Dead Reckoning T.C.B.

Bythefatrumpirate

Dead Reckoning T.C.B. Rum review by the fat rum pirateDead Reckoning T.C.B. Another release from Australian Indie bottlers Dead Reckoning. This time we have a Three Continent Blend (T.C.B.) rather than a rum from a single distillery or even rums from the same Continent.

In this particularly bottling we have rums from South America, Asia and Africa. So three different continents. The rums are sourced from Guyana (South America), Vietnam (Asia) and finally South Africa (Africa).

The Guyanese rum is a blend of rums from Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL) and makes up 8% of the total blend. The rums are from the Port Mourant Double Wooden Pot Still, the Versailles Single Wooden Pot Still and the Enmore Wooden Coffey Still.

The Vietnamese rum comes from Distillerie d’Indochine home of Sampan rum and makes up 36% of the overall blend. This is (or was when Justin acquired it) unaged column distilled Cane Juice rum.

South Africa is represented by Mhoba Rum. This is also a Cane Juice rum but this is Pot Distilled.

It is noted on the bottle that Dead Reckoning T.C.B. has been aged (on average) for 2-5 years in the tropics with a further 18 months maturation in Australia. Due to the 0% humidity where Justin ages his rum losses to evaporation stood at a staggering 27% in just 18 months!

Dead Reckoning T.C.B. comes in the now familiar 3/4 rounded stubby bottle with a nice chunky stopper and maximum information on the bottle. With no marketing waffle. It is bottled at a beefy 50.3% ABV and has no additives or colourings. This release was only available in Australia via The Rum Tribe and is now sold out. It was a release of just 185 bottles retailing at $139.

I’m reviewing this as its a really interesting rum and one I wanted to share my thoughts on. If you can find a bottle at auction or the secondary market. Then this review might help you decide whether you want to bid on it.Dead Reckoning T.C.B. Rum review by the fat rum pirate

 

You can read more of Justin’s thoughts on this blend and its make up over at The Rum Tribe. It’s really worth a read. I was going to include some excerpts here but felt its best read in full.

So lets see how this one goes down.

In the glass we are presented with a medium golden brown rum. It’s a little “dull” I guess and a touch cloudy but nothing for us to be worrying about. I’m not even sure why I still mention colour – its pretty meaningless after all. Anyway I digress….

On the nose it is very vibrant and fruity. Sweet but not sweetened. I’m getting notes of Peach, Strawberry and hints of Fruit Salad sweets (UK chewy confectionary for those who don’t know – nice but superseded by their stable mate the Black Jack). Notes of tangerine and mandarin, some Pear Drops.

Beneath this and with further nosing you get more of the Guyana influence. It’s quite an oily almost Caroni like note – petrol and a touch of something slightly rubbery/plastic. Bit of burnt tyres.

This is rounded of by some more familiar oaky bourbon notes. Overall the nose is very enjoyable and pretty complex.

I was expecting a more grassy and vegetal experience to be honest. I’m wondering if the Guyana element albeit in small, is playing those elements down a little.

On the first sip I immediately get a little more of the cane juice elements. With the Mhoba influence being felt quite strongly. There’s a nice clean grassiness mingling alongside some light tar and some salty notes. Theres a bit of “dirtiness” or menace about this rum – which I like. It’s a big blend of rums and its not afraid to show its teeth.

Further sips reveal some sweetness with green apples and peaches putting in another appearance.

Theres a lot going on and I’m getting some liquorice and a touch of menthol as we move down into the mid palate. Some nice oak notes and some black tea also put in an appearance.Dead Reckoning T.C.B. Rum review by the fat rum pirate

Finish wise it is long and as complex as the rest of the rum. It has a nice burn to it and a good length which keeps on giving up more tarry and briny notes alongside the oak. The lighter fruitier notes fade out on the finish leading a smoky, tarry ending. Bit of shoe leather and some burnt tyres again.

All in all this is a good blend and very interesting. I’m pleased I got a chance to try ut out! Have plenty more coming from Dead Reckoning as well!

 

 

 

 

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  • Cachaca Barao Dourado Amburana

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Cachaca Barao Dourado Amburana Cachaca Rum Review by the fat rum pirateCachaca Barao Dourado Amburana. I’ve previously reviewed Cachaca Barao Dourado Amendoim which was a silver or white cachaça. This cachaça has been aged in Amburana wood casks.

    I like Cachaca Barao Dourado as they make reviewing their Cachaca’s quite simple and easy. They give you all the information you need on the bottle and the use of the wood types, it is aged in to identify each Cachaca, makes it super simple for me. One of the biggest problems I have had reviewing Cachaca (particularly those samples only available in Brasil) is finding information and information I can translate and understand. I do not speak Portuguese!

    Cachaca Barao Dourado Amburana is aged for 2 years in Amburana casks. It is distilled on Copper Pot Stills at the Barao Dourado farm where production of the Cachaca is from sugar cane to bottle. The full process is undertaken there.

    Situated in Santa Maria Madalena, Rio de Janeiro Barao Dourado farm was orginally a piece of land designated by Emporer D. Pedro to the brothers Manoel, Jose and Paulinho Ignacio Leal. A mountain almost 400 metres high is names in tribute to the first owners of the farm “Agulha dos Leais” (The Leals’ Needles). The farm is now in the Tavares family and they have ensured that the traditional methods of sugar can and cachaça production are upheld.

    Cachaca Barao Dourado Amburana is available in various bottles sizes from 50ml to 700ml. A 700ml bottle retails at around R$70 – around £15. It is bottled at 40% ABV. Presentation wise it is a little old fashioned and perhaps a little basic. It’s not overly exciting but you do get information on what is actually in the bottle. No fairy tales here. If it came to the UK I would expect it to be around the £25 mark, maybe a little less.

    Amburana is a native wood of the Brasillian Amazon and I have very much enjoyed Cachaca aged in this wood in the past so lets see how this ones shapes up.

    In the glass Cachaca Barao Dourado Amburana presents itself as a golden brown. It is as simply presented in the glass as it is in the bottle.

    But we don’t judge rum by its colour here and we won’t cachaça either.

    On the nose this cachaça has really taken on the wood from the Amburana casks. As soon as you have tried a cachaça aged in Amburana you should immediately recognise another.

    The nose is very woody but very sweet at the same time. Bordering almost on being perfumed or scented. It’s very aromatic and quite herbal. I’m thinking pot pourri. The wood aromas are quite soapy as well but in a sweet scented way again. It’s very nutty with notes of both cashews and almonds. Further nosing reveals a slight undercurrent of lemon zest and perhaps some lemongrass as well.

    It is a nose which you will really enjoy or hate. I do not think this is a type of Cachaca which many will sit on the fence about or say it is “okay”.

    SIpping, what by rum standards would be quite a young spirit it’s not rough and heavy with alcohol. It isn’t by any stretch of the imagination, a tame affair to sip but it is surprisingly pleasant. I think the mellow gentler style of cachaça in general makes the younger cachaça’s easier to take neat than some young rums.

    On the sip you are greeted with a light tasting slightly woody cachaça with a sweet, soapy undertone. The spiciness from the wood takes the form of some giCachaca Barao Dourado Amburana Review by the fat rum piratenger and some very light oak. From what I gather the Amburana used is first fill so you really aren’t getting the residue of any other spirit with this cachaça.

    The mid palate is light as well with a slight burn of ginger and some slightly nutty notes of almond and cashew.

    The finish is really just a continuation of the initial sip and fades into a very sweet almost floral note.

    All in all this is a very refreshing if someone light Cachaca. Kind of a halfway house between a refreshing aperitif and a full blown sipper. It will appeal to those who prefer a lighter and perhaps less complex sipping experience.

    It’s very easy to drink and whilst not hugely challenging and not full of a vast array of flavours I really enjoy the distinctive taste of these Amburana aged Cachaca’s.

    I messed around with it a little in mixed drinks and found it worked nicely with ginger beer and lemonade. A Caiprinha was also very pleasant.

    Sometimes simple works best and this is definitely a good example of that. Straightforward but very tasty.

     

     

  • DropWorks Distillers Drop #002

    Bythefatrumpirate

    DropWorks Distillers Drop #002 rum review by the fat rum pirateDropWorks Distillers Drop #002. DropWorks are clearly not hanging about. Distillers Drop #002 arrives off the back of a debut that sold out quickly and earned a fair bit of attention.

    Rather than playing that safe they’ve leaned further into the experimental side of things. For Drop #002 they’ve gone down the Bordeaux Red wine cask route. Not a short finish, not a token influence either. This has spent 28 months in ex-Bordeaux casks from the Fronsac region. Casks which previously held Merlot.

    It’s bottled at a meaty 50.7% ABV with an outturn of 900 bottles, and like Drop #001, it didn’t take long for people to start snapping it up. It is as I type down the “last few bottles” according to their latest Facebook reel. You can still pick up a bottle which for a 70cl will set you back £64.75 here direct from DropWorks

    The bottle itself sticks to the DropWorks house style. Clean, modern, and refreshingly free ofgimmicks. No pirates, no shipwrecks, no overwrought backstory. Just the information you actually care about, presented clearly. It probably won’t excite the marketing department but it works for the rest of us.

    In the glass it’s a deeper shade than the first Drop, with a rich amber colour and the faintest reddish tint when the light hits it.

    A slow swirl shows some decent weight and gives the impression this is going to be a bit more structured than its predecessor.

    The nose opens with the cask influence front and centre. Red fruits appear first, more Strawberry and Plum than heavy Red Wine, followed by Caramel and light oak-ey notes. There’s a crack of Black Pepper sitting underneath it all which stops things getting too sweet. Given a bit of time, darker notes start to creep in too. A touch of Cocoa, a hint of something earthy.

    On the sip it there’s DropWorks Distillers Drop #002 rum review by the fat rum pirateheat but it’s well managed. An initial burst of spice gives
    way to Caramel, Vanilla and gentle Oak. The wine cask starts to show its hand a little more with more sips. This adds a soft tannic note that gives the rum shape without drying it out too much.

    As you spend time with it, deeper flavours begin to emerge. Cocoa becomes more obvious, the Oak darkens slightly, and there’s a suggestion of Stewed Fruit rather than fresh sweetness. A slight bitterness runs through the back of the palate which keeps everything in check.

    The mid palate is probably where this works best. The interaction between spirit and cask feels intentional and well judged. The wine influence adds complexity rather than novelty. Crucially it still tastes like rum first and foremost. That’s not something every wine cask rum manages to pull off. Especially those that are from a “wet cask” with soem extra special sauce added……….

    The finish is long and warming. Sweetness fades first, leaving Spice, Oak and that gentle wine derived dryness lingering nicely. A final echo of caramel and pepper hangs around long enough to encourage another sip, which is always a good sign.

    I didn’t really mix this. I thought about it briefly, but that was as far as it got. Like DropDropWorks Distillers Drop #002 rum review by the fat rum pirate #001, this feels far more at home sipped neat or maybe with a cube if you’re feeling generous. You could use it to reinforce a cocktail, particularly something spiritforward, but you’d be missing the point a little.

    DropWorks aren’t trying to make these Distillers Drops appeal to everyone and that’s a good thing. Drop #002 feels like a step forward rather than a repeat performance. More refined than the first, but still clearly part of the same “What happens if we try this?” thinking that makes the series worth paying attention to.

    It won’t be for casual drinkers, but for those who enjoy cask forward, higher strength rums and are interested in where modern British rum is heading, this is another excellent showing.

     

  • Doorly’s Fine Old Barbados Rum Aged 8 Years

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Doorly's 8 year old rum review by the fat rum pirateDoorly’s is an historic Bajan rum brand now owned by Foursquare Distilery.  It was the first branded rum to be exported from the island of Barbados. Bulk rum was exported in casks long before Doorly’s,

    The Doorly’s brand has been in existence since 1908.  This however, is a new expression.

    Aged for 8 years in American White Oak this is very much an extension of the classic 5 year old Doorly’s.  The presentation and colour scheme are identifical.  The only real difference is the back label and the number of years denoted on the front.

    This particular edition of Doorly’s was intended for the Australian market.  However Foursquare’s European distributor Marussia Beverages acquired a few bottles (the picture at the bottle of the review shows the details stamped on the rear of the bottle).  In the UK you can pick up a bottle at The Whisky Exchange for £29.95.

    The rum is blend of column and pot still rums and is bottled at 40% ABV.

    There really isn’t a great deal else to say about the rum or Foursquare.  Certainly nothing that I haven’t said before! So lets move onto the meat of the review.

    In the glass Doorly’s 8 year old is a classic reddish/golden brown.  Likely there is some caramel colouring to help with colour consistency.

    Nosing reveals a light, fruity typical Bajan style of rum.  Classic rum I would say.  It’s beautifully balanced.  It displays all the classic traits of tropical ageing in American oak casks.  Lovely light summer fruits, vanilla and the sweet/sour mash spice of the Bourbon casks.

    If this was from another producer I would be surprised to be getting such a great balance.  I have said it before and I will say it again.  Foursquare, like Appleton Estate simply do not make bad rum.  An average Foursquare rum, by their high standards will eclipse the best of most rum producers efforts.  By a mile.

    Doorly's 8 Rum Review by the fat rum pirate

    Sipping the Doorly’s 8 offers few surprises.  Which on this occasion is no bad thing!

    Everything that is promised on the nose is delivered when sipped.  Nice oak notes and spicy sweet/sour bourbon mash. You also get sweet fruity notes – a little grape and some coconut.  A slight caramel sweetness as well, a just a touch of toffee.

    It perhaps lacks the little extra bite and complexity some of the older Foursquare offerings have.  Pound for pound its probably a Foursquare rum I would pass on buying again.  Not because it is anyway a bad or sub standard rum but their older expressions are better and only a few pounds more. 

    Foursquare have also produced so many better rums over the last couple of years that this one seems a little bit well – ordinary.  The added variation their recent limited edition Port and Zinfandel Cask Finishes just give you something else to explore and savour.

    In terms of me receiving this rum its probably just bad timing.  I’ve been spoilt over the past couple of years with some truly exceptional rums from Foursquare.  This is very good but I just can’t get all that excited about it.  I blame Richard for spoiling us!

    If I could pick this up a little cheaper I’d probably buy a few bottles as it is still a really good rum. As it stands I’ll probably buy up some more 2004 and the Port and Zinfandel cask rums instead.  Oh and the new 46% ABV R L Seale’s.

  • Vale do Sol Organicos Cachaca Ouro

    Bythefatrumpirate

    vale do sol organicos cachaca Ouro Rum Review by the fat rum pirateVale do Sol Organicos Cachaca Ouro. This cachaça hails from the “Sun Valley” in the state of Rio Grande do Sol in the south of Brasil.The distillery is situated in Parana.

    Like a few cachacas, I have noticed that the brand are very proud about being an “Organic” cachaça producer. They are another producer that do not use any pesticides etc and do everything “in-house” at the distillery.

    Their bottles both highlight “Organicos” (Organic) in the naming of the cachaça and they also boast the “Organico Brasil” certificate noted on the bottle. This ensures that the cachaça is produced in line with strict organic guidelines.

    In Brasil Vale do Sol Organicos Cachaca Ouro sells for around 47$R which is approximately £9 in UK sterling. Were this to come to the UK however, I would expect to see it retail at around £30-35. It is bottled at 39.8% ABV. Presentation wise the cachaça is fairly modern, with a tall bottle with a short neck and a metal screw cap. It’s not expensive looking as such but it does like up to date. More so than many cachacas!

    Vale do sol – The Farm Valley of the Sun, has been Certified Organic, in the field and in the processing of Brown Sugar and Molasses and in early 2014 for the production of Cachaça. Based in the city of Siqueira Campos, in northern pioneer of Paraná, the property has always belonged to the Coutinho family. The farm supports three families directly. vale do sol organicos cachaca Ouro Rum Review by the fat rum pirate

    Vale do Sol production is to cultivate cane sugar organically and in a sustainable way. they do not use pesticides or chemical fertilizers. Clearing the field using manual carp, and re-using bagasse as organic matter, thus having a healthy soil for the harvesting of the sugar cane. The fermentation of sugar cane juice is using a special yeast CA-11 as an agent, since this method ensures that there is no chemicals in the process. This maintains 100% organic product.

    For the Ouro the cachaca is aged in French Oak Barrels for six months. It is distilled on a Copper Pot Still. Vale do Sol Organicos currently have two cachacas in the their line up this aged cachaça and a Prata (White). The brand do not seem to have a website but they do have a Facebook page.

    In the glass Val do Sol Organicos Cachaca Ouro is a golden brown colour. The nose is surprisingly mild and well-balanced. For a young cachaça I wasn’t expecting something quite so mellow.

    There is a really nice oak note on the nose which is really nicely complimented by some traces of lemon zest, caramel, toffee and some fruitier notes of raisin and white grapes.

    Sipped the cachaça is again really nicely balanced and very easy to sip. It has a really great balance and has no “off notes” or anything which doesn’t fit. This is very good spirit. The initial entry is one of oak spice and some sweetness – white grape and raisin. This is followed by a slightly bitter note in the mid palate which fades into the finish. The finish is rich and oaky and very enjoyable. As this isn’t a high ABV spirit the finish is perhaps a little short but overall – this is a really great cachaça.

    vale do sol organicos cachaca Ouro Rum Review by the fat rum pirateMixed it works nicely – but it’s not the most dominant of cachaça so it can be a bit overawed by mixers such as cola or ginger beer. A Ti Punch or Caiprinha are enjoyable but I do feel like I am missing something by mixing this cachaça. It’s definitely much better as sipper.

    This is a mellow easy going, easy drinking style of cachaça. It’s not hugely complex – though there is enough going on to make it interesting. It’s not a huge grassy flavour burst its much more subtle.

    A real surprise – I would imagine the Prata will work better as a mixer. Would be interesting to try that one as well.

     

  • Elements Eight Barrel Infused Criollo Cacao Rum

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Elements Eight Barrel Infused Criiollo Cacao Rum review by the fat rum pirateElements Eight rums are quite visible in the UK marketplace.  Several more upmarket department stores stock the brand and it can be found in many style and cocktail bars.

    Presentation wise that’s not really surprising as the tall square, high shouldered bottles are very pleasing on the eye.  They are however less pleasing on the shelves. You will find they are a lot taller than most spirits bottles – which can make them a bit of a pain to store. So it’s probably just as well that they have recently re-launched their rums with new packaging.  They have also decided to drop this offering.

    Founded 10 years ago Elements Eight use rum from St Lucia Distillers.  The range consisted of Gold and White “regular” rums and two Barrel Infused rums.  This one the Criollo Cacao and their Exotic Spices Rum.  They are continuing with all except for this bottle.  For more details see here.

    A bottle of this rum (if you find it) will set you back around £30-35 for a 70cl bottle.  It is bottled at a very refreshing 40% ABV.

    The Elements Eight name describes the 8 elements which make up the composition of their rums from Terroir to Filtration.  Due to the reddish hue particularly on the bottom of the bottle its quite difficult to determine just how dark this rum is.  Elements Eight Crillo Cacao rum review by the fat rum pirate

    It would appear to be an infused version of their Gold Rum which I have reviewed (follow the hyperlink). No bad thing.

    On the nose the rum is quite boozy with a lot of young alcohol coming through.  It’s quite difficult to pick out the Cacao.  You do eventually get some subtle of wafts of cocoa powder, hints of dark chocolate and a little ground coffee.

    Taken neat you really begin to notice the Cacao Infusion.  Its a very strong tasting and very smooth spirit.  It is warm and chocolatey and very tasty.  It works great neat or even with a cube or two of ice.

    In many ways it remind of the Whisky liqueur Drambuie, in terms of flavour.  However, it does not have the liqueur like texture of that drink nor is it as sickly sweet.  All in all it perhaps reminds me most of Tia Maria in terms of texture if not flavour.

    The rum base doesn’t shine through with this rum. It is very much an infused rum designed to taste like what it has been infused with.  Not one which acts alongside the base spirit.

    Much like a rum liqueur or even a more conventional Spiced Rum this offers a change from the normal rum profile (is there such a thing?).  In many ways offers a drink very much in its own little niche (or rather did).

    We’ll get onto the dangerous bit of the review now……mixing.

    Elements Eight Cacao Rum review by the fat rum pirateI can’t say I ever really thought about having a rum and cola that tasted like a coffee/dark chocolate hybrid but this is what you get when you mix this with cola.  Like a Black Russian this goes down far, far too easily.  Making it very dangerous and definitely not one for a school night!

    There is nothing really to fault with this infused rum, it tastes exactly as it should and displays no signs of any artificial flavouring or sweeteners.  It’s very authentic tasting with nothing synthetic about it.

    As it stands this is the best “Crillo Cacao” Infused rum I have tried.

    It is of course the only one I have tried………..

    4 stars

  • Chairman’s Reserve 2005 Vintage

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Chairman's Reserve 2005 Vintage Rum review by the fat rum pirateChairman’s Reserve 2005 Vintage. Chairman’s Reserve Finest Saint Lucia Rum has been available since 1999, long before I got into rum.

    It has even worked it’s way into UK supermarket shelves and has been stocked by Sainsbury’s for at least 7 or 8 years. It has certainly helped raise the profile of “Supermarket” rum.

    We’ve recently seen quite a lot of Chairman’s Reserve branded Single Cask rums being released by various different stores, Rum Clubs and even investment businesses. Saint Lucia Distillers in general have increased their overall portfolio considerably, especially here in Europe.

    They have added rums to all their “brands” such as Bounty, Admiral Rodney, 1931 and of course Chairman’s Reserve. So lets take a look at what they are offering us this time.

    Chairman’s Reserve 2005 Vintage is a 14 year old blend of rums from their John Dore 1 still and their traditional Column Coffey still. The rums were originally aged seperately for 4 years in ex-bourbon barrels. After this time they were “vatted” together and aged a further 10 years until 2019 when the contents were bottled.

    It has been bottled at 46% ABV, which may disappoint some, sorry correction this HAS disappointed some wanting Cask Strength rum. I am tasting from bottle number 132 of only 390. It is noted as being from Cask 7/10. Which I presume means their are 9 other similar casks to this rum floating about somewhere? Perhaps this was the only one that was bottled at 14 years. To be honest I’ve not asked anyone about it. So if anyone wants to shed more light please feel free.

    Despite the low out turn of bottles it is still available. You can pick a bottle up for £59.95 over at Master of Malt. It’s a shame no one told this guy who paid nearly double that at auction. This is something which seems to be happening rather a lot lately. People paying over the odds at auction for bottles they could have easily ordered online. Still a fool and his money are easily parted.

    Presentation wise the Chairman’s Reserve 2005 Vintage is similar to the Single Cask offerings that have been popping up everywhere in terms of colour scheme. However this has a gold band around the bottom noting 2005 Vintage rather than the Store or Club the rum was bought by. The cardboard box is also a full box rather than the cut out style used on the Single Cask bottlings. I guess this is Single Cask as well but I’m still not totally sure whether there are more 2005 VIntage’s around (from the remaining Chairman's Reserve 2005 Vintage Rum review by the fat rum piratecasks of the original 10).

    Other than that bottle is the traditional stubby Chairman’s bottle and you get a nice synthetic cork stopper. All very nice.

    In the glass we have a vibrant reddish/dark brown liquid.

    Nosing I am immediately taken back to my first experiences with Chairman’s Reserve. I remember my first nosing of Chairman’s and thinking “this is rum”. This has a similar balance to the standard Chairman’s in terms of the nose.

    There is a really nice vanilla sweetness, which is overlapped by some spicy and very nicely balanced oak notes. It’s woody but sweet with it and it’s very harmonious. Chairman’s Reserve 2005 Vintage is not as herbal as some of the Saint Lucia Distillers rums – such as the 1931 line up. It’s more a “straight forward” kind of delivery.

    That is not to say though that it doesn’t have a fair bit going on. It certainly does. As well as being reminded of Chairman’s Reserve “standard” edition I am also getting quite a lot of the Admiral Rodney style. Now Column Distilled rum can get a fair bit of flack and a lot of people (incorrectly) label and consider it to be “neutral” and of little merit. That is not the case when it is done well – and not done on a mass industrial multi column.

    Notes of leather, cocoa, some dark chocolate, pipe smoke and chewy toffee. A slight spicyness with a tiny hint of ginger and some fennel. Bit of stewed breakfast tea – bit of an almost Worthy Park vibe going on. Baked banana bread, stewed apple.

    It’s a lovely nose with most of the things I like – if not all.

    Sipped, it has a touch more bite than I was expecting. That isn’t a problem though it’s still quite soft and pretty easy to drink. The initial entry is a touch bitter with some spicy oak and ginger – a touch of lime zest and some chilli heat that never quite comes to the boil.

    Swirled in the mouth the mid palate develops into chocolate, toffee and some sweet vanilla. The balance and ease at which this can be drank is more than a little dangerous. It’s also very moreish.

    The finish is a good length and moves nicely into more spicy and oaky territory becoming woodier and more nuanced with some bitter cocoa notes – like chewing on cocoa nibs. There is a touch of red apple towards the finish as well which adds a little Chairman's Reserve 2005 Vintage Rum review by the fat rum piratesweetness and makes you reach for another glass.

    The key to this rum is that it hasn’t tried to hard. Some of Saint Lucia Distillers blends (particularly in the 1931 series) could get a little busy. This is a simple balancing act of quality Pot Still and Column Distilled rum. For me the very backbone of good rum making. No matter what any Cask Strength 100% Pot Still nutjob might think on that matter.

    I’m all for challenging rums but I also think we should appreciate when a Master Blender does exactly what his job title suggests. He certainly has here.

    Well played Mr Harris.