Diablesse Clementine Spiced Rum

Bythefatrumpirate

Diablesse Clementine Spiced Rum review by the fat rum pirateDiablesse Clementine Spiced Rum. La Diablesse is a character in Caribbean fokelore. More specifically the island of Grenada.

She is depicted as a demon with a cows hoof at the end of one leg. It is said that she hides her “evil” face with a huge fan and leads unsuspecting men into dark forests, where she sacrifices them to the devil.

Diablesse achieves this by disappearing, using magic to confuse the men, who then run scared around the forest until they fall to their death or are eaten by the many predators in the forest. Sounds a bit like a few of my ex girlfriends…….

Diablesse Clementine Spiced Rum on the other hand is a unique blend of Demerara rum from the Diamond Distillery in Guyana, which has been flavoured naturally with Clementine, Clove, Star Anise, Cinnamon, Vanilla Pod (please, have gone steady with this part!), Ginger and Pimento.

So, it is a Spiced Rum which on the face of it appears a lot different to most of the vanilla infused concoctions we see all too often. Diablesse Clementine Spiced Rum is currently available at Master of Malt, The Whisky Exchange and several independent retailers. A 70cl bottle will set you back around £32. It has been bottled at a more than respectable 40% ABV. Unlike many other Spiced Rums.

You can find more information at the brands website which covers both their spiced and their Caribbean blended rum. Diablesse has already won awards for both of their rums at the recent The Spirits Business Rum and Cachaca Masters. This particular rum took home a gold.

Presentation wise, Diablesse is a very well branded rum with a very clear presentation. The stubby rounded bottles have very distinctive and very striking designs and the branding is very strong. Diablesse isn’t a word that I’ve come across before so this meant searching for information on this brand was really easy. You aren’t going to get this rum confused with any others on the shelves. There aren’t many Spiced Rums that go to the trouble of giving you a chunky cork stopper.

Diablesse Clementine Spiced Rum review by the fat rum pirateI think that pretty much covers everything, so lets see how I get on with this Spiced Rum. I’ve been trying recently to cover more of the “different” Spiced Rums, that have appeared on the market and avoid the numerous Sailor Jerry and Kraken copycats. This being a Clementine Spiced Rum I am seeing it more as a flavoured rum. However, I understand the spices in the mix pair with the Clementine, so its not all just about the orange citrus.

In the glass we have a very bright vibrant liquid, almost orange in appearance with a red hue. The nose is not what I was expecting. It’s rich and warming rather than full of orange/clementine. The clementine aromas are more like clementine peel. Sweet marmalade. This blends nicely with a real rich blend of spices. Christmas Cake, Ginger Cake, a touch of chilli spice. A slightly Asian feel to the aromas with the star anise.

Ginger and Orange are the most dominant spices in the mix and I really like it – it’s something different. Sipped its pretty smooth (there is a fair amount of sugar/additives in this), which were it a regular rum I might gripe about. I’ve not really quite got on the “no added sugar” Spiced Rum bandwagon which a few brands have tried to focus on.

It’s a nice pleasant almost liqueur kind of drink. A nice warming after dinner hit of Ginger Cake and marmalade. The initial entry is pretty sweet but the clementine and ginger flavours quickly add a slight bitterness which reduces the sweetness on the mid palate. The Pimento and clove come along nicely in the mid palate adding some extra complexity to the spirit. There is also a nice burn and hit of oak and a very definite rummyness to this spiced rum. The distinctive Demerara raisin notes are never far away. Which again, is refreshing.

The vanilla pod isn’t really all that apparent -it’s probably just adding a little sweetness to the mix. This is probably the type of Spiced Rum you don’t want to start drinking neat after a few more “normal” rums. I dare say a headache will undoubtedly await the next day. Alongside an empty bottle. The finish is of reasonable length and the ginger remains for quite a while in the mouth. It’s quite moreish though.

Diablesse recommend pairing this rum with Fever Tree’s Spiced Orange Ginger Ale – which sounds intriguing enough on its own. I’ll definitely seek some of that out as it will be right up my street. I’ll stick with some cola for now and see how this mixes with that.

It’s really nice and stands up well to the diet cola. The aroma remains of Ginger Cake Diablesse Clementine Spiced Rum review by the fat rum pirateand Clementine/Marmalade. Again its ridiculously easy to drink like this. It also works really nicely with lemonade and even with tonic. Rum and Tonic is becoming a bit of a thing. I like the fact you can still get some of the sweet raisin notes from the Demerara rum used in the blend

This is a pretty versatile Spiced Rum. It works nicely neat as a kind of after dinner drink and it mixes really well. There is enough “rum” in the mix to keep me interested when mixing the rum and I really like the balance of the spices. I also like the slight kick at the end that the Pimento offers.

If you like rum, oranges and ginger cake then you will very much enjoy this. If you don’t well you probably are best steering clear.

That said – who in their right mind doesn’t like ginger cake?

 

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  • Bacardi Superior

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Bacardi Superior White rum reviewThere’s probably not a lot to be said about Bacardi that hasn’t been said before.  Probably, on this blog and one of my other Bacardi reviews amongst other places.  It was on completing a review of Lemon Hart White Rum that I realised I hadn’t actually reviewed Bacardi Superior.  I’d had the pictures taken and reviewed a few other of Bacardi products but somehow I’d totally forgotten to review their flagship offering.

    To most people Bacardi (and even rum) begins and ends with this rum.  Ask for a rum and coke and many places won’t even ask what you want and just serve a Bacardi and Coke.  To be honest in some places in the UK you’d be more than glad of a Bacardi!

    Do I need to explain the bottle that Bacardi Superior comes in? Is there anyone on the planet with even the vaguest interest in rum (or just drink in general) who wouldn’t recognise Bacardi?  Bacardi Superior, Bacardi Gold and Bacardi Black all come roughly the same bottle.  I’ve said it before but I do like the way Bacardi presents it products.

    The Bacardi Superior comes in, well a standard Bacardi bottle complete with bat logo, gold medals and the “Case Fundada En Cuba estd 1862” which any Bacardi aficionado will recognise.  The bottle I’m reviewing is 40% ABV and its a 1 litre bottle.

    I made the mistake of trying to sip Lemon Hart White rum (and Wray and Nephew!) I’ve drank more than enough Bacardi Superior to know that sipping is not a good idea.  I sipped it along side the Mastro De Ron when conducting that review.  It’s a mixing rum and any pretence of anything else is frankly just plain stupid.

    Bacardi works well in a classic Cuban Cuba Libre.  It is a mixing rum.  It is a white spirit that has a sweet fruity taste which vodka cannot match.  If you wish to look beyond this spirit and try to make it something else then you are looking at the wrong drink.  Let’s be honest a lot of people who drink Bacardi probably don’t even know its rum they probably just think its well errrm Bacardi!

    A review of Bacardi Superior can be nothing other than brief.  It is a very sweet -apple, banana and a little sweet pear are all in the profile.  I don’t know how much sugar is in this rum but it is very, very sweet.  Being honest it isn’t something any serious “rum” lover is going to get excited about.  It’s probably of more interest to a mixologist or bartender.  I don’t build cocktails but I would imagine there will be times when certain cocktails really benefit from Bacardi Superior.

    I often think of Bacardi Superior as “sweet vodka” a relatively inoffensive yet very sweet mixer.  I think if you knock this you’re kind of missing the point.  There’s plenty room for the rum’s you like alongside this.  Hey sales of this rum might even help subsidise the “better” Bacardi offerings such as 8 anos and Reserva.

    2 stars

     

     

     

     

    This rum is available from

    THEDRINKSHOP

     

     

     

     

  • The Duchess Beenleigh Artisan Distillery Australia 13 Years Old

    Bythefatrumpirate

    The Duchess Beenleigh Artisan Distillery Australia 13 Years Old Rum Review by the fat rum pirateThe Duchess Beenleigh Artisan Distillery Australia 13 Years Old. It’s good to see independent bottlers releasing rums from distilleries/locations that have perhaps not had the attention from Independent brokers they perhaps deserve.

    It’s good to see producers such as the Netherlands The Duchess reaching out and trying different rums. Rather than just going with the tried and tested Shelf Friendly Unit Shifters from the likes of Jamaica, Barbados and Trinidad (Caroni).

    That is not to say that Beenleigh Distillery is in anyway a new or even “small” operation. However their location in Australia means that very little of their rum has so far made it to our shores. With even less being bottled by Independents.

    Indeed, Beenleigh Artisan Distillery (I’m not quite sure what qualifies you to call yourselves “Artisan or if such qualifications even exist) is Australia’s oldest operating distillery. Beenleigh Distillery has been in operation since 1884. It is based in Queensland and the sugar cane molasses used in Beenleigh rums, is also produced in the state.

    From what I understand Beenleigh use a “VAT Still” similar to the Port Mourant still at DDL to produce their rums.

    The bottling the Duchess Beenleigh Artisan Distillery Australia 13 Years Old it is noted as being “Platypus Special Edition” on the Best of Wines webstore. The front label indeed has a picture of the Duck Billed Platypus. Other than this rather funny looking beast, the presentation is pretty standard for The Duchess. Which is as usual really classy with a nice blue wax seal around the cork stopper.

    The rum retails at around €62, I was quite surprised at the price. This rum has been matured for 10 years in the Tropics in Australia before being moved to Europe and aged for a further 3 years in a slightly less Tropical climate……..

    So the rum is 13 years old. It was distilled back in 2007 and was bottled earlier this year. It has been matured in an ex-bourbon barrel and it is noted as being from Cask number 38. Only 284 bottles of this rum were available. The rum has been bottled at Cask Strength of 63.4% ABV.

    Should you wish to seek out further information on Beenleigh Artisan Distillery then they have a very useful website here.

    So lets see how this Australia rum fares. I sure hope its better than Bundy……….

    In the glass we have a medium to dark brown spirit with little hue around the edges. It looks a little “washed out”. Not that I particularly care about the colour! You know, just letting you all know. Never judge a rum by its colour. Unless of course its green or flourescent orange or something. Then judge away………..

    On the nose The Duchess Beenleigh Artisan Distillery Australia 13 Years Old is quite heavy on the molasses. The nose is quite sharp and aggressivThe Duchess Beenleigh Artisan Distillery Australia 13 Years Old Rum Review by the fat rum piratee. Lots of varnish and petrol fumes.

    Battling amongst the treacly molasses and sharp varnish notes is a herbal/pine cone aroma. This reminds me of Saint Lucian rums. It definitely has something similar going on in terms of a kind of herbal/mineral like note. It’s slightly minty and menthol like as well.

    Little bit more time in the glass and I start to notice more of the nicely integrated oak notes and the spice and char from the barrel. There’s a hint of vanilla alongside the toffee/molasses notes as well.

    All in all this is a big aggressive, hairs on the chest type of nose. I suspect I may be adding a drop or two of water to this….

    Sipped it is much fruitier and the herbal notes have made their way more to the front. The initial entry is quite sweet with a sugar cane like notes and some rich dark treacly toffee. This quickly moves over to a more herbal/grassy note which is very interesting and whilst reminiscent of Saint Lucian rum – has its own character as well.

    On the mid palate the astringent, bitter and more aggressive notes – the nail varnish and the petrol fumes begin to build again alongside the oak and spices from the barrel.

    The mid palate becomes more “savoury” and whisky-esque with much more influence from the oak. Being honest if was given this blind I don’t think I would have guessed it to be double digits in terms of age. I’d likely have said around 3-4 years old.

    The mid palate and finish is where I would expect an older spirit to perhaps “mellow” out a little. This rum does not do that – especially at full strength.

    I’m going to add a drop of water and see if it can “open” the rum up a little more.

    It’s definitely working. At full strength I found the finish seemed to not so much as fade out but the alcohol was a bit overpowering. I’m now getting a much more rounded experience with this rum.The Duchess Beenleigh Artisan Distillery Australia 13 Years Old Rum Review by the fat rum pirate

    Finish wise, with the water it fades out nicely with a good hit of molasses and oak spice. Despite the initial quite fruity and sweet entry this rum does become more savoury as you move through the sipping experience. The drop of water definitely improves the experience. Making it less dry and allowing more flavour to reveal itself.

    That said I quite like the aggressive notes in this rum. It’s a bit of a challenge and has a very interesting taste profile. It has certainly piqued my interest in trying some more products from Beenleigh Artisan Distillery.

    I’d be very keen to see how the distilleries OB taste in comparison to this.

     

     

  • Havana Club Anejo 3 Anos

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Havana Club White RumHavana Club Anejo 3 Anos (Aged 3 years) is a white rum from the Cuban rum producers.  With news of a possible embargo on Cuban products in the US I felt it a good time to review this staple of the UK and Europe’s style bars.

    Distributed in the UK by Pernod-Ricard, Havana Club’s main competition comes from the Puerto Rican powerhoubse Bacardi.  Which is distributed by Bacardi-Brown-Forman.  Oddly I cannot think of many White Rums which have any kind of meaningful presence in the UK other than Havana Club and Bacardi.  To be honest Bacardi has become such a byword for white rum that I doubt many people who drink Bacardi even realise it is rum!

    I’m concerned my research has been unable to find a white rum marketed by Diageo (who own Captain Morgan amongst other rum brands) in the UK.  If I am missing something obvious please let me know in the comments below!

    I would say Havana Club’s rums have established themselves fairly comfortably over here int the UK.  This aged (white rum has to be filtered to be white thus it cannot be aged for too long or you’d never get he colour out!) white is a step up from the Anejo Blanco.  Price wise in the UK the difference is only a couple of pounds.  Having said that the 3 Anos is much easier to get a hold of.  Sainsbury’s stock it which is where I purchased my bottle.  As can be seen from the rums I have so far reviewed I’m not huge on white rum.  This is mainly due to my preference for rum and cola or sipping rums.  I don’t do a lot of cocktails so have little use for white rums.  Still I picked this bottle up for £15 for the purpose of a review and to try to complete the Havana Club portfolio.

    The rum comes in a standard bar style bottle.  The label quite suits the rum and I don’t mind the presentation.  It isn’t spectacular but its keeps in with the brands identity.

    The first thing I note with this white rum is very slight yellow tinge to the rum.  When poured into the glass I also note it is slightly viscous.

    The nose is very sweet.  It has that Havana Club nose which I have noted in my review of the 7 Year Old.  It is quite a strange almost tobacco like note.  I’m not a huge fan of this but the sweetness seems to be tempering it slightly making it more appealing.  It is not as prominent as in the Anejo Especial.Havana Club 3 Anos

    As a 3 year old rum this should be approaching sippable.  At the same time its a white and from what I gather it is aimed at luxury cocktails and its to be used in Mojitos and Daiquiris.  When sipped the rum is fairly smooth but it doesn’t have an abundance of flavour.  Its sweet but very short.  I’ve not met many people with an interest in White Rums as sippers (Mamajuana on Ministry of Rum has a strange interest in trying 100 White Rums).

    When mixed with cola the rum reveals itself as very competent.  Similar to Bacardi Superior.  It’s not quite as sweet and does still have a hint of tobacco lurking in the mix.  At under £20 we are firmly in mixing territory here.  From trying all the Havana Club rums up to the Seleccion de Maestro its nice to see how the rums progress up the scale.  As a result I can’t really mark this rum too highly.  It does a decent job as a mixer.  It’s relatively inexpensive.  However I have had a couple of white rums which I would favour.  Plantation 3 Star and El Dorado 3 Year Old both have an edge over this (admittedly they are more expensive).  In the straight taste test I’ve performed with this Bacardi Superior and Lemon Hart White Rum I’m even finding the Lemon Hart to be slightly more interesting.  The little hint of Guyanese rum in the Lemon Hart I’m enjoying more than I recall.

    Having said all that there really isn’t much to split the three white mixing rums.  I would imagine in cocktails you would struggle to pick one out over the others.

    Maybe I need to start building a few cocktails and exploring white rum a little more.  However, for now my assessment is that this in the grand scheme of things is an unspectacular rum.  It’s average.  I’ll be cruel and say it……it’s white rum what do you expect?

    My scoring reflects this……..

    2 stars

     

     

     

     

    This rum is available from

    THEDRINKSHOP

  • Saliboa Cachaca

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Saliboa Cachaca Seleta Cachaca Rum Review by the fat rum pirateSaliboa Cachaca is part of the Seleta (Select) family of products. It is one of their more recents products. It is also one of their older cachacas, in terms of ageing.

    Hailing from Salinas, MInas Gerais which is often seen as the capital of Cachaca production Seleta is amongst Brasil’s best-selling cachacas. In 2012, Seleta has received the seal of a Geographical Indication (GI) of the INPI. Its location, as well as the climate and soil, promote the development of a great variety of wild yeasts which help with the quality and taste of the cachaça produced by the company.

    Saliboa Cachaca is produced on Copper Pot Stills from freshly harvested suit is a gar cane. It is then aged for 5 years in Tabebuia Chrysantha (known as Ipe Amarelo in Brasil) wood. This wood is from tree native to the tropical rainforests of South America. It is the national tree of Venezuela.

    Saliboa Cachaca is available in 3 bottles sizes – 120ml, 670ml an 600ml. For some reason the presentation is different for the 120ml and 670ml bottles, which are presented in ceramic rather than glass bottles. The picture at the top of the review is of the 600ml bottle. For once I can happily report that you can obtain this particular cachaça in the UK it is available from the following Portuguese food specialist here.

    The price of £29.95 is not bad at all for a “niche import”. It is the 600ml bottle and is bottled at 45.5% ABV. Looks wise with its metal cap it looks more like a German Pilsener than a bottle of cachaça/rum. I guess the producers do not expect the bottles to last very long. You would have to find your own cork to seal it if you wished it last longer than one sitting.

    Seleta have their own website which will give you a bit more information on the brand and its others products. Their Cachaca Seleta is noted as being the “Darling of Brasil”, such is its popularity.

    In the glass Saliboa Cachaca is a shade or two darker than straw or white wine. Very light brown. Clearly the casks the cachaça has aged in have only give a very subtle colour to the spirit.

    The nose is light and fragrant with some slightly soapy but very nicely balanced aromas of vanilla, sandalwood and some sweet grassy notes.

    Further nosing reveals some nice spicy notes of ginger and some turmeric. This combines with some light toffee and perhaps a dollop of caramel sauce.

    The wood influence on this cachaça is very pleasant – slightly floral but its subtlety has had a really nice effect on the spirit. This is quite a unique nose and one which is very pleasant and inviting.

    Sipping Saliboa Cachaca is an equally pleasant experience. An initial burst of sweet toffee notes mingles alongside freshly cut ginger and some green chilli. It is refreshing and warming at the same time. Palate cleansing yet the finish is long and full of vanilla and pears.

    Despite a relatively high ABV (Cachaca can only be 48% anything higher in ABV becomes Aguardente de Cana) of 45.5% ABV this has a really nSaliboa Cachaca Seleta Rum review by the fat rum pirateice subtle balance to it. Like the best Barbados rums this is more about skillful blending and subtlety, as opposed to brute force flavour.

    Further sips, reveal a light smoke on the palate which works beautifully alongside the subtle notes of ginger and even a touch of garlic or chive. This isn’t a very grassy cachaça, the sugar cane only really shows it’s sweeter caramelised notes, rather than grassy aromas.

    This is a fantastic cachaça and one which I am really enjoying. The finish is long and warming, with a really long fade. The best thing about this cachaça is the balance, it doesn’t have any “off notes”. It’s subtle yet backs sufficient punch to satisfy the taste buds.

    I’ll be seeking out other Cachaca’s aged in this type of wood if available, as this is very distinctive and very good!

     

     

  • Hillery & Son Premium Rum Punch

    Bythefatrumpirate

    HILLERY & SON rum punch review by the fat rum pirateHillery & Son is an authentic Premium Jamaican Rum Punch. Created from the closely guarded Bryan family recipe.  At least that is what the marketing says anyway!

    Upto now the site has focused on rums and spiced rums.  We have featured the occasional liqueur but never any pre-mixed drinks or any of the “rum beers” which have sprung up over the past couple of years.

    In order to keep the site “on trend” we will in future cover rum based curiosities such as those mentioned in the previous category.

    Hillery & Son Rum Punch recipe is dating back over 100 years. A blend of exotic fruit, infused with the finest premium Jamaican white rum.  Although it isn’t detailed on their website Hillery & Son currently use J Wray and Nephew White Overproof in their punches.  Which is a big tick in the box from me.

    Marlon Bryan founded the company in 2012. After three years of growth and development of the brand, Hillery & Son is now becoming more availabled across the UK in pubs, bars, carnivals, festivals and events such as The Rum Kitchen, Notting Hill Carnival and Beach East in the Olympic Park and Nottingham. Hillery & Son is also currently stocked in over 20 retailers across London.  Including Drink Supermarket where I picked up my bottles.

    Hillery & Son’s rum punches are available in three flavours Fruit Punch, Grape and Strawberry.  They retail at around £3.50 per 250ml bottle.  They are also available in 750ml bottles as well.  I haven’t seen this for sale so I am not sure how much they are.

    It would be easy to dismiss them as another faddy “alcopop”.  Until you realise the ABV on the bottle.  At 11.6% ABV these punches are more in keeping with a white wine than an alcopop.

    The punches contain imported syrup’s from Jamaica and fresh exotic fruit juices.  With Wray and Nephew as the rum base I’m expecting quite a substantial rummy kick.  Perhaps a bit of twist on the famous “Ting Wray”.

    I’m not Jamaican but Worthy Park’s distillery manager Gordon Clarke has tasted these punches and was very much in favour of them!

    Hillery & Son Rum Punch review by the fat rum pirateOriginal Fruit Punch

    The bottles pictured to the right are the old design.  The first photo in this article shows the new bottles.

    I spoke with the makers of Hillery & Son prior to tasting their punches.  On their website they have a number of suggested cocktails and ways of mixing their punch.

    I was advised as primarily a rum lover just to chill the punches in the fridge and then enjoy from a chilled glass.  No ice and no mixer.

    With exotic fruit juices I’m getting a lot of Mango, Peaches and Passion Fruit on the nose and syrup the punch is very sweet smelling.  It reminds me a little of cartons of sweetened tropical fruit juice.  To be fair that does it a little dis-service it smells a lot more inviting and much less synthetic than most of those.

    What strikes me the most though is the wonderful funky Jamaican pot still overproof rum which is rising above all the sweet fruity flavours.  You can smell the full 11.6% ABV.

    Drinking this punch is very easy – too easy really.  You get great full flavoured Jamaican Overproof rum and sweet juicy tropical fruits.  It is sweet but has a nice balance and doesn’t become cloying.

    Strawberry Rum Punch

    Next up is the Strawberry flavoured punch.  Which being honest is my least favourite of the three.  Like the Original Rum Punch the Overproof rum does still come through and you get a nice satisfying rummy kick.

    The Strawberry flavour is nice and authentic tasting and it’s quite enjoying.  However, for my taste buds and preference its just a bit too sweet.  It reminds me of Strawberry flavoured ice pops its just a shade too sweet for me to enjoy as much as the others.

    Hillery & Son Basil Punch rum review by the fat rum pirateI did end up mixing this one and I made a Basil Punch (mine didn’t look quite as good as the photo so I didn’t use my photo!

    It was easy to make Lime Juice and touch of Basil.  The Lime Juice cut rhough the Strawberry nicely giving the drink a slightly bittersweet taste which I much preferred.

    Grape Rum Punch

    Finally we come to the Dark Grape Rum Punch.  Again like the other two punches the flavours are bold, sweet but not cloyingly so.

    The nose reminds me in a big way of dark grape flavoured boiled sweets which for the life of me I cannot remember the name of!

    Once again the Wray and Nephew is not overawed and is perhaps most noticeable in this variant.  Drinking this I add a few ice cubes (against the advice given) and it remind me very much of Grape Flavoured Slush – which was always my favourite as a kid.

    Add in some Overproof rum and I’m very much enjoying this “adult slush”.  Very tasty.

    Despite picking these up I was quite sceptical about them.  They are certainly much better than the likes of the rum flavoured “beers” such as Fosters’ Rocks (it really doesn’t) and Cubanista.

    These are sweet tasting cocktails in a bottle but they elevate themselves from mere alcopops or novelties as they have that huge authentic high ABV rum kick.hillery-son-grape

    As I haven’t reviewed (or really sampled much Authentic Jamaican Rum Punch) I was toying with the idea of not giving these a score.  However, I’ve been really pleasantly surprised by these and have thoroughly enjoyed them.  They are a great summer drink – believe me if I had noticed them earlier in the year I would have picked them up!  Apologies for the timing of the review if you are in the UK.

    Certainly something worth looking out for next summer.  Ideal for barbecues and sunny days outdoors.  The two we might get anyway……

    Jammin’

    4 stars

  • Cockspur Old Gold Special Reserve Rum

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Cockspur Old Special Reserve RumCockspur Old Gold Special Reserve Rum. I always think of the cricket, when I see Cockspur. Which is strange, because aside from being a mean left handed fast bowler in my youth, my adversity to having small hard things thrown at me at speeds of up to 60mph, largely diminished my interest in the game.

    That said, I was more than happy delivering a “full toss” (no sniggering at the back), especially at my PE teacher or kids from rival schools.

    Anyway I digress. Cockspur have over the years sponsored various cricket competitions throughout the West Indies and the Caribbean.

    Cockspur Fine Rum is probably the most recognised expression in the Cockspur portfolio. It has long been very easily available in the UK. Indeed it was one of the first “premium” branded rums I tried once I gravitated from Supermarket own make rum. Yes, I started at the very bottom. There is little snobbery on this blog.

    The brand was re-booted in the UK in 2019. It is now handled by The Cockspur Rum Company, who are based in Warrington. Distribution of Cockspur was passed to Quintessential Brands in 2017. A quick google of the two companies reveals both are coming out of the same address. So although Cockspur doesn’t appear on the Quintessential website it appears they are still involved with the brand.

    I thought I had viewed a UK or European Cockspur website a while back but I don’t seem able to find it at the moment. It might have been a figment of my imagination. There is a Cockspur.com website but it’s a little out dated and had no real useful information anyway.

    Cockspur Old Gold Special Reserve Rum hails from Bridgetown, Barbados and is produced at the West Indies Rum Distillery (WIRD), which of course is now owned by Maison Ferrand who produce Plantation, which is soon to be The Rum Formerly Known As Plantation – TRFKAP for short.

    Cockspur Old Special Reserve RumUnlike the Plantation line Cockspur Old Gold Special Reserve Rum has been distilled, aged and blended in Barbados. It says so on the front label. It doesn’t say anything about additives but I can confirm there are none as per the hydrometer.

    Cockspur Old Gold Special Reserve Rum has not been reviewed much at all online. It is only recently that I have seen this available outside of the Caribbean and the US. I do not recall ever seeing this for sale in the UK, until very recently. I’ve always enjoyed Cockspur Fine Rum, so when I saw this for sale I bought it immediately, along with the XO and the re-branded Cockspur Fine Rum. All will be reviewed shortly. I went for this one first as I hadn’t reviewed any variation of it in the past.

    Cockspur Old Gold Special Reserve Rum is a blend of Column and Pot Distilled rum. I am putting them in that order because I understand that the majority of the rum is Double Column Distilled rum with a smaller proportion of Pot Still rum added.

    The blend is aged in ex-bourbon barrels, for what I understand to be a minimum of 5 years. It has been bottled at “Island” strength (a number of Barbadian expressions, such as Mount Gay Eclipse, are bottled at a slightly higher ABV on Barbados, than they are when exported) of 43% ABV. In the UK you can currently pick up a bottle at Master of Malt and Amazon. Expect to pay around £30.

    Presentation wise the bottle is clean and uncluttered. You don’t get any information on the actual rum sadly. Just tasting notes and the fact that it is produced and bottled on Barbados. The labels have a slightly photo-copied look about them but only really close up. The actual bottle is a 3/4 stubby style bottle with a short neck. The rum is sealed with a wooden topped synthetic cork stopper. All in all it looks modern and has an appeal on the shelf.

    My curiosity is peaked by the fact that is noted as being around 5 years old so I am keen to learn how it compare’s to Plantation’s own flagship 5 Year Old Barbados rum. Which, I understand is now made using rum from WIRD only. I’ll point out at this stage that Cockspur is not part of Maison Ferrand. The brand is licensed out in much the same way Malibu is.

    So l better get down to business and see how the delivery is on this one (get it??).

    In the glass I am presented with a classic golden/dark rum profile. As this is a continuous product it is highly likely it has had some caramel added solely for colouring purposes. Cockspur Old Gold Special Reserve Rum has a slightly reddish hue to go alongside the golden/dark brown colour. Cockspur Old Special Reserve Rum

    Nosing the rum is quite light. Even by Barbadian standards the nose is not particularly punchy. There is a fair amount of booze on the nose. It does smell a little younger than I would expect. Maybe the information on it being around 5 years old is out of date. It’s a no age statement rum so its no big deal for me. I learnt a while back not to obsess over numbers. In fairness often reviewing rums without all the facts works best anyway…….I’m probably contradicting myself a bit there. Never mind just call me Mary.

    Further nosing reveals some toffee and a hint of caramel. A little vanilla. The nose is quite oaky and slightly astringent. Time in the glass brings out a bit more character. I’m getting some heavier notes now of burnt banana and some brown sugar.

    As a sipper Cockspure Old Gold Special Reserve Rum is a little rough and ready. The initial entry hints at toffee, chocolate and molasses but it is quickly taken over by a heavier, bitter note of oak and woody spices. As far as a Barbados rum goes it’s quite “heavy”.

    With further sips your palate seems to adapt to the overwhelming bitterness of the first sip. The initial entry improves with more of the toffee, caramel and brown sugar notes lingering for a longer time. There is also a fair bit of molasses like bitter treacle which when combined with the bitter woody oak isn’t as pleasant or as balanced as I would like.

    That said the sweetness does improve with further sipping and it does get a better balance. Finish wise it isn’t particularly long or very “fiery” you get most of the oak and spice and woodiness on the mid palate. I expected more from the finish but it just fades out quite quickly into a low burn on the chest.

    Cockspur Old Special Reserve RumThe back label recommends serving this over ice or with Ginger Ale for a Bajan mule. I mixed this both with Cola and Ginger Beer. It made a pretty pleasant stab at both drinks. In particular with Ginger Ale.

    Then again at £30 a bottle it should perhaps be a bit better than decent mixer. If you compare it to other Barbados rums such as Old Brigand, Doorly’s 5 or Mount Gay Black Barrel (I’ve not tried the newer blend so I’m talking about the older one) I just don’t think it is as good a rum.

    That said I didn’t find this particularly unpleasant and at the end of the day at least it is an honest Barbados rum.

     

     

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