Dràm Mòr Single Cask Rum Fiji Distillery Aged 12 Years

Bythefatrumpirate

Dràm Mòr Single Cask Rum Fiji Distillery Aged 12 Years rum review by the fat rum pirateDràm Mòr Single Cask Rum Fiji Distillery Aged 12 Years. I suppose saying this rum comes from “Fiji Distillery” isn’t really all that inaccurate. Whilst the actual distillery is perhaps better known, to those who actually know about Fijian rum, as South Pacific Distillery it is the only rum distillery on Fiji.

I always try and make sure the titles of my reviews reflect best what the producer has stated on the label. My thinking being you will find it easier searching for them online or find it less confusing should you encounter a bottle in the “wild” so to speak.

So today we have the first in the two Spring 2022 releases of rum from Dràm Mòr Group. I have already reviewed their two releases from last year and will also review the other Spring release as soon as I can.

The thing I like about reviewing Independent Bottlings, is that because they aren’t focused on a “brand” or concocting an elaborate back story for a particular rum. They tend to focus more on the actual liquid in the bottle. You find that you get facts. Which from what my feedback tells me – you as rum enthusiasts actually want to know. With so many Independent bottlings floating around, such information can make a huge difference when making a decision to purchase. Obviously if I give this a high score you will all rush out and buy a bottle regardless of course……

Dràm Mòr Single Cask Rum Fiji Distillery Aged 12 Years has been bottled at 60% ABV and this particular bottling is from Cask Number #28. It has been matured in an ex-bourbon barrel and “finished” for 5 months in an 1st Fill Buffalo Trace Cask (which is also a bourbon in case you are wondering). This is a Single Cask Rum and there were 212 bottles available upon release.

South Pacific Distillery operate 2 Pot Stills and 3 Column Stills. Unfortunately I don’t have any information on what still(s) the rum was distilled in. I’m not sure of the split between tropical and continental ageing either.

Dràm Mòr Single Cask Rum Fiji Distillery Aged 12 Years is available from the Good Spirits Co. in Glasgow (and other retailers) and retails at £64 for a 70cl bottle. Presentation wise the rum comes in a standard “bar style” bottle with a synthetic cork stopper. The overall presentation is clean and sleek certainly more up to date than some indie bottlers that’s for sure!

Pricewise for a 12 year old Independent bottling the rum seems to be very keenly priced. So lets see if it is worth buying……..

In the glass we are presented with a light golden spirit. On the nose you are struck by overripe pineapple. It’s fruity but beneath the pineapple is a herbal note reminiscent of St Lucia Distillers rum. It is a mix of fruity sweetness and some herbal notes like pine cones and pot pourri.

Further nosing reveals a smokiness and a medicinal hit of Calpol, some aniseed and some light tar/engine oil.

Unlike some younger Fijian rum I have tried the less “appetising” sounding notes from the nose don’t overpower the rum. They just add extra layers to the fruity pineapple and notes of raisin and white grape.

Sipped the rum is big and bold with lots and lots of flavour. It’s spicy and a little fierce. The initial hit of herbal spices come in with a hit of chilli and black pepper. Once the palate adjusts the fruity notes begin to come out to play.

Pineapple, banana and some raisin come along as we move into the mid palate. At this stage the rum becomes a little smoky and you begin to taste the tarry/medicinal notes.

I do think that Fijian rum, much like Caroni very much benefits from being tried at a higher ABV. This rum is no shrinking violet and has lots and lots of flavour and complexity to enjoy.

Dràm Mòr Single Cask Rum Fiji Distillery Aged 12 Years rum review by the fat rum pirateAs we move towards the finish you get a second wind of pineapple and banana alongside some more soothing herbal spices and a nice hit of oak. The higher ABV means the finish is long and very pleasant. This is a rum which you will likely take slowly as there is so much going on. Its a shame to rush it.

Fijian rum can be hitty miss but I find once you get into double digits in terms of age the rum seems to mature and take on more of the cask it has been matured in. Make no mistake though Fijian rum is “challenging” and is certainly not a rum which will be appreciated by all.

If you want something halfway between a Saint Lucia Distillers offering and a Caroni Fijian rum is something to consider. If you like either (or both) these styles of rum then I think you will find this bottling in particular, very much to your liking.

This is a complex, challenging and very tasty rum and I highly recommend it.

 

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  • Berry’s St Lucia Rum Aged 11 Years

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Berrys St Lucia Rum Review by the fat rum pirateBerry’s Bros & Rudd (BBR for short) is London’s oldest and one of its most respected wine and spirits merchants.  They have traded from the same shop in St James Street since 1698.

    They hold two warrants to supply wines and spirits to the Prince of Wales and the Queen!  So if I don’t give this bottle of rum a good review I might end up in the tower….

    I was fortunate enough to come across a selection of Berry’s rums in own local Wine and Spirit Merchant (Rehills in Jesmond – no royal warrants but they do supply me on a regular basis).  Amongst the selection was this 11 Year Old St Lucia Rum.

    As many of you will know I’m very fond of St Lucian rum, in particular Chairman’s Reserve.  Having been very slightly disappointed in the 1931 offerings and the Forgotten Casks edition of Chairman’s Reserve I jumped at the chance to try a pot still aged St Lucia rum.  Which is what this bottle has afforded me.

    I picked this bottle up for just over £42 which compares favourably with online prices.  The rum comes in the very elegant and very tall traditional BBR spirit bottle. It has a clear glass bottom which adds a touch of class and it has a good weight to it.  The labelling is clear and uncluttered and gives some information on the rum in the bottle though not enough for the likes of me!  It’s all very elegant.  The rum is bottled at 46% ABV. I like the tasting notes on the bottle its nice to know this rum has been tried and tested!

    The rum is a nice golden to red colour suggesting maybe a little of added caramel for colour only.  I suspect it has only been lightly chill filtered.  The nose is immediately reminiscent of the 1931 series of rums.  St Lucia Distillers pot still rums have a very distinctive nose.  A kind of halfway house between Jamaican rum and Scotch Whisky initially.  Given time in the glass the rum begins to show its sweeter side despite its slightly medicinal almost herbal notes.  It is very clean and almost refreshing – perhaps a touch of pine? The sweeter notes are  Banana and Toffee perhaps a little green apple.Berrys St Lucia Rum Review by the fat rum pirate

    What I found with the 1931 series was that all the rums were just a little bit too busy for their own good.  The numerous rums in the blend and the different types of casks used to age before the final maturation, made the 1931’s at times a little unwieldy.  Don’t get me wrong I enjoy a complex sipper but it needs balance.  Which is what you get with this rum.

    If this is a rum blended from many casks I will be surprised. It is very well balanced.  Very crisp and clean.  It tastes exactly how it appears. Elegant and not too showy.

    When sipped it has a very herbal and slightly medicinal note to it.  The label notes it as invigorating.  I would liken the taste to trying to eat immediately after brushing your teeth or eating chewing gum.  You can taste the flavours but they are masked by an almost minty, refreshing note.

    There are also notes of almost Jamaican pot still rum and dare I say it Scotch Whisky.  Despite its ABV the rum exhibits very little burn even on the finish.  It is spicy but not at all rough.  It’s a dry rum which you could compare to R L Seale’s 10 Year Old.

    The finish is very long lasting and spicy with nice oak notes finally coming into the mix.

    It is a rum which benefits from a second glass. I find that the sweeter notes shine a little more.  They don’t dominate the profile but light honey and a little vanilla do start to show themselves.

    Berrys St Lucia Rum Review by the fat rum pirate

    This is very much a sipping rum.  Those who enjoy a drier less fruity experience will particularly enjoy this rum.

    I did however decide to mix this rum with some cola.  Really it was just to see how it faired next one of my favourite mixer’s Chairman’s Reserve.  I found that the extra sophistication this rum has meant that really it was a little wasted as a mixer.  Whilst it made a smoother and equally flavourful rum and cola I felt that it lacked the extra little oak and oomph that Chairman’s gives a rum and cola.  Plus I was paying twice as much for the drink!

    This rum doesn’t quite hit the highest mark on the score front but I have enjoyed it slightly more than the 1931’s overall.  I would say it is pretty much on a par with the 2nd 1931.

    It delivers a very different experience to Admiral Rodney, which is another rum from St Lucia Distillers but is entirely column distilled.  I found the Admiral Rodney to be sweeter, much less dry and very easy to drink.  This is more challenging but well worth the effort.  A real grower.

    4 stars

     

     

  • Dead Reckoning “The Bosun’s Persuader” Barbados

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Dead Reckoning "The Bosun's Persuader" Barbados rum review by the fat rum pirateDead Reckoning “The Bosun’s Persuader” Barbados. Over the past few years Dead Reckoning have developed a bit of a reputation for bottling rums from Foursquare Distillery.

    I would also argue that they have perhaps gained a reputation for bottling the BEST Independently bottled Foursquare Distillery rum. Don’t believe me? Well let me explain……..

    Whilst the debate over Tropical and Continental ageing continues Dead Reckoning have quietly gone about getting the longest aged “bulk” Foursquare rum that is available on the market. So 8 Year Old Tropically Aged rum. Foursquare do not currently sell anything older in bulk.

    It is then shipped to Tropical Adelaide rather than Sub Zero Liverpool or the slightly warmer and certainly more picturesque city of Amsterdam.

    “Tropical Dry Ageing” as Justin Boseley the owner of Dead Reckoning terms it then occurs as the rum is matured again in another Tropical Climate. As we have seen from Foursquare’s own Exceptional Cask Series longer tropically aged Foursquare rum is a wonderful thing. Is Justin currently bottling the nearest thing to it on the planet?

    I would say definitely.

    So what have Dead Reckoning got for us to today? Well I would say this is a variant of the all ex-bourbon barrels ECS rums which began with the 2004 and have continued up to 2012 (I think)

    Dead Reckoning “The Bosun’s Persuader” Barbados is a 14 year old ex-bourbon barrel rum. It has been aged for 8 years in Barbados and a further 6 years in Australia. All in -ex-bourbon. As with nearly all Foursquare rum it is a Single Blended Rum. Pot and Coffey Column still rum.

    This is a single Cask Release I am drinking number 94 of just 200 bottles. The rum is bottled at a hefty 61% ABV.

    Dead Reckoning "The Bosun's Persuader" Barbados rum review by the fat rum pirateNo before anyone outside of Australia gets too excited – this rum has now completely sold out. It was pencilled in for a limited UK release but unfortunately due to demand in Australia this will no longer be happening………….

    I don’t often review rum which is “unobtainable” but I had already started my review and notes when Justin informed me it had sold out.

    For the curious amongst you a “Bosun” is a leader or supervisor of the Deck Team on a ship. The term is actually the phonetic spelling of Boatswain and is one of the oldest “ranks” still in use on board a ship.

    So with that explained lets see if this Bosun can be persuaded…………

    In the glass we have typical aged rum coloured spirit. A reddish/orange hue forms around the side. I do note that this appears quite a viscous rum. Thick and slightly oily.

    On the nose you get some lovely wafts of vanilla ice cream, Creme Brulee and some slightly sharper winter berries.

    Further nosing reveals traces of gingerbread, shortbread bisuit and some lighter summer fruits to go alongside the darker hints of raspberry.

    At 61% it is an intense but not overpowering nose. The alcohol you might expect at this ABV isn’t as prominent as you might expect.

    It’s a wonderful nose and really does remind me of those ECS releases mentioned earlier.

    Sipped it is very drinkable. Almost dangerously so. It starts with some intense dark fruity notes paired with soft vanilla. You then get a nice warming hit of ginger and white pepper. There is a very nice hit of soft oak and some icing sugar.

    As we move onto the second glass you’ll notice further development. On the mid palateDead Reckoning "The Bosun's Persuader" Barbados rum review by the fat rum pirate especially you will get richer oak and smoky notes alongside some lighter summer fruits. A touch of strawberry alongside the stoned fruits such as Plum and Blueberry.

    There is a lot going on with this rum and its surprising to my palate that this hasn;t been finished in something more exotic than an ex-bourbon barrel. Yes it is fairly “woody” and has a good hit of vanilla that sweet sour Bourbon tang but it also has a lot more going on.

    FInish wise it is long and very satisfying with a lovely balance of warming oak and spice alongside light vanilla and some fruity notes. It is quite a dry finish which sets you up nicely for the next pour……

    This is another excellent bottling from Dead Reckoning. No surprise it has sold out so quickly. With the sales being in Australia its unlikely many will show up on the Secondary Market in the US or Europe but you never know. Keep your eyes peeled you certainly won’t be disappointed.

     

  • A1710 La Perle Brute 2017

    Bythefatrumpirate

    A1710 La Perle Brute 2017 rhum rum review by the fat rum pirateA1710 La Perle Brute 2017. This is a rhum which caused a bit of stir at the London Rumfest back in 2018. La Perle Brute, which translates to the Raw Pearl is a rhum that is distilled from sugarcane juice, rather than molasses.

    Situated in the North East of the Caribbean island Martinique, which is already famous for Rhum Agricole, sits the Yves Assier de Pompignan distillery. A very small distillery, which currently only produces white rhum agricole.

    A1710 is the name of the producer/brand and they have produced this rhum on a Copper Still, which is equipped with a 7 tray Column. They have named this still “La Belle Aline”. The sugarcane used in the production of this rhum is cultivated by Mr Paul Octave, a nearby farmer. Paul produces varieties of Black, Yellow and Pen Epi Let sugarcane, which are all used in the making of A1710 La Perle Brute.

    A1710 La Perle Brute are attempting to really show the “terroir” of Martinique Rhum Agricole, so this rhum has not been “diluted”. We are getting this rhum at 66% ABV still strength. No messing. Even for Rhum Agricole which is regularly released at 50% and 55% ABV this is pretty strong stuff!

    This rhum was released in 2018 and you can still get find it online if you look around at the likes of Drinks & Co. As already noted this is a rhum agricole bottled at 66% ABV. The tall slim 50cl (500ml) bottle is smaller than normal 70cl (700ml) size and retails at around £/€50. Presentation is simple yet modern and the wax covered cap is a nice touch with a very decent synthetic cork stopper.

    It looks unusual and it isn’t even immediately apparent that this is a rum/rhum. You have to move down the label to read that this is “Rhum Extraordinaire”. Quite a claim to be making.

    With such boasts about the quality of the rhum I think it might be time to give this rhum agricole a bit of a run out.A1710 La Perle Brute 2017

    In the glass we have a crystal clear sprit – this is completely unaged. The nose is familiar, lots of very fresh and very minty grassy notes. It’s a big smelly rhum, you can smell it from the other side of the room!

    Lemon Leaf and zesty Lime Peel mingle alongside the freshly mown feels and the fresh minty notes. Notes of basil and some white pepper but in an appearance. There is a slight sour milk note as well but its not overpowering or unpleasant. It just adds a bit more depth.

    Further nosing reveals a creaminess – which is almost cachaca like. Hints of pineapple juice and brusied bananas also give it a bit of a nod towards a Jamaican Overproof. It certainly has that kind of menace. It’s a potent full strength rhum.

    Nose wise its certainly the kind of rhum, which early on in my rum journey I would have thought was revolting. But now now.

    Sipped it’s very heavy on the citrus and the heat (unsurprisingly) on the initial sip. It’s a hot peppery rhum but there is also a lot of sweet citrus and sugarcane. This rhum is chock a block with flavour. It’s a huge flavourful spirit. I’ll be honest and say a drop or two of water does help bring out more the sweeter notes. So I would recommend trying that.

    With it being unaged it doesn’t really have a great deal of development in the mid palate and the finish. The finish as it stands is pretty long but its mainly just a dulling of A1710 La Perle Brute 2017the initial burst of flavour. So you get a lot of spicy and citrusy flavour.

    It’s almost 3/4 Rhum Agricole and a 1/4 Jamaican Overproof. It’s an intense beefy agricole. It works really well mixed in a Ti Punch or a Daiquiri. I even found it great with Ting. Cola not so great.

    All in all ‘s a very interesting rhum. One, that perhaps will appeal more to rum geeks than the general population. I guess though the producers probably know that.

    Well worth keeping an eye out for.

     

  • Cachaca Prosa Mineira Carvalho

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Cachaca Prosa Mineira Carvalho Rum review by the fat rum pirate Cachaca Prosa Mineira Carvalho. Hailing from the city of Santa Rita de Caldas in the southern region of Minas Gerais comes Cachaca Prosa Mineira. Arguably Minas Gerais is the most recognised and respected state in Brasil, when it comes to Artisanal Cachaca production.

    It is a relatively new brand and only came to the market in 2010.It is an Artisanal Cachaca brand so it is distilled on Copper Pot Stills. The sugar cane used is harvested next to the distillery and is cut by hand. The sugar cane juice is then extracted within a 24 hour period following the harvest.

    Cachaca Prosa Mineira have a number of Cachaca’s, Special Cachacas and Liqueurs available. They have quite a nice website which shows all their bottlings and also gives further information on their processes etc. If you are curious to learn more than please take a look here.

    This particular bottling is from their “Standard” rather than “Special” cachaca line up. Cachaca Prosa Mineira Carvalho has been aged for 4 years in American oak barrels. It is bottled at 39% ABV and is available in 50ml, 500ml, 670ml and 700ml bottles.

    It retails at around the R$45 mark which is around £6. Obviously were this cachaca ever to make it to the UK or Europe I wouldn’t expect it so see it retail at that price! We’d likely be looking at around £30. That said production of these cachacas is limited so it isn’t even widely available in Brasil – such is the size of the country and the number of cachacas on the market.

    Despite this Cachaca Prosa Mineira, have won quite a few national awards as outlined on their website. This particular Cachaca won a Gold Medal at the Expocachaca’s in 2018. No I’m not overly familiar with the competition either.

    Presentation wise despite being a fairly recent addition to the market. It is very traditional in its appearance with the tall short neck bottles with a metallic screw cap for the 670ml and 700 ml bottles and smallers flat flask style bottles used for the smaller bottlings. Were it to be stocked in Europe/US it would likely need a bit of a makeover to be honest.Cachaca Prosa Mineira Carvalho Rum review by the fat rum pirate

    Well thats all the information I have on this cachaca so I may as well get on with the tasting.

    In the glass the cachaca is a light/golden brown a shade or two darker than straw.

    The nose is buttery and quite light. There is a fruity note and a zesty element to it. I wouldn’t say it was acidic but certainly there is a waft of sweet lime juice amongst the creamier notes.

    There is a light buttery vanilla, baking spices. It smells a little of cake mix pre-baked. There is a slight waxiness there as well – something a little bit like white wine as well.

    There’s a fair bit going on and it all melds together nicely giving a nice rounded and pretty complex nose. It’s very pleasant and inviting.

    As a sipper it does feel a little older than the 4 years it is noted as being aged. As cachaca cannot legally be stronger than 48% quite a lot of cachaca can feel a touch light. Especially if you are used to drinking Cask Strength Rum especially heavy Pot Still rum.

    This like many cachacas comes in below 40% ABV which is often a bit of warning sign in the rum world. However, this really does still have a great deal of flavour. Yes it is “light” but it still has a good amount going on.

    It’s light and easy going on the initial sip. It goes down really easily. It has a nice weight of oak and spice on the entry and the mid palate. This is helped along by a nice sweet zesty sugar cane note and some slightly peppery notes.

    Cachaca Prosa Mineira Carvalho has a slightly floral and mineral note to it, which makes it just a little more interesting.Cachaca Prosa Mineira Carvalho Rum review by the fat rum pirate

    Finish wise is perhaps where the cachaca shows its relatively young age the most. It isn’t the longest of finishes. You are left with the floral notes and a slight soapiness around some quite light oak notes which fade out rather quickly.

    That said this is fairly inexpensive and to be honest there aren’t that many “budget” rums that can really cut it as sippers. This is light and refreshing. Maybe a touch easy going for some but I’ve really enjoyed this.

    So much so I didn’t even try mixing it.

     

     

  • Jefferson’s 1785 Extra Fine Dark Rum

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Jefferson's 1785 Dark Rum review by the fat rum pirateThe Jefferson family have a long and rich history in the rum world.  They were one of the first families to import sugar (and subsequently rum) to UK shores.  The family is preserved in history at the Rum Story attraction in Whitehaven, Cumbria.

    I will spare you the history lesson and instead direct you to their website. I will instead focus on the rum under review rather than too much of the families history.

    I’ve yet to visit the Rum Story exhibit but a friend of mine did and he brought back a bottle of Jefferson’s rum for me to try and review on the site.

    Jefferson’s was previously stocked online by a couple of sellers but I have been able to find a bottle over the past couple of years.  It seems nowadays the only place you can get a bottle of this rum is from the Rum Story website.  The rum retails at £24.95 (plus £7.95 post and packing).  Jefferson’s is bottled at 40% ABV.  It comes in a standard bar bottle, you get a label over the screw cap and the labelling whilst slightly dated gives some information regarding the Jefferson family.

    The rum is a blend of two pot and column distilled blends (a blend of a blend) from Guyana and Jamaica.  The average age of the rums in the overall blend when it is bottled is 8 years.

    Jeffersons 1785 Dark Rum review by the fat rum pirate

    When poured the rum is a dark brown colour and is a little dull, no shimmers or flashes of red.  The nose immediately hits you big hits off dark brown sugar and overripe black bananas rise up alongside some strong heavy alcohol notes.  Jamaican funk is very much present.  A little honey and nuts mix with more spicy notes of cinnamon and a strong treacly note.

    As a Jamaican rum I would say it is in the middle ground.  It’s not quite as refined as Appleton but it isn’t as dunder and ester heavy as Hampden or Smith & Cross.  It doesn’t seem as refined as Appleton 8 and has a lot more rough edges.  The Guyanese part of the blend is largely lost flavour wise in the mix and not really offering all that much, such is the upfront flavour of the Jamaican part.  It is probably mellowing out the overall profile though.

    As a sipper it is still a liitle bit to rough,  It’s very flavourful but its still a little bit to harsh to really enjoy without an ice cube to take some of the edge off (which kind of misses the point of sipping, as it takes some of the flavour away!).  It’s okay but the balance isn’t quite right.

    As a mixer is where Jefferson’s 1785 really comes alive.  The Pot Still elements Jeffersons 1785 Dark Rum review by the fat rum pirateof the Jamaican rum really work beautifully with cola.  Producing a very “rummy” rum and cola.  What was quite harsh when sipped suddenly becomes very smooth.  The strong flavours really compliment the cola giving a rich treacly drink.  It’s very much a “hairs on your chest” kind of rum much like Pusser’s.  There is a slight bitterness to the finish which I’m not massively keen on but other than that this gives you a very good rum and cola.  Again the Demerara blend in the rum doesn’t really stand out this is very much a Jamaican rum and coke.  It’s reasonably funky but is more molasses driven than most Jamaicans.  Rich and almost liquorice like – its not quite as intense on the molasses as Myers’s but its not a hundred miles away from that profile.  It packs a little more tropical fruit and funk.

    At only £25 a bottle I really wish this was more widely available.  This could easily become my mixing rum of choice.

    I read a recent review from Rum Nerd on this rum whilst I was researching the heritage of this rum.  He also was surprised at how good this unheralded rum is.  His review is here.  It’s funny as we have both recently reviewed “blister packs” of Rhum Negrita as well!

    This reminds me of a few different rums but I think the one I find it most similar to is The Duppy Share.  This is not quite as well balanced or as refined but its a good few pounds cheaper.

    This is a very decent unheralded rum.  If you do get the chance please give it a try.

    4 stars

     

  • Rum Exchange Belize 2009

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Rum Exchange Belize 2009 Rum Review by the fat rum pirateRum Exchange Belize 2009. For those unfamiliar with Rum Exchange, they were responsible for bottling two Jamaican 5 year old rums last year. They return this year with a Single Cask offering from Travellers Distillery, Belize. They have also just released a Guyana rum, with a Single Cask offering from Barbados due later in the year.

    As with the two Jamaican releases, Rum Exchange Belize is a Single Cask Rum, bottled at Cask Strength. As far as I am aware Travellers Distillery operates only column stills. This is noted as being “double column still”. Whether that is double distilled or  distilled in a “double” column still I’m not entirely sure. It is noted online that Travellers do double distilll their rums. So perhaps its more likely that.

    Rum Exchange have their own website. However, the rums are not available there at present as it is still being re-vamped. It is available online at various stores throughout the EU. It retails at around €80-85. Rum Exchange Belize 2009 has been bottled, as mentioned already, at cask strength. Coming in this time at a hefty 60.8% ABV.

    It was distilled in 2009 and bottled in 2019. If you are in the UK and looking for something a little closer to home then Craft Rum Club have it for sale though it is a bit pricier at £105. The single cask has yielded 252 bottles and the entire maturation took place in ex-bourbon barrels. It is also noted as being 100% tropically aged. I assume in Belize but you just never know……

    I’ve not reviewed all that many Belizean rums. To be honest I tend to avoid the “standard” Travellers range due to an early (and very confected) disappointment with One Barrel Rum. An early and at the time for me, costly mistake.

    I also wasn’t too impressed with Tiburon Rum. Offerings from FAIR and That Boutiquey Rum Company and Cadenhead’s did however fair (pun intended) better. It’s interesting Rum Exchange Belize 2009 Rum Review by the fat rum pirateto note that all these bottlings come in at around the 10 year old mark.

    That said I have noticed a few noted enthusiasts giving some more recent bottlings og Belize rums quite rave reviews online in Facebook groups etc. haven’t noticed a great deal of actual reviews from fellow bloggers though.

    In the glass we have a golden brown spirit with a reddish/orange hue.

    Nosewise I am getting a lot of toasted coconut and vanilla. A bit of charred oak but nothing that throws anything of balance. Even at 60.8% ABV, it is quite light and nicely balanced. Further nosing reveals a little bit more wood influence. The toasted coconut is getting close to Coconut Ice – sweet but not overbearingly so.

    Milk chocolate and some rich breakfast pastries. Warm and inviting is the best way to describe this rum.

    Sipped, Rum Exchange Belize 2009 is not as sweet as the nose suggests. It has a lot more wood and a lot more of a dry mouthfeel. The initial entry is quite dry and woody but it quickly moves into a lighter more flavourful mid palate. Lots of vanilla and white chocolate. There is a nice hit of barrel char and some good spicy oaky, Bourbon like notes.

    It’s a nicely balanced rum that is much more “Barbados” than the previous Belizean rums I have had. I can certainly see why some rum enthusiasts have been getting excited about Belizean rum recently.

    Rum Exchange Belize 2009 Rum Review by the fat rum pirateAt this ABV it has a good length and a really nice dry, peppery finish. There is a sweetness – vanilla custard running throughout this rum but it’s very nice and never gets too sweet.

    A really pleasant surprise and the first Belize rum that rises above the ranks of average and good in my books. This is very good. Very interesting. It reminds me of both English Harbour and Mount Gay rums in equal measure.

    Not bad company to be keeping. Rum Exchange Belize 2009 is a particularly good example of a column distilled rum. None of those nasty additives either.