Foursquare Rum Distillery Destino Velier 70th Anniversay Release

Foursquare Rum Distillery Destino Velier 70th Anniversary Release

Bythefatrumpirate November 24, 2018

Foursquare Rum Distillery Destino Velier 70th Anniversay Release. This was released in 2017 as part of the Velier “Drop by Drop” anniversary series. At the time of release this was limited to just 500 bottles.

We are currently awaiting the “general” release of Foursquare Rum Distillery Destino. The Warren Khong artwork used in these 500 bottles was exclusive to the Velier release. The release of Destino we currently await will be feature the more standard Velier artwork.

Bottles of this rum unsurprisingly weren’t cheap around £250-300 and the secondary market has seen bottles go for in excess of £500.

So lets take a look and see what this rum is all about. From what I can gather it is not different to the general Destino release. Did I mention we are awaiting that one?

One of the best things about Velier releases from a reviewers point of view is the amount of information available. Stated clear on the bottle and sleeve of each release. It makes things so much simpler, much like the Foursquare Exceptional Cask Series. It also saves me pestering Richard Seale.

Once we get the “standard” Destino the release will be labelled like this. The only real change from previous Velier/Foursquare collaborations is the colour scheme. No more red, white and black.

Foursquare Rum Distillery Destino is a Single Blended Rum. So it is 100% rum from Foursquare distillery put its a blend of Pot and Column distillates. It has been aged for 14 years in total. 12 of these years the rum was matured in ex-Madeira casks and 2 years were spent in ex-bourbon casks.It is actually noted on the back of the Warren Khong release that they are very old rum casks (that will have started off as Bourbon casks I guess) Distilled in 2003 and bottled in December 2017.

It has been bottled at 61% ABV barrel proof. It was aged entirely in the Tropics (Barbados). Unlike Principia and Triptych there are only 2,610 bottles going to be available unlike the 5,400 for those two releases.

So there might be a bit of a scramble again……..

Anyway at least I have sample here to try for now.

In the glass Foursquare Rum Distillery Destino is a very dark brown. Almost mahogany in colour. The nose reveals notes of plums, stewed rhubarb, raspberries and blackcurrants. It has a very fruity almost fortified type of nose. Further nosing reveals vanilla and some really nicely integrated woody notes which give a really nice balance to the nose. A hint of varnish lets you know this is a barrel proof rum. Just enough to warn you not get to comfortable.

On the initial sip you are treated to a lot spicy and tingly oak notes. This is backed up by the most amazing blackcurrant preserve like note which is lovely, rich and warming on the palate. This is very much a “winter” rum for me.

Further sips reveal more stoned fruits and “winter” warming aromas. Raspberries and maybe a touch of gooseberry on the mid palate show a tight tartness to the rum. Vanilla re-appears on the mid palate along with a touch of lemon zest which moves into a very oaky but very warming finish. A hit of toasted coconut also makes and appearance and gives a more traditional Bajan feel to the rum.

Rich, reasonably heavy and very complex this is a true sipping rum. The madeira influence has certainly given this more of an “old oak” feel than some of the notes we got in Triptych from the younger casks. Foursquare do sometimes use quite old barrels but they clearly know what they are doing.

The finish continues the theme and is very rich and warming on the palate. It is an extremely long nicely oaked finish with enough fruitiness and zestiness which delivers a real kick. The intense fruity flavours almost coat the palate and you can still taste the rum for ages after sipping. If you can resist another sip of course.

Another instant classic. One day I plan on doing a “blind tasting” of all these Velier/ECS rums – 2006, Triptych, Criterion, Dominus etc. They are all similar but so different at the same time.

This is becoming a really golden age for Foursquare. To see where they have come from being greatly respected to greatly admired in just a few short years is incredible. But the groundwork was put in years and years ago when the rest of the world thought Zacapa and DRE were as good as rum could get.

How wrong were so many people.

Neptune Golden Rum Aged 3 Years

Neptune Golden Rum Aged 3 Years
Bythefatrumpirate November 30, 2017November 30, 2017

Neptune is a new rum brand from the UK. Unsurprisingly whilst the brand is from the UK the actual rum is not. Neptune Golden Rum is a 3 year old rum from Barbados. The rum is actually from Foursquare distillery. Effectively what we are getting here is a “gold” version of Doorly’s iconic three year old white rum. Kind of.

Which cannot be a bad thing. Released earlier this year Neptune rum currently retails at around the £35 mark, which is fairly pricy for a three year old rum. A number of people I have spoken to have fixated on this and (in my view) made their opinion on the actual rum, before even tasting it.

Neptune Golden Rum is bottled at 40% ABV and is a blend of Pot and Column Distilled bajan rum. Currently you can buy the standard edition and the “Limited Edition” bottle which will set you back £49. Presentation wise Neptune have ensured that their brand will impress at Rum Festivals etc. They have a clear brand image and they are clearly no fools when it comes to marketing etc.

Presentation is slick and consistent, the tall bottle is very impressive and the design is modern. Unlike some other “indie” bottlers or brands Neptune are very forthcoming about where the rum comes from and how old it is.

I have met, brand owner Richard Davies on a couple of occasions now. Both at Rum Festivals and at both events Neptune was creating a bit of a buzz.

Not being one to shy away from difficult questions I addressed the elephant in the rum regarding Neptune Rum – the price. Currently you can get many Foursquare products at cheaper price points than Neptune (you can get Rum Sixty Six 12 Year Old for £35) so it has entered a crowded market.

Richard was very honest and stated that he will be looking to lower the price once he can secure enough sales to make the economies of scale work more in his favour. He will also look to develop other age statements if he can. Which was refreshing and good to hear. Richard did however urge me to try his rum and forget about the age statement.

So I did and I best tell you all about it now. In the glass the rum is….can anyone guess? Yes thats right its a golden brown appearance. The nose is quite alcohol forward. Which is to be expected from a relatively young rum.

Once you get past the alcohol notes you are in familiar territory. Nice notes of vanilla, banana and a hint of coconut.

I tried this alongside Doorly’s 3 and The Real McCoy 3 – both of which are white rums. As a result some of the “bite” has perhaps been lost in those two rums. This is an altogether more spicy and oak influenced rum. It’s much better than you might expect a 3 year old rum to be. There is a nice note of honey and caramel which hold this rum up nicely alongside the spicier, oakier elements.

Sipped Neptune is a nicely balanced blend of Pot and Column distilled spirit. I really like the vanilla, caramel and oak which are really inviting and warming. The initial sweetness on the palate of banana, coconut and vanilla lasts longer than in either Doorly’s 3 or The Real McCoy. When it does give way you get some very nice spicy oak notes. The finish doesn’t last all that long but its still a very tasty and well put together rum. It’s familiar Foursquare but is perhaps a little edgier than some slightly older Foursquare expressions. We are more in Old Brigand territory (review to follow soon).

The question many will ask is how this rum fares alongside older

Foursquare products such as Doorly’s 5 and Rum Sixty Six Aged 6 Years? The answer is very favourably. Especially when mixed. The younger rum gives this an extra bite which I personally really enjoy. It still delivers a very smooth, balanced rum and cola but it has just a bit more “rumminess” which I welcome. There is a fair amount of oak and spiciness to this rum even when mixed up in cocktails etc.

If you enjoy Foursquare then this is a definite purchase. It might seem a little overpriced but the rum is very good. Forget the age and just enjoy this. This is different enough to merit a purchase.

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Transcontinental Rum Line Australia 2014 TWE Exclusive

Transcontinental Rum Line Australia 2014 TWE Exclusive
Bythefatrumpirate May 17, 2025July 12, 2025

I’m reviewing a rum from the Transcontinental Rum Line for the first time today. This release is in conjunction with The Whisky Exchange and is available exclusively via them (as the title of this review suggests!)

This seems a little strange as the Transcontinental Rum Line is actually the Independent bottling arm of La Maison du Whisky. Which is a French physical and online retail store. It is of sorts the equivalent of The Whisky Exchange in the UK. They have have ties to Velier as well.

I’m not entirely sure of the reasoning behind them teaming up with The Whisky Exchange.Transcontinental Rum Line’s offerings are quite readily available in the UK. I’m sure there will be some kind of reciprocal agreement of some kind which benefits all involved.

The TCRL, if memory serves me correctly initially started bottling quite young rums at reasonable prices. Rather than longer aged more expensive bottles. I also seem to remember them releasing similar rums at differing ABV’s. “Drinking strength” of around 40-46% ABV and “Cask Strength”.

Anyway, back to the case in hand. Transcontinental Rum Line Australia 2014 TWE Exclusive is an 100% Pot Still Molasses Based Rum which has been aged for almost 10 Years in Cask AU14SB01. The cask is an ex-bourbon barrel. There is none of your fancy wine cask finish for this one cobber. The rum has been aged for 4 Years in Australia and nearly 6 Years in Europe.

It has been bottled at 64.2% ABV, I would assume this is Cask Strength but as a very “rounded” 400 bottles have been produced, it may have been “watered down” slightly. Or someone had it away with some of the juice. Either way its still at a pretty punchy ABV!

The rum is from Australia’s Oldest Distillery. Which points us towards Beenleigh Distillery in Queensland even though TCRL can’t say. It retails direct from The Whisky Exchange at £89.95.

So without further ado lets get on with the fun part………..

In the glass we have a medium gold coloured rum. Nothing out of the ordinary here. As the ageing profile would suggest.

On the nose this has a lighter profile than you might expect of a 100% Molasses based rum. Thoughts of Foursquare and English Harbour come to mind. This is rum very much in that style. It is also a rum which for 4 years at least enjoyed an equally tropical climate.

Familiar aromas of Vanilla, Coconut, Banana and a lightly charred oak all come into play on the initial nosing. It is very much “English” style rum.

Further nosing really doesn’t bring much more to the fore this is very much a rum which is “as is”. No faffing around trying to do anything fancy or too complicated.

It’s a comfy old arm chair or a safe pair of hands.

SIpped at full ABV it is certainly more “beefy” than the nose suggested. However, although the flavour intensity has ramped up a little it still has a very nice balance.

I’m still surprised there is no column distillate in this one to “dial it back” a little. Such is balance – quite surprising for a single cask 100% Pot Still rum.

On the sip I am initially getting a more concentrated version of the nose – so all the familiar notes are present and correct.

This rum does though develop as the sips progress. Certainly it gets more fruity with notes of Apricot and some candied peel coming into the mix.

As we move towards the finish the mid palate gives a slightly waxy mouthfeel and a oily kind note which is hard to explain. The vanilla and oak spices come to the forefront as we move toward the finish.

The finish is really very nice and a good length. The key with this rum is balance. It’s not going to offer anything new to an experienced rum drinker – sure. What it will do is open eyes towards Beenleigh’s offerings. Now whilst the distilleries own bottlings may sometimes contain some “special sauce” the Indie offerings don’t. It’s a good way to get an alternative to Foursquare or English Harbour.

As I mentioned the finish is really nice – the oak, vanilla and all spice really meld nicely together and it has a slightly leathery note.

A really solid rum which grows on you.

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That Boutique-y Rum Company Diamond Distillery (Versailles Still) 13 Year Old

That Boutique-y Rum Company Diamond Distillery (Versailles Still) 13 Year Old
Bythefatrumpirate July 29, 2019

That Boutique-y Rum Company Diamond Dsitillery (Versailles Still) 13 Year Old. This particular bottling, was one of the first releases by the Boutique-y Rum Company. As a result I am quite surprised that it is still available. Maybe this review might help sell the last few bottles? If it’s positive, of course and if anyone listens to me…….

This rum was distilled on the Versailles Single Wooden Pot Still, which has been housed at Versailles, Enmore and Uitvlugt distilleries in its time, before finally settling at Diamond Distillery aka Demerara Distillers Limited. If you wish to read a little more information on the various stills at DLL try this. It’s pretty brief but gives a nice overview.

This rum was distilled back in July 2004. It was aged initially in refill rum casks until 2011, when it was re-casked in more ex-rum casks. I am unsure whether this indicates the point at which tropical ageing was replaced by continental ageing, though it seems logical. I’m unsure how much aged rum DDL ship out. It has been bottled at 56.1% ABV it is a single cask and 439 bottles are available It is worth noting the bottle size is 50cl so slightly smaller than the usual 70cl bottle. The rum is available via Master of Malt and retails at £64.95.

The wacky design on the bottle is provided by Jim’ll Paint It who is known for his bizarre Microsoft paint drawings requested by his fans on Facebook. The design is described as such

“Here we can see Pete Holland from The Floating Rum Shack dismayed at the fire underneath the wooden pot still. So dismayed in fact that he seems to have taken leave of his senses and is simultaneously using a chocolate teapot and a glass hammer while playing darts on an inflatable board. Excellent multitasking but perhaps it’s time to rethink those purchases Pete…”

Yes, quite I have no idea what this is all about to be honest so we best just move onto the rum review.

In the glass we are presented with a straw/golden brown coloured spirit. Lighter than a lot of the aged rum I have seen from the Versailles still. Admittedly a lot of those rums have caramel added as a colourant. Unlike this it would appear.

The nose is more familiar. Sweet notes of raisin and some light sugar cane. Toffee and a note of vanilla. More savoury spicy woody oak and some very light vanilla.

Hazelnuts and mixed peel also arrive on the nose and a touch of star anise. A slightly malty note is present throughout, giving it a slightly whisky like feel. It’s nice and familiar and more balanced than some Versailles rum, which are overladen with too much caramel colouring/added molasses giving a slightly bitter note at times. It’s fresh smelling and slightly zesty. Not as woody and oak heavy as some Demerara’s and it is a touch musty on the nose.

Sipped That Boutique-y Rum Company Diamond Distillery. is initially quite spicy and quite dry. There isn’t a great deal fo sweetness to this. It’s certainly not an El Dorado style Demerara. Woody oaky spice and some ginger greet the taste buds along with some savoury and slightly malty notes. Freshly sanded wood and some saw dust alongside some malted barley and some very medicinal notes of cough mixture. Calpol/paracetamol like flavours.

It’s a very complex rum, with a lot going on in the mix. As a sipper it is not the easiest to drink. It’s a rum you will enjoy when you have time on your hands, to really spend time with it. It’s not for chugging back or for mixing.

Once you get past the initial sip the mid palate really develops into a very intense spicy experience. This is quite a dry rum but it is full of different spices and nuances. One minute you are getting Christmas cake the next you are getting pencils shavings.

Finish wise it is of reasonable length and it has a nice balance to it. Personally, I prefer a slightly sweeter take on Demerara but this is still a nicely balanced and well aged drop of rum.

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Ron Vigia Gran Reserva 18 Anos

Ron Vigia Gran Reserva 18 Anos
Bythefatrumpirate September 26, 2017

Ron Vigia are a Cuban rum brand. After that it all gets a bit more complicated. Once again trying to research a Cuban Rum is difficult – to be honest at times it gets pretty annoying. Nevertheless I’ve done my best and tried to patch together the limited information I can get about this Communist Export.

First up Ron Vigia is named after one of Cuba’s most famous rum drinkers – Ernest Hemingway. No first of all Hemingway was American and secondly as you can probably already guess…..his name wasn’t Vigia. Still this doesn’t mean there isn’t some tenuous link there.

Ernest Hemingway resided at a farm southeast of Havana that was called “La Vinca Vigia” or in English “The Lookout”. The Hemingway coat of arms (the Red Emblem) is on the bottle/box.

Ron Vigia is a brand which is produced by the Cuban Ministry of Sugar under the producer name TecnoAcuzar. Ron Vigia Gran Reserva 18 anos sees 4,500 bottles produced each year. My bottle appears to hail from “lot” number 9 in 2011. It is noted as coming from Bodega Vigia. Lance over at the Lone Caner reviewed the Gran Anejo and noted that it was produced from Sugar Syrup rather than molasses. Quite what that really means I’m not sure. A lot I feel is lost in translation when we converse with our South/Central American rum producers. Some unintentional some I believe to be very deliberate……

From what I can gather Ron Vigia is produced at the same distillery as Ron Mulata the fifty year old distillery of Heriberto Duquesne, which is located in the central region of Cuba at Villa Clara.

Ron Vigia is matured in 180 litre ex-Bourbon barrels and is made from aquavit and sugar cane syrup. As I said information is confusing and contrasting.

Ron Vigia initially looks like a very attractive package. A distinctive shaped bottle with a strong brand identity. However, the cardboard sleeve is very flimsy and the cap is plastic with a diffuser in it. I don’t really mind a diffuser but it does seem a bit cheap. In the UK a bottle of Ron Vigia 18 Anos will set you back around £75. It is bottled at 40%. Presentation wise it is very Cuban with the “Garantia” green sticker very prominent.

I picked this up in Gibraltar for considerably less than £75 – I bought it on impulse as I was curious to see what it was like. It is marketed very much as a fine Cuban Cigar Rum. The age statement is likely reflecting the oldest rum in the blend. Aside from being produced from sugar syrup this is a column distilled rum.

So without any more concrete information we may as well get on with assessing this Cuban Rum and seeing what its like.

In the glass it is a light brown slightly washed out colour. It isn’t particularly vibrant. On the nose you are given a very familiar slightly grainy, sweet Cuban style nose. Dark Chocolate, Toffee and a touch of tobacco mix readily alongside more sweeter floral notes. It is almost a little agricole like – slightly grassy and vegetal.

It has a kind of sickly sweet note which I have noted in Havana Club rums before. There is a smokiness and a some tar but its coated by sweet brown sugar. Making it slightly cloying.

Sipped Ron Vigia Gran Reserva is sweet and smoky. Some grassy notes are present. It’s pretty complex but it’s not particularly elegant. It’s too flowery for my palate. The tobacco and smoke are there along with some spiced from the oak but its all a little disjointed. There is a sweetness running over this which jars with the otherwise quite dry profile.

The finish is perhaps the best part when things seem to integrate a little better. It’s a nice spicy finish with a lot of oak and a good length.

But unfortunately what goes before that rather lets it down. It’s not a terrible example of a Cuban rum but I’ve had better at a fraction of the price. Although this is an 18 year old rum and it doesn’t have a great deal of alcohol burn it does display a lot of youthfulness. It just doesn’t taste very old. All a bit too sweet with a minty taste which reminds me of toothpaste.

It’s a very curious rum and whilst it is in many way typically Cuban it seems to head off in other stranger directions as well. It’s all just a little bit confused.

Which is how its leaving me in terms of a review. I don’t dislike this rum particularly. Some days I really enjoy it. Sadly though more often than not I just find it all a bit of a muddled mess.

A pretty difficult rum to really judge – I could understand why people may enjoy this style. I’m just left wondering quite what I’m really drinking.

A very strange very distinctive rum but alas not one of my personal favorurites. Maybe a cigar would help?

Not bad as such but not for me. I won’t be buying it again.

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Mount Gay Origin Series Volume 2 – The Copper Stills

Mount Gay Origin Series Volume 2 – The Copper Stills
Bythefatrumpirate February 7, 2017February 22, 2017

Released late in 2016 The Copper Stills is the second in the Origin Series from Bajan rum producers Mount Gay. Origins Volume 2 focuses on the differing styles of rum produced from a traditional Pot and Column still.

A limited edition of 4800 bottles. In this release you get two rums – both in 350ml bottles (two half bottles – you will get two 375ml in other territories). The retail price is around £60. The ABV for both rums is 43% As you can see from the photos the rums come in an attractive brown presentation box, along with a series of informative cards.

The two rums are identical in ingredients, fermentation and maturity, but differentiated by one thing – distillation. One rum is 100% distilled in a Copper Pot Still and the other is 100% distilled in a Copper Column Still.

I’ll write about each separately but I’ll give an overall score to the package and treat the rums as just the one review. I’m hoping one day to get my hands on the First Series but sadly it was never released in the UK.

For those unfamiliar with Pot and Column distillation I will explain the differences in simple flavour terms only. A Pot Still rum is more “intense” and “heavier” than a column distilled rum which is “subtler” in flavour and “lighter” on the palate. Often producers use a blend of the two to produce their rums. This is especially common in Barbados.

So first up we’ll concentrate on the Copper Column Distilled Rum.

Both rums are same colour – as is also common amongst rum producers it is likely some caramel colouring has been added to the rum, for consistency and customer expectation.

So in the glass you get a classic straw/golden brown hue. I’ve not been able to find any information with regard the rums age, sadly.

On the nose the rum is very approachable and easy going. It’s not a huge nose but what is there is light and fruity. You get the usual Bajan aromatics – Vanilla, a little toffee, with some fruit notes all rounded off by some nice balanced oak.

On the palate, it is surprisingly sweet. However, it is relatively short and it gives way to quite a heavy oaky finish, which tingles for quite some time. The sweetness – toffee, chocolate, a touch of grape is very enjoyable – while its there.

It is more flavourful and punchy than I was expecting. It reminds me a little of the Mount Gay Black Barrel. It’s quite spicy and oaky.

On its own I wouldn’t class it above the likes of MGXO or the Black Barrel. However I have enjoyed it a lot more than the Mount Gay Eclipse. That is one Mount Gay rum I have never really enjoyed. ‘d say this is a pretty solid 3.5 to 4 stars rum.

We’ll move onto the Copper Pot Distilled rum now. As mentioned already, in the glass it is nigh on identical to the Copper Column rum.

The nose however is very different. Now to my knowledge (discounting Independent bottlings) I don’t think a Bajan rum producer has an entirely Pot Still Distilled rum in their portfolio. If I’m wrong let me know.

A few years ago a rum was released that kind of was (and wasn’t) a Mount Gay product. Mount Gilboa, which I reviewed a while back. That was entirely Pot Still distillation. Sadly that rum is no longer in production.

Now this Copper Pot distilled rum is very punchy and reminds me very much of Mount Gilboa. It isn’t as fierce as a Jamaican Pot Still rum but it is still pretty “big” in terms of what is best termed as “funk”.

A bouquet of apple, coconut and overripe even bruised bananas combines with nail varnish and a touch of tar.

Sipped the rum is a little sweeter than I had imagined and actually quite nicely balanced. The finish is particularly long and satisfying. It’s quite intense for a Bajan style rum and pretty complex. It has a sweet nuttiness running through it which rubs along nicely alongside the barrel aged notes.

Arguably the better and more complex of the two rums I would probably score this around 4 stars out of five.

So in the package you are getting two very decent rums. Both in terms of style quite hard to come buy as most Bajan rum is a blend of the two distillations as already mentioned.

This I suppose is for the rum geek and an education as much as anything. It won’t be for everyone. I found it a really interesting tasting experience. As time goes on I will probably try my own little tot blends of the two.

Overall and taking the price into consideration, I think this is a nice little package and something out of the ordinary. It’s also really good that a rum producer is producing something like this. Kudos to Mount Gay for this.

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Rathlee Distilling Co Golden Barrel Aged Rum Aged 3 Years

Rathlee Distilling Co Golden Barrel Aged Rum Aged 3 Years
Bythefatrumpirate November 10, 2018

Rathlee Distilling Co Golden Barrel Aged Rum Aged 3 Years. Rathlee Distilling Co are the brainchild of husband and wife team Stuart and Paolo Leather. Formed in 2012 they originally released their rum under the Revolver rum brand.

Originally Revolver rum was a blend of rums aged around 18 months to 2 years. They have since been able to further age their stocks in Cornwall. Now the rum is aged for a minimum of 3 years. 2 Years of this is aged in Latin America and a further year here in the UK. It is a column distilled rum.

Once the rum is aged it is brought down to 40% ABV with Cornish Spring Water. It’s ageing process is entirely in ex-bourbon barrels. The actual rum is from a very well-known producer in Latin America. Upon trying the rum I could identify where the rum was from.

However, for contractual reasons Rathlee are not allowed to identify where the rum hails from. much like some of the other Independent brands that are from unidentified distilleries in the likes of Panama and Fiji (Fiji is a funny one as there is only one distillery).

Another thing worth mentioning is that Rathlee aren’t actually distilling any rum at present. That is not to say they won’t give it a try going forward. They merely additionally age and blend the rum prior to bottling.

Presentation wise Revolver Rum was quite a modern and upto date brand but the presentation has taken an upturn with this release. A nice colourful yet tasteful stubby bottle with a quality cork stopper, with wooden topper. Information (aside from the distillery) on the actual rum is provided. You should be able to pick the rum up for around £25-30 for a 70cl bottle. Distribution wise it is currently only really available in the UK. However, many UK stockists will ship it abroad.

It is sometimes easy to dismiss younger rums. I have learnt this in the past to my detriment in the shape of Neptune Rum which is way better than it’s 3 years would suggest. As is Doorly’s 3 Year Old.

In the glass Rathlee Distilling Co Golden Barrel Aged Rum is unsurprisingly – golden brown.

On the nose it is a very clean, slightly mineral-y smelling spirit. Lightly aromatic and slightly perfumed. It’s not a huge bruiser of a nose and it is in keeping with what you might expect from a Latin style “ron”.

It’s youthfulness is not immediately apparent. It doesn’t smell hugely boozy. Nice notes of vanilla and some light toffee. It has a slightly sweet perfumed aroma and decent amount of spicy ex-bourbon like notes of ginger and a touch of tobacco.

At 40% ABV none of it is overwhelming and it has a nice, uncomplicated balance to it.

Siiping Rathlee Distilling Co Barrel Aged Rum is a surprisingly mellow and pleasant experience. Once again whilst many rums under 5 years old can be too boozy or unbalanced to enjoy as a sipper this actually works quite well.

It’s quite spicy and woody on the initial sip but it has a really nice zestiness of marmalade and some lime zest. It’s quite more-ish and it’s one of those rums which gives you a bit of a thirst. Clean, gently spicy it really makes your mouth water bit like a bourbon.

The mid palate is a touch on the bitter side but it has some nice notes of chocolate, toffee and some smokiness and a nice top note of tobacco – but not overly sweet like you find with Havana club rums.

The finish is more of a fade out, than offering anything particularly new but it is again pleasant enough. Maybe a higher ABV might improve the finish but at under £30 I won’t quibble too much about it. I’ve paid a lot more for worse sipping experiences.

There is no hint of any additives with this rum and it shows clean on the hydrometer. Which is pleasing.

In overall terms I would imagine Rathlee Distilling Co Barrel Aged Golden Rum will view itself as a “premium mixer”. It passes the Rum and Cola test with flying colours. It delivers a really nice, smooth rum and coke but it also has enough spicy, oaky and zesty flavour to make it much more than just a smooth tasteless drink.

This is a good progression from their previous effort and at good price. Albeit at probably the most competitive price point in the market.

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