Jack Tar Alpha and Omega Triple Cask Enmore 1988-1990

Bythefatrumpirate

Jack Tar Alpha and Omega Triple Cask Enmore 1988-1990 rum review by the fat rum pirateJack Tar Alpha and Omega Triple Cask Enmore 1988-1990. For the first time I will be reviewing more than one bottling in a single review. However, I am not going down the route of many reviewers, who put several rum reviews into one article. Although this “batch” of rum comes in two different bottles – Alpha and Omega it is the same blend of 3 rums in each bottle.

So whilst I am reviewing two different bottlings the liquid in each is the same. Jack Tar Alpha and Omega Triple Cask Enmore 1988-1990 is available as a set of two. So you get one Alpha bottling and one Omega bottling. There are only 101 Alpha bottles and 102 Omega bottles (not sure how that will work as they sold as a pair?).

In total the three casks used in the blend produced 503 bottles. It is noted on the rear label that 300 bottles are being held by Jack Tar Assets. So presumably they will be released at a later date or have been returned to a barrel for further ageing. In truth I don’t know the answer to this.

The three casks used to produce this Enmore blend are as follows

Cask No 42 distilled at Enmore Distillery in 1988 cask strength 51.2% ABV

Cask No 40 distilled at Enmore Distillery in 1990 cask strength 54.8% ABV

Cask No 55 distilled at Enmore Distillery in 1990 cask strength 53.3% ABV

For clarity the still which produced these three casks of rum was the EHP (Edward Henry Porter, an early owner of the Enmore Estate) Continuous Coffey Still – the only remaining working wooden Coffey Still in the world. The still is often referred to as “Enmore” as that was its original home at the Enmore Estate. Since the closure of Enmore Estate around 1993/94 the still has been housed at Uitvlugt Estate and is now at Demerara Distillers Limited (Diamond Distillery).

Jack Tar Alpha and Omega Triple Cask Enmore 1988-1990 rum review by the fat rum pirateAlongside the Port Mourant and Versailles stills the EHP makes up Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL) three “Heritage Stills”.

As mentioned Alpha and Omega come as two piece set and retail at €700 directly from the Jack Tar website. Along with the bottles, you also receive a wooden stamp, a quote card and a material pouch with an Α and Ω overlapping as inseparable logotypes.

However I have also noticed that Excellence Rhum have an allocation of the bottlings available singularly priced at €370. So you do have a choice of picking up just one of the bottlings should price be an issue.

Which to be fair it might be as these rare rums are unsurprisingly not cheap. Being distilled at the original location of the still at a now defunct distillery is also of interest to the collector/enthusiast.

In terms of ageing Jack Tar Alpha and Omega Triple Cask Enmore 1988-1990 has been both tropically and continentally aged in ex-bourbon barrels. There are no finishes or secondary maturations in different casks with this particular bottling. As trendy as that has become of late.

Once the rum was “blended” the overall ABV clocks in at 51.6% ABV cask strength. By way of an explanation of “Alpha and Omega” the Jack Tar website offers us the following

Jack Tar Alpha and Omega Triple Cask Enmore 1988-1990 rum review by the fat rum pirate

“We always care about an extraordinary story that accompanies to the liquid you are tasting. This time, we usher to look at a life from a different perspective. Let Alpha and Omega be our look through the life as it is – with all our hopes, uncertainties, successes and failures. Our days are often constant like “π”. Some of them are surprising like “Δ”. They sum up “Σ” to a beautiful book of life. Many times we begin “A” new chapter with fear. Many times we are hurt. Will we win? Will we be happy and balanced? Let the Moirae guide us. Let them show us the path until our “Ω” comes, and beyond.”

 

I’m probably best off not commenting on this – so I think we’ll move swiftly onto the contents of the bottle and see if my “Ω” comes………..

In the glass Jack Tar Alpha and Omega Triple Cask Enmore 1988-1990 is a vivid golden/dark brown with a reddish orange hue.

The nose is rich and deep. Tarry almost. Medicinal certainly with a lot of concentrated raisin and sultana. There is also a slightly tannic briny/red wine kind of note as well. It’s quite a big nose in that you can smell it without having to get your nose right into the glass.

It’s clearly a well aged rum as you would expect. I’m pleased to report it hasn’t suffered from the long ageing and become overly woody. At least not on the nose anyway.

Rather than a lot of oak I am getting spicy notes of cinnamon, all spice and something slightly herbal. It’s quite complex and interesting.

Sipped the rum is less sweet than the nose suggested. Again its not particularly dry or woody. It has a nice spicy introduction and the flavours again are concentrated. Stoned fruits and raisins but its not overly sweet. Again there is a slightly tannic, drier note Jack Tar Alpha and Omega Triple Cask Enmore 1988-1990 rum review by the fat rum piraterunning over the top of the rum which gives it more of a savoury note.

The rum as mentioned already isn’t dry nor woody nor is it overly sweet. It has a slightly musty flavour to it especially on the mid palate.

The long finish is perhaps the spiciest and most aggressive part of this rum but even this is well balanced and very enjoyable.

I’ve sipped this at the cask strength 51.6% and I really don’t think this needs any water. It’s a good example of a long aged Demerara from the EHP heritage still. You can tell it has had some continental ageing (I would imagine a fair portion) but this has perhaps prevented the rum becoming over oaked or tasting “old”. It’s still quite fresh tasting considering how old it is.

It’s dangerously drinkable and slips down quite easily.

 

 

 

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  • Rum & Cane Merchants Guyana XO Single Cask Rum

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Rum & Cane Merchants Guyana XO Single Cask Rum review by the fat rum pirateRum & Cane Merchants Guyana XO Single Cask Rum. Following on from my earlier review of Rum & Cane Merchants Mauritius XO, I thought I would return to more “familiar” Independent fayre in the shape of a bottling from Guyana.

    Guyanan/Demerara Rum is extremely popular amongst Independent bottling enthusiasts. Up there perhaps with Caroni (Trinidad) and the output from the various Jamaican distilleries.

    In the UK Demerara rum is also very popular at the less expensive of the rum spectrum. Many retailers and supermarkets stock brands such as OVD, Woods and Skipper.

    Today we are looking at a rum from the Diamond Distillery (or Demerara Distillers Limited – DDL), which is the only remaining active rum distillery in Guyana.

    Information regarding this bottling has been obtained via the bottle and the companies website. Rum & Cane Merchants Guyana XO Single Cask Rum is as mentioned from the Diamond Distillery, it is noted as being a Column/Pot Batch rum. I’m assuming this means it is the product of distillate from more than one still. It has been aged in an ex-bourbon cask.

    430 bottles of this rum were available upon release and it has sold out on the companies website. However, there are currently a few bottles still available at Amazon. They are currently carrying a reduction from the usual £54.99 price tag down to £45.95.

    As with all Rum & Cane Merchants offerings the rum has been bottled at 46% ABV, it is non chill filtered with no additives. You can probably tell the bottlers have a Scotch Whisky background.

    Once again the rum does not have an age statement and I don’t know when it was distilled and bottled. I’ve no idea how old the rum is. I did mention the lack of age statements used by Rum & Cane Merchants in my previous review. They kindly sent me the following explanation

    “Although we bottle up properly aged rums we’ve tended not to put the age on the bottle as I’m sureRum & Cane Merchants Guyana XO Single Cask Rum review by the fat rum pirate you know in Rum there has been no regulation on what age claims people have been able to make. Us putting 10, 12 or even 20 years (actual real years) on a bottle doesn’t seem like much when a solera rum is claiming 23… Then there’s tropical vs EU aging… You know the story!

    Hopefully the new EU laws on rum age claims and additives will bring a stop to some of the nonsense which has been going on for years. Being from a Scotch background we’d like to see transparency and honesty in labelling.”

    Which is fair enough – but I’d still like to know how old my rum is!

    Presentation wise rum & Cane Merchants Guyana XO Single Cask Rum comes in their trademark “onion” style decanter. The familiar purple and gold colour scheme is also used. The rum itself comes with a sturdy tin cylinder to store the rum. The oversized cork stopper is also a very nice touch. The rum has won awards for its design and I can see why. It’s quite eye catching.

    So lets move onto the fun part, lets nose and sip this rum. Well I will anyway……..

    In the glass we have a dark brown spirit with reddish hue. It is quite dark so I’m hoping this is down to the ageing and nothing DDL have added prior to Rum & Cane Merchants getting their hands on it. They do like their caramel at DDL………

    The nose carries an aniseed like note but its quite sharp. It’s not a sweet aniseed note. It has more than a hint of a kind of perfumed varnish to it. Beneath this is a slightly herbal note, a touch grassy.

    Further nosing and time in the glass reveals a fruitier nose. I’m getting some banana cake and pineapple. Caramel and light toffee are also present on the nose.

    It’s certainly a rum that seems to benefit from some time to air in the glass. What seemed initially as quite a “sharp” nose has mellowed and become far more complex. The fruity banana/caramel notes become increasingly prominent.

    The initial sip is sweet and fruity. Lots of caramel and banana again. There is a hint of aniseed and some tobacco notes as well. It has a nice balance to it and reminds me quite a lot of the El Dorado 8 and 15 Year Old rums.

    The initial sweet burst on the entry evolves on the mid palate. More of the tobacco and some leathery/woody notes also come into the mix. There is woody chRum & Cane Merchants Guyana XO Single Cask Rum review by the fat rum piratear on the mid palate, which gives a slight astringent note. That said its not unpleasant. It’s just an extra layer to the rum

    Rum & Cane Merchants Guyana XO Single Cask Rum strikes me as quite a “light” blend. It’s quite easy going and goes down very easily. It has a really good balance and a more than decent complexity about it. In terms of Independent bottlings of Demerara rum – it can be a bit hit and miss. I’ve certainly had some very ordinary offerings. This is certainly much more hit than miss. I do get the feeling that this rum might have seen more tropical ageing than some others on the market. It just seems more rounded than many.

    The finish fades out gently with some nice woody oak spice and some sweet banana and raisin. It’s a good length but I suspect you might be reaching for another glass before it’s faded completely.

    I would say this would make a nice little step up into Independent Guyanan/Demerara bottlings for fans of El Dorado or even people who like a Wood’s or OVD and coke.

    I’d also say anyone who doesn’t get too pre-occupied with “Cask Strength” offerings will also find this a more than acceptable drop of rum.

     

     

     

  • Jack Tar La Lune Cosmic Series Distilled at Caroni 1997

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Jack Tar La Lune Cosmic Series Distilled at Caroni 1997 rum review by the fat rum pirateJack Tar La Lune Cosmic Series Distilled at Caroni 1997. Alongside the mythical Velier Demerara bottlings and the more recent Foursquare Velier/ECS releases – Caroni has remained high on the agenda of many rum collectors and enthusiasts.

    The fact that the distillery has been closed since the turn of the century, really hasn’t seem to have restricted the availability of the rum from Caroni. A lot of this has been bottled by the likes of Velier, Bristol Spirits and Cadenhead’s. Newer bottlers such as The Colours of Rum and Jack Tar are also increasingly getting in on the act.

    Quite how many Caroni bottlings are actually drunk is a question for debate. The “lost” distillery is increasingly marketed towards investors and people seeking to own something rare/unique. Prices have increased and as the stocks will eventually run down they are only likely to increase even further over the coming years.

    Much of the releases from Independents other than Velier will come from the Main Rum Company in Liverpool and E A Scheer in Amsterdam. As a result they are not fully 100% Tropically Aged. Indeed even a lot of the 100% Tropically Aged Caroni has not been aged at source i.e Trinidad. The Velier stock in particular was partly aged in Guyana.

    So as you can imagine Caroni bottlings are not cheap. Around 7 or 8 years ago I was fortunate enough to pick up a bottle of 12 Year Old Caroni by Velier for around £50. Those days are long gone.

    Jack Tar La Soleil and La Lune (The Sun and the Moon) appear to have been released as a set. I can’t currently find any for sale at retail. So the secondary market will be your best bet to pick these up. I fancy you’ll have to buy the set – I’ve not seen them being sold seperately.  A recent sale at auction saw the set fetch £520. Which is pretty much in keeping with the prices Caroni is fetching nowadays.

    Jack Tar La Lune Cosmic Series Distilled at Caroni 1997 is a Single Cask rum. It is noted as being cask number #84. The rum was distilled in 1997 and bottled in March 2021. So by my calculations it is 23 or 24 years old. Most likely 23 and a bit…..

    As the rum is from Caroni and from 1997 it was distilled on a column still. Any Pot Stills were long out of operation by 1997 at Caroni. It was also made with Trinidad rather than imported molasses. It has been bottled at 61.3% ABV which is either Cask Strength or very close to it. No colourings or additives. There are 225 bottles. Which is curious as there are only 221 of the Le Soleil. So maybe you can pick the bottlings up individually. Or maybe with 4 bottles “spare” thats why my sample comes from the La Lune cask…………

    Yes I am reviewing from a sample. In all honesty if you do see any reviews of Caroni in the future then they are increasingly likely to be as a result of a sample. Either in this case from the bottler or a fellow enthusiast/friend. I’ve tasted enough Caroni and whilst I do enjoy the rum from the distillery, I don’t really feel compelled in anyway to be paying £300 plus for bottles. I don’t think reviewing loads of similar vintage casks makes for a particularly interesting site either.

    Presentation wise Jack Tar have opted for an opaque “Velier” style bottle. It’s worth noting that I think the actual bottle may be slightly “stubbier” than the first image on this review. It was about the only one I could find with just the La Lune and not La Soleil in the picture. In terms of the label and cardboard sleeve it depictJack Tar La Lune Cosmic Series Distilled at Caroni 1997 rum review by the fat rum pirates a lunar scene in keeping with the name. The Caroni name is very prominent on the label. This is something which has caused consternation amongst some distillers when their “trademark” (Distillery name) is used so prominently. Suggesting in their view that is may be an “official” bottling.

    As Caroni is now a closed distillery I don’t think there are any issues being raised with the use of the Caroni name in this way. Not that I am aware of anyway.

    The presentation is good – as should perhaps be expected at the price point. It nods towards Velier, Samaroli etc style in some ways but also has a more modern “Premium” feel.

    I’ve not touched upon the Jack Tar name as I have another couple of rums to review from them so I will go in to more detail on the name in one of those reviews.  I always like to keep something back to talk about to try and keep the reviews all a decent length and interesting.

    So lets get on with a little tasting of this late nineties Caroni rum……..

    In the glass Jack Tar La Lune Cosmic Series Distilled at Caroni 1997 is a dark reddish brown – mahogany in colour. This suggests long ageing and also a fair chunk of tropical ageing. It will be interesting to see how this transfers to the nose/taste. Appearances in the rum world can often be deceptive!

    The nose is your typical Caroni – burnt rubber, some heavy oily petrol notes and smoky almost peaty quite savoury notes.

    Beneath this further nosing reveals more richness with some richer notes of stewed banana, dark chocolate and cough mixture.

    Caroni are famed for their “Heavy” rum and this certainly falls into that category. Time in the glass reveals some ginger and some more delicate slightly herbal oaked spice. It has an intriguing “floral” yet quite industrial note running over the top which reminds me a little of hair spray.

    Sipped it is pretty smoky and has an astringent bitterness to it. At 61.3% ABV it is of course no shrinking violet but it’s pretty heavy going stuff. Especially the first couple of sips.

    That said there is still a kind of almost burnt/smoky kind of sweetness going on. Flambed Banana’s and some burnt toast with a touch of marmalade. Cremated Christmas Cake or overdone Christmas Pudding.

    The mid palate moves on past this into more extr

    eme notes of charcoal and a nice hit of bitter Valencia oranges, blood orange and some white pepper notes.

    The finish is very tangy again with a real hit of the orange/marmalade notes. There is a real mixture of bitter/sweet notes and the smoky petrol like notes. Finish wise it is very long as the flavours are so intense. Spill any of this

    Jack Tar La Lune Cosmic Series Distilled at Caroni 1997 rum review by the fat rum pirate

    rum on your clothing and you’ll basically smell like a distillery for the rest of the day.

    It’s worth noting at this point I am writing about Caroni rum. So the tasting notes above may not seem your typical fare. They probably don’t sound all that enticing. Much like more extreme heavily Peated Whisky, this is very much an acquired taste.

    I don’t say that to be at all snobbish or suggest some kind of superiority because I can enjoy a glass or two of this. If you do not like Caroni rum – there is no shame in recognising that.

    If you a Caroni buff then this is a bottling which is well worth seeking out. I do fancy from the profile that it does have a good chunk of tropical ageing. Which for me adds a bit value/quality.

     

     

  • DropWorks Barrel Drop Rum

    Bythefatrumpirate

    DropWorks Barrel Drop Rum review by the fat rum pirateDropWorks Barrel Drop Rum. We are back to Worksop today. Ahh Worksop Town I’m sure George Best played for them at some point…..I hear you all shouting, no Wes it was Dunstable Town!

    Well he did so there. unfortunately it was George A Best and he was a Goalkeeper. Not a right winger or an alcoholic. He actually played his last professional game not far from me just down the road in South Shields.

    That pretty much sums up my knowledge of Worksop a town in Nottinghamshire where DropWorks Distillery is situated. Close to the Welbeck Abbey Brewery, which I also know sweet FA about.

    DropWorks Barrel Drop Rum is the first aged offering from the distillery. There is quite a lot of information about the rum on their wesbite so I will summarise it as best I can. For full details see here.

    DropWorks Barrel Drop Rum is a molasses based rum. This is important as a number of distilleries in the UK use Panela or even Sugar as the base for their rums. Which arguably makes them NOT rum according to EU guidelines. Little however seems to be done about this. I suppose as long as Tax is being paid why would the government care?

    Two fermentations ranging from 4 to 30 days using a unique Wild Trinity Yeast. The rum is made up of 3 marques of which 75% is Column Distilled, 15% Double Pot Distilled and 10\% Double Retort Distilled.

    It does not have an age statement on the bottle but it has been aged up to 16 months. I am not sure what this means? Is only part of the liquid 16 months old? I don’t know.

    It is aged in a selection of casks one of which is a hybrid of Portuguese and American Oak. Both of which have been Shaved, Toasted and Re-Charred (STR). There is also a small amount of the rum aged in Virgin Oak casks.

    DropWorks Barrel Drop Rum review by the fat rum pirateThis rum is a continuous release as part of DropWorks core range. It is bottled at 40% ABV. You can pick a bottle up direct from DropWorks or at Master Of Malt.

    It retails at just over the £30 mark. So its pretty well priced considering the work that goes into it.

    So thats my information exhausted so lets see how this one goes down…………

    DropWorks Barrel Drop Rum is in keeping with most other UK based rums. On the initial nosing its a heavy molasses, caramel and treacle profile. It’s certainly something much like Jamaican and Bajan rums that marks it out from other types of rum.

    Something which I think the UK poducers should make more of a point about. I do think a little more solidarity and working together would help UK rum overall. Raise its profile worldwide perhaps.

    Anyway I digress, further nosing reveals some fiery ginger root and some gingerbread biscuits. A touch of black pepper and some cocoa like notes. I’m getting some Rum and Raisin Ice Cream and some stoned fruits as well.

    On the sip the molasses heavy profile remains so plenty of dark treacle and lighter caramel notes. Treacle Toffee but with a slight bitterness to it.

    DropWorks Barrel Drop Rum review by the fat rum pirateIt’s rich and warming and quite fiery. The ginger and spicy notes from the barrel certainly come out as we move into the mid profile. There is a slight creaminess off set by the strong rum flavour which runs out into the finish.

    Finish wise its a reasonable length and the strong flavours of the rum remain throughout. It’s certainly full bodied and does not shy away.

    As a mixer it works really well as it stands up to pretty much anything you throw at it. Maybe not the best for the lighter cocktails such as Mojito’s but its certainly good in a Dark and Stormy, Navy Grog etc.

     

     

  • An Interview with Dave Marsland – Manchester Rum Festival

    Bythefatrumpirate

    An Interview with Dave Marsland Manchester Rum Festival by the fat rum pirateDave Marsland may be better known to many of you as Drinks Enthusiast. To say Dave is involved in the Drinks Industry is a bit of an understatement – as you will see from this interview. He has many differing interests from Pop Up Bars, working as a Brand Ambassador for Chairman’s Reserve/St Lucia Distillers and running his own Spirits & Sundries Emporium – Riddles in Altrincham.

    As a result of all this activity I’ve bumped into Dave a few times over the past few years. So I thought it was about time to let him tell us all about his Manchester Rum Festival and question him a little about the current rum scene.

    1. When did the idea for The MCR Rum Festival begin and what inspired you?

    The realisation that Manchester had never had one before! The city has plenty of rum focused venues such as The Liars Club, Hula and Mahiki, but barring the gin and whisky festivals that have been in place in the city the last few years, no one has ever thought of a rum style festival. I checked with one of the main rum-lovers of the city, Lyndon Higginson, and he himself said he’s surprised it had never come to fruition yet!

    I love rum, always have done since turning legal age and going for Lambs Navy in the local pub! Running bars when i was younger turned me to the likes of Myers, Chairman’s Reserve and Matusalem. Ultimately resulting in adapting St Lucia Distillers and Rhum St Barth into my brand agency. I’ve surrounded myself with rum all my life so it made sense to pass on my enthusiasm to like-minded Mancunians!An Interview with Dave Marsland Manchester Rum Festival UK by the fat rum pirate

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

    All and anyone. It’s aimed at consumers, whether they are a bartender or lawyer, rum amateur or connoisseur. Last year’s event had such a positive response due to the brands involved and the cocktails available through Revolution de Cuba. You had your classic cocktail base brands, your sippers, your everyday go-to and your ‘under the table’ expressions. I asked the brands to bring everything, don’t leave anything out as you just don’t know who may go away liking it!

    3. How diificult it is organising such an event? Has it been easy to get exhibitors, venues etc on board?

    Last year was the first year and i will give a lot of credit to Revolution de Cuba, they helped me immensely with hosting for the venue. Meaning that the vibe and decor would be exactly how each person would expect upon arriving. I put the feelers out for the rum festival approximately 8 months before the big day to the brands. The majority were more than happy to attend. I kept it as a first-come-first-serve, so no favoritism towards my own brand agency clients, so once i filled the quota, that was it! The same is happening this year, with many new brands coming on board early after realising they missed out in 2017.

    There will be a new venue though in Manchester Cathedral so I can naturally grow the festival, but I’ve kept the relationship with Revolution de Cuba going as they are the official bar partner within the Cathedral and will be showcasing a selection of signature rum serves once again.

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

    I have owned my own brand agency, Drinks Enthusiast, since 2011 and have been involved with a variety of festivals and large events before, including Liverpool Food & Drink Festival, a Liquor Market with Manchester Food & Drink Festival and the trade focused Northern Restaurant and Bar within Manchester Central for the last 6 years. The experience of running high-volume, long-term planning and a variety of brands within has meant that i’ve approached Manchester Rum Festival in a way that pleases hopefully both the attendees, but also the exhibitors too. I also own my own spirit focused shop, Riddles Emporium in Altrincham, South Manchester, that has kept me in touch with consumers attitudes and trends towards not only rum, but spirit categories in general.

    5. When did your own Rum Journey begin?

    2006 at the Moss Trooper pub close to where i lived at the time in South Manchester. Lambs Navy and cola, with probably a classic Bacardi Carta Blanca (or Superior as it was back then) based Mojito for my first foray into cocktails around the same time.

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

    Sipping a rum all the way. Doesn’t matter the age or blend, just served up straight, no ice. If i was in a cocktail mood though, my current favourite for the last year is known as the ‘Cause for Concern’ aka the Chairman’s Spiced Negroni. Equal measures Chairman’s Reserve Spiced, Velvet Falernum and Campari, stirred and finished with an orange wedge. I thank Ehren Khoo-Steel of Brass Monkey in Nottingham for coming up with that for me!

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

    It’s just me!

    8. Aside from the Manchester Rum Festival, what other Rum related activities are the team involved in?

    I host a variety of rum tastings over the year with venues across the UK that are consumer focused, but the bulk of my rum work is with Chairman’s Reserve and St Lucia Distillers, including the Chairman’s Mai Tai cocktail competition that’s in its 3rd year this year.

    9. What have you learned over the past year or so organising Rum Festivals?

    It’s growing. Consumers are asking questions, intrigued about what they are drinking before they drink it. I’ve noticed a difference in how people who attend my rum tastings react in comparison to 2011 when i first started hosting. They will tell me brands from their travels and if i’ve ever experienced them before, or a cocktail they should be trying at home. It used to be all about gin, but rum is not far nehind at all, and being embraced by so many more people!

    So there we go. Thanks very much Dave for answering those questions. It’s really great to see passionate people setting up Rum Festivals such as this in the UK and helping spread the word.

    There are a few tickets still remaining for the event which is on the Friday 1st June 2018 at Manchester Cathedral. Tickets can be booked here. Tickets are priced at £21.49 and include entry to the event, and samples of all the rums being exhibited. Amongst the brands confirmed so far are Pussers, Atlantico, El Dorado, Old J, Appleton Estate and Mount Gay. We attended last years event and it was excellent so we are expecting an even bigger and better event this year!

    You can also follow all the activity on Facebook and Twitter via the links below

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    Manchester Rum Festival Interview with Dave Marsland by the fat rum pirate

     

     

     

  • J Gow Hidden Depths Vol 1

    Bythefatrumpirate

    J. Gow Hidden Depths Vol. 1 Rum Review by the fat rum pirateJ Gow Hidden Depths Vol 1. Another trip to bonny Scotland. Well one of the Scottish Isles anyway. Here we are with some more Orkney Haggis Juice following on from last years Fading Light release from VS Distillers.

    This is the first 3 Year Old Aged Rum to come out of Scotland. As you will be able to see from the images Collin Van Schayk, owner of VS Distillers has provided a lot of information about the actual rum in the bottle.

    He’s pretty much told us everything except the colour pants he was wearing when he distilled the rum. Going by Collin’s dress sense I’d image something about as tasteful as one of my RumFest shirts………

    So lets see exactly what J Gow Hidden Depths Vol 1 is all about. All the information I need is on the bottle so here goes!

    J Gow Hidden Depths Vol 1 is Scottish Pure Single Rum. Under the Gargano classification this means it is additive free and hails from one distillery. In this case we have 100% Pot Still rum.  This is a Single Cask rum. J Gow Hidden Depths Vol 1 is a run of 259 bottles. I have bottle number 69. Before anyone asks I didn’t request this particular number but Finbarr Van Schayk thought it to be amusing to send me this one. I’ll also clarify that I paid for this bottle.

    J Gow rums are made entirely in Orkney. Using imported Sugar Cane molasses – you won’t find many sugar cane fields in Scotland. This is fermented for at least 7 days in a temperature controlled 2000 litre fermenter and 2000 litre pot still. The ability to ferment in the still, allows a stripping run as soon as fermentation is finished. This stripped molasses wash (low wine) is then returned to the still for a final spirit run.

    Collin is looking to produce a variety of rums, using various fermentation techniques with different percentages of backset/dunder. Mainly focusing on heavier, more full bodied rums.

    The rum has been bottled as Cask Strength 53.2% ABV and is housed in a very sexy tapered 3/4 stubby style bottle. The artwork is designed by Collin himself. He’s quite a talented young man really. The front label depicts some kind of eel like sea beastie. I quite like the chunky wooden topped cork stopper which has a wax “medal” on the top with a skull and crossbones. Which I assume Collin has produced by hand. The rum doesn’t come with a box but you do get a marble drawstring bag to store the rum in.

    Moving onto the rear of the bottle we are given yet more informJ. Gow Hidden Depths Vol. 1 Rum Review by the fat rum pirateation. J Gow Hidden Depths Vol 1 has been aged for 3 years in an ex-Bere Whisky/OWC(Orkney Wine Company)/Rejuvenated oak cask. It is noted as Cask number #5. The rum was distilled in 2017 and bottled in 2020. It has been aged entirely at J Gow Rum Distillery 58.8 degrees North. A mere 2 metres above sea level and only 50 metres from the sea. No added sugar or colouring.

    You might have to move fast to secure a bottle of this as, I understand it is selling very well. It is only available online here and direct from the distillery. It retails at £59.99.

    So I think that explains all we need to know about this particular rum. So why don’t I move onto the fun part? Lets see how 3 years of ageing in Orkney influences the taste of a rum!

    As with Ninefold’s 12 month old rum you get a lot of molasses/treacle and caramel as you are pouring a glass. It’s rich and pungent. Full bodied and quite “piratey” I guess.

    In the glass J Gow Hidden Depths Vol 1 is light in colour. Little more than a straw/white wine colour. A shade or two darker. Nosing closer you get toffee, golden syrup and some Caramac (a sickly sweet weird kind of caramel chocolate concoction popular(Ish) in the UK).

    Beneath this I am getting some influence from the whisky cask. It’s a kind of very light peaty note – it’s not full on but it does remind me a little of a Islay type of whisky. It’s got a savoury meaty note to it.

    With time in the glass I am getting a mellow peppery spiciness. A touch of something slightly medicinal. A touch herbal maybe.

    Sipped this is a lot heavier than the initial nosing at least suggested. At first when you pop the cork you get a lot of sweet molasses. This is quite a savoury type of rum and has a bit of Caroni about it. Not so much in terms of the more extreme burned tyres and petrol notes of a Caroni but certainly in it’s more savoury elements.

    The initial burst of molasses is quJ. Gow Hidden Depths Vol. 1 Rum Review by the fat rum pirateickly brought into line by some very medicinal notes. A bitterness comes in alongside some heavier quite “whisky” like notes.

    The mid palate has a herbal element and some slightly bitter tannic notes. It’s certainly not a sweet rum.

    There is a lot going on with J Gow Hidden Depths Vol 1. It’s quite a challenging rum. It’s smoky especially towards the finish.

    There is an almost burnt note as the finish builds. We have a nice length on the finish and the molasses flavour does hang in there amongst the smoke and heavier notes going on with this rum. There is just enough sweetness there to stop it getting too “whisky-esque” for my tastes.

    This is a heavy, full bodied type of rum that people who like Scotch Whisky and some of the heavier styles of rum will really enjoy.

    My bottle hasn’t lasted long. I actually drank for too much of it on a Sunday afternoon. It just seemed to hit the spot. There are times when I find certain rums really just go down far too well.

    I even mixed it with cola. It was pretty mean and moody that way and I really enjoyed it.

    In many ways this quite reminds me of Smith and Cross. At first with that rum I was little puzzled by it. Yet I found the flavour of it fascinating. I’ve got to admit that the first time I tried Smith and Cross I really didn’t know what to expect.

    In time I found myself strangely drawn to it. I didn’t write reviews at the time so I was lucky that I never wrote down my initial thoughts. I recently picked up another bottle of the J Gow Fading Light and found I enjoyed it more second time around. J Gow Hidden Depths Vol 1 Rum Review by the fat rum pirate

    It is going to be very interesting to see what J. Gow/VS Distillers produced going forward. LIkewise the likes of Ninefold and Sugar House also from Scotland.

    Exciting times for Haggis Juice no doubt. I’d be keen to see what an unaged J Gow white rum might be like as well…

    If you can secure a bottle then do so. This is great stuff. Definitely not pish………

     

     

     

     

     

  • Cachaca Fuzue Amendoim

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Cachaca Fuzue Rum Review by the fat rum piratCachaca Fuzue Amendoim. I recently attended the UK Cachaca Festivals in Manchester. At the event I discovered a number of Cachaca’s that I had previously never seen nor heard of. Despite being the national spirit of Brasil, Cachaca has struggle to gain interest outside of its home country.

    Cachaca is a sugar cane spirit but it refuses to accept itself as rum. Some literature even suggests Cachaca pre-dates rum production. In my opinion Cachaca is best viewed as a separate category in much the same way you may view Rhum Agricole. It perhaps has most in common with Rhum Agricole in that it is produced from Sugar Cane Juice rather than Molasses but the unique woods used to age the Cachaca’s produce a very different spirit. One which should be judged in its own right.

    I have previously only reviewed one Cachaca on the site. To be honest that is because I have never really felt we get the “good” stuff over here in Europe. I have felt we get more Industrial mass-produced Cachaca. I have seen more artisanal looking brands online and have often wondered about how they might taste.

    Thanks to the Cachaca Festival a great number of Cachaca’s which are not currently commercially available in the UK and Europe have been made available to taste and two events in Manchester and London (7th April 2018 and 14th April 2018).

    The Cachaca Festivals gave each ticket holder a free hardback book on Cachaca. This gives background and information on all the brands presented at the Festival. This has been very useful in producing this review! And is a really great read as well.

    I was fortunate enough to get some samples whilst I was at the Festivals. Very impressed with the Cachaca on offer. I would very much like to see it make our shores so perhaps a little bit of advertising here might help with that? I’d love for more people to enjoy some quality Cachaca.

    So first up is Cachaca Fuzue. An organic Cachaca from Rio Claro, a small town in Sao Paulo. The owner Pablo Zurita produces his Cachaca without using chemical additives and is focused on being environmentally responsible. The Cachaca is produced in small batches on a Pot still.

    The artwork on the bottle is the work of one of Brasil’s greatest ever artists Gustava Rosa. It certainly stood out at the festival I must say!

    As did Pablo’s passion. As well as bringing his Cachaca with him he also had a photo album full of photos of the Cachaca production and sugar cane cultivation. He took a lot of time and effort in showing us his Cachaca Fuzue and I was very impressed by his passion. Something which I found in abundance amongst the stall holders and producers.

    Cachaca Fuzue Amendoim is produced from fresh Sugar Cane Juice and  is aged for 2 years in Amendoim wood – “Amendoim do Brasil”. This is a native Brazilian wood which provides a subtle aroma to the Cachaca. It is bottled at 41% ABV. Sadly I do not know how much it is per bottle (which may be a good thing in terms of a review). There is no added sugar in this either. Bottle size is 750ml. Fuzue produce both this and an unaged “Pura” which is bottled fresh from the still.

    Well that’s what they say anyway. I guess the best way is to put the Cachaca Fuzue to the test?

    In the glass Cachaca Fuzue is a light golden to straw colour. The nose is light and delicately perfumed. A touch of pot pourri but nothing over powering.

    Notes of vanilla also present themselves to give a nice balance to the nose. It’s very aromatic and very different rum.

    In terms of a comparison to an Agricole it is more floral and less grassy and vegetal than most two year old Agricoles rums. I really enjoy nosing Cachaca’s they are very floral and really interesting.

    Cachaca Fuzue is not aggressive or off-putting in any way on the nose.

    Cachaca Fuzue Rum Review by the fat rum pirateMoving onto the sip and again I am really impressed. The initial entry is light and has some more familiar “woody” notes and a nice tangy spiciness to it. Notes of vanilla and a gentle burst of sweet sugar cane juice. This is a very nicely balanced,delicate tasting Cachaca. A really good starting point for trying aged Cachaca.

    The mid palate and the finish have a nice almost Bourbon like twang to them – citrus fruits and some bitter-sweet woody notes. It’s a very easy drinking Cachaca.

    The finish could perhaps have a bit more of a bite to it but whilst most of the flavours are lost fairly quickly it does leave behind a nice gentle undercurrent of spice.

    All in all a really nice spirit. Well done as well – nicely balanced and easy to drink. Makes a really nice Caiprinha as well.