J Gow Revenge Aged 3 Years. This is the third aged release from VS Distillers, who are based in the Orkney Islands, just off the North East coast of Bonny Scotland. VS Distillers refers to the man behind J Gow Rum Collin Van Schayk. Clever eh?

I’ve previously reviewed Fading Light and Hidden Depths (Vol 1) so if you are unfamiliar with VS Distillers, you might want to read up on those expressions as well. J Gow also produce a Spiced Rum, which I have yet to review.

So what do we have in this particular bottlings?

Much like the previous aged bottlings from J Gow, there is a good deal of information on the back label of the bottle. Which is great for lazy reviewers like myself. It is also great for the average consumer, who can learn more about the actual contents of this rum.

J Gow Revenge Aged 3 Years is Scottish Pure Single Rum. it is 100% Pot Still rum. The rum has been aged for 3 years in a combination of ex-bourbon and virgin oak casks. It is a blend of J Gow’s HD (Heavy Dunder) and DS, which is J Gow’s standard rum which has been has had an extra stripping rum to make it a bit stronger. The ageing has taken place on Orkney.

The rum is named after the infamous Orkney pirate John Gow’s ship The Revenge which he acquire when he instigated onboard the ship, when it was originally named the Caroline. He soon acquire a further 6 cannons for the ship and it began its new life as a pirate vessel.

J Gow Revenge is available via the mailing list from today and will be on general sale on Wednesday (21/04/2021). It retails at £38.99 and is bottled at 43% ABV. Around 2,000 bottles of this rum will be available. My bottle is noted as Batch #1. 2018

Presentation wise Collin is quite an artistic guy so he has designed (and hand labelled) all the bottles for this release. As he has with all the other J Gow products. The front label unsurprisingly, shows a pirate ship on the high seas. The rear label gives some information on the rum in the bottle and a bit of folklore regarding John Gow.

I really like the 3/4 stubby style bottle and the bottle is sealed with a chunky wooden topped cork stopper. The label over the top of the enclosure reads Pure Island Rum Inspired by Pirates and Distilled Beside The Sea…..

I think I’ve covered pretty much everything now so we may as well get on with the fun part and see what this “Scottish Rum” has to offer.

In the glass we have a gold coloured rum a shade or two away from a straw colour. It looks a touch darker in the bottle than the glass. There are no signs of any caramel colouring here and the hydrometer does conclude there is no additives present. Which is always  a good start.

The nose, as you should really find with rum matured here in a colder climate, even when aged is full of rich molasses notes. Strong aroma’s of toffee and caramel feel your nostrils. Beneath the sweetness is a touch of “menace” something just a bit boozy but very pleasant nonetheless. This does smell a bit like a rum pirates might have drank.

The sweetness is carried a along with some nice notes of vanilla and some very vibrant woody notes which are fresh and full of rich spices – clove, a touch of cinnamon and some warming oak spice.

Hints of pair and some apricot come into the mix as well. It has a really nice balance to it and actually noses more maturely than its 3 years might suggest.

Taking a sip it is initially quite spicy with lots of oak and some peppery heat. However, it is only the initial couple of sips that present the rum this way. It quickly settles down to a lighter easier going sipper.

It’s reasonably sweet but there is a bitterness to the molasses and some of barrel influence certainly leads it down a slightly more savoury/whisky-esque note. That said it is much in keeping with Fading Light rather than Hidden Depths Vol 1.

The mid palate builds slowly with nods towards bourbon. The vanilla fades as the woodier notes take over. The molasses fades and is replaced with a spicier bite but not a fiery chilli like note. It’s still nicely balanced and very pleasant. Theres a hint of a perfumed note as it moves towards the finish.

At 43% ABV it retains plenty of its bite but it still works as a very easy sipper. It goes down perhaps a little too well………

The finish fades out nicely and is a decent length. It leaves a spicy note on the tongue and it becomes very moreish. It very much leaves you wanting another glass I am finding.

It’s interesting to note the progression as unlike the Fading Light, the molasses notes aren’t as dominant. Sure they are there but they are tempered and balanced more by the barrel influence. Very nicely balanced.

The rum has a crispness to it that I can’t quite explain. It’s got no real rough edges aside from the little hint of booze (which I really like in my rum), right at the start of the sip and on the nose.

This is the best rum, I think so far from J Gow/VS Distillers. Which is no bad thing as the other two rums I’ve tried weren’t too shabby either.

Get yourself on that mailing list. Also get yourself some of that tablet in the photos. It’s bloody lovely.