit boozy and a bit grassy and the overall experience is pretty short. There isn’t much of a finish to speak about or any really development as you sip. You get a bit of a burn then some brief notes of sugar cane. A touch of dark fruits but it isn’t very long lasting.

    That said of course this isn’t really something geared towards being a sipper it is more of a mixer.

    Abelha Organic Silver Cachaca rum review by the fat rum pirateAs a mixer Abelha Organic Silver Cachaca does a decent job in a Caiprinha or a Ti Punch. As with most cachaca it works best with lighter mixers. Rather than things like cola and ginger beer.

    It’s refreshing and enjoyable with lemon and lime. It works nicely and deliver a decent amount of flavour to the drinks. More of the notes on the nose come out when you mix it and the flavour seems to last much longer than when you try to sip this cachaca.

    As a readily available cachaca here in the UK it is certainly something worth trying. It’s not as harsh as some of the younger “Industrial” cachacas that are available from the likes of Ypioca and Velho Barreiro. It’s also a lot better than BemBom. Which is best avoided.

    This is a good solid entry level white/silver cachaca.

     

     

  • Watt Rum Belize Rum Distilled at Travellers Distillery Aged 13 Years

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Watt Rum Belize Rum Distilled at Travellers Distillery Aged 13 Years rum review by the fat rum pirateWatt Rum Belize Rum Distilled at Travellers Distillery Aged 13 Years rum review by the fat rum pirateWatt Rum Belize Rum Distilled at Travellers Distillery Aged 13 Years rum review by the fat rum pirateWatt Rum Belize Rum Distilled at Travellers Distillery Aged 13 Years. One of my earliest disappointments in the rum world hailed from Belize. At the time paying over £30 for a bottle of rum was quite a big deal for me. I’m still not 100% sure why I opted for the bottle of One Barrel Rum.

    If you’ve clicked on the link then you will see that my original review (published back in 2014) suggested I bought it based on demography. I think I probably meant geography as I basically had not tried a rum from Belize. I also recall seeing a review of One Barrel Rum on another rum blog which was quite favourable. It’s not a blog I follow now……

    Alas I was far from impressed with the rum when it arrived. It was overly sweet and synthetic tasting. I had a lot to learn…………

    As a result it was some time before I really tried anything else from Belize. In fact whilst I tried a couple of Independent bottlings it wasn’t really until 2020 where I reviewed a rum from Belize that really showed their true potential. That was an Independent bottling from Rum Exchange.

    Now (and this may not be 100% accurate) in the main the output from Travellers Distillery as released under their oKate wn brands – tends to be sweetened. Thus aimed at the less “serious” end of the market, including tourists etc. Whereas the output sourced from the distillery by Independent Bottlers and brokers tends to be aimed towards the “enthusiast” so no additives.

    For those unfamiliar with Watt Whisky/Rum it is a brand name of Campbeltown Whisky Company Ltd, which is ran by Mark and Kate Watt. Further information can be found on their very informative website.

    Watt Rum Belize Rum Distilled at Travellers Distillery Aged 13 Years comes in a fairly standard “bar style” clear bottle with a slightly bulbous neck. Presentation is clear and uncomplicated. Mark Watt previously worked for Cadenhead’s and I would say that the presentation of his whisky/rum is a bit more modern and in “fashion”.

    Information provided on the bottle and cardboard sleeve used to store the rum, relates solely to the liquid in the bottle. No fairy tales or other such nonsense.

    Full information on the bottling as provided by a combination of their website and the bottle is as follows.

    Watt Rum Belize Rum Distilled at Travellers Distillery Aged 13 Years rum review by the fat rum pirateWatt Rum Belize Rum Distilled at Travellers Distillery Aged 13 Years was one of the first batch of bottles released under the Watt Whisky/Rum banner back in September 2020. It is a single cask rum which yielded 326, 70cl bottles, bottled at 57.1% ABV. It was brought down to “Olde English” 100 proof.

    The rum was aged for 8 years in Belize and a further 5 years in Europe in an ex-bourbon barrel. As the rum is from Travellers Distillery, it was distilled on a column still as they have no pot stills.

    There are still a few bottles floating around at £79.95 should you wish to purchase one, they still have stock at The Whisky Exchange.

    So lets take a look at this rum.

    In the glass it presents itself as a Golden/Dark Brown an orange hue. The nose is sweet and light. There is a lot of vanilla and double cream on the nose.

    It’s quite bourbon-esque and I’m a bit of a sucker for vanilla. Beneath this is a rich toffee and caramel aroma. There is a slight hint of something “minty” and a nice hit of oak spice from the barrel.

    The rum is very reminiscent of lighter Barbados rum. That said it is perhaps more close to the rum from English Harbour Distillery on Antigua.

    Sipped the rum is richer and more heavy bodied than the nose suggested. It has a nice weight of wood and oak spice which works nicely alongside the vanilla and toffee flavours. The role reversal is quite noticeable but it is still a nice balance and adds complexity to the overall experience.

    It’s spicy with some white pepper heat and a slight raspberry tang to the initial entry. It has a slight char to it as well which evolves nicely into the mid palate.

    Hazelnut and creme caramel develop on the mid palate alongside some oak and a slightly menthol/herbal note. Which reminds me a little of St Lucian rum.

    Finish wise the rum builds up nicely in terms of oak and peppery heat and the finish is long and retains enough sweetness to be really enjoyable and very pleasant. The menthol notes increase towards the finish giving it a slightly refreshing, minty taste.Watt Rum Belize Rum Distilled at Travellers Distillery Aged 13 Years rum review by the fat rum pirate

    I don’t think enough people understand just how much sweetness and balance column still rum can bring to blends. Nor how good a 100% column distilled rum can actually be. That said most of these column distilled rums are produced on more Traditional Coffey Column Stills, rather than some of the huge multi column stills, we see at more industrial distilleries (or alcohol plants).

    I’ve really enjoyed this rum – very similar to the Velier release of English Harbour. It’s both “heavy” and “soft” at the same time. Giving it a great complexity. It’s balance is the key.

     

     

     

     

  • Arehucas Carta Oro – Golden Rum

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Arehucas Carta Oro Rum Review by the fat rum pirateDestilleras Arehucas have been producing rum in the Canary Islands since 1884.  So they have over 130 years of rum making experience.

    Honey Rum (or Ron Miel) from the Canary Islands is quite famous.  It is basically a golden rum blended with honey.  The ABV of which is usually around the 20% mark.  Making it more of a liqueur than a rum.

    As well as producing Ron Miel Guanche, perhaps the most recognised brand of Honey Rum Arehucas also produce “straight” rums.  Carta Oro is their entry level rum.

    Bottled at 37.5% ABV Carta Oro has quite a distinctive yellow label and cap which makes it stand out from the crowd.  The presentation isn’t anything too exciting but Arehucas do have a standard red and white logo which is consistent throughout their line up.  The price of this rum varies greatly, even in Spain and on the various islands surrounding Spain.  I’ve seen it as low as 6 Euros and as high at 20 Euros.  If you get a bottle imported into the UK expect to pay upwards of £20 for a 70cl bottle.  From what I can gather, the rum in this bottle has been aged for only 1 year.

    The Arehucas Distillery is situated on the island of Gran Canaria. Their website speaks of modern industrial techniques and a state of the art bottling plant.  They produce other spirits, so I’m guessing that their rums are produced on multi column stills.  If they do have any old Pot Stills they do not mention them in their marketing.  They do mention however that the Canary Islands are the “cradle of rum” which I find a little puzzling and no explanation is really given!

    Arehucas rum’s go right up to a 20 year old Golden Rum – Captain Kidd which retails at around £180 (probably a lot less in Spain/The Canaries).  I’ve never seen this rum reviewed or tried it myself.  In fact I’ve heard next to nothing about it.

    The distillery has a museum and a visitor centre so I’ve I’m ever in Gran Canaria I’ll try and get along for a visit.

    Anyway moving onto the contents of the bottle.

    Arehucas Carta Oro Rum Review by the fat rum pirateFirst up for a rum aged for only 12 months its remarkably dark.  Clearly amongst the modern industrial techniques lurks one of adding Caramel Colouring.  I’ve no real issue with this. It’s a fairly standard practice. Some insist it alters the taste but I have no real way of determining if this is true.  I’ve been told that the small amounts needed to alter the colour do not in anyway change the taste or smell of the rum.  I’ll leave others to argue the toss about it.  I think the rum world has a lot more problems to worry about such as fake age statements, suspect “finishing” and reviews for freebies.

    Again I digress apologies.  Back to Arehucas Carta Oro.

    The rum is a nice golden brown colour.  A classic rum colour if you like.  It’s quite vibrant and certainly looks the part.

    Unfortunately the nose isn’t very inviting.  It smells mostly of young slightly gritty alcohol.  It’s a kind of sweet tobacco like nose.  It reminds me a little of Havana Club.  There is a little vanilla on the nose and flashes of oak but all in all it all smells a bit too smokey for my liking.

    Sipped it is a little subdued (possibly due to the low ABV).  It’s quite sweet – vanilla, maybe a trace of chocolate.  The sweetness though is mainly the young aggressive alcohol which makes sipping quite an unpleasant experience. Initially it seems quite light and nicely balanced but it quickly turns in the palate and becomes almost metallic tasting with far too much of that tobacco note.  I don’t think it is so much bitter more just unpleasant with to many off notes.

    Mixed in a rum and cola its passable.  It’s fairly innocuous but you notice more on the finish how young and unbalanced the rum is.  After a while it just becomes unpleasant.

    Other than being cheap this rum doesn’t really have any redeeming features.  Young, alcohol heavy with some metallic, tobacco-ey notes which just all meld into a pretty awful experience be it as a mixer or a sipper.  I suppose at only 12 months of ageing you shouldn’t expect much.

    To be fair I didn’t expect much so I wasn’t overly disappointed.  This rum itself is extremely disappointing though.

  • Foursquare LFT White Barbados Pure Single Rum

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Foursquare LFT White Barbados Pure Single Rum review by the fat rum pirateFoursquare LFT White Barbados Pure Single Rum. Whilst it is fair to say, all releases from Foursquare Rum Distillery are very sought after this is perhaps one of the most anticipated releases of 2022.

    It’s not out yet (I’m just lucky enough to have been sent a very generous sample) so I can’t advise on the bottle numbers or the price. It is going to be released as part of the Habitation Velier series of rums.

    So it will likely prove even more popular. Particularly to speculators and “collectors”. As usual I just hope enough drinkers can get their hands on this and enjoy the rum.

    Due to the prolific nature of Foursquare since this site began (a very “nervy” interview is here when I hadn’t met Richard in person!). – I am sure any regular readers will be familiar with the distillery’s output and the views and opinions of the owner Richard Seale. In order to try and keep things interesting, I’ll not go over old ground in the opening part of this review. Instead I will give Mr Seale’s insights into this particular rum and its name.

    “If any of you have listened to my recent discussions on our Habitation Velier “high ester” white rum, you will know that I am not comfortable with the name. It was simply the least worst choice I came up with to call it “high ester”.

    Not that it is not “high ester”. By Jamaica standards, anything over 300 g/hl abs alc has left the “common clean” category (incidentally they do not like that category name either). At 555 g/hl abs alc, it is certainly high in ester content.

    But the reference to Jamaica explains the problem. High Ester Rum is Jamaica terminology. I do not like using it. You cannot be an advocate for IP rights and steal the IP of others. While it is true that most of the Islands produced what we would consider “high ester”, it is really Jamaica that has kept it alive, made it famous and codified it. They own it.

    It was the least worse name I could think of in haste. It is not agricole (its not 100% juice and more importantly its not produced in the French Islands). Grand Arome would also be a misappropriation. Heavy rum could be a fit (its got lots of congeners), save for the fact, thanks to Caroni we associate that more with a heavy, oily, tails heavy rum in the Trinidadian style.

    I think what Savanna do with HERR is very clever. No overt use of the words “high ester” but a clever way of communicating the nature of the rum and emphasizing its their version.

    So taking a leaf from their book, I will also use an acronym – LFT – Long fermentation type – an early distinction in rum making once fast fermentation (with added cultured yeast) came into play.

    See the attached description from the 1908 Royal Commission – where it was debated whether traditional long fermentation and new short fermentation type rums were both entitled to be called rum.

    After all, that is what we are trying to do – make a long fermentation style rum. High ester is just a natural corollary of that and the Jamaicans have their own way, very distinct to ours and quite unique to them.

    For the record, we have made rums of over 1,900 Esters – this blend is to strike a balance between power (for your next cocktail or rum cake) and palatability for those who want it neat.

    To be released soon.”

    Foursquare LFT White Barbados Pure Single Rum is 100% Pot Still Distillate. Unaged and distilled back in 2021. It has a 555gr/hlpa Ester Count. If you want to compare this to another “High Ester” rum then Hampden HLCF (Hampden Light Continental Flavoured) comes it at between 500-600gr/hlpa.Foursquare LFT White Barbados Pure Single Rum review by the fat rum pirate

    Just to note for the purposes of this review I won’t be looking to compare this rum from Barbados to Jamaican rum. It will be reviewed on its own merits – not as some kind of “copycat”. I think that would be a pretty stupid thing to do.

    The rum has been bottled at 62% and as noted in the picture to the right it is a blend of cane juice and molasses based rums.

    The molasses based rum was fermented with a cultured strain of yeast for over 72 hours. The cane juice rum was fermented with naturally occurring yeast for several weeks.

    I’m not going to claim this really makes a lot of difference to me as I’m not hugely into the whole distillation process etc – I just comment on the end result! I claim no expertise in this area. I figured, however a lot of “Rum Geeks” will appreciate this type of information.

    In my glass I’m getting a completely transparent rum – so unaged white rum as expected.

    I’m kind of expecting something akin to Veritas with this rum but I’m not 100% sure quite what to expect. I’ve not tried any cane juice rum from Foursquare before.

    Vanilla – very heavy on the vanilla. Sweet chewy toffees, varnish and some light grassy notes. Given this blind I might well have said it was Jamaican rum. Or perhaps a blend of Caribbean rum.

    Time in the glass and the rum shows more menace, notes of petrol and varnish become more noted. The vanilla subsides a little. It’s intense though and quite sweet on the nose. Certainly much less “savoury” than most high ester rums. For me its a bit more agreeable version of Savanna HERR.

    The nose is intense and whilst quite sweet it also has a really nice intensity of flavour and complexity.

    Sipped it is markedly less sweet – quite spicy with notes of chilli pepper, salted caramel and some cinnamon. Black Pepper and an almost Vindaloo like heat especially on the first sip.

    A few sips in and you begin to get more of the sweeter molasses notes and a hit of sugar cane juice. Lightly grassy but with lots of toffee and caramel. For me it seems more like a high intensity mixer than an actual sipper.

    It’s not bad but being unaged it is a bit fierce. There’s loads of flavour and a lot going on but its something I feel will work better in a Daiquiri or a Ti Punch.

    The mid palate is a little peppery but you get more vanilla and toffee. The finish doesn’t really evolve much from the mid palate. It takes a while to fade out due to the powerful nature of the rum. That said it doesn’t really seem to add much to the overall experience.Foursquare LFT White Barbados Pure Single Rum review by the fat rum pirate

    I might not sound all that enthusiastic about this. I think I just prefer a more aged offering from Foursquare. Especially bearing in mind this will be as expensive as a lot of well aged rum.

    I’ve still got a bit left from my sample so I’ll give it a bit of a mix……….

    BOOM! A rum and cola is quite frankly a bit insane with this rum. It’s a huge flavour overload of toffee, molasses,vanilla and caramel. Alongside a hard hitting whack of floor polish, petrol and varnish. It’s pretty fantastic.

    Ti Punch it works excellently as well giving a really sharp yet sweet hit to the drink. A Daiquiri is a bit mental as well.

    As a sipper I’d probably look elsewhere but as a mixer Foursquare LFT White Barbados Pure Single Rum is pretty intense stuff.

     

  • Captain Morgan Tiki Mango and Pineapple

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Captain Morgan Tiki Mango and Pineapple Rum Review by the fat rum pirateCaptain Morgan Tiki Mango and Pineapple. I’m frequently asked why I continue to review and purchase such questionable products. See it as some kind of penance…..

    I need to make one thing very clear from the outset – this is not rum. The Captain Morgan brand was originally focused around a “dark” navy style rum. However, it has now moved far beyond that. Rarely for the better it must be noted

    Their original Flagship Dark rum comprised rum from the likes of Jamaica, Guyana and Barbados in varying blends, depending on availability and seemingly which part of the world you might be in also.

    It’s interesting to note that despite the ongoing “popularity” of the Captain Morgan Dark Rum, it is perhaps more well known now in the UK for it’s “Spiced Gold“. Morgan’s Spiced (as it was originally called) had been available since at least the 1990’s in the UK. I cannot really recall it being all that popular.

    Not until the “explosion” of Spiced Rum in the UK in the 00’s anyway, Morgan’s Spiced became much more popular. Funnily enough due to the popularity of Sailor Jerry. Diageo could easily undercut in terms of price in the supermarket. It is still hugely popular and if you are a rum enthusiast in the UK you will no doubt have met people who really like rum – like Morgan’s Spiced. It’s depressing.

    Sadly the likes of Morgan’s Spiced Gold and The Kraken are perennial best sellers on the likes of Amazon. Unfortunately, too many people recognise Spiced Rum as Rum. So it is perhaps no surprise that in recent years – especially in the US market, Captain Morgan has deviated even further from it’s more conventional and traditonal rum roots.

    Whilst the introduction of Captain Morgan White a few years ago was, as it turns out quite a decent addition to the lower end of the rum scene, Diageo have come up with a whole new way of marketing and selling the Captain Morgan brand.

    Frozen Cocktails and lower alcohol flavoured spirit drinks have covered the lower end of the market. Clogging up supermarket shelves and further cheapening the name of rum. Yes you’ll find this in amongst the rum in the Supermarket.

    Now usually I try and keep my opinions on something wrapped up until near the end of a review. Unfortunately I may struggle with this unrelelenting, synthetic flavoured, cats piss.

    We’ll get on to the presentation first of all. It comes in a standard bar style 70cl bottle. The Captain is prominent on the label. In his usual stance with his foot on a rum barrel. Quite why they have chosen a rum barrel is beyond me as I can assure you none of confected, watery, alcopop coloured piss in this bottle has been anywhere near a barrel. It has went for a more exotic look with green and gold colouring on the label. To truly state its Tiki credentials.

    It is in all fairness noted as being a Rum Based Spirit Drink. As a result the ABV is quite low. Now I was expecting 30-35% but no it is even less than that. A measly 25% ABV. Captain Morgan Tiki Mango and Pineapple retails at £15.99, so you probably shouldn’t expect too much but it does suggest that every last cynical penny is being stretched out of this particular product.

    The hydrometer gives a reading of just 10% ABV which means we have around 41g/L of nasties in this concoction. No surprises there I’m sure. There is a redeeming feature though with this and other Captain Morgan products. The screw caps are always really good quality and rarely become threaded……Captain Morgan Tiki Pineapple and Mango Rum Revew by the fat rum pirate

    In the bottle, it doesn’t look too bad but when you pour it into the glass you are presented with a bright pink liquid which looks more like Rose Wine than any kind of rum or even a “rum based spirit drink”. Crikey it’s the colour of the lollipops given “for free” to the kids in Santa Claus the Movie. Puce I think it’s referred to as by the snivelling worm responsible for marketing the lollipops – in the film. I hope I’m not giving Diageo any ideas here……

    It looks genuinely scary, it might even glow in the dark. One thing however I’m sure this drink isn’t going to do is make me float – I certainly I won’t be walking on air after trying this if the nose is anything to go on.

    For such a low ABV product it certainly smells strongly. Sadly it’s mostly of synthetic concentrated Pineapple cheap boiled sweets and some light hints of some kind of Mango flavouring. It’s about as authentic and natural as Donald Trump’s wife. It has that kind of Pineapple note that really gets right up your nose and makes it itch. Not at all pleasant.

    It’s sweet, cloying and there is absolutely no trace whatsoever of any kind of rum. It just smells like a generic flavoured vodka.

    Drunk neat, as I was dared to do so – it’s ludicrously easy to sip. Not in a good way though. It has no burn and no real trace of any kind of alcohol. It’s like drinking some horrible own brand Fruit Squash from somewhere like Costcutter or One Stop.

    Tastewise, it’s slightly bitter and really catches the back of your throat. A bit like very cheap and nasty Pear Drop sweets. It has a very weird slightly astringent after taste. It really is a dreadful cheap and very fake tasting “drink”.

    You can mix this with lemonade or soda water but neither can shift the horrible cloying synthetic-ness. In fact its even worse in a long drink because there is more of it to drink. You’d think the mixer might dilute this Frankenstein concoction but it doesn’t.

    The stuff truly reeks not just in terms of the nose but in terms of everything. It is no wonder rum is looked down upon when this kind of product is mass market. I can only assume the type of cretinous arsehole that drinks shit like this is the same type of person kicking off about having to wear a face mask.Captain Morgan Tiki Mango and Pineapple Rum Review by the fat rum pirate

    To be honest I should have worn a face mask to review this…………and kept it in place.

    You’ll probably wish you’ve caught COVID-19 after drinking this monstrosity. God knows what colour my piss will be in the morning.

    It’s terrible which will come as no surprise. After having something genuinely Pineapple like and authentic earlier this week in the shape of Damoiseau’s Les Arranges Pineapple Victoria this is really just dreadful in comparison.

    Captain Morgan Tiki Mango and Pineapple – Tiki this is not! 1/2 star as I can’t go any lower and the screw cap is good…….

  • Cachaca Prosa Mineira Tradicional

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Cachaca Prosa Mineira Tradicional Rum Review by the fat rum pirateCachaca Prosa Mineira Tradicional. As I enter the website for Prosa Mineira I am informed that it is “The most awarded from Minas Gerais”. Now Minas Gerais is widely regarded as the “birthplace” of cachaca. For many it is the best region of Brasil to find cachaca.

    So its quite a statement to make. Or is it? Is a brand really recognised by the number of awards it wins. I know of one reasonably well known rum brand that proclaims itself as the “Most Awarded Rum Brand in 2018/19”.

    The thing is that these awards are largely pay to play competitions, where entries are invited. I can’t think of one competition that hand picks entries in a sense that they don’t have to pay or at least put themselves forward for the award.

    So yes you can win the most awards but as so many competitions give out awards to virtually all participants, is it really an indication of quality to a consumer?

    Of course its not and people should do well to research more. I certainly would not recommend to anyone buying anything based on shiny gold medals and awards displayed on bottles.

    Anyway, I digress!

    Cachaca Prosa Mineira Tradicional is part of a line up of cachaca’s that began in 2010. The branding used is quite “old fashioned” and I had assumed the cachaca Cachaca Prosa Mineira Tradicional Rum Review by the fat rum piratehas been around for some time. Luckily for me as the brand is quite “new” they have a nice shiny website. Which has been useful for researching this review.

    Production of Cachaca Prosa Mineira takes place in the city of Santa Rita de Caldas, which is in Southern Minas Gerais some 456km from the state capital Belo Horizonte. Which if I recall correctly hosted some matches at the 2014 World Cup. I’m sure England played a game there.

    The sugar cane used to produced Cachaca Prosa Mineira is cultivated one site and is harvested and then grinded/cut within 24 hours. The sugar cane juice is then fermented using only natural yeasts for 24 hours.

    The resulting “high wine” is then distilled in a Copper Pot Still. Everything is done by hand no chemicals are used during any part of the process.

    Cachaca Prosa Mineira Tradicional is then rested for one year in stainless steel barrels. It is not aged in woCachaca Prosa Mineira Tradicional Rum Review by the fat rum pirateod at all. It is available in 50ml, 160ml, 250ml, 500ml and 700ml bottle sizes.

    When researching the brand online I have struggled to find the cachaca at 39% ABV. it is definitely the Cachaca Prosa Mineira Tradicional that I am reviewing. I have an “official” miniature from the distillery, rather than a sample from a larger bottle. It is noted on the website that this cachaca is 42% ABV. However, my miniature is 39% ABV. Running the Hydrometer Test shows my sample is indeed 39% ABV.

    Puzzling but we’ll press on and do the review!

    Cachaca Prosa Mineira Tradicional presents itself as entirely clear spirit. Which is to be expected as it has not been aged in wood. Steel does not impart colour. Unless something rusts I guess…….

    The nose is quite vegetal with a lot of sugar cane aromas. There is a slightly sour fruity note as well- gooseberries and some tart raspberry. There is spiciness as well an aromatic, perfumed spice which is undercut slightly by a buttery note of shortbread and a touch of banana bread.

    It’s quite a light nose in terms of alcohol but its not in terms of aromas and complexity. It’s a really nice cachaca for nosing.

    Taking as sipper it is initially quite “mineral” like, its very easy going and remarkably smooth for an unaged spirit. It’s easy drinking unaged cachaca. It’s not hugely complex but what is there is pleasant.

    It is less vegetal than the nose suggests and is definitely on the lighter side (even for cachaca). There’s a nice zesty note to it – of lemon/lime which adds a bit of “oomph” to things and keeps it interesting.

    The finish and the mid palate aren’t particularly long but the Cachaca Prosa Mineira Cachaca Prosa Mineira Tradicional Rum Review by the fat rum pirateTradicional doe fade out nicely with a spicy kick and some more mineral like qualities.

    As a mixer it works as a good unaged cachaca should. It works nicely with the likes of a Caiprinha or a Ti Punch. It goes nicely with more simple cocktails and less “lighter” cocktails.

    I think I might have enjoyed the 42% ABV version of this cachaca a little more but this is still a more than satisfactory unaged cachaca. The balance and harmony of the flavours shows that the “resting” in stainless steels vats works.

    All in all a good cachaca but perhaps nothing too exciting.