An Interview with Jonathan Rees – Organiser of the UK Rum Festivals 2017

Bythefatrumpirate

An Interview with Jonathan Rees UK Rum Festival Cardiff Rum Festival Exeter Bristol by the fat rum piratUntil recently the only chance of attending a Rum Festival in the UK was at the annual UK Rumfest based in London.  In late 2011 Jonathan Rees had a Eureka! moment to create a Rum festival in Cardiff.

From humble beginnings and numerous increasingly sized venues the Cardiff Rum Festival is now in its 5th year. This years event is the most ambitious yet and promises to be the biggest and best to date.

Not content with extending the size of the Cardiff Rum Festival Jonathan has also added the cities of Exeter and Bristol as well!

We spoke with Jonathan about the ups and downs of organising a successful Rum Festival in the UK and all things rum related.  Enjoy!

 

1.  The UK Rum festivals are not the first rum festival you have set up.   When and where did it all start and what inspired you?

It all started after our first visit to UK RumFest around 6 years ago. Inspired by the selection of rums available we decided why not start sharing this knowledge with others in Cardiff. Its grown from me talking to small groups in a pub to a more traditional take on a Rum Festival in 5 years.

UK Rum Festivals was an idea that sprouted from the success of our ever growing Cardiff Rum Festival. The feedback from brands and those attending was thankfully great so we thought lets spread our love of Rum further afield. We decided to take the show on the road to Bristol and Exeter, as we have ties to both cities. 

We honestly don’t make enough money to make these events our full time job. We do it because we are all rum fans. Don’t get me wrong there are some perks to doing this but its not a huge money earner. Hopefully one year, it will
pay for us to go visit some rum distilleries and see first hand how rums are made.

2.  Who will be your target audience? Who do you hope to see at these
events?

An Interview with Jonathan Reses UK Rum Festivals Cardiff Exeter Bristol by the fat rum pirateWe have purposely tried to cater for everyone. We believe we have a rum for everyone at our events.  Personally its the people who say ” I don’t like rum as I and a bad experience once on XYZ rum”.  They are the ones we like to open their eyes to the wonders of rum.  That said we have had seasoned rum drinkers comment on what a good time they have had speaking to the brands and learning about the process.

3.  How easy has it been to get exhibitors, venues etc? I imagine it
must be a lot of work?

Yes this is a struggle and what makes a festival a success.  Venues are the easy bit, though having said that finding venues that will allow dry hire and an off license means that you don’t have huge choice! We are really pleased with all past and current venues. We think they will add to the atmosphere of the events

Exhibitors require a little more work to entice away from London where most of them seem to be located. Couple that with the increase of other Rum events, it makes it more challenging to get brands to decide to spend some of their sought after budgets. That said we are really happy with the response we have had this year and will be announcing the brands attending in the up coming weeks. 

Any brand ambassadors reading this do get in touch I’m sure we can accommodate you.

4.  Prior to doing this what is/was your day job? How will this experience help with the successful launch of the Rum Festivals?

We don’t talk about the day job normally as it tends to get people to stop talking to me. I’m an accountant….Guess it should help me work out if I make any money from the events or not!

5.  When An Interview with Jonathan Reses UK Rum Festivals Cardiff Exeter Bristol by the fat rum piratedid your own Rum Journey begin?

In Mexico of all places. After having enough tequila the barman suggested Havana Club and coke. I have been converted ever since though i can’t remember last time i drank rum and coke. Since then i have been fortunate to try many rums and recently have more appreciation for Agricole.

6.  Do you have any favourite rum drinks or special cocktails you
enjoy?

For me the best cocktail is a Mai Tai. I always ask for one when in cocktail bars and depending on what they serve me I might try their other cocktails. If it turns up blue or with pineapple juice I know i’m not staying long. normally I just drink my rum neat but currently I’ve working my way through Beachbum Berry’s Total Tiki App.

7.  Who currently makes up the UK Rum Festival team and what is their background/experience

There are three of us involved in UK Rum Festivals, Aled who
has a background in the bar industry, Debbie who has experience in events and myself.

8.  Aside from the UK rum festivals what other Rum related activities are the team involved in?

We are all involved in the pop up Tiki Bar. We take over venues and showcase a new selection of Tiki Drinks each time.  

I have also imported rum and distributed rum here in the UK and I am on half of the The Tiki Cocktail Box team. My passions/hobbies are all about rum

9.  What have you learned over the past few years organising Rum Festivals?

That I am a sucker for punishment. Every year the day after I think its a lot of work maybe enough is enough but then two days later i am sourcing new venues etc. What i learned very quickly is you can’t please everyone so go with what you feel is right. There will always be complaints but as long as they are few and far between you got to be doing something right.

So there you have it. If our discussion regarding the upcoming Rum Festivals has made you thirsty the dates are as follows

Exeter, Exeter Castle 29th July 12:00pm to 8:00pm

Cardiff, SSE Swalec Stadium 5th August 12:00pm to 6:00pm

Bristol, Paintworks 12:00pm to 6:00pm

If you are interested then Early Bird tickets are priced at just £15 per person.  To book please click on the image below

 

UK RUM FESTIVALS

 

 

 

 

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    Bythefatrumpirate

    Santa Teresa Anejo Gran Reserva Rum review by the fat rum pirateSanta Teresa Anejo Gran Reserva. The Santa Teresa brand hails from Venezuela. The Hacienda Santa Teresa is situated in the valleys of Aragua near the capital Caracas. The estate was founded way back in 1796.

    Indeed, Santa Teresa’s flagship rum is name after the year the estate was founded. Santa Teresa 1796 is one of the mostly widely recognised “Premium” rums the world over. Bacardi took over distribution of that rum, but not the rest of the Santa Teresa line up in December 2016. This has enabled Santa Teresa 1796 to become available more widely, particularly in Travel Retail Duty Free.

    I have previously reviewed both the 1796 and the Linaje rums from Santa Teresa.

    Hacienda Santa Teresa grow and harvest their own estate sugar cane. Once the juice is extracted, the remaining molasses is used to produce Santa Teresa rum. The molasses is then fermented for 12-16 hours. The resulting wash of around 8% ABV is then distilled on either a Continuous Column Still or a Copper Pot Still.

    Two different cuts of alcohol are taken from the Continuous Column still. From the fourth column a light, pretty much neutral spirit is taken at 95% and from the first column a oilier, more flavourful spirit  at 75% ABV. These two cuts form the base of every rum Santa Teresa produce.

    From what I can see the Pot Still at Santa Teresa is only used for the 1796 and the Bi-Centennial Blend, they bottled a few years back. There is nothing which indicates that any Pot Still rum is contained in this bottle.

    It has also been noted that all Santa Teresa rums are aged in ex-bourbon and I understand that Santa Teresa Anejo Gran Reserva is aged up to 5 years. The minimal amount of ageing required under the Venezuelan DOC Denominación de Origen is 2 years to call the spirit a rum. Although Santa Teresa operate a “solera system” (which is perhaps more genuine than some) I do not think the solera is used for this expression. It is far more likely just a blend of different barrels of different ages.

    Santa Teresa Anejo Gran Reserva is particularly popular in mainland Spain and its islands, where it is in pretty much every liquor store and bar. Especially in tourist areas such as Benidorm, Mallorca and Salou (in my experience). In the UK a 70cl bottle will set you back around £22-26. It iSanta Teresa Anejo Gran Reserva Rum review by the fat rum pirates bottled at a respectable if unremarkable 40% ABV.

    Presentation wise it has a unique contoured bar style bottle. Label information is minimal and isn’t translated into English. So it’s not terribly useful to me. When pouring, as is the case with many rums and spirits from South/Central America it has plastic diffuser. This is to prevent the refilling of the bottle with a cheaper spirit by nefarious bar owners. The label has been updated and re-jigged a fair few times over the past few years. It’s likely you will find a few variations for sale especially in bricks and mortar stores.

    So let’s move on and see how Santa Teresa Anejo Gran Reserva goes down.

    In the glass we have light golden brown spirit. The nose is light with lots of vanilla. There is a note of tobacco and some toffee. Warming woody spices float over the top and they are nicely integrated and balanced.

    It’s not a hugely complex nose. Nor is it particularly “big”. It’s a light gentle rum which isn’t trying to be anything it’s not. It smells like a fairly simple and straightforward mixing rum. As seems to be a theme, the rum registers 8g/L of additives. These are probably softening the spirit a little to reduce the burn and astringency of the younger rums in the blend.

    Sipped it is best described as light, slightly boozy, woody, tobacco water. Which doesn’t sound all that appealing and to be fair in terms of a sipper, it’s not particularly good. It’s just too light and lacks in any real flavour. There is nothing really to distinguish this from many other similar “rons” at this price point.

    It is though marketed and priced as a mixer. To expect a Premium Sipping experience at £22-25 is a big ask.Santa Teresa Anejo Gran Reserva Rum review by the fat rum pirate

    It’s popular with cola, I drink quite a lot of this type of rum when I am on holiday. It’s usually readily available in most bars and in the supermarket you usually get rums like these for less than €15.

    Santa Teresa Anejo Gran Reserva does seem less sweet than some other “rons” and has a bit more of a tobacco, smoke and woody profile. I don’t mind this as a mixer at all to be honest. If the price is right. It’s the kind of rum for long lazy days on the beach or in the garden.

    That said though, this is in the grand scheme of things pretty average. Well maybe a touch above. So we’ll give it an extra 1/2 star. Not a rum I would go out of my way to find but if it was more readily available and less than £20 I’d buy the odd bottle for weekend mixing.

  • Diplomatico Ambassador

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Diplomatico Ambassador rum review by the fat rum pirateDiplomatico Ambassador was launched in London, England in 2011.  It is currently the most expensive of the various rums available under the Diplomatico brand.

    Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva is regularly cited as being one of the best rums in the world.  In all fairness it isn’t really but what it does offer is a soft, easy and very sugary entry into “sipping rums”. Having said that many will stay loyal to rums such as Diplomatico.

    Which as it happens is not a bad thing for reviewers like me.  As one of my rum comrades very kindly secured me a sample of this (and a few more of his pricier rums), as he is fond of the sweeter end of the spectrum.

    At just under £200 for a 70cl bottle/decanter it was unlikely I was ever going to buy a bottle.  It seems the presentation has changed slightly since 2011.  From what I gather the picture at the top of this review shows the most recent presentation.  Needless to say at £200 you get quite a lot of presentation for your money – expensive thick glass bottle, huge stopper, wooden lined box and some hand engraving.  It all looks very impressive. But you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover.

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    It has been stated that this rum has no sweeteners, caramel or other addtives by the marketing people at Diplomatico.  I think myself and Johnny Drejer would beg to differ. (Check my Hydrometer Test page for a reading)

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    A hint of aniseed and licorice.  There is little by way of aged oak notes or any real rum like character.  There is no trace of any alcohol on the nose – something which -when you consider this is 47% ABV is frankly a little ridiculous.

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    There is a little tiny hint of spice and warmth in the finish – maybe a little allspice and Cinnamon.  The finish is long though in reality your mouth is covered with this rum rather then the flavours remaining the rum does! Sticking to your mouth.

    DIPLOAMBYou don’t feel like you are drinking something which is almost 50% ABV.  In many ways I don’t really feel I’m drinking rum.  Which is where the Ambassador really runs into trouble with me.  It’s too much like liqueur – a nice warming after dinner treat but NOT rum.

    It’s easy to consider a rum like this to be rich and complex.  It does have a few tricks up its sleeve and it does have more than one note.  For me the notes it does have all add up to sweetness and there really isn’t enough oak and evidence of good ageing and barrel management.  It’s another rum I would love to try without the additives.  I suspect it would be extremely poor.

    This is a very smooth and enjoyable drink.  However, at £200 you could have yourself some cask strength Velier Demerara or any number of other rums.  I’d be just as happy drinking DRE as I would this.

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  • Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Blended Golden Rum Aged 8 Years

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Sainsbury's Trinidad Rum Review by the fat rum pirateSainsbury’s Golden Rum is a product of Trinidad and more specifically Angostura.  Sainsbury’s have long been stockists of Angostura’s 1919 rum.

    This rum is aged for 8 years and is the oldest rum Sainsbury’s currently stocks, excluding the 1919.  It’s almost as if Angostura have introduced a direct competitor to the store.  Which does seem a bit strange.

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    I’ve resisted reviewing own brand supermarket rum so far aside from the “Plantation” offerings from M&S.  However, I bought a bottle of this for a weekend away and felt that it deserved a review (If Bundaberg got one this is more than deserving).

    First up, this is the least expensive 8 Year old rum I have come across.  At £16 for a 70cl bottle I had expected the ABV to be 37.5%, however they have not scrimped on this and it comes in at a very respectable 40%.  The only time I have had rum close to this price point is Flor De Cana 7 Year Old at £17.99 which was on offer.  Most 8 year olds are £25 and upwards.  Angostura’s own 5 year old is usually over £20.

    The presentation is pretty uninspiring but the screw cap is of good quality.  There is a little information on the rear of the label about the ageing “8 years bourbon casks” but you get the feeling Sainsburys have had to tone down the overall look, so not to clash too much with the 1919 on their shelves.

    I approached this with caution as I’m really not keen on the floral/vanilla sweetness of the 1919 though I did find Angostura’s VAT19 to be a very agreeable mixer.  The first thing that hit when opening the bottle was how sweet the rum smelt.  (Note the Hydrometer test reveals no added sugar however I do suspect something is in the mix)

    SainsTrin4Pouring the rum, it is a gold/straw like colour.  The nose is actually quite strong on the alcohol fumes.  It smells younger than the label states.  There is a sweetness light vanilla, some sweet pecans and a little light caramel but it is nowhere near as sweet as I was expecting from the initial wafts from the bottle.

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    At only £16 a bottle it well with “mixing” territory for me.  I found the Vat 19 and the 1919 made very easy going mixers and I’m expecting much the same here.

    For once I am actually proved correct! Mixed with cola this makes for a very smooth, slightly sweet drink – its a lot less cloying than a Vanilla coke but reminds me a little of the drink.  The slightly boozy feel of the spirit actually adds the depth to the drinka and makes you feel like you are drinking a proper rum and cola.

    All in all this is not a bad drink at all and something of a bargain really.  At around £10 cheaper than the 1919 – I certainly wouldn’t be in rush to try that one again.  This is as good a mixer as Vat 19 and a little more refined.  It’s good stuff at a bargain price.

    3 stars

  • Kill Devil Cuba 17 Year Old 1999

    Bythefatrumpirate

    kill devil cuba santci spiritus rum review by the fat rum pirateKill Devil are and ever increasing range of Independently bottled rums from Whisky bottler Hunter Laing.  Unsurprisingly perhaps Whisky based online retailers such as The Whisky Exchange and Master of Malt have been stocking their rums from the outset.

    As a curious rum consumer and a lover of Independent bottlers I’ve found myself with a good few bottles and samples.

    Today we have a 17 Year Old Cuban rum from the Sancti Spiritus distillery.  I have tried in vain to find any meaningful information on this distiilery.  It has been in operation since 1946.  It also produced a short lived rum called Paraiso which was intended for the UK market.  As far as I can see it never really caught on.  Other than seeing the name on other Independent bottlers such as WM Cadenheads and Bristol Classic Rum I have drawn a blank.  The name of the distillery doesn’t help much as its the name for a province in Central Cuba.

    Kill Devil have released two different casks from the Sancti Spiritus Distillery – both aged 17 years.  This particular rum was distilled in January 1999 (the other was July 1998).  It is one of only 362 bottles from a single cask.  It is bottled at 46% ABV.  It will set you back around £60 in the UK.  For those interested in Kill Devil rums but put off by the ABV i.e. not Cask Strength – they will shortly be releasing some Cask Strength rum as well.

    My experience with Cuban rum has increased recently with a visit to Spain.  Where it is very popular and inexpensive.  I also have past experience of a 10 Year Old Sancti Spiritus rum from Bristol Classic Rum.

    Kill-Devil-Cuba-Sancti-Spiritus-17-Jahre-Single-Cask-Rum-tube-510x767

    The presentation of the rum I like.  It’s consistent with their others offerings and its always nice to get a good quality cylinder to store your rum.  Information regarding the bottling is also a bonus.  Something which should be done a lot more in my opinion.

    In the glass the rum is a very light straw like colour.  As with most “ron” the rum is produced on multi column stills.

    It doesn’t appear to have been coloured in anyway though it may have been lightly filtered.

    The nose is the first surprise for me.  It’s quite aggressive.  It is not as sweet as most Cuban rum I have tried.  It is not as clean and grassy as the Bristol 10 Year Old I reviewed earlier this year.

    Predominantly it has a tarry note.  There is a little sweetness – almost citrus like.  It is quite an oaked rum.  Unlike many Cuban rums this oak isn’t charred though. It’s quite clean and very woody.  Vanilla wafts in and out of the mix.

    Sipped it is very spicy.  Quite heated initially.  This fades quite quickly though.  There is a decent amount of flavour in the mid palate – it’s a pretty dry oaked rum.  It leaves behind a good hit of oak and smoky notes.  The finish isn’t long but it is pleasant.

    It is not a rum that I would pick out as being a Cuban rum.  It is not representative of the that style.  At least not the style which is commercially popular.  Much like the Kill Devil Guatemala – it offers a very different perspective on what can come out of certain countries.

    Being single cask it hasn’t benefitted from any blending.  As a result it does have a few rough edges.  It comes close to having the balance of a Bajan but it has an extra bite to it.  The tar or spice puts it a little of balance.  It is perhaps just a touch too dry for my palate.  Maybe it strays to close to whisky for my liking.

    What shouldn’t be ignored though is how good the spirit is.  It’s punchy.  It’s certainly not a light Cuban style “ron”.  Maybe an almost Caroni like note to it -slightly industrial.

    Another positive addition to the Kill Devil range.  If you want to try a Cuban rum stripped bare (rumour has it wine and vermouth is often added to the aguardientes) this is certainly a good place to start.

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  • Compagnie des Indes – Barbados 16 Year Old

    Bythefatrumpirate

    CompagniedesindesBARBADOSCompagnie des Indes are a French based Independent bottler.  This Barbados offering is aged for 16 Years.  The distillate hails from the acclaimed Foursquare Distillery in St Philip.

    Compagnie des Indes (East India Company) is the brainchild of Florent Beuchet.  Florent previously worked as the US Brand Ambassador for the Joseph Banks rum brand.  You may be familiar with their 5 and 7 Island blends.  They have also released some more expensive and very limited single cask rums.

    The companies name and aim is to evoke memories of the 18th century.  A time when sailors would travel far and wide, to bring back the best produce from far flung corners of the globe.  In this instance the best rums in the world.

    Unavailable presently in the UK this bottling came to my attention via Steven at Rum Diairies Blog. He insisted I had to try it. It is a 16 year old rum distilled in 1998 by Richard Seale at Foursquare.  Aged for 7 years in Barbados and 9 years in the less tropical climbs of Amsterdam and then Liverpool.  It was aged in ex-Jack Daniels barrels.  It is a blend of pot and column distilled rum.

    The rum is bottled at 45% ABV and comes with a price tag of around 90 euros (about £75 with the current exchange rate, maybe more post Brexit).

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    Compagnie des Indes have already put out an impressive run of rums in France. Despite only being around for a year or so.  Sadly not so many have reached our shores but that seems to be improving.Compagnie des Indes Barbados Rum Review by the fat rum pirate

    There has been quite a lot of activity from Foursquare Distillery in their own right over the past 12 months.  Despite that this rum is the first Foursquare offering I have had that is aged longer than 12 years.  It will be interesting to see how the extra 4 years European ageing have impacted the rum.

    The rum presents itself as a classic light to golden brown, shimmers of orange as you swirl the rum in the glass.

    As a Bajan rum the nose offers few surprises – nicely balanced oak and vanilla notes with some residual fruity sweetness running through it.  The nose is less oaked than Doorly’s 12 but much fruiter than RL Seales 10.

    Sipping the rum initially doesn’t offer many surprises.  Lovely aged woody notes are beautifully balanced alongside vanilla and some slightly spicy peppery notes.  It’s quite a dry rum and it has a very long and very spicy finish.

    Despite the drier profile and the spicier elements, as a sipper this has little alcohol burn.  It’s not fiery and its all very nicely balanced – classic Foursquare.  The aftertaste is very fresh and almost savoury.

    There is no fancy finishing with this rum.  From the information I have gathered it seems this has been aged solely in Bourbon casks.  As a result it is a classic Bajan profile.  The Bourbon/Tennessee Whiskey ageing has its usual influence on the distillate.

    Although this is 16 Years Old it seems that the European Ageing has decelerated some of the Oak Ageing.  The result is that the rum is very “fresh and clean” tasting.  The char, sometimes evident when rum is “over oaked” has not occurred.  I really like this rum even though when I’m breaking it down I’m making it sound pretty run of the mill!

    I think it has got all the “good” aspects of Tropical and European ageing rolled into one wonderfully balanced, subtle yet complex, mellow sipping rum.  It’s great and I really wish I could get some more!

    It is getting very difficult to score all these Foursquare offerings as we are really dealing with such miniscule differences in quality!  If you like Bajan rum then this will not disappoint.

    If you can find it……..

    4.5 stars

     

  • Bounty Saint Lucia Rum Premium Dark

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Bounty Saint Lucia Rum Premium Dark Rum Review by the fat rum pirateBounty Saint Lucia Rum Premium Dark. Not be confused with the Bounty Rum brand which comes out of Fiji. I reviewed an Overproof from Fiji Rum Company here. I also have previously reviewed the “original” Bounty Gold here.

    I’d actually tried for a long time to get a taster of the Bounty Gold. I eventually tracked down a bottle – hence the review last year. No sooner had I got the rum I began hearing that a new range of Bounty rums was coming to the UK.

    As long term readers of the site will know I am very partial to Saint Lucian rum. Chairman’s Reserve pretty much started my rum journey so I was pretty excited to learn that a few more expressions would be making their way to our shores.

    Bounty Saint Lucia Rum Premium Dark is available in the UK via Emporia Brands who have been importing Saint Lucia Distillers rum range, for quite some time now. Bounty now has 6 expressions in its portfolio. Ranging from Dark Rum to Flavoured Rum.

    Today’s rum is a blend of Pot and Column “double distilled” rum made from Guyanese molasses. It’s worth noting a lot of islands no longer use exclusively molasses from their location. So this isn’t something “unusual”. The rums are then aged for 2 years in ex-bourbon casks. They are then “softened” by Dark Caramel for “balance and finesse”. I find this claim a little odd and it suggests quite a liberal use of caramel and one which will result in a change of flavour/profile.

    In the UK you can pick up a 70cl bottle of Bounty Saint Lucia Rum Premium Dark for a little over £20. Distribution seems a little haphazard at the moment so you may have to shop around to find a bottle. I could only find them easily on Amazon and at The Drink Shop. That’s not to say The Whisky Exchange or Master of Malt won’t have them in next week!

    A good point about this “entry level” rum is that the ABV is 43% which gives it a little more oomph. Certainly better than the 37.5% that seems acceptable to some producers to save a few pennies!

    Presentation wise Bounty comes in a standard bar bottle. The neck however is a little shorter and stubbier. Presentation is nicely done and it looks a very good product at the price. If you want even more information on Bounty Rum then they have their own website here. Bounty Saint Lucia Rum Premium Dark Rum Review by the fat rum pirate

    In the glass – well we get a Dark Rum. Not as dark as some. It’s not black but its certainly a very dark brown with a red hue.

    Nosing the rum I’m not getting as much herbal and pine like notes as I usually do with Saint Lucian rums. Nor am I getting any of the salty brine. I’m getting a fair amount of alcohol on the nose and a fair amount of molasses and burnt caramel aromas.

    Further nosing reveals hints of tobacco, dark chocolate and some raisin. I’m not getting the Spiced Pear and Papaya noted on the rear label. I wouldn’t say it’s a very fruity rum overall.

    Sipped it’s better than the nose. Which was a little straight forward. It’s still quite caramel heavy. Oak or rather wood is now also coming into play. It’s quite bitter. It notes Charred Oak on the rear label. I’m getting this but sadly perhaps a little too much of it.

    It’s not a horrible rum sipped it’s certainly better than most Dark Rums at this price point. It’s not great though. As this is an entry level mixer we really should evaluate it as that.

    So lets get some cola and see how that goes.

    It certainly works a lot better. Maybe I was expecting too much of this rum. I really do like Chairman’s Reserve and the Bounty Gold. Unfortunately this one just isn’t giving me the same joy. It’s more molasses/caramel heavy and it’s just not as fruity and complex as either of those rums.

    The biggest problem I would say Bounty Premium Dark and even Bounty Gold have is that they are priced similarly to Chairman’s Reserve. Chairman’s Reserve is now easily available in Sainsburys for £20. Sometimes discounted to £16. It’s simply a better all round rum than both of them. Likewise if I want a more caramel/molasses heavy rum I will opt for Myers’s Original Dark. Again at a similar price point.Bounty Saint Lucia Rum Premium Dark Rum Review by the fat rum pirate

    As I progress down my rum and cola I am noticing a little more of the more traditional Saint Lucia notes of pine cones and a little brine. But just not enough to really grab me. It’s all just a bit straight forward.

    I’m actually quite surprised how I found this rum. I had tried it at Rumfest in London last year and I quite enjoyed it.

    Sitting down with it at home I was less impressed. I’ve given it a fair few tests as well over quite some time. I originally bought it late last year and have returned to it on a number of occasions. Each time I’ve been underwhelmed by it.

    A little better than average really. Disappointing. It’s slightly above average but it’s just not as good as I had expected.