J Gow Culverin

Bythefatrumpirate

J Gow Culverin Rum Review by the fat rum pirateJ Gow Culverin. Regular readers of this website should already beware of the J Gow Rum Distillery from Lamb Holm in the Orkney Islands, Scotland.

I’ve not reviewed any of their rums for a while. In all honesty I’ve not reviewed any rums for a while. Which is something I am looking to correct now I am finding a little more time to get some reviews out.

A Culverin was a two tonne cannon adapted for use on the sea during the 16th century. It could fire up to 8kg round shot to distances of over 1 kilometre.

It has been noted by Collin Van Schayk (the distilleries owner) that J Gow Culverin is named because ” like the Culverin this rum has a long range and packs a punch.”

So how exactly does J Gow Culverin do this? Well lets look at the information relating to this bottle which is provided on the company website.

J. Gow Culverin is unaged Pure Single Rum – rum with no additives from a single distillery. It is J Gow’s own TC (Triple Cut) marque. The TC marque is fermented to 9% ABV over 5 days, it is then distilled to 85% in a single pass on J Gow’s 2000L pot still with rectification column. It is then slowly diluted down to drinking strength.

J Gow Culverin Rum Review by the fat rum pirate

J Gow Culverin is bottled at 50% ABV and is non-chill filtered. If you want any clarification on the above technical distilling details – ask Collin I haven’t got a clue about this type of carry on…………

You can pick up J Gow Culverin from numerous retailers such as The Whisky Exchange etc or direct from J Gow. It retails at around the £35 mark. Which might seem pricy for an unaged rum. However, you need to consider this is small batch pot still rum at a hefty 50% ABV.

So lets move along and get some tasting done. In the glass J Gow Culverin is, as expected entirely clear. You may find the odd flavour particle or haziness in the bottle due to it being un-chill filtered but there is nothing of note beyond a neutral white spirit in my glass.

The nose is quite surprising. It’s quite creamy and not as aggressive as I was expecting. Single Cream and Custard Cream’s (English biscuits) There’s a grassy aroma to it and a zestiness. Light notes of lemon and some freshly cut grass.

There is a black pepper like note as well coming in as well as some green apple and a hint of cinnamon. There is a slight sourness overall as well.

So its pretty complex on the nose and very interesting to sit and nose.

Sipped neat the rum is quite fiery initially with a slightly metallic hit to it and a fair amount of bitterness. It’s sharp and leaves a lot of flavour behind on the palate. There’s slightly mineral like quality to it.

It doesn’t carry the same level of sweetness and creaminess the nose suggested. You can certainly taste the 50% ABV and its pretty “fizzy” on the tongue.

Further sips reveal a little more of the green apple and lemon/lime like notes. It’s not a bad little sipper – just as long as you recognise its an unaged white rum you are sipping on!

In fairness it is recognised as being more of a quality mixing rum than an out and out sipper by the distillery itself but I can happily enjoy a glass or three of this neat. No problem.

J Gow Culverin Rum Review by the fat rum pirateIt is in the mixing department where you likely will get the most joy out of J Gow Culverin though. A combination of the higher ABV (than most standard white rums) and a more interesting flavour profile makes it really stand out in mixed drinks. Simple things such as a Rum and coke/lemonade are really good with this rum. The slightly sour notes work nicely alongside the sweeter green apple and citrus notes to give you a really enjoyable and very punchy long drink.

A Daiquiri is also really good with this rum and something which comes highly recommended.

This showcases the variety available in White Rum and this is certainly a good bang for your buck in the current climate. Well worth seeking out and so much better than most “white rums” out there.

 

 

 

 

 

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  • Raising Glasses Jablesse Trinidad 21 Year Old

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Raising Glasses Jablesse Trinidad 21 Year Old rum review by the fat rum pirateRaising Glasses Jablesse Trinidad 21 Year Old. I’m reviewing another bottling from US Independent bottler Raising Glasses today. This was originally released in 2024 and is now sold out.

    I’m reviewing it as I haven’t reviewed a rum from Trinidad Distillers Limited as old as this before. So I am unfamiliar with such rums. I’ve also noted it has been given some good reviews. Even getting a 96/100 from Malt Runners. So I am curious to see just how good this offering is……

    My opinion/experience of Trinidad Distillers has perhaps been tainted a little by the offerings from their own flagship brand Angostura, which are at best underwhelming and at their worst downright awful.

    Raising Glasses Jablesse Trinidad 21 Year Old is a Single Cask Rum. It is noted as being a TML “marque”. This is not a marque used by Trinidad Distillers. It is a marque used by the Main Rum Company. For those who do not know, Main Rum Company are one of the biggest rum brokers in the world. They often give rums a marque in this case TML stands simply for Trinidad Main Light.

    Now this would suggest the marque will be a “light” rum. Much like the rum marques attributed to Jamaican rums, I will take this with a pinch of salt. Main Rum Company also have a Trinidad Main Angostura (TMAL) and a Trinidad Main Angostura Heavy (TMAH).

    Commentary online has suggested that the TML marque doesn’t really guarantee a particular profile and it certainly doesn’t indicate a “light” rum. Certainly not by TDL/Angostura standards.

    The Jablesse is a mythical figure in Trini folklore and is known by various names, most commonly La Diablesse.

    Raising Glasses Jablesse Trinidad 21 Year Old was released in 375ml bottles and was priced $80 on its release, in the US only. The rum was bottled at 61.4% ABV. It is a molasses based rum which was produced on a column still. It was distilled in 2023 aged for 15 years on Trinidad before being transferred to Main Rum Company for a further 6 years ageing in the UK.

    There is no mention of the casks used. I am assuming that it has enjoyed ex-bourbon cask ageing – with a change in cask when transferred to Main Rum Company.

    In the glass the rum certainly shows its age with a dark brown profile.

    On the nose it is initially quite oak and vanilla/bourbon forward. As with the colour you immediately know this has been long aged.

    Familiar “biscuit” and shortbread notes come through adding further sweetness alongside the vanilla. Its sweet but not sweetened.

    Further nosing reveals a slightly more industrial note – we aren’t talking Caroni levels but there is a touch of tar and tobacco.

    Surprisingly there is quite a lot of fruitiness coming through. Its slightly medicinal though so notes of Raspberry , Orange Peel and some Banana but with a kind of cough mixture note to them.i

    Beneath this there are notes of pencil shavings.

    All in all it is certainly one of the most interesting TDL noses I have tried thus far.

    Sipped at the full ABV it is surprisingly approachable. Its fiery but no overtly so.

    Raising Glasses Jablesse Trinidad 21 Year Old rum review by the fat rum pirateThe initial sip reveals a good hit of spicy oak which leads into a mixture of custard and flavoured cough syrup. Its medicinal but not overpowering the oak and bourbon notes mingle nicely alongside.

    The mid palate reveals more spicy oak and some dark fruits. The sweeter elements retreat slightly.

    The finish is long and very enjoyable. Oak Spices mingle with raisins, at touch of tobacco and some leathery notes. The medicinal cough mixture notes give it an added complexity and a bit of a kick.

    All in all a very enjoyable and surprisingly complex column still rum. Much better than any official TDL bottlIng I have had so far.

     

     

  • Plantation Haiti XO – White Pineau Finish

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Plantation Haiti XO rum review by the fat rum pirate 2Plantation Haiti XO.  A Single Cask bottling for the Mercury Bar.  The Mercury Bar is a bar/restaurant in London W4 as far as I am aware anyway.  It could be a number of other places all around the world.  Until I’m told otherwise I’ll stick with the one in London.

    Plantation Haiti XO is a rum from (I presume) Haitian distillery Barbancourt.  It was aged for 8 years in the tropical climate of Hait in ex-bourbon casks.  It was then transferred to France where it was aged for a further 3 years in White Pineau “Ferrand” casks.  White Pineau is a French Fortified Wine.

    My bottle is number 130 from Cask Number 1.  I am not sure how many bottles or how many casks of this single cask rum where made.  “Surely its just one cask if its Single?” I hear you say.  Maybe….but I’ve seen the term misused often and I’ve seen these Limited Editions pop up all over the world.

    I picked this up at the travelling Rum Festivals in Newcastle.  Bottled at 41% ABV this is as far as I understand a pot/column blend. As with most Plantation bottlings the Hydrometer reveals 16g/L of additives.  Which I know to be the aged sugar syrup Plantation have showed me at past Rum Festivals.

    My only real experience of Haitian rum has been the Barbancourt 5 star which I enjoyed immensely.  Other than that it has only been the Haitian Clairin’s.  I’m expecting a great deal in common with those when trying this rum.  If indeed there is then I would suggest something has went very badly wrong with the ageing of this product.

    I’ve covered Plantation at great length in the past.  I’ve experienced the good, the bad and the ugly amongst their bottlings.  From the sublime in the shape of the Barbados 12 Year Wild Cherry Finish to the worst Jamaican rum I have ever tried the Jamaica 2000.  So without further ado I’ll let you all know how I found this one

    In the glass Plantation Haiti XO Is a dark brown with shimmers of red and orange. Nosing the Plantation Haiti XO is a strange experience. It is a very distinctive rum. It is unlikely you will have experienced a nose quite like it before. It’s very sweet – almost cloyingly at times. Strong notes of boiled strawberry flavour sweets and a very sweet caramel note.

    There is a kind of Barbancourt/Haitian like note trying to get out from the sweetness but it just jars against the Pineau – making it quite unpleasant. It’s almost as if the Pineau has tried to hide the medicinal notes of the rum and they have succeeded only in creating a very strange and frankly weird nose.

    It’s odd and some people may quite like the nose but I just found it strange and to be honest pretty unpleasant.Plantation Haiti XO rum review by the fat rum pirate

    Sipping the Plantation Haiti XO I was hoping the strange sweetness might disappear.It does a little in that you aren’t nosing it anymore. The initial burst is pretty sweet and has a strange herbal kind of note to it. I really don’t like this. The rum reveals itself a little more in the mid palate but it just fades out from a slight spiciness and the odd hint of more vegetal notes into a pretty short and frankly unpleasant drink.

    It’s really difficult to explain this rum as I haven’t experienced a taste quite like it before. Forget about getting an alternative to Barbancourt. This is more like weird Spiced Rum. Plantation do occasionally get things wrong – this is definitely one of those times. This is really rather unpleasant.

    The finish is cloying and unpleasant with a weird herbal not which again clashes with the sweetness. It’s almost as like when you use Air Freshener to hide the smell and you only succeed in creating two horrible smells fighting against each other.

    You’ll struggle to find this bottling – you may find something similar as they have several rums from Haiti available. I think a number of the “Single Casks” might well be very similar rums.

    Personally I wouldn’t go searching for this one though.

    1 star
    1 star

     

     

     

  • 1931 St Lucia Distillers – 4th Edition

    Bythefatrumpirate

    1931 4th edition rum review by the fat rum pirate1931 4th Edition is the latest release in the series from St Lucia Distillers.  Originally produced to commemorate 80 years of the Dennery Distillery we are now celebrating 83 years of rum production at the distillery.

    Released in the UK shortly before Christmas 2015 this is batch 04, bottle 5806 which was bottled on the 8th December 2014.  In the UK a bottle of this rum will set you back around £60 it is a 70cl bottle and the ABV is 43% which as the bottle kindly points out adds upto 30 UK units of alcohol.

    Presentation wise it is the same as previous years the only difference being the colour scheme which this year is black, gold and yellow.  The presentation is still as striking as ever and as ever the huge cork stopper gives a very satisfying pop when opened.

    With each year the blend changes – this year we have the introduction of some of St Lucia Distillers Sugar Cane Juice r(h)um.  I’ll stop short of calling it agricole just in case it isn’t 100% agricole – the French can be very touchy about it!

    The blend in this years offering is as follows from what I have been able to gather up (unfortunately they haven’t released as much information on their website about this or the 3rd edition).  It is a blend of pot and column distilled rums aged 6 to 12 years.  There is a new component in the Cane Juice r(h)um which St Lucia distillers have only recently begun producing.  The rum has been aged in Bourbon casks and blended together to finish in Port Pipes/casks.

    Recently St Lucia Distillers Group of Companies (SLD) has been acquired by Martinique conglomerate Group Bernard Hayot (GBH).  Founded in 1960, GBH has a number of businesses through the French overseas departments including Martinique, Guadeloupe, French Guyana, Reunion and New Caledonia, as well as other enterprises based in Trinidad & Tobago, Dominican Republic, West Africa, China, Morocco and Algeria. In terms of rhum they own two distilleries on Martinique – Clement and J.M.  It’s certainly an exciting merger and one which I am sure help grow St Lucia Distillers profile even further.

    1931 4th edition rum review by the fat rum pirateAt this stage I’m going to show you a photo of something really good to pair with this rum.  Regular readers will no doubt be aware just how excited these chocolates made me! (If the picture isn’t that clear they are Dark Rum truffles made with Chairman’s Reserve)

    So lets move onto the actual rum now.  It may be the colour scheme used but this rum does look a shade darker than the other rums in the 1931 series.  Particularly in the bottle but even perhaps in the glass.  Not much at it might just be my eyesight.  It an inviting vibrant reddish/mahogany brown.

    The nose on the 4th Edition 1931 is also very inviting and refreshingly familiar.  Although coming up “clean” on a Hydrometer test Michael Speakman of St Lucia Distillers has since revealed the 4-6 g/L of sugar have been added to this rum.  Michael also gave the following information regarding the blend.  You’ll struggle to find anything more transparent than this.

    1931 – Fourth Edition (Black Label) – 43% alc/vol; 86% proof
    Molassas Base – 89%
    Column Still – 46%
    6% – 11 year (Bourbon Cask)
    9% – 9 year (Bourbon Cask)
    9% – 7 year (Bourbon Cask)
    9% – 9 year (Bourbon Cask)
    7% – 7 year (Bourbon Cask)
    3% – 9 year (Port Cask)
    3% – 9 year (Port Cask)
    Pot Still/Column Blend – 11%
    11% – 10 year John Dore 1/Column 50%/50% (Bourbon Cask)
    Pot Still – 32%
    13% – 15 year – John Dore 1 (Bourbon Cask)
    5% – 9 year – John Dore 2 (Bourbon Cask)
    7% – 10 year – Vendome (Bourbon Cask)
    7% – 9 year – John Dore 1/Vendome 50%/50% (Bourbon Cask)
    Sugar Cane First Press (Rum Agricole) – 11%
    11% – 6 year – John Dore Pot (Bourbon Cask)

    Maturation: 94% Bourbon; 6% Port Cask
    Ages: 13% 15 year; 6% 11 year; 18% 10 year; 36% 9 year; 16% 7 year; 11% 6 year

    Familiar almost Jamaican like funk and notes of coffee, chocolate, vanilla and a fresh almost minty note are present as expected.  Alongside some slight hints of caramel, leather and tobacco.  As with all the St Lucian rums it has a profile all of its own yet it has so many recognisable influences.  The rhum in the blend seems to be adding the fresh minty notes – there is nothing grassy or immature on the nose.  Nice but not overdone oaked notes and an almost bourbon-ish note also contributes to the very complex nose.  This is a rum you can spend a lot of time nosing and enjoying more and more flavours.  It’s very complex and multi layered. Overall it is best described as fairly sweet.

    Sipped and this is the only way to enjoy this rum – (it is wasted mixed believe me) you ST LUCIA DISTILLERS LOGOare enjoying a rum which is very distinctive.  Whilst St Lucia Distillers rums have similarities with rums of other Caribbean Islands (Jamaica and Barbados) they have at the heart of them their own thing going on.  The funk which reminds me of Jamaican rums has a more earthy almost vegetal feel to it than the more ester heavy Jamaican rums.  It has a nice funk heavy bite but flavour wise it is much different – the bourbon cask (they use a lot of different bourbon casks) is very active in the rums profile giving a sweet sour  mouth feel especially on the first few sips.

    It is like all the 1931’s amongst the most complex sipping rums you will encounter.  There is a lot going on and whilst all the components occasionally feel like they are clashing its still a very good rum. The only thing that lets the 1931 series down is a slight lack of balance overall.  Almost as if it is trying too hard.  There is nothing wrong with it as such- but on occasion you can find it all just a bit too busy.

    It is a rum which carries all the promise of its nose through to the flavours when sipped.  It is best enjoyed slowly.  It has a very long and layered finish.

    A rum which really needs to be savoured.  Great stuff.

    4.5 stars

     

     

  • El Dorado Rare Collection – Versailles 2002

    Bythefatrumpirate

    El Dorado Versailles Rare Collection rum review by the fat rum pirateEariler this year Demerara Distillers Limited announced some new rums in their El Dorado range.  Limited edition releases of rums from single stills. This one is from the Versailles (VSG) still.

    It seems that Demerara Distillers have set out a very different direction for their US and European bottlings.  Last year the US were treated to a range of wine finished expressions of their flagship 15 Year Old rum.  The European market was treated instead to three Rare Collection rums.  This Versailles 2002 is one of them.

    The news that Velier would no longer be bottling Demerara rums from DDL was met with great despair by many rum enthusiasts.  Concerns were that DDL might release rare or limited edition rums but they might well be heavily sugared like their El Dorado range – unlike the Velier bottlings.

    Interestingly Velier owner Luca Gargano does have a financial interest in DDL, so whilst these rums might not be released under the Velier brand I would imagine that he has had some kind of influence over these releases.

    Although no numbers have been given it is though that around 3000 bottles of each of the 3 Rare Collection rums are available.  Online retail prices vary but this rum averages at £160.

    Bottled at a whopping 63% ABV and aged for 12 years.  Its perhaps coincidental that the El Dorado 12 Year old is heavily reliant on the Versailles still in its blend.  The Versailles or VSG is a single wooden pot still.

    The rum is presented in a sturdy cardboard cut out style box (similar to Rum Nation).

    EL DORADO VERSAILLES 2002 Rum review by the fat rum pirate rare collectionTo the rear of the box there is a story about the three stills used (the box used is the same for each release).  The bottle is a stubby style, very expensive looking and like the Velier releases it is opaque.  The familiar El Dorado ship is embossed into the glass.

    It’s all very classy but to be fair that should be expected at this price point.

    I enjoy the El Dorado 12 Year Old and to my knowledge, I have yet to try a rum from the Versailles still.  I am a little disappointed to find that (unless there is a proofing error on the bottle) that it appears some sugar or additives are in this rum.  Shame and I could say it never happened in Veliers time BUT Drecon.dk shows different………a Velier LBI 1985 is listed with 16 g/L.  Following a Hydrometer Test I found that this rum came in with an ABV of slightly over 61% so the added sugar (or additives) g/L is around 8 g/L.  Above the accepted tolerance of 0-5.

    One of the reasons Velier’s own Demerara rums got such a good name was that they benefitted from tropical ageing.  Most if not all other Independent Demerara bottlers see their rums spend some (if not most) of their time maturing in colder European climates.  Tropical ageing produces much richer rum and whilst the possibility of being over oaked increases with such ageing – this rarely seemed an issue with Velier’s output.  It also cranks up the “Angels Share”.

    Like the Velier rums before them these Rare Collection rums benefit from full tropical ageing at DDL.

    This Versailles still rum is a 12 year old bottled in 2014.  It is curious to note that the three rums in the Rare Collection mirror the age of El Dorado’s exisiting premium rums – 12,15 and 21 years old.

    Anyway enough waffling, lets get down to how this rum appears, smells and tastes.

    First up the rum is quite a surprise when poured as its pretty light in colour considering 12 years Tropical ageing.  The rum presents itself in the glass as a rich golden brown with a lovely reddish hue running right through it.

    The nose immediately reminds me of Enmore rums I have tried in the past and the El Dorado line up.  Classic Demerara notes of raisins and chocolate.  At 63% ABV I was expecting a nose with more alcohol.  There is little by way of fumes and whilst it is in no way “soft” it certainly doesn’t carry the nose you find with most cask strength or overproof rums.

    The rum in this bottle I would probably describe as a lighter style – I’m reminded of the excellent Uitvlugt 1996 Modified GS from Velier.  That is not to say it isn’t big on flavour.  It is a very rich almost treacly rum.  Rich plump raisins and dried prunes with a very nice molasses/liquorice undertone.  It’s just not a very fiery rum even with the ABV of 63%.  At least not on the nose anyway.

    Moving onto the tasting and the ABV really begins to come through.  Whilst not undrinkable at 63% ABV, I personally find too much burn to really appreciate the rum.  I would always advise at least trying once, a little added water with rums over 50% ABV.  It really can open up the rum and make the sipping experience much more rewarding.

    Without added water I find this sprit to be too spicy and the liquorice notes become overpowering, making for a very bitter tasting spirit.  I few drops of water certainly decrease the spicy notes.  It also dulls the liquorice/molassess notes (think Myers’s Original Dark) down to more manageable levels.

    Disappointingly though the lovely classic Demerara notes that were so present on the nose don’t translate once you start sipping.  The raisins and chocolate have went AWOL and have been replaced with oak and the bitter liquorice/molasses notes remain the dominant player in the rum.EL DORADO RARE COLLECTION VSG POT STILL rum review by the fat rum pirate

    In all honest this rum tastes slightly over oaked and it isn’t as sweet as I expected.  The liquorice notes are not the only ones making themselves known, there are also some very heavy red wine notes -which are a little vinegary.

    As you can probably tell from the tasting notes – this isn’t one of the best Demerara rums I have had.  It certainly suggests also to me why Velier didn’t bottle too many rums from the Versailles still.  The rum does have some redeeming qualities. It is by no stretch of the imagination an awful rum. I can see how rums from this still may benefit from being blending with others.

    I don’t even think that the possible added sugar has really impacted this rum. If it had come up clean on the Hydrometer Test I wouldn’t have been at all surprised.

    It’s just not complex enough and overall it is just too bitter to be a classic.

    3 stars

     

  • Ancient Mariner Navy Rum

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Ancient Mariner RumAncient Mariner Navy Rum.  To be honest if I had been told such a rum existed I would have immediately expected a very cheap “West Indies” blend of rum.  I would have expected such as rum to have been available in a local convenience store as their own brand rum.  A horribly designed label (complete with sailors and ships) standard cheap bar bottle, awful cheap screw cap and a price tag to match.

    What I certainly wouldn’t have expected is what this little Scottish rum enterprise attempts to deliver.  Conceived in 2011 the Ancient Mariner Navy Rum was produced to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee.  (Queen Elizabeth’s 50 years on the throne in 2012)

    The rum is bottled by the Hebridean Liquor Company.  For those unfamiliar this is a Western County of Scotland.  The address given on the bottle is in Argyll.  Argyll and the Bute is the county.  The region will be familiar to whisky drinkers as it contains the isles of Islay and Jura.

    Ancient Mariner Navy Rum is designed to recreate the traditional British Navy Rum which was issued to all sailors as part of the their Daily Tot up until 1970 when Black Tot Day occurred.  Part of the rum’s literature states that a sample of the original Navy Rum was sourced (I assume this was some of the Black Tot rum which is available for anyone with £600 going spare).  Following, a search of the best distilleries in the Caribbean a match was found.  It is interesting that the Navy Rum was/is traditionally a blend of rum’s from differing islands in the Caribbean.  However, this rum is from just one distillery and one island.

    The rum is sourced from the now defunct Caroni Distillery which is now sadly closed.  The Caroni Distillery closed in 2002.  As you can see from the photo the blue sticker on the front of the bottle states this rum is 16 years old.  By my maths if this rum was bottled in 2011/12 the rum must be from 1995/96.  On the neck of a bottle is a little tag which gives some contact details and a lovely little “Rime of the Ancient Mariner”.Ancient Mariner Navy rum Caroni

    Ancient Mariner Navy Rum comes in a very nice square, squat and thick glass bottle.  It is quite a heavy bottle considering it hold only 50cl of rum (500ml or 1/2 a litre, just under a pint in old money).    The price tag of this rum is not cheap either I was lucky enough to get a bottle for £35 but on their own website the rum retails at £45 per bottle.  It is bottled at Navy Strength 54%.   It is worth noting that whilst this may seem expensive, rum’s from Caroni bottled by the likes of Velier and Samaroli retail for much higher mark up’s often exceeding £100 per bottle.  It should not be forgotten that what you are getting in this bottle of Ancient Mariner cannot be repeated.  You will probably be lucky to get a bottle of this in 2 or 3 years time.  Maybe even less.

    When nosed the rum is initially very oaked and slightly musky.  It kind of smells a little old.  It also has a sweet spirit like nose it really gets into your nostrils a little like whisky can.  It has a medicinal note as well.  As this is a 54% rum I wasn’t expecting anything else to be honest.  The fact this is Navy Rum also made me expect quite a full on experience.  Once the Ancient Mariner has rested in the glass a little while you do begin to get some fruit flavours in its profile, sweet plum’s and grapes.

    Ancient Mariner Navy Rum CaroniAs a sipper I would not recommend a sip as soon as you have poured a glass.  Instead enjoy the intricacies of the complex nose, let it get warmed up to room temperature.  If you sip it immediately it can be too intense and quite rough.  Once warmed a little it is much more inviting.  Even still this is still a 54% ABV and it is still very spicy when taken neat.  A drop or three of water makes the rum less hostile and easier to drink.  The water also opens up new flavours.  The Ancient Mariner is actually quite tart, there is a marmalade like sharpness to the rum almost bordering on bitter.  There is a little sweetness still coming through and that old musky oak also sits prominently on the taste buds. The rum has quite a long finish which is a little odd and difficult to fathom.  There is a hint of soapiness to the finish.  Overall the sipping experience is complex but quite odd.  This is definitely a rum which you need to re-visit.  It could end up being one of your all time favourites.  A grower of a rum.  It’s very different and overall not at all unpleasant.

    I’ve tried this rum on a good few occasions now.  If I compare it to Pussers as a Navy Rum then it definitely has a lot of similarities.  It is slightly whisky like and a kind of love it or hate it type rum.  However, it doesn’t have that Demerara note which I so enjoy.  Which rum is closer to what our sailors actually drank is questionable.  The rum which this is based has had its heritage questioned (it was allegedly found somewhere in Germany) and Pussers has been discredited by many a sailor (rightly or wrongly).

    As a piece of history (a 16-year-old Caroni) I have found tasting this rum a pleasant experience.  It has certainly warmed by cockles and left me wondering what my 12 Year Old Caroni will taste like.  It is interesting to try these heavier Trinidadian rum’s as the rum’s produced by Angostura (the only surviving distillery on Trinidad) produces very light almost floral, buttery rum’s.  This rum is a very different beast.

    How I enjoy my Pussers and Woods 100 is with cola.  Whilst the Ancient Mariner might be a higher end experience I am still going to give the rum a whirl with some cola.  The Ancient Mariner carries itself very nicely into a mix of roughly 40/60 cola. The muskiness subsides and the fruitier side of the rum’s profile begins to come through.  It has a taste which I have not really experienced before.  There are notes of raisins and sultana’s but again like the nose there is a quite pungent floral sweetness to the drink.  On the nose is a little like after shave.  It’s almost as if the rum is warning you not to pour too much into the glass, be careful respect me.  I’m dangerous if you have too much.

    With cola the rum becomes very moreish.  The brashness and oaked nature of theimage drink sits beautifully alongside the sweetness of the cola.  It is a quite addictive drink.  It leaves that musky oaked almost tobacco like profile on the palate.  I don’t usually enjoy notes of tobacco but this just has a very slight touch of it.

    I would recommend trying this rum to anyone who enjoys Pusser’s rum, whilst it does have similarities (mainly the whisky like notes) it is different enough to be enjoyed in its own right.  Likewise I would recommend it to anyone wishing to experience the heavy old style Trinidadian rum’s (it will be cheaper than most other routes to doing this!) or someone wanting to try a little bit of history.  I also feel a rum such as this would appeal to a whisky drinker.  It isn’t a sweet sickly rum and represents perhaps how a real rum can taste.

    4 stars

     

  • Dead Reckoning Rum The Sextant

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Dead Reckoning Rum The Sextant rum review by the fat rum pirateDead Reckoning Rum The Sextant. I haven’t reviewed many rums from Australia. I’ve reviewed even less Independently bottled blended rums from Australia.

    Which is exactly what Dead Reckoning Rum The Sextant is it is a blend of rums from Jamaica, Trinidad and Barbados. So three of the most famous Caribbean rum producers.

    In navigation Dead Reckoning a process whereby you calculate the current position of a moving object, using a previously determined position, or a “fix” as it is often called. This is calculated using estimations of speed, heading direction and course over elapsed time. I thought Dead Reckoning might have been related to something a bit more “pirate-y” to be honest.

    So what is a Sextant? Well a Sextant is a navigational instrument, used to measure the angle of an astronomical object and the horizon.

    So that’s firmly blew all my theories about Pirates and Sea Serpents out of the water (pun intended).

    So we understand the name behind Dead Reckoning Rum The Sextant but what about the liquid in the bottle? What do I know about that? Well quite a bit actually…..

    As mentioned already The Sextant is a blend of rums from Jamaica, Trinidad and Barbados the exact rums used are

    5 Year Old Column Still rum from Trinidad (Angostura or TDL if you prefer)

    3 Year Old Pot Still rum from Jamaica (Worthy Park)

    5 Year Old Pot/Column blend from Guyana (DDL)

    3 Year Old Pot/Column blend from Barbados (Foursquare)

    Dead Reckoning Rum The Sextant rum review by the fat rum pirateThe rums have all been 100% Tropically Aged before being moved to Australia where they are blended. Dead Reckoning Rum The Sextant has been bottled at 49% ABV. In Australia (the only place it is available) it retails at around the $140 mark for a 700ml bottle. Spirits are quite expensive in Australia. Possibly even more so than here in the UK. Despite not being a Single Cask Rum this is limited to just 330 bottles.

    Dead Reckoning is a brand which is the brainchild of Spirits Importer Justin Boseley who has spent the past 10 years importing quality spirits into Australia with his La Rumbla Imports business. Finally, Justin decided to create a brand of quality blends in his own right. Sourcing the Caribbean for top quality rums.

    So in terms of this rum, I am approaching it very much to be a “Navy Style” type of rum. As far as that definition really goes…..

    I think we’ve covered everything so lets see how this one goes down. Up Spirits! as they say…….

    First up it is noticeable that whilst this could be considered a “Navy” style rum, it hasn’t been coloured like many released here in the UK. So it doesn’t have the same, almost black colour of the likes of Wood’s and Pusser’s.

    It is a dark brown but a more natural aged rum colour. With a slightly orange/yellow hue around the edges. It also looks a touch hazy but that might be my glass………

    Nosing Dead Reckoning Rum The Sextant I am immediately getting a bit of “menace” something which I have referred to in Pusser’s reviews in the past. I can’t quite put my finger on it. It’s kind of something a little bit tarry and musty and it’s got a certain “oomph”. It may not sound like a good thing…….but believe me it is!

    Alongside this are some very familiar notes of banana and pineapple. I’m also getting some tea and a touch of fennel. The Guyanese element is present giving us even more fruity notes of raisin and blackcurrant.

    The Trinidad and Barbados elements add a nice note of vanilla and give the nose a nice balance.

    Sipping, Dead Reckoning The Sextant – I would have placed this as a rum being around 8 years old. The initial entry is full of an array of fruits, English Breakfast tea, toffee and dark chocolate.

    Further sipping reveals a slightly tarry element to the rum and a bit more of the Guyanese Pot/Column blend. A touch of aniseed and some fruity/chocolate raisins come into play on the mid palate.

    This rum really evolves from the initial entry through to the mid palate. There are a wide variety of notes and a lot of complexity. In addition to the flavours already noted, there is also a nice backbone of vanilla. I’m also getting a nice warming but not overbearing woodiness. There is a nice spicy note as well and a touch of chilli.

    The finish is long and again has a lot of complexity going on – it’s oaky and spicy but has a lovely warming vanilla note and again that little bit of tarry “menace” lurking.

    This rum is really more in keeping with the Velier Royal Navy Blends or

    Dead Reckoning Rum The Sextant rum review by the fat rum pirate

    the recent Black Tot 50th Anniversary Rum. Albeit admittedly it is a little “younger” overall in terms of the profile.

    That is not necessarily a bad thing, as it’s a vibrant and very tasty blend. It’s very sippable – I think it sits very much towards what an enthusiast might pre

    fer. It does work really well with cola but it would be quite a pricy rum and cola. Bit of a waste really.

    I’ve really enjoyed this blend. Blends really do seem to be having a bit of renaissance. Certainly the use of more aged stock in these blends is really helping elevate the category.

    A really good start for Dead Reckoning Rum. Sadly they do not have distribution in Europe or the UK. They don’t need it either as this rum sold out in 14 days!