Dead Man’s Fingers – Spiced Rum

Bythefatrumpirate

dead-mans-fingers-rum-3Dead Man’s Fingers is a Spiced Rum.  First released in 2015 by The Rum and Crab Shack, St Ives, Cornwall.  Initially the rum was only available in the bar/restaurant (which has since expanded to another branch in Exeter).  It is now pushing for a national release and is already available from a number of UK online retailers.

Dead Man’s Fingers can relate to a number of “things” in the natural world such as coral and seaweed.  In this instance its a homage to the amount of Crab sold at the Crab Shack.  Dead Man’s Fingers can refer to Crab’s gills.

As you might guess from the leading photograph they have focused upon strong branding and you can already purchase branded T-Shirts and other merchandise online.  Sailor Jerry has built its success on a strong brand identity and as was evidenced at the recent UK Rumfest in London Dead Man’s Fingers also know how to get a buzz going surrounding their product.  Their stand was very popular and their representatives very helpful and very fun.  Their website whilst brief also keeps up the presentation and branding

The rum is noted as “small batch” this is likely more down to the overall production of the spiced rum as a whole rather than the distilled product at the base of this rum.  A 70cl bottle of Dead Man’s Fingers will set you back around £25 it clocks in at 37.5% ABV.  The rum comes in a standard bar bottle with a metal screw cap.

In the glass Dead Man’s Fingers is a typical Spiced/Gold Rum colour.  Nice golden/reddish brown.  A kind of standard “rum” colour which many producers seem to adopt.

It doesn’t cling to the glass when swirled and but you do get a good nose of spices before you even start nosing properly.

Dead Man's Fingers Spiced Rum Review by the fat rum pirateWhich is a slight concern.  On the nose I’m initially struck by a very familiar smell.  Vanilla and I’m getting waft after waft of it.  Reminiscent of old style UK Sailor Jerry, Old J Spiced, RedLeg and even Rumbullion. My initial thoughts are not that profile all over again………..sweet vanilla and caramel.

It’s not that I don’t like Vanilla nor do I have aversion to it per se.  It’s just that with years of trying Spiced Rums and reviewing a good number it becomes a little predictable and safe.  Personally, I see little point in producing something so similar to a number of brands already out there.

It’s not all vanilla but the other notes are equally safe and equally popular.  Cinnamon, citrus peel and some very sweet caramel.  If you like this kind of thing or aren’t bored of it- great.  Unfortunately I’m left non-plussed up to now.

I’ll try sipping to start with. I fully expect to mix though and any half decent spiced rum should make a decent rum and coke!

dead-mans-fingers-rum-2Sipping offers my first real surprise.  It is nowhere near as sweet as the nose implies.  In actual fact the orange peel/marmalade notes really shine through.  It’s reasonably complex – some nice more natural tasting notes of cinnamon, brown sugar and a little saffron spice.  The vanilla has become much more muted, having all but disappeared. If you wanted an after dinner drink this wouldn’t be terrible with a chunk of ice and a squeeze of lime (or maybe orange?).

Mixing with a little cola again it works.  The cola also tempers the nose down a notch or two.  There’s a nice balance to this and a nice mix of spices working in the mix.  I couldn’t drink a lot of this though.  It is still quite big on the sicklier caramel/brown sugar notes but its nowhere near as full on as the likes of the atrocious Old J Spiced Gold. 

It’s not the best spiced rum I have ever had but its far from the worst.  Slightly above average and at £25 probably well worth a punt if you are a bit of Spiced rum fan.  I’d arguably choose a bottle of this over Sailor Jerrys if I had to buy one of them again.

 

 

 

 

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  • Casa Bucco Cachaca Envelhecida 6 Anos

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Casa BuccCasa Bucco Cachaca Envelhecida 6 Anos review by the fat rum pirateCasa Bucco Cachaca Envelhecida 6 Anos. Casa Bucco has been producing Cachaca in Brasil since 1925. The family has even more history in spirits production in their native Italy producing Grappa. Once the family emigrated to Brasil they began producing cachaça.

    Based in the Rio das Antas Valley, much of the sugarcane is harvested from the mountain areas. Like many of the cachacas I have reviewed the sugar cane is harvested organically. Due to the terroir it is noted that the sugar cane of Casa Bucco has a very high sugar content.

    The sugarcane is cultivated organically in the Rio das Antas valley, harvested manually and transported to the mill. The decanted juice goes to the fermentation, where selected yeasts are used. This is then distilled in Alembic Copper Pot Stills.

    The resulting cachaça is then stored in stainless steel casks for the traditional white “Prata” cachaça. Other cachaca is aged in oak barrels and Brasilian wood.

    This particular Casa Bucco expression has been aged for 6 years in oak and balsam wood. In Brasil a bottle of this cachaça will set you back around R$120 – around £25 in sterling. Where this to come to the UK/Europe I would expect a retail price of around £50 minimum.

    Presentation wise, aside from the metal screw cap its quite classy and doesn’t look to old fashioned. I like the slightly different shape to the bottle and a carboard sleeve to store the cachaça in is a nice touch as well. It’s quite understated but gives the consumer enough information to know what they are getting in the bottle. (As long as you understand Portuguese I guess!)

    If you are seeking more information on the brand –  they produce a range of spirits beyond cachaça then they have a website which translates reasonably well into English here.Casa Bucco Cachaca Envelhecida 6 Anos review by the fat rum pirate

    In the glass we are presented with a light golden brown spirit. Casa Bucco Cachaca Envelhecida 6 Anos is quite sweet on the nose – and has a real note of aniseed or licorice. It’s not the biggest nose I have ever encountered. Bordering on being almost neutral. I was expecting a bit more of the oak and balsam wood influence but this is a very light spirit.

    Further nosing reveals some more fruity notes peach, apricot a touch of shortcrust pastry – a Peach Melba maybe? Notes of tangerine and a touch of strawberry syrup. There is also a very slight herbal woodiness lurking in the background. But I’m having to really nose deeply to pick these notes up.

    That said there is nothing “wrong” with the nose its just a bit on the timid side I guess.

    Sipped this is quite a light cachaça as the nose had suggested. Luckily however we are getting more flavour on the sip.

    Once again sweet notes of aniseed or licorice are at the forefront of the entry. This quickly moves into the lighter fruits recognised on the nose. So lots of peach, apricot and a touch of white grape now emerges. It doesn’t have a great deal of length to it. It’s quite short overall. The finish is spicy with some ginger and cinnamon but again its just a bit too light.

    This cachaça seems to have picked up a lot of awards and seems quite well regarded. For me its just all a bit too light. It doesn’t have enough body and enough oomph when compared to something like Havana or Pirigibana for example.Casa Bucco Cachaca Envelhecida 6 Anos review by the fat rum pirate

    What it does it does pretty well. There is nothing out of place with this cachaça. No off notes or anything that is out of balance. Overall it is nicely balanced and very easy to drink. But it just doesn’t offer enough complexity for me to say this is a really great cachaça.

    It’s above average and overall pretty pleasant but its not blowing me away at all. It’s a pretty expensive cachaça as well so I kind of expect a bit more of spirits at this kind of price point.

    Not awful but a bit of disappointment. I was expecting a lot more of this. It’s still good though, just not as good as I had hoped.

     

  • Ron Roble Viejo Extra Anejo

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Ron Roble Viejo Extra Anejo Rum review by the fat rum pirateRon Roble Viejo Extra Anejo. According to Google Translate this rum is Rum Oak Old Extra Old. Which is interesting, though I suspect it’s more Google’s shitty translation than anything else. The Ron Roble brand hails from Venezuela home of rums such as Santa Teresa, Diplomatico and the popular bar favourites Pampero and Cacique.

    Ron Roble is produced by Rones de Caribe under the guidance of Master Distiller and Blender Giorgio Melis, who has over 50 years experience in the drinks industry. Where have we heard these kind of tales before? I wonder. Still at least he’s not the Cuban Minister of Rum…………

    Ron Roble is produced from molasses which comes from sugar cane grown in the Yucatan Valley. The molasses is then transported to the distillery near Caracas, the capital of Venezuela. The molasses is fermented and the wash is then distilled on a 5 Column Still.

    As the name suggests much of Ron Roble’s flavour is derived from the ageing of the rum in 220 litre ex-bourbon oak barrels.. Ron Roble Viejo Extra Anejo is a blend of rums aged between 8 and 12 years. To be fair to it unlike so many “rons” it does not have a deceptive solera style age statement on its label.

    I am unsure how long the brand has been in existence but it is a relatively new brand to the rum world. It has had limited distribution here in the UK but it is available a lot more in Mainland Europe.

    If you are looking for more information on Ron Roble, they do have a website. To be honest there isn’t much substance to it. If it had I would have had more to write about here, but never mind. It can be found here if you are interested.

    I’ve reviewed quite a few Venezuelan rums over the years. In general as far as the “Spanish Style” or “rons” are concerned I have always found the Venezeulan rums, Diplomatico aside, to be not all “that” sweet. Admiitedly, they are usually still doctored a little though sadly. Ron Roble Viejo Extra Anejo is no exception with around 19g/L of additives.Ron Roble Viejo Extra Anejo Rum review by the fat rum pirate

    Presentation wise as with most Premium rons this is sleekly presented with a tall thin bottle. Information is minimal but the presentation is clean and uncluttered. A blue branded card sleeve is provided and the rum is sealed with a cork enclosure.

    All in all I can understand why people would pick it off they shelf. Especially if they are new to rum. It retails at around the €40-45 mark. I can not see any current available here in the UK but Excellence Rhum currently have it in stock.

    So lets see how this one goes down.

    Nosing the rum is a lot sweeter than I was expecting. There is a lot of orange and red apple on the nose. I confected note as well like sticky boiled sweets. Beneath this are notes of oak and a little touch of smoke and some light toffee.

    It’s light and easy going. Too much so. It’s missing some of the leather and more complex notes found in other Venezuelan rums. It’s trying to be like Santa Teresa 1796 but it’s just went in a bit too sweet.

    All in all the nose is pleasant enough but its pretty meek and not really all that exciting.

    Sipped it has a bit more bite than the nose. There is an intiial sweetness but you do get a fairly good hit of oak and spices on the entry with this one, which I was quite surprised about.

    Ron Roble Viejo Extra Anejo is not all that punchy though, this is still in very light ron territory. It’s sweet and inoffensive. It’s easy drinking and not much thinking. The mid palate becomes a mixture of sweet fruits and barley sugar rubbing alongside an ever diminshing note of oak and some pepper notes.

    Ron Roble Viejo Extra Anejo Rum review by the fat rum pirateFinish wise it just fades out to pretty much nothing. This is far from a “hairs on your chest” type of rum.

    Now the thing is I have every confidence that the product in this bottle is exactly what the producer set out to produce. I also have every confidence that the type of person who enjoys this particular style of sweetened rum will find this to be pretty decent.

    For me it’s just all too soft and not “rummy” enough.  It’s just a bit too weak and flowery. It’s far from being sickly sweet or hugely confected but its gone further than say Pampero Aniversario or Santa Teresa 1796 down that route to make it far less interesting as a rum.

    Not for me.

     

     

  • |

    Best Value Rums on the UK Market – Jamaica

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Best Value Rums on the UK Market - Jamaica article by the fat rum pirateBest Value Rums on the UK Market – Jamaica. I’ve been considering an article on “Best Value Rums” for some time. Following my Rum of the Year article, I’ve received a lot of requests for a post focusing on cheaper or value for money rums.

    I think people are beginning to feel a little priced out of certain types of rum. I’m hoping this will help people seek out some genuinely good rum without breaking the bank. I’m also hoping some of the selections will help people who might feel they are missing out. You don’t need to be paying £100 for a Hampden DOK Single Cask rum to experience Jamaican rum

    Originally the plan was to try and compile a list of all rums which are good value for money from across the Rum World.

    Upon beginning to compile a list of rums I found that quite a lot of Jamaican rum is very good value for money! So whilst I may in future combine a few different styles/regions into posts, I think there is more than enough coming out of Jamaica to warrant a full article.

    Now for anyone outside of the UK this list might not prove to be useful. I think in the main it should work quite well for most people in the UK and mainland Europe. Outside of that, in particular the US you likely won’t find all that many of these bottlings available in your location.

    Likewise if I’m asked why I didn’t include “X,Y and Z” it is likely going to be down to a few reasons.

    a) It’s not available here in the UK

    b) I haven’t actually reviewed the rum in question. This shouldn’t be much of an issue.s I usually buy anything that is sub £30 and readily available. I am a cheapskate at heart.

    The focus of the selections will be around Rum. Without additives where possible. However, I will include a couple of Spiced/Flavoured rums if I feel they are worthy of a mention. At the lower end of the market I think we can be a bit more liberal in our choices. Not everything has to be an enlightening sipping experience.

    So here goes.

    I’ve decided to do things geographically. This should  work well as a good way of picking up some rum bargains. Also I’m hoping it will help those new to rum navigate around the different styles of rum.

    I’m a big fan of identifying the individual styles of rum coming from the various rum producing countries, islands and regions. Rather than trying to Pigeon Hole rums into broader often meaningless categories. Dark, Light, Gold and Navy Style might have a place in certain circumstances but I’m hoping to expand beyond that.

    Some of the links to the reviews will be from a number of years ago so some of the details may be slightly out of date. I was also just cutting my teeth in the blogging world so they might not be to the standard of todays reviews. Apologies if some of the writing is even worse than that of today!

    Appleton Estate 8 Reserve Rum Review by the fat rum pirateJamaica

    When it comes to experiencing some Jamaican rum on a limited budget, you really are spoilt for choice here in the UK.

    You can walk into supermarkets in the UK and pick up iconic island favourites such as Wray and Nephew Overproof and Appleton Estate with ease and well within a £25-40 budget.

    Appleton’s range of Signature, 8 Year Old and their 12 Year are frequently discounted by a few pounds as well. Signature is regularly available for £20 with Appleton 8 coming in at £26 and the 12 Year can be found for slightly under £35 when on sale.

    The usual retail for these rums nowadays has increased slightly since the re-design but bear in mind the prices of these rums had remained the same for a considerable length of time. I was paying £20 for Appleton V/X over 10 years ago.

    Below are typical prices of the rums at the moment

    Signature £24

    8 Year £32

    12 Year £40

    If you wish to go even lower in terms of price then Appleton Estate/Wray and Nephew do have another couple of rums that are even cheaper than the Signature Blend.

    They were formerly called Appleton/Special and were available in Gold and White Expressions. They have since been re-branded as Kingston 62. I’ve had the re-branded versions of both and they’ve change very little. They are both decent but I would probably opt for the slightly more expensive Signature Blend over both.An Interview with Kevin Beament and Donna Waite - Craft Rum Club by the fat rum pirate

    All these rums offer a good example of Jamaican rum if perhaps not the funkiest expressions available aside from the iconic Wray and Nephew Overproof.

    If you are just starting out in the rum world and are hearing about Jamaican funk. Wray and Nephew should be your first port of call. Definitely one to tick off the bucket list.

    If you are wanting to try the rum and save even more money. It is also very often available in smaller convenience stores in 20cl and 35cl bottles. So if you are out and about and see it in its smaller size it’s a great shout. A lot goes a long way believe me………..

    If you are after a bit more funk and are hoping to get something similar to the aged Hampden bottlings then you might wish to consider some Jamaican blends.

    JAH45 isn’t always the easiest brand of rum to pick up but if you hunt around you should be able to find some stock online. Their Overproof can be tricky to find but the other expressions are usually fairly google-able. Their rums were also available in UK restaurant chain Las Iguanas pre-Lockdown but I can’t vouch for that anymore.

    JAH45 are a mix of Pot and Column distilled rums from various distilleries in Jamaica. Their stand outs for me are the White Overproof (I haven’t reviewed it as yet) and the Silver. The Silver should set you back little over £20 and offers a funky, yet not quite so potent introduction to Jamaican White Rum.

    Of course if you want to experience the iconic Hampden “funk” then Hampden Gold offers a good introduction to that style again at under £25. Its not quite as easily available as the Appleton range. You should be able to find it for sale online with a UK stockist.

    Rum Bar Gold Rum Review by the fat rum pirateI would have also recommended Hampden Rum Fire. Unfortunately that has seen a considerable price increase since changing over to Velier as the Importer. So its well over £40 now. You can pick up all Jamaican White Overproofs for less than this. So its not a great bargain, though its a good rum.

    Returning back to a more refined style of Jamaican Rum then we must pay a visit to Worthy Park.

    In terms of “budget” rums Worthy Park at entry level are a little more expensive. You can pick up their Rum Bar Silver here in the UK for a little over £20 but I would save up a few more pounds and opt for Rum Bar Gold. A 4 year old aged rum which works beautifully in mixed drinks but is also surprisingly good as a sipper. It’ll set you back around £28-30 but its well worth it. It can be a little tricky to find and isn’t always in stock. Keep an eye out and get a bottle when it is.

    My final bottle on this list is probably one of the most “marmite” (and most mis-spelt) bottlings in the Rum World. It is coloured to with in an inch of its life and arguably does have some “additives”. Molasses is allegedly added back to the rum post distillation. It is also a pretty young column still only rum.

    Presentation wise it hasn’t changed in decades. It is about as fashionable as wearing socks with sandals or a pair of Adidas Two Stripes from the local flea market. For one reason or another I’m always drawn to the opaque “kitsch” cliched bottle……

    You see there is something I find strangely addictive a bout a Rum and Coke made with Myers’s Rum Original Dark. It should set you back a little over £20. Even if you don’t like it – it’s another “iconic rum” to tick off the list. Myers's Rum Original Dark Rum Review by fatrumpirate fat rum pirate

    If you do like it I think you’ll always keep a bottle in stock. If you don’t well the bottle is pretty cool……

    Well I hope this little run-down proves useful. I was intending or thinking I would include a couple of Flavoured Rums and some Rum Creams.

    However, I reckon there is probably going to be enough room to form their own lists. So I will keep them separate. Keep an eye out for those lists coming soon.

    I will also be compiling a list of bottles in the £40-70 bracket that also represent good value. Appleton 12 has snuck into this list simply because it is one of the few genuine “sipping” rums you can pick up in a supermarket.

    EDIT

    For some reason I forgot to add the most recent addition to the UK Supermarkets in terms of Jamaican Rum. The Duppy Share Duppy White Jamaican Rum. Often when doing tasting notes I state that I get certain tastes and flavours. Well there is a lot of Grapefruit going on with this rum and it makes it very distinctive. At around £20 this is another really good option for mixing and it isn’t that bad neat either.

    Well worth checking out

    The Duppy Share Duppy White Jamaican Rum review by the fat rum pirate

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Dràm Mòr Single Cask Rum Diamond Distillery Aged 10 Years

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Dràm Mòr Single Cask Rum Diamond Distillery Aged 10 Years rum review by the fat rum pirateDràm Mòr Single Cask Rum Diamond Distillery Aged 10 Years. I said when reviewing the Dràm Mòr Fiji bottling a couple of days ago that I would get their other Spring release reviewed as quickly as I could. So here we are…….

    This rum hails from the Diamond Distillery, Guyana which is the home of Demerara Distillers Limited. Who produce the El Dorado range of rums and also sell a lot of bulk rum.

    A lot of this rum is used to produce the various “Demerara Rum” brands you will see such as Wood’s, Pusser’s, OVD etc. It is also used in blends and a lot of casks make their way to Independent bottlers such as Dràm Mòr.

    This rum is noted as being from the Diamond Distillery but we need to dig a bit deeper to work out exactly what type of Demerara rum this is. Over the years Guyana has lost all but one of its rum distilleries – Diamond is the only one still active. As a result of this they have acquired a number of heritage stills from other distilleries.

    As a result Demerara Distillers Limited can produce a lot of different marques of rum. Even within the same still they can produce a wide variety of different marques. This is something which has been covered quite extensively by bloggers and enthusiasts. It is perhaps only Jamaican rum which has come under similar scrutiny and interest, when it comes to identifying individual marques.

    As the stills have on some occasions been located at a number of distilleries it can get confusing. Some Independent bottlers will identify the rum by its “marque” or by the still it was produced on. Others will identify it by using the distillery it was produced at.

    This particular rum is the “MPM” marque. I’m not entirely sure what the first “M” stands for but I do know that this is from the Port Mourant still. Rums from this particular still are often noted as being “Uitvlugt” which is where the still was located prior to being moved to Diamond Distillery. Dràm Mòr are correct in identifying this rum as being from the Diamond Distillery as this rum was distilled when the still was up and running at Diamond. For clarification way back in the midst of time the Port Mourant Still was held at the Port Mourant Sugar Estate. That said you’ll not find any rum available from that time period. The factory closed in 1953.

    So we have a Port Mourant Rum. The Port Mourant still is noted as being “Double Wooden Pot Still” and rum produced on this still are used in the likes of Pusser’s and Wood’s.

    Dràm Mòr Single Cask Rum Diamond Distillery Aged 10 Years hails from cask #46 it has been matured in an ex-bourbon barrel and finished in an ex-Buffalo Trace barrel for 5 months prior to bottling. It was distilled in 2011 as mentioned already on the Port Mourant Double Wooden Pot Still. This rum has been bottled at 55% ABV. As with all the Dràm Mòr rums so far it is a Single Cask rum with only 249 bottles being available. As per the previous Dràm Mòr releases it is available from the Good Spirits Co.  (and other retailers) priced at £55.50.

    I don’t think I have anything else to add. So we may as well get on to the fun part and get nosing and tasting.

    In the glass, we have quite a light coloured liquid. Straw in colour.

    The nose is familiar. Some nice notes of raisin and sultana alongside some of the trademark liquorice/aniseed notes that I enjoy from Port Mourant. I don’t know if it is the “finish” in the 1st Fill Buffalo Trace cask but this Port Mourant seems more vanilla-ey than usual. Large wafts of vanilla ice cream and some toffee sauce come into play. I’ve got to say I rather like this “softer” profile.

    There isn’t a great deal of “menace” or aggressive spices. I’m not getting much oak or any kind of chilli/pepper profile. On further nosing I’m getting quite a strawberries and cream kind of note as well.

    I’m enjoying this nose it’s sweet (not sweetened) and inviting. It has enough complexity as well to make me wonder quite how the rum will taste.

    At 55% ABV it is quite an easy drinker. It’s certainly more “savoury” than the nose suggested. The initial sip has a nice depth of spice and we are getting some warming oak notes. The aniseed note is there as well giving it a nice kick.

    It’s quite malty and a little whisky-esque as we move into the mid palate. The vanilla and strawberry notes on the nose were only briefly present on the entry. They now give way to a more cask driven kind of flavour.

    Overall this isn’t the most powerful Port Mourant I have had. It’s quite light in profile. That being said it is does have a nice mix and complexity. There is a fair bit going on with this rum. It’s just not going to be knocking anyone socks off. Actually, it might as the ABV is quite high but its dangerously drinkable………

    Dràm Mòr Single Cask Rum Diamond Distillery Aged 10 Years rum review by the fat rum pirateAt 10 years old the finish is decent enough but it does fade out a little quicker than I might have hoped. It becomes almost a little hoppy in parts and it feels a little like an aged bourbon.

    Which is not a problem for me as I really enjoy an aged bourbon. Overall this isn’t quite as good as the excellent Fiji bottling. It is still a very nice example of the Port Mourant still. At the price its not going to break the bank either. It’s the kind of rum you could happily have a couple of glasses of an evening, without having to scrutinise in too much detail.

    This has a really good balance of flavour and I think the Buffalo Trace finish has possibly given it a bit more of a rounded profile.

    Good stuff.

  • Levy Lane Rum Co Tamosi Karaya

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Levy Lane Rum Co Tamosi Karaya rum review by the fat rum pirateLevy Lane Rum Co Tamosi Karaya. This review will round up all the releases to date that have been put on the market by Levy Lane Rum Co so far. From what I understand there are plenty more to follow.

    As well as having a “regular” Tamosi rum. Which is a blend of Caribbean rums, Levy Lane Rum Co also released, a limited release Port Cask finished Cask Strength version of roughly the same blend. This is the second of two single casks Demerara rums they released.

    Karaya is the Taino word for moon. She held immense power over people, and had a habit of enchanting those who lent her their gaze for too long.

    Levy Lane Rum Co Tamosi Karaya is the oldest rum in their portfolio, so far. So old, in fact they can legitimately call it an Uitvlugt rum. As it was actually distilled their. Way back in 1998. I don’t want to repeat details I have given in previous reviews, so I will instead direct you to the Tamosi Rum website. This should help should  you want to learn a bit more about the brand. You can of course read my previous reviews as well.

    This rum was distilled on the iconic Port Mourant Double Wooden Pot Still. This still is now housed at Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL). The Uitivlugt Distillery closed around 1999/2000.

    This rum was aged for 2 years in Guyana before being moved to Europe for a further 20 years of Continental Ageing. It was bottled in 2020, so it is 22 years old in total. Levy Lane Rum Co Tamosi Karaya comes in at Cask Strength of 61.1% ABV. I’m not sure how many bottles were produced but as it was a Single Cask we can take a guess at around the 250 mark. It has, unsurprisingly sold out pretty much everywhere but you can still find a bottle at retail price here.

    A 70cl bottle at original retail price will set you back around £/€180. In the grand scheme of things that is obviously a pretty price to pay but it’s certainly not expensive for what it is. Levy Lane Rum Co Tamosi Karaya rum review by the fat rum pirate

    So as we’ve covered Levy Lane Rum Co and Tamosi quite a bit lately, I’ll crack on with the nosing and tasting now. Does that grab you at all? Yes…..ok then.

    In the glass Levy Lane Rum Co Tamosi Karaya is a light to medium brown colour. It is yellow-ey brown, if you like. Which will be partly due to the Continental Ageing. It also shows that this was pre-DDL. So no “caramel” or “molasses” (depends on who’s telling the story) was added pre/post distillation. nor where the barrels coated prior to ageing.

    On the nose this is unmistakably a Port Mourant rum. The immediate slightly tannic notes alongside the familiar liquorice and aniseed aromas. Unsurprisingly, for a rum of this age it is quite “musty” and has a fair hit of woodiness on the nose. There is a really nice development of marmalade, cinnamon and raisin. This all seems to be wrapped up in something quite floral and spicy. A bit like Christmas cake.

    The nose is complex and has a lot going on. There is a brininess and a touch of tar. I’m getting some fresh mint and something a bit herbal which reminds me a little of Saint Lucia Distillers output.

    Sipping Karaya at Cask Strength, it is initially a bit more savoury and oak forward than the nose suggests. However, subsequent sips reveal a very concentrated almost floral sweetness. This balances incredibly well with the heavier tarry and briny notes that come into play on the mid palate.

    It has a really nice “orange” note running right through the rum from the initial sip right through to the finish. This works alongside the salty liquorice and deep dark fruit notes of blackcurrant and redberries.

    Each sip seems to be giving me something different to experience. This is indeed a very complex rum. One which is best taken very slowly and savoured to appreciate fully. It has some aspects I haven’t tasted before with a Port Mourant distillate. There is quite a big hit of citrus going on almost like a sweet Tangerine or Mandarin. Were it not for the spicy oak and brininess going on, this could have knocked this off kilter a little. It doesn’t thoLevy Lane Rum Co Tamosi Karaya rum review by the fat rum pirateugh, it just adds an extra layer and gives you something else to reach out for and enjoy.

    In terms of the finish it’s long and warming. The orange and Christmas cake like notes remain throughout. They fade a little as the finish develops into a much more savoury end. Salty liquorice and brine take over and the rum ends with a kind of pastry-like note.

    It is fair to say that the Levy Lane Rum Co and the Tamosi brand have made a pretty successful entry into the rum market. I must say I am looking forward to see what is coming next from them as they haven’t put a foot wrong so far!

  • Matugga Golden Rum

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Matugga Gold RumEarlier this week I posted up a Press release on Matugga Rum.  Whilst this site is largely independent I am still happy enough (on occasion) to publish Press Releases or do some advertising for companies if I think they are a good enough cause.

    I don’t just publish everything that is sent to me nor do I routinely accept samples.  However, in this instance and armed with enough knowledge about the rum (not just from the press release) I am comfortable enough to review the samples Matugga have kindly sent me.  I shall explain my confidence in this product.

    Back in the early part of 2014 I bought a bottle of “English” rum.  A spirit which had, at least been distilled and bottled here in the UK.  The rum itself was small batch and copper pot distilled.  For any UK rum enthusiast it was a rum to try.  100% Pot Distilled rum from Cambridgeshire, England.

    The rum I bought was “Old Salt Rum” from the English Spirit Distillery.  As part of an article I did a few months back on Spiced Rum, I contacted the owner of English Spirit Distillery John Walter who along with informing me of new longer aged variants of Old Salt, also gave me some hints about some new sources of molasses/sugar cane which he couldn’t discuss in detail.

    Lo and behold then here we have Matugga Golden Rum (and Matugga Spiced Rum) made at the English Spirit Distillery and made with that mysterious molasses.  From Uganda………or as Matugga are arguably more wisely putting on most of their material East Africa.  The figure of Idi Amin and his various atrocities and acts of sheer lunacy are unlikely ever to be forgotten!  For information Matugga is a town in Uganda.

    So I was pretty comfortable when asked if I would like samples of the rum that I would be able to do an honest review.  If I wasn’t aware of the rums origins I doubt I would have been interested in doing the Press Release or the reviews (they have a Spiced Rum as well).

    As mentioned in the Press Release Matugga Rum are launching the rum this week (during Rum Experience Week) culminating with a stall at this weekends London Rumfest.  Due to my wife being 8 months pregnant with our firstborn I am not going to be in attendance at this years event.  I promise I will be there next year!

    So I figured the next best thing to try and stay involved would be to “sample” a few new rums and get Matugga to advise those at Rumfest, that I had a live review of the rum online.Matugga Golden Rum

    So moving onto the actual review of the rum.  The presentation on the Matugga looks very good.  As you can see from the opening picture you get a nice bottle similar to those used by La Mauny in their more aged expressions.  A nice cork stopper is also present.  Due to the time period involved in receiving the sample and conducting the review in time of Rumfest I haven’t been able to determine how aged the spirit is.  (It’s certainly less than 5 years).  The rum is already available online at Master of Malt and will set you back £39.99 for a 42% ABV 70cl bottle.  Quite pricy for a relatively young rum – however it is worth noting that this is 100% pot still rum.  Unaged or young rums such as the Clairin’s from Haiti (unaged white rums) released by Velier are all in the £35-40 price range.  Velier are also set to market Habitation Velier shortly which are limited releases of 100% Pot Still Rums from the likes of Foursquare and I’m not expecting them to sell in the UK for anything less than £50 a bottle.

    Matugga Golden Rum is as the name would imply a shimmering gold colour.  It’s presentation and colour are very inviting.

    Nosing the Matugga reminds me of the Haus Alpenz Jamaican classic Smith & Cross.  The nose is big and full, very heavy in esters and there is a real dunder heavy Jamaican style funk running through the spirit.  Huge tropical fruits, bruised black banana’s, treacle, hints of allspice and a very strong boozy sense of Piratey rum!

    Much like Old Salt before it and Smith & Cross, Matugga is the kind of rum that grows on you as you get deeper into your Rum Journey.  Whilst many will discover El Dorado or Diplomatico some of us continue the path of experimentation and begin exploring very different rums.  Moving into the Independent side of things can be very interesting.  Despite the slick appearance of Matugga and everything pointing to it being another Pyrat or perhaps more accurately a Tiburon (pretty young rum dressed up with sugar and put in a premium package with boastful claims) it really isn’t one of those “here today, gone tomorrow” kind of rums.  When I first heard about Matugga I thought “oh dear he’s another one……..” but I was wrong and as said anything that involves 100% pot still distillation has got to be at least explored by any self respecting rummie, in my opinion.

    First up I’m struck by the viscous nature of the rum.  Long legs run down the side of the glass.  There is added sugar to this rum (the Hydrometer tests confirms as much), however this rum is neither hugely expensive nor does it have any ludicrous ageing claims.  Much like my recent review of Dark Matter Spiced Rum, I feel I must take into account the youthfulness of the spirit.

    If in time, like Old Salt Rum, Matugga continue to produce rum I am sure they will look to make more aged rums.  This seems a simple of case putting a rum to market in the hope that it is good enough to sell enough to perhaps lead to further phases of the rums evolution.

    MATUGGAThis rum as a sipper is slightly too challenging for me.  It’s a little bitter and very fiery.  It’s not particularly rough in terms of alcohol burn but on its own it’s all just a little bit too much.  It could do with more time in the cask if its to make itself into a true sipper.  It’s very, very flavourful but some of the flavours aren’t as pleasant as I would like.  Too acidic and with a harsh bitterness.

    The Matugga website offers a few cocktail or long drink suggestions.  This however wouldn’t be thefatrumpirate without me getting the cola out.

    A generous dose of Matugga, a splash of cola and a cube or two of ice and it’s a surprising turn around.  Not in a sense that I thought it was a bad rum – I really don’t I personally really enjoy the sheer intensity and rawness of the pot still rum.  It’s like Appleton V/X tuned to the power of 11!  It’s just it was a little too much when taken neat.

    But adding even a splash of cola seems to cut right through all the jagged edges and removes the bitterness.  All the flavour remains from before but it seems a little refined and a lot more balanced.  The rum and cola created with Matugga is rich and full of flavour with a very distinct and tangy slightly tart taste.  There is a big hit of cooking apples like sweet and sour.  Fiery notes of hot sweet peppers come through along with a lovely hit of rich dark treacley molasses.

    I would imagine at Rumfest this will meet with some mixed reviews.  It will certainly puzzle those who have never really delved into Jamaican style pot still rums or have tried anything slightly outside the box.  Along with Smith & Cross and J Wray and Nephew White Overproof this stuff makes one of the funkiest rum and cola’s.

    It won’t be to everyone’s tastes and it isn’t perfect by any stretch of the imagination but there is something very daring about releasing a rum like this.  Personally I really enjoy this kind of rum.  I accept many won’t get It but that’s not my problem.  I really hope they age it more as they go forward, as they could have a very distinctive and truly exceptional product on their hands if they do.

    3.5 stars

     

5 Comments

      1. yw.

        I was reading the facebook site and they seem to have an PM MPM cask as well?
        Is this PM or Uitvulgt?

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