Foursquare Rum Distillery Triptych

Bythefatrumpirate August 14, 2017

Foursquare Rum Distillery Triptych. Another collaboration between Velier and Foursquare. Definitely not an independent bottling. Don’t let Richard hear you saying otherwise!

Released in the guise of a “regular” Velier bottling rather than the Habitation Velier label, this is a follow up if you like to last years Foursquare 2006.

Following the success and controversy of last years release Richard and Luca decided to double the quantity of available bottles for the Triptych release. 5,400 bottles of this rum are commerically available worldwide compared to 2,700 of the Foursquare 2006.

Richard and Luca have been very strict with distribution this time and have also allowed enthusiasts to subscribe for bottles which have been hand delivered or posted when they have entered the enthusiasts territory. I was lucky enough to get a bottle mailed to me whilst Christian Seale was in London.

It is clear that more bottles of this rum have landed in the hands of genuine rum fans rather than speculators (those of whom are often more interested in Whisky and are seasoned at “flipping” bottles. A practice whereby you buy the bottle at retail price and quickly sell it at profit on an auction site.

Retailing at 129 Euros (say £110 for arguments sake) the 70cl bottle has an ABV of 56% and is noted as being barrel proof on the label. It was bottled in November 2016 and comprises a blend of three Single Blended rums. A blend of a blend if you like.

The three rums in the blend were aged in ex-Bourbon, ex-Maderia and Virgin Oak. My mate Steven James over at Rum Diaries Blog has a lot of information direct from Richard Seale on his review. It seems easier to link you there to the details rather than re-create the same content.

Each of the rums in this blend are a different age and have been aged in different barrels.

2004 ex-Bourbon, 2005 ex-Madeira and 2007 Virgin Oak. Triptych was bottled in November 2016 at Barrel Proof of 56%. As you can see from the photographs this release uses the Velier template rather than the Exceptional Casks one. It adds an extra touch of class.It appears that Foursquares default Velier colour scheme is Red, White and Black. As with all velier releases you get a real cork stopper on the opaque 3/4 bottle.

It’s all very classy but can Triptych live up to its older brother the Foursquare 2006? Lets find out.

Triptych is a very bright, very orange looking rum. It is not as dark as you might expect but its a very attractive and welcoming colour. Vibrant.

The nose is very intense. Rich but with a lot of young wood making its presence felt. Shoe polish and varnish fumes alongside the more traditional Foursquare spiciness. There is note of something a little salty, a touch of black olives.

I’m getting a nose of something I haven’t noted before with Foursquare. I suspect it might be the virgin oak which is giving it new wooden furniture note. I am not 100% sure if I was given Triptych blind if I would recognise it immediately as a Foursquare. product. Having said that I’m not sure where I would guess it was from.

Further nosing reveals notes similar to the 2004 Foursquare. I’m getting more the ex-Bourbon casks and all the vanilla and spices that go with that. There is also a mustyness to the rum. Not unpleasant but something which reminds me of a bottle of red wine left overnight. There are notes of tobaaco, pipe smoke perhaps and a touch of balsam wood.

There is a lot going on with this and you can enjoy nosing it for hours. Well you could but I wouldn’t as I’d rather spend the time drinking it.

And what a joy that is. Even without a little water Triptych makes for a great sip. It’s a very bold, very spicy rum. The Madeira cask blend certainly shows its teeth when you get into the sipping. It’s as rich and intense as Criterion and Foursquare 2006. There is a lot of big fruity red wine notes. Plums, cherries and juicy red apples.

There is also a really good balance of the oak and the spiciness. You get quite a lot of lemon zest and a whole host of tongue tingling spices on the finish. Which is a long and very satisfying experience. The finish is smokey and its not as dry as I expected. It retains a lot of the the fruit notes all through the sipping experience.

As good as Triptych is (and its very good) it is still pretty challenging. It’s a good few dials up from the likes of the Zinfandel or Port Cask rum. A lot heavier than both of those. It’s a lot more “menacing” that say Rum Sixty Six or Doorly’s XO.

I’ve actually enjoyed Triptych more over time. When I tried Criterion I instantly fell in love with it. With Triptych there was a slight adjustment. I think the Virgin oak part of the blend have taken a little time for me to adjust to.

Still I’m pleased I adjusted and I’m very happy I was able to snag a bottle of this. I’ll certainly try and get another one.

Bacardi Black

Bacardi Black
Bythefatrumpirate September 2, 2014July 17, 2018

Bacardi Black. Along with Bacardi Gold, the two rums have recently been re-released into the UK market at 40% ABV rather than 37.5%. For whatever reason Bacardi Black is not as readily available as the White Superior or Gold. In most supermarkets and many off licenses the White Superior and Gold can be picked up at entry-level prices. However, the Black is largely absent from these outlets.

As a result it has been fairly difficult to get a bottle other than online. Fortunately on the continent the rum is more readily available and I was able to obtain a 1 litre bottle whilst on holiday. The other bonus of this is the price which was considerably lower than if I had ordered this online (£29.95 for a 70cl bottle as opposed to 19 euro’s approx. £16 for a litre bottle).

There isn’t really much to say about Bacardi that hasn’t been said before. I’ve reviewed a few Bacardi products and whilst I doubt I will ever review the flavoured efforts (Razz, Limon etc) the “real” rums haven’t been that bad overall so far. The Bacardi Black comes in the standard Bacardi bottle which will be familiar to anyone who has seen the White Superior. I like the attention to presentation and strong brand identity that Bacardi uses. I like to see consistency in presentation. This is their entry-level dark rum like the Gold and the White Superior and is housed in the same bottle. Immediately I am not confused or unsure as to what to expect from this rum.

The rear label states that the rum is bottled in Germany for Bacardi International Ltd, Hamilton, Bermuda. I found this a little confusing. I understood that Bacardi had a distillery in Puerto Rico and the Bahamas. However, it was unclear which distillery transported the rum to Germany for bottling. After looking on the Internet I’ve only ended up even more confused. It seems that Bacardi Black may have also once been Bacardi Select? Both have been bottled at 37.5% ABV and 40% ABV. I suspect the rum is from the Puerto Rico plant but I could be wrong!

The rear label also states “mit Farbstoff” (Zuckerkulor). So it would seem that caramel is added to give the rum its black appearance. The rum is aged for only 4 years so this is not a surprise. To be perfectly honest I would imagine all young Navy and Demerara style rums that are as dark must also use caramel.

When poured the rum remains very dark brown in colour. As a very heavy looking dark rum I’m a little surprised when nosing the rum that the sweet nose is more of a cane juice/agricole grassy note than a deep dark molasses like rum. There is a little hint of plum/prune and a little hint of treacle.

I don’t really know why I continue to sip these entry-level rums but the Bacardi Black doesn’t burn too badly. That’s not to say its pleasant, it’s just bitter really. Another surprise is how dry it is. Adding cola (the rum is marketed as a mixer and cola is the key) it still tastes quite bitter and too dry. The appearance of the rum made me expect a dark Demerara rum or Navy style. It is nowhere near as sweet or flavourful as either style. I’m a little puzzled as to why they have decided to darken this relatively young rum to look like either of those styles.

It’s dryness reminds me a little of Bacardi Reserva, however this is much rougher. It’s like a rum in disguise to me and I just don’t get it. I’m not sure at whom the rum is aimed? Your left with a kind of harsh dry Puerto Rican style rum which looks like a British Navy Rum. It’s a terrible rum and has a nasty dry tobacco note which is also present in their Spiced Oakheart. It’s awful stuff.

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Cadenhead's FSPD Fiji South Pacific Distillery Aged 13 Years

Cadenhead’s FSPD Fiji South Pacific Distillery Aged 13 Years
Bythefatrumpirate August 17, 2017August 18, 2017

Cadenhead’s FSPD is another Cask Strength bottling from in their Dated Distillation range. This time hailing from the South Pacific Distillery, Fiji.

To date I haven’t tried a lot of rum from Fiji. The only Fijian rum reviewed thus far have been Independently bottled from Berrys’ and Ultimatum. The Berrys’ rum was considerably younger than this one at only 8 years old. The Ultimatum more similar in terms of age, at 12 years old.

At London Rumfest in October 2016 I tried Berrys’s 11 Year Old Fiji rum – which I though showed a lot more maturity and complexity than the 8 year old. A couple of months later I was tipped off about a Worthy Park release by Cadenhead’s and I noticed this Cask Strength 13 Year Old which I wanted to try.

Also present at London Rumfest last October were Fiji Rum Co. With so much going on at Rumfest I never did get around to visiting them. I understand if memory serves me correctly that they are something to do with Coca-Cola.

The South Pacific Distillery is actually the only distillery on Fiji. So any rum you see will hail from this distillery.

I’ve seen over the past couple of years rums from St Lucia Distillers and Worthy Park grow in popularity and stature. It is my opinion that Fiji could well be the next island to see a real surge in the popularity of its rum internationally. South Pacific Distillery are producing full flavoured Pot Still distillates. Which, if handled correctly could become very much sough after. In particular amongst Rum Geeks and Enthusiasts. The rums might not prove as popular in the more casual end of the market but certainly I think one day bottlings, such as this one will be very desirable.

Presentation wise the rum comes housed in Cadenheads standard brown, yellow and orange bottle cardboard sleeve (slightly flimsy I must add). The bottle is a dumpy affair with a nice plastic topped real cork stopper. This rum retails at around £50-55 a bottle.

Information on the contents is as follows.

Matured in wood, Produce of Fiji, FSPD from the South Pacific Distillery, Pot Still, Bonded 2003 and bottled December 2016, 13 Years Old, ABV 59.6%.

“The rum has been bottled from a Specially Selected individual cask, it has not been reduced with water and is bottled at natural strength. It has no added colour and is not chill filtered.”

“It remains the authentic product of its distillery”

Sound good? Well here we go and let see what the juice is actually like.

In the glass the rum is light golden brown – almost straw like. It is a touch darker as it is a little hazy (no chill filtration).

The nose is strong and almost Agricole like. Very vegetal – lots of pine and tree sap. Wet grassy fields. It also has an almost menthol kick to the nose – which reminds me of Fisherman’s Friends. The nose actually grows on you. It has an almost savoury whisky like note. I’m reminded in equal parts of St Lucia Distillers 1931 series (especially the 1st one) and a Cadenhead’s rum from Worthy Park.

The nose doesn’t seem all that different to the Berrys’ 8 Year Old It is markedly different to the Ultimatum 12 Year Old though – perhaps surprisingly. I would have expected the two with the similar age to well, be most similar! This effort is the first Cask Strength Fiji I have tried to so maybe that has a big influence.

Sipped the rum is initially very spicy, unsurprisingly at Cask Strength. It more than makes your tongue tingle. Especially one the first couple of sips. It is clearly European aged for probably the vast majority of its 13 years. It’s a very clean and an almost clinical kind of spirit. There isn’t any warm fruity richness that Tropical ageing often brings to the table. I’m thinking in terms of the marked difference in European aged Demeraras and Velier Tropical aged rums as a reference point.

It is from the first sip clearly a Pot Still rum. Its big and challenging and at first quite difficult to get a handle on. There is a lot of flavour coming from the rums interaction with oak. It’s spicy – ginger, some very clean tasting oak. It’s got an almost minty flavour to it. The FSPD is a deceptively complex rum. The extra years ageing seem to have made the spirit cleaner more defined but no less “funky” than the eight year old Berrys’.

We are in Hampden territory funk particularly on the finish. You get a really huge funky spicy kick on the exit. Big Jamaican pot still collides with vegetal St Lucian notes to give a very potent and long lasting finish.

It’s quite a dry rum with little by way of fruity flavours. It’s very much defined by the casks it was aged in, quite a savoury tasting rum.

The Fijian rums whilst “similar” to a lot of other Pot Still rums are distinctive enough to enjoy their own identity. On re-visiting this bottle I was quite surprised to see how much I had drank of it over the past few months. It’s a bit like Smith & Cross – once you get a taste for it one glass just doesn’t cut it.

I feel that maybe a blend of pot and column or even a totally tropically aged Fijian rum might work better than this single cask offering. However I still feel this was more than worth the £50-55 I paid for this bottle.

At the moment there are a lot of Fijian rums available amongst independent bottlers. If you are serious about your rum I would pick up a couple. This is a pretty good example to start with. Thanks to the relatively low profile of Fijian rums this is still available despite being released early this year.

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Grander Panama Rum Aged 12 Years

Grander Panama Rum Aged 12 Years
Bythefatrumpirate October 13, 2020October 13, 2020

Grander Panama Rum Aged 12 Years. I haven’t reviewed a great deal of Panamanian (should we just call it Panama?) rum recently. To be honest it is not a country whose rum excites me nowadays.

Unfortunately (and as my Hydrometer tests support) you can never quite rely on what you might be getting in your bottle. From mythical distilleries to very loud protestations that any additives have been used by ageing Master Blenders – despite scientific evidence to show otherwise. I never quite trust what I might be getting in a bottle of Panama rum.

That is not to say that Panama rum is particularly bad per se. It’s light Spanish/Latin style is approachable and easy drinking. It’s just not terrible exciting and I find most of it quite homogenised. The reality is most of it comes out of the same huge alcohol plant, so that is perhaps to be expected.

However, there are times when I see something which piques my interest.

Grander Panama Rum has been around for a few years now. The first sounds I heard about Grander came from the US. Now I find the US appreciation of rum and spirits etc to be slightly more, shall we say “positive” than that of a European audience. Much of the reviews, I saw of this product came from “Spirits” Reviewers rather than dedicated Rum Experts or Enthusiasts.

That said what rely got me interested in trying Grander Panama Rum was a combination their claims of “no additives” and a largely positive review from Ivar de Laat over at Rum Revelations, who rarely has anything good to say about “Spanish” style rums. He didn’t rave over this but he seemed to feel it was solid enough.

Grander Panama Rum Aged 12 Years is produced at Las Cabras Distillery, which is often termed as “Don Pancho’s” distillery. You can read the back story on this here.

Las Cabras Distillery produces rum from locally grown sugar cane molasses. Fermentation takes place using a proprietory yeast strain. Fermentation lasts between 24 and 72 hours. Grander rums are produced on a 4 column multi still. This still(s) can produced light to heavy marques of rum.

Ageing of Grander Panama Rum Aged 12 Years takes place in ex-bourbon barrels some of which have been noted as being “sherry seasoned”. The Grander website notes that some of these barrels previously held Sherry. For more information on Sherry Seasoned casks please read here. I am assuming that the casks were seasoned rather than had sherry age/mature in them.

The Grander Rum website is quite good and has a fair amount of information on it. A lot of which I have used in this review. Should you wish to read a bit more about Grander then please check it out here.

In the UK distribution of Grander Panama Rum is currently handled by Gravity Drinks, who I’ll be honest have some pretty questionable products in their portfolio. As a result this is now quite readily available here in the UK. Familiar stockists such as Master of Malt and Amazon currently have it for sale. A 70cl bottle of this normally costs around £40 – Amazon have it for £34.99 (but only have one in stock) and MoM are offering free delivery. Grander Panama rum Aged 12 Years comes in a 70cl bottle. It is bottled at 45% ABV.

Presentation wise – this is nicely presented. Sleek modern 3/4 size bottle with a short neck and very chunky wooden topped cork stopper. It’s quite “understated” for this kind of rum and has information on the rear label rather than fairy tales. It has “The Ultimate Catch” embossed on the front label and has Grander down each side of the bottle.

So lets move on and see how this one pans out.

In the glass Grander Panama Rum Aged 12 Years is quite light for a 12 year old spirit. Especially one which has been tropically aged. This suggests to me that no caramel colouring has been added. As the producers have been more than clear about!

This is refreshing. The nose is quite light but has a nice hit of alcohol and oak spices. Again I’m not getting any suggestion of additions to this. Baking spices, sweet shortcrust pastry and some butter biscuits. A nice burst of vanilla and some honey.

It’s light but at the same time has a decent amount of complexity. Nicely balanced and quite inviting.

Sipped the rum has a bit of bite to it – a good hit spicy oak and bourbon esque notes alongside a bit more “booze” than you might normally encounter from a Panama rum. To be fair not many commercial bottlings go above 43% ABV.

The initial entry has a honey-ed sweetness, which moves into the mid palate which delivers more of the oak and barrel influence. It’s clean and crisp and goes down very easily.

The mid palate sees a little of the “sherry seasoning” which adds an extra bit of spice. Not the sweetness I was expecting. This is more of perfumed note which I have to say works really well and is quite distinctive.

There are notes of pecan, peanut brittle and some vanilla as we move into the finish.

The finish is fairly short and has a bitter edge to it – a lot of wood spice and some dark chocolate. Cocoa nibs and a decent bit of heat as fades out. It fades a little quickly though. Quicker than I would have liked. It does leave behind quite a bit of heat though. More than I was expecting.

All in all this is a light nicely balanced “ron”. The fact is tastes and has a mouthfeel which suggests no additives is always a bonus. It is certainly not “confected” in anyway I can detect.

I’ve quite enjoyed my time with the bottle (some time I should have perhaps spent removing the HMRC sticker before taking photos……) and I certainly wouldn’t refuse a glass of this if offered.

One of those solid 7/10 bottles.

As David Lee Roth might say “Panama” RIP Eddie Van Halen.

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Penny Blue XO Single Estate Mauritian Rum (4th Batch)

Penny Blue XO Single Estate Mauritian Rum (4th Batch)
Bythefatrumpirate July 23, 2015July 23, 2015

Mauritian Rum is a new one on me. I have in the past tried Pink Pigeon Spiced Rum. Penny Blue hails from the same distillery as Pink Pigeon – The Medine Distillery. However, Penny Blue promises an altogether more sophisticated and grown up experience.

Regulars readers of the blog may be familiar with the press release I placed on the site a couple of weeks back. By way of thanks for promoting this venture (which is done in conjunction with the wonderfull Berry Bros and Rudd) I was sent a sample of the 4th batch of this Single Estate Mauritian Rum.

In all honesty I pride the site as much on the standard of photography as I do the standard of the writing. I like the consistency of the photography. Unfortunately, for the purpose of this review I have had to deviate slightly and use the stock photo I was sent with the original press release as the main photo.

I have of course took a photo of the sample bottle I received. For review purposes I can’t really comment on the presentation beyond what have I seen in photos. It looks pretty good. I like the stubby bottle and the wax seal on what I presume to be a cork enclosure. The Penny Blue branding etc looks all very slick. My sample bottle looks slightly less chic but never mind.

I don’t usually review samples sent to me. For starters I do not actively seek such things so very few have come my way. If like many of my contemporaries I was more vocal or was wanting to dip my toes in more commercial waters I’m sure I could receive a lot more freebies. I don’t feel the need to do this. Most important for me is to remain 100% independent. Whilst I will involve myself with rum companies etc I will certainly not entertain the idea of softball reviews to garner more and more free product. I can afford to buy my own rum.

Still I had done the company a favour in helping promote their most recent release and they had sent me a sample in return. Whether this was indeed for me to write a review or whether it was simply a thank you I don’t know. It may have been as simple as trying to encourage me to buy a bottle.

Regardless of motive I figured I may as well at least try the Penny Blue in review conditions. Treat it as if I was going to publish a review. I’m always slightly suspicious of rums with back stories to them. Penny Blue however has a relatively uncomplicated tale which explains why it is named as it is.

Prinited in Mauritius in 1847, the Penny Blue stamp immediately became a collectors item because of its inscription. A mistake by the engraver resulted in it reading “Post Office” rather then the usual “Post Paid”. There are believed to be only 12 such stamps still in existence. The Penny Blue stamp is as rare and highly collectible as this small batch rum.

A simple and believable story. The Medine Distillery has been producing rum from its own sugar cane plantation (all housed on a single site) since 1926. The partnership formed between them and Berry Bros and Rudd, who have bottled some amazing rums on their own label adds an extra layer of interest and credibility.

So far so good, this really doesn’t seem like one of those pop up “Premium Rums” that appear from far flung corners of the globe with incredulously spun tales of their rich heritage and history, despite being completely only five minutes old…

Another note in the press release states that Penny Blue is “small batch vatted, natural in colour and un-chill filtered”. They also add “no artificial sweetening is involved in the process”. Which is again, all good stuff for those who like pure unadulterated rum. A hydrometer test also reveals that Penny Blue has no detectible added sugar. Kudos to the Medine Distillery for this.

Penny Blue XO Batch 4 is available internationally except for the US from the 1st July 2015. A limited release of 10,000 bottles which should retail at around £40 in the UK. It is bottled at 43.3% ABV and retail bottles are 70cl/700ml. The oldest rum in this batch is 11 years old and the youngest is 4 years old. The rum is matured in Whisky and Bourbon casks and then vatted together to blend. The rum is produced on a continuous column still so it isn’t as small batch as pot still production.

Let’s put it to the test.

In the sample bottle I received, the rum is a light gold almost straw like colour. When poured into the glass it looks slightly darker and more brown from the side but again straw like from above.

The nose is quite striking. Although the press release does not state so I think this is a molasses based rum. Despite this the rum is very light and sweet. It reminds me very much of Barbancourt 5 Star. In many ways it has a lot in common with a light Bajan rum but the nose has an extra complexity and intensity. Citrus and a little orange peel as well as vanilla and a little white pepper.

Sipped, again the rum displays the almost cognac like silkiness of Barbancourt. It’s very citrusy and slightly dry, mouthwatering. It is smooth and has a lasting and refreshing finish. The oak ageing is very evident but the rum still remains very fresh and vibrant tasting. It is for me beautifully aged. Any more and it could have been in danger of being over oaked. The oak and spice combines wonderfully with the rich fruit notes and the zesty peel.

Despite only having a 50ml sample I was still able to sample the Penny Blue on two separate occasions. On both occasions I found myself enjoying this well balanced rum a great deal. This is very good stuff and I am very pleased I was given the opportunity to try this rum, as it is a rum I would have overlooked.

I will certainly be looking out for more rums from the Medine Distillery.

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Cachaca Japi Classica

Cachaca Japi Classica
Bythefatrumpirate November 14, 2019

Cachaca Japi Classica. This cachaca hails from Itupeva, Sao Paulo. It is produced at the JP Distillery. Cachaca production at JP Distillery began as far back as 1890. However, in 1925 the property on which the distillery was housed was sold to an Italian immigrant Cyrineo Tonol.

Cyrineo decided that he wished to cultivate coffee as it was more lucrative so the distillery was deactived and the cultivation of coffee beans began. Unfortunately partly due to the US Stock Market crash and the resulting “Great Depression” demand and the price of coffee plummeted between 1929 and 1931.

Whilst the family were able to find other ways to make the land profitable the distillery wasn’t reactivated until 1948. Cachaca Japi was born.

The name Japi refers to the Serra do Japi, which is the mountain range in which the JP Distillery is located. I’ve been unable to find out why the distillery is called JP unfortunately.

Cachaca Japi do have a website but I struggled to get it to translate into English. I’ve pieced together the best information I could work out! So bear with me if anything is wrong.

Cachaca Japi Classica has been aged in Amendoim barrels for 9 months. It has been bottled at 39% ABV. In Brasil I bottle will set you back around $R25-30 (£4.50 – £5.60 UK). Where we to sit in the UK I would expect it to be priced at around £25-30.

Prior to distillation and bottling the sugar cane is produced and harvested manually on site. All sugar cane is then processed within 24 hours and the juice begins the fermentation process. Once completed distillation takes place on Copper Alembic Pot Stills only. No column distillation is used at JP distillery.

So let’s move on and see how I found this particular “white” cachaca.

In the glass we have a crystal clear liquid, the 9 months of ageing in Amendoim have not added any colour to the spirit.

The nose on Cachaca Japi Classica is very pleasant with very minimal alcohol fumes. I was expecting a bit more fire to be honest. It noses a lot “older” than I was expecting. It has a lovely elegant floral balance. Rosewater and some grassy notes mingle along really nicely.

Further nosing reveals some light citrus – lemon and lime and a touch of grapefruit. There is a slightly herbal note as well with hints of lemongrass and some light basil.

There are some aromas of toffee and ginger as well.

It’s a really complex nose for such a young spirit. There are no off notes and it all works quite nicely.

Sipped neat it is a real palate cleanser of spirit. Full of clean citrus and vegetal notes on the initial sip. A good hit of spices as well – ginger and a touch of white pepper. As you move into the mid palate the cachaca becomes a little bitter with more spice and some woody notes.

The more floral aromas that were present on the nose are in the mix throughout giving this cachaca and extra layer of complexity.

Finish wise, like many cachacas at this ABV it isn’t overly long or complex. You get a fair amount of spicyness left behind but this is more young alcohol than anything else. That said this cachaca is marketed more as a mixer/shot than a Premium Sipping Cachaca.

Using Cachaca Japi Classica for mixed drinks makes for some excellent classic drinks. A Caiprinha with Classica Japi Classica is a really enjoyable spicy/citrus heavy affair and Ti Punch is really great – a bit more ABV would have made this even better.

The 9 months in the Amendoim wood has really given this a bit of an edge over most white unaged cachaca. I think it has really tempered some of the young alcohol. Kind of smoothed off the edges and added a nice layer of complexity in its place.

Good stuff – I’d certainly be keen to try their Ouro given the chance.

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Aluna Coconut Rum

Aluna Coconut Rum
Bythefatrumpirate April 2, 2018April 5, 2018

Aluna Coconut Rum. A new addition to UK shelves in 2017 was Aluna Coconut Rum. For many Koko Kanu offers a more respectable alternative to the perennial pub and club favourite Malibu in the battle of the “coco-rum” wars.

Much like Malibu, Aluna Coconut Rum technically isn’t a rum under EU law. It is bottled at 35% ABV. Standard Malibu is 21% ABV in the UK. It is really a rum based spirit drink.

Now it is unlikely you will find many (if any) reviews of Aluna Coconut Rum on dedicated rum review websites. You are more likely to come across “micro reviews” and comments on Social Media such as Instagram and Pinterest.
You may come across the odd review on less specific “alcohol” blogs but you need to be wary of such sites. Often they only offer “reviews” based on the marketing material sent to them and are not in the business of offering a critical assessment.

It is unlikely that many other rum review sites will review this as it either won’t interest them or they look down on this kind of offering. I’ve always said I’ll review pretty much any “rum” I come across – good, bad and even ugly. At times very ugly. At times such as this it might not technically even be “rum”.

Aluna Coconut rum comes in a bar tender friendly tall bottle. The presentation is sleek and modern. Surprisingly not at all tacky. No palm trees, hula girls or other such nonsense. You even get a synthetic plastic topped cork. I did find the one on my bottle hard to dislodge though.

In the UK where it has been launched and is being distributed by Mangrove. It retails at around the £20-25 mark. Which is slightly more expensive than the completion of Malibu and Koko Kanu. I attended a Rum Festival last year where this was being exhibited by Mangrove. They were very keen to point out the lower calorie basis of this Coconut “Rum”. The rum is a base of Caribbean (I guess at Trini) and Guatemalan rums. It is noted on the bottle as being a “Toasted Coconut Flavoured Rum”. It is blended with “organic coconut water and natural toasted coconut flavours”.

At the aforementioned Rum Festival they seemed a little surprised that I wanted to try the Aluna. I was interested because they weren’t mixing it in a mini-cocktail, as is often the case with flavoured and spiced rums. I thought that was quite daring.

Now as with my review of Koko Kanu I am reviewing this as a £20 bottle of coconut flavoured rum. Koko Kanu I enjoyed, as it delivered the coconut flavour and just enough Jamaican funk to give it a little kick. It was very sweet though. I am not comparing it to a £200 – 20 Year Old Caroni rum or even 12 Year Old £35 Bajan rum. The star rating is based on how good I feel it works as a coconut rum. How authentic the coconut flavours are.

So without further ado lets get down to the (hopefully fun part).
The nose is surprisingly good. Really nice toasted coconut notes – like fresh Macaroons desiccated coconut and a slightly less sweet note of natural coconut water running over it all. It promises everything on the label. If you don’t like coconut – particularly in its natural fresh state then this isn’t for you. If you do then this does have a air of authenticity.

Running alongside the coconut notes is a nicely balanced vanilla and light toffee from the rum. With many “coco-rums” particularly those suspicious bottles you find in mainland Europe, the alcohol is overwhelming and rather unpleasant. No such problems here. This is really nice. It is sweet but compared to Koko Kanu and Malibu there is definitely a huge step down in the sugar levels. It measured on the Hydrometer at 25g/L whereas I couldn’t get a reading of Koko Kanu (suggesting over 100 g/L of additives).

I found with Koko Kanu that you got a real residue of granulated sugar around the screw cap. I have had this bottle of Aluna for some time now. I’ve not noticed any sugar granules forming either in the rum or around the closure.

Aluna Coconut Rum is surprisingly shippable and very enjoyable. The nose is transferred across into the sip. Toasted coconut, coconut water, vanilla, toffee and just enough alcohol to remind you this is 35% ABV. They suggest adding ice. Again its quite refreshing to see that they are confident to not just mix this drink.
It is a flavoured rum. It’s not an amazingly complex sipper but it does offer a sweet, tasty and refreshing “sorbet” like palate cleanser or occasional after dinner sip. Its certainly a lot better than some of the sugar laden “Premium” straight rums out there. There’s a lot less bullshit on the bottle as well.

Aluna mixes very nicely in a variety of cocktails. Makes a tasty Pina Colada, unsurprisingly and it mixes well with most fruit juices. I’ve also quite enjoyed a few rum and colas with Aluna.

Personally, I think this has a bit more to it than sugary coconut and I prefer it to Koko Kanu. Both offer a good taste of coconut but this offers a bit more complexity with a bit more variety in the coconut notes.

If (for whatever reason) you are looking for a Cocount rum or want to upgrade from Malibu then I would recommend trying this. It does what it is intended to do well. The coconut flavours are well-defined, without being sickly. The base rum whilst light adds just enough alcohol, vanilla and toffee notes to be more than just a neutral base.

Surprisingly good.

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