Dead Reckoning South Pacific 2 Year. Today I’ll be taking a look at another offering from Australian Independent bottler Dead Reckoning. This time they have bottled another rum from the South Pacific Distillery, which is to be found on the
island of Fiji.

Despite the quality of the rums from this distillery, they never seem to have “broken” the international market with their own recognisable brand. So the flag of South Pacific Distillery has often been flown by Independent bottlers. With Berry Bros & Rudd, S.B.S. and now Dead Reckoning being just some of the more prolific bottlers of such rum.

Bounty Overproof Rum is perhaps the most well known “own name” brand but distribution outside of the Southern Hemisphere is rather sporadic.

The distillery under the Rum Co. of Fiji  moniker have been producing their own 2 year old rum range, in a variety of profiles and flavours called Bati for a few years now. They also have a more Premium range of Rums – Ratu. However, neither seem to have really caught the imagination in the UK or Europe. I do recall them having a stand at London Rumfest a few years ago. I recall thinking the rums tasted as though they had some additives. So I wasn’t hugely
impressed.

If you search for reviews from South Pacific Distillery you will find mostly Independently bottled rums from the more well known Rum Review sites. Reviews of Bati and Ratu tend to come from more generic “alcohol” promotion, sorry “review” sites……..

Anyway lets get back to the rum we are reviewing today. Dead Reckoning South Pacific 2 Year is a 100% Pot Still rum which has been aged in ex-bourbon barrels for its full maturation in/on Fiji. The rum is molasses based and was distilled on a John Dore Double Retort Pot Still. It has been bottled at a hefty 60% ABV. Which is assume is Cask Strength (or as good as near it). Only 65 bottles of this rum are available.

This rum is exclusive to the Rare Rum Club. A 70cl bottle usually retails at £78 but at present you can pick it up £65.99 saving 15% off the usual price. (Apologies if that sounds like an advert!)

It is noted as being a UKRC (UK Rum Club) exclusive release. UKRC for those that don’t know is a Facebook group ran by Steven James (Rum Diaries Blog) and myself. As far as I am aware this isn’t a UKRC exclusive – which usually entails it being offered to our members first or exclusively. It is just a standard UK only release via Rare Rum Club. So it doesn’t show the UKRC “badge” on the label.

I don’t think this really makes much difference to be honest. It certainly doesn’t influence my review. Yes I do have a “relationship” so to speak with Justin Boseley who owns Dead Reckoning rum. That being said I only tend to form any kind of relationship with producers of Independent bottlers when I’ve already established I like what they do. Or more specifically I like what they don’t do – no adding additives, dubious
age statements or fairy tales……….

In the glass Dead Reckoning South Pacific 2 Year is a light golden almost straw like colour.

On the nose the rum is pretty fierce and upfront. For anyone unfamiliar with rum from South Pacific Distillery it is best described as a mixture of Jamaican Funk, Saint Lucian Herbal-ness and Caroni’s dirty Petrol like notes.

So its a pretty intense kind of offering. This 2 Year Old 100% Pot Still distilled rum is no exception to that! This is the full on Fijian experience.

Sweet and Sour Pineapple mingles alongside some smokiness and medicinal notes. Tar and Petrol float in and out as does a very little aroma of oak and light wood. There is a herbal almost Eucalyptus like note and some Pot Pourri going on.

It’s heavy and tarry and very sweet and fruity at the same time. Lots of stewed apples and a touch of cinnamon, creosote fences and some hot road tar.

The 60% ABV Is really felt on the nose as is the relative youth of the distillate. This if fierce stuff!

Sipped Dead Reckoning South Pacific 2 Year is as intense as I found the nose. There is a lot going on with this rum and you certainly won’t get it all with first couple of sips. Especially not at full strength anyway.

Once my palate has adjusted to the full frontal attack on its senses – I’m just about ready to make some kind of coherent tasting notes (for the first time I can hear some of you say!).

The sip begins with a fair amount of heat but you quickly get a lot of stewed apples, banana bread and some fermenting pineapples. It’s hot and sweet initially but it quickly becomes more “herbal”. With notes, I can best describe as “a bit like Chairman’s Reserve Original” coming in to balance the heat and intensity a little. It’s like a herbal Pot Pourri. For me it’s lovely as I am huge fan of St Lucian rum and this is what this “phase” of the tasting reminds me of.

As we move into what I can best describe as the “mid palate” I begin to notice the more medicinal notes again. Benylin cough mixture and some lighter notes of banana bread and toasted teacakes.

This mingles alongside some light oaky notes and a touch of sawdust. As we move towards the finish I am getting some of the tarry and more “murky” Caroni like notes. Nail varnish and tar begin to fight for supremacy.

The finish is a medium length. I think it potentially could have been longer but I feel that it might be palate fatigue on my behalf. I simply couldn’t hold the finish in my taste buds long enough!

The cough syrup notes remain alongside Tree Sap and freshly cut grass and a nice smoky/oak like note which lingers nicely.

I would say as a sipper this is very much in the “enthusiast”/nutcase bracket. Any enjoyment had in this will be found by already having a fairly good idea of what it entails.

Mixed (yes I did) this makes for as an intense and flavourful rum and cola as any DOK can offer.

Crazy stuff. Not for everyone but I really enjoyed this!