JAH45 18ct Gold Jamaican Rum

Bythefatrumpirate

JAH45 18ct Gold Jamaican Rum. No this isn’t the same rum, I reviewed earlier this year. That was the JAH45 Dark Jamaican Rum. This is the 18ct Gold variant. Though if I am being entirely honest, when putting the two rums side by side they are of a very similar colour. The label is a different colour though.

JAH45 are making a bit of a splash at the moment. They released no fewer than 5 Jamaican Rum expressions earlier this year. Dark, Gold, Silver, Spiced and Overproof. So they are covering all bases, aside from more Premium Aged Rum. I won’t be entirely surprised if they go down that route in the future as well.

JAH45 rums are presented to us by “Hellshire Club”. Hellshire is a famous beach in Portmore, Jamaica. The owner of the Jah45 brand Carl Stephenson formerly worked for Wray and Nephew, so he knows his stuff when it comes to Jamaican rum. Carl has also enjoyed success in his own right with the fantastic Elements Eight rum range. Elements Eight showcased rum from Saint Lucia and more recently a blend of Cuban and Panamanian rum called Republica.

Presentation of JAH45 18ct Gold Jamaican Rum continues the same ripped label poster type styling which fits in the with Jamaican Sound System that the rums are hoping to envoke. They presentation is bold and bright Whilst the bottle shape is standard you do get a decent quality metal screw cap.

To be fair, I am still surprised how inexpensive this line up rums are. Retail is noted as being £20 (you may see them for a pound or two more). Unlike many rums at this price it is presented at 40% ABV. It is a blend of rums from Jamaica. The distilleries they hail from are Clarendon/Monymusk and Hampden. Jah45 18ct Gold Jamaican Rum is a blend of pot and column distilled rums aged up to 3 years.

I am interested to try this and the Dark Jah45 alongside each other. Whilst I can see a slight difference in colour they do appear very similar and the make up, at least that noted on the bottle is the same. Admittedly neither really gives details beyond what I have already supplied.

Jah45 18 Ct Gold Jamaican rum review by the fat rum pirateSo without further ado we will move onto tasting this new Jamaican rum and see if it as good value as the Dark.

In the glass JAH45 18ct Gold is a shade lighter than the Dark. It’s a bit more vibrant – more of an orange/red hue to it.

Nosing JAH45 17ct Gold is a more upfront affair than the Dark. Much like the nose it is just slightly dialled back from the dark side. We are getting more fruiter notes – slightly less of the molasses and caramel.

It is unmistakenly Jamaican rum with a really fruity toffee note. It reminds me of those toffee sweets you used to get in various different fruit flavour in the same packet (help me here). Along side notes of fudge and banana you get a really nice raisin-ey sweetness. There is also a brooding boozy menace about this rum which puts me in mind of Pussers Gunpowder proof. A strong toffee and alcohol mix which is pretty intense.

Obviously at this price point we have quite a boozy rum – but the young sweet alcohol notes really suit this punchy style of Jamaican mixing rum. This is fruitier and less caramel forward when compared to the JAH45 Dark.

Sipped, its quite bitter at first which leads onto a reasonable amount of alcohol burn. In all honesty taken as a sipper it is surprisingly “smooth” it is not quite as rough as I was expecting. However it doesn’t seem to have a great deal of flavour beyond a little fudge and a hint of coffee. Again in comparison, JAH45 Dark has a more notes of burnt caramel.

It goes down easy enough like this but it’s not a show stopper.

Jah45 18 Ct Gold rum review by the fat rum pirateMixing JAH45 18ct Gold Jamaican Rum is really where we should see some magic happen. It works really well with both Ginger Beer and cola. Best perhaps with the Ginger Beer. As we have seen all the way through this is a fruitier rum than the Dark. Both work nicely mixed but I prefer the 18ct Gold just  a tiny bit.

It’s a really good alternative to all the other Dark mixing rums – Myers’s, Captain Morgan, Gosling’s and even the likes of Wood’s and Lamb’s.

It gives quite a good hit of toffee, banana and a certain smokiness as well as some plump raisins and just a  of bitterness to keep it check. In terms of funk there is enough burnt banana and a touch of dunder to make you know its a Jamaican rum. It’s reminds me most of Myers’s only dialled back on the molasses.

Well worth giving JAH45 a spin.

 

 

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  • Kintra Hampden Jamaica 8 Year Old

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Kintra Hampden Jamaica 8 Year Old Rum Review by the fat rum pirateKintra Hampden Jamaica 8 Year Old. Kintra are a relatively new European Independent bottler. They began as so many do by bottling whiskies before moving, more recently onto rums.

    Kintra hail from the Netherlands (which will be handy for the huge rum broker E.A Scheer). Most of their sales are racked up there. They also export to most of mainland Europe, Hong Kong and Japan.

    Kintra began bottling Whisky around 8 years ago and began bottling rum in 2017. They bottle their rums at Cask Strength, with no additives such as sugar or any colouring. They do lightly filter their rums using only some cloth to remove the more obvious pieces of the barrel.

    This Kintra Hampden Jamaica was distilled in June 2009 and aged in an ex-bourbon cask in Europe until being bottled on the 28 September 2017.  It was bottled at 56.5% ABV cask strength. It retailed at around 45 Euros. No bottles made it to the UK. Of which there were 367 in total.

    A number of Hampdens have been bottled recently by numerous Independent bottlers. It should be noted that the Hampden Distillery currently do not release any aged rum. Their own releases – Rum Fire (and Rum Fire Velvet) are White Unaged Overproofs and the Hampden Gold, is much the same rum only coloured and bottled at 40% ABV. They do not keep aged rum on site and any rum you find bottled by European Independents will be entirely European aged.

    There is also a bit of debate as to whether 2009 bottlings of Hampden are from Hampden or Long Pond.

    When poured in the glass Hampden Kintra is a straw colour. Its pretty pale almost ihite wine wine.

    The nose is quite fiery. Lots of medicinal notes, pine cones, mint and a generous hit of spicy oak. It has a sweet note of younger alcohol and bananas. Foam banana sweets, some spicy sweet/sour woodiness. There is a blanacing note of brown sugar enveloping this rums nose and adding a balance.

    It is very much like a Long Pond rum – very fruity and sweet but with a real funk and high ester note. Despite the 56.5% ABV it is very welcoming and not overly boozy.

    Sipped it transfer everything over from the nose. Initial sweetness is followed by a very strong hit of oak and spiciness. Sweet/sour Bourbon mash. Bananas and tropical fruits follow. There is a slight soapiness in the finish.

    The finish and mid palate have a little bit of astringency – maybe a touch too much. Having said that the finish is long and satisfying with a lot of oak and spice.

    The nose is better than the sip. The nose suggested a five star rum. Whilst all the flavours the nose suggested are present there are a couple of off notes in the sip.

    It is a touch soapy/mouldy on the mid palate and a bit overly oaked on the finish. Slight imperfections on what is otherwise a very good rum.

     

     

  • Ron Roble Viejo Extra Anejo

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Ron Roble Viejo Extra Anejo Rum review by the fat rum pirateRon Roble Viejo Extra Anejo. According to Google Translate this rum is Rum Oak Old Extra Old. Which is interesting, though I suspect it’s more Google’s shitty translation than anything else. The Ron Roble brand hails from Venezuela home of rums such as Santa Teresa, Diplomatico and the popular bar favourites Pampero and Cacique.

    Ron Roble is produced by Rones de Caribe under the guidance of Master Distiller and Blender Giorgio Melis, who has over 50 years experience in the drinks industry. Where have we heard these kind of tales before? I wonder. Still at least he’s not the Cuban Minister of Rum…………

    Ron Roble is produced from molasses which comes from sugar cane grown in the Yucatan Valley. The molasses is then transported to the distillery near Caracas, the capital of Venezuela. The molasses is fermented and the wash is then distilled on a 5 Column Still.

    As the name suggests much of Ron Roble’s flavour is derived from the ageing of the rum in 220 litre ex-bourbon oak barrels.. Ron Roble Viejo Extra Anejo is a blend of rums aged between 8 and 12 years. To be fair to it unlike so many “rons” it does not have a deceptive solera style age statement on its label.

    I am unsure how long the brand has been in existence but it is a relatively new brand to the rum world. It has had limited distribution here in the UK but it is available a lot more in Mainland Europe.

    If you are looking for more information on Ron Roble, they do have a website. To be honest there isn’t much substance to it. If it had I would have had more to write about here, but never mind. It can be found here if you are interested.

    I’ve reviewed quite a few Venezuelan rums over the years. In general as far as the “Spanish Style” or “rons” are concerned I have always found the Venezeulan rums, Diplomatico aside, to be not all “that” sweet. Admiitedly, they are usually still doctored a little though sadly. Ron Roble Viejo Extra Anejo is no exception with around 19g/L of additives.Ron Roble Viejo Extra Anejo Rum review by the fat rum pirate

    Presentation wise as with most Premium rons this is sleekly presented with a tall thin bottle. Information is minimal but the presentation is clean and uncluttered. A blue branded card sleeve is provided and the rum is sealed with a cork enclosure.

    All in all I can understand why people would pick it off they shelf. Especially if they are new to rum. It retails at around the €40-45 mark. I can not see any current available here in the UK but Excellence Rhum currently have it in stock.

    So lets see how this one goes down.

    Nosing the rum is a lot sweeter than I was expecting. There is a lot of orange and red apple on the nose. I confected note as well like sticky boiled sweets. Beneath this are notes of oak and a little touch of smoke and some light toffee.

    It’s light and easy going. Too much so. It’s missing some of the leather and more complex notes found in other Venezuelan rums. It’s trying to be like Santa Teresa 1796 but it’s just went in a bit too sweet.

    All in all the nose is pleasant enough but its pretty meek and not really all that exciting.

    Sipped it has a bit more bite than the nose. There is an intiial sweetness but you do get a fairly good hit of oak and spices on the entry with this one, which I was quite surprised about.

    Ron Roble Viejo Extra Anejo is not all that punchy though, this is still in very light ron territory. It’s sweet and inoffensive. It’s easy drinking and not much thinking. The mid palate becomes a mixture of sweet fruits and barley sugar rubbing alongside an ever diminshing note of oak and some pepper notes.

    Ron Roble Viejo Extra Anejo Rum review by the fat rum pirateFinish wise it just fades out to pretty much nothing. This is far from a “hairs on your chest” type of rum.

    Now the thing is I have every confidence that the product in this bottle is exactly what the producer set out to produce. I also have every confidence that the type of person who enjoys this particular style of sweetened rum will find this to be pretty decent.

    For me it’s just all too soft and not “rummy” enough.  It’s just a bit too weak and flowery. It’s far from being sickly sweet or hugely confected but its gone further than say Pampero Aniversario or Santa Teresa 1796 down that route to make it far less interesting as a rum.

    Not for me.

     

     

  • Dillon Rhum Agricole Blanc 55%

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Dillon Rhum Blanc Agricole Rum review Rhum Agricole by the fat rum pirateDillon Rhum Blanc Agricole. Dillon are a producer of Rhum Agricole from the island of Martinique. They produce Blanc (White) and aged Agricole rhum, alongside Sugar Syrups and pre-mixed Rum Punches.

    Dillon can trace its history all the way back to 1690 to the original site of the distillery in Fort de France. It was set up by Arthur Dillon, a US soldier. Apparently, he married a well off widow and used her funds to help him purchase the estate. Originally it produced sugar but in the 19th century began producing rum.

    The original sugar mill and plant was wiped out in the 1902 volcanic eruption. In 1928  a new distillery became operational. In 1967 Bordeaux Bardinet (now Bardinet / La Martiniquaise Group) took over. The mill was closed and the Creole Column Still was moved to Depaz. As a result Dillon no longer distill their own rum on site. The facility at Dillon is now very much an ageing site.The creole single column still is used solely to make Dillon rums. So they are still very much a distinct producer – even if arguably they aren’t 100% producing it themselves

    Dillon being from Martinique can opt to use the AOC marque on their bottlings – this means the rum has been produced in a very specific way. More information can be found here.

    As with most Agricole Rhum, other than perhaps Clement and Rhum JM – distribution in the UK can be a bit sketchy. You probably couldn’t just go shopping on the Internet today and pick up all the range of Dillon rums. Not from UK online stores anyway.

    I picked this 1 litre bottle of Dillon Rhum Blanc Agricole at Charles de Gaulle Airport. I think I paid around 25 Euros for a 1 litre bottle. This Blanc rum is bottled at 55% ABV. The sheer choice of White Agriicole rhum in French supermarkets is quite staggering – as is the low prices. The French really like their Ti Punch’s it would seem. The agricole producers are not afraid either to recommend mixing their younger white agricole rhums. If I were living in France I would perhaps be able to focus a little more on the price of the various Blanc Agricole’s and I could perhaps recommend a little more based on that. Unfortunately I don’t have that luxury.

    There is no age statement attached to this rum. This is one of 3 Rhum Blanc’s in Dillon’s range. The others are bottled at 43% and 50% ABV respectively.Dillon Rhum Agricole Blanc rum review by the fat rum pirate

    Presentation wise the colour scheme is a bit wacky but its pretty “standard” for a White Agricole rhum. It has the usual plantation photo and the distillery name etc – a recipe for Ti Punch on  the rear label. It’s a “normal” tall bar bottle with a bright red metal screw cap. It does the job but probably won’t appeal to anyone wanting something more “premium”.

    I knew what I would be getting with this rhum and having enjoyed Rhum J.M’s 50% Blanc I thought this would likely be a decent purchase and satisfy my growing appreciation of white Agricole and Ti punches.

    In the glass you are presented with a crystal clear rum – no surprises there. The nose is full and quite punchy – the 55% ABV certainly makes itself noticed.

    Grassy and vegetal it has a slight minty touch to it – spearmint and some hints of pine. There is a touch of sour cream on the nose – nice notes of ginger and all spice.

    It’s very much a “classic” Agricole with no funny business or pretension. The old style presentation is apparent in the rhum. It isn’t trying to be anything it’s not.

    Sipped it is very vegetal with a slightly savoury note – a degree of nuttiness. It reminds me a little of Kellogs Crunchy Nut Corn Flakes for some reason I can’t quite place. It’s certainly not as sweet but it does have honeyed element to the grassiness.

    It’s a nice palate cleanser rather than a sophisticated sipper. It’s full flavoured but not overly complex.

    Dillon Rhum Blanc Agricole Rum review Rhum Agricole by the fat rum pirateMixing this – as advised by the rear label it makes a cracking Ti Punch and its so strong and punchy you can even mix it with the likes of Ginger Beer and Cola. Even at 55% ABV is never feels too boozy – its just a very tasty full flavoured grassy Agricole Rhum.

    In France you find rums like this available in boxes – like you find with wine in the UK. Cheaper white Rhum Agricole is very popular in France and freely and very cheaply available in most supermarkets.

    If you are travelling to France then I would strongly recommend you bring back some of the younger (less fancy looking) white Agricole rhums.

    You will not be disappointed.

     

     

     

  • Rhum J.M Blanc (50% ABV)

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Rhum J.M Blanc 50% White rum review by the fat rum piratRhum J.M are rhum agricole producer from Martinique.  Located in north of the island at the foot of Mount Pelée.  Rhum J.M Blanc is one of the houses less expensive bottlings.  It is a firm favourite amongst agricole lovers that like a bit more bite to their white rum.

    Distilling the juice of sugar cane gives birth to this white agricultural rum. All Rhum J.M. AOC rums are produced exclusively from sugar cane grown entirely by the family in the highlands of Bellevue.

    The Bellevue distillery (also incorrectly noted as Belvedere on some Indie bottlings) is located on the flanks of Mount Pelee.  The producers claim the rich volcanic soil give the rhum its unique flavour profile.  They are very keen on using terroir (the land on which the sugar cane grows) to identify and highlight the uniqueness of their agricole rhum.

    Rhum J.M along with Rhum Clement and the recently acquired St Lucia Distillers are part of the GBH (Groupe Bernard Hayot) Spirit Division.

    To the more casual consumer white agricole does perhaps have a more consistent and similar profile than molasses bases rums from differing brands and islands.  That is largely because most agricole follows a similar process and comes from only a handful of locations.  The more refined agricole drinker probably will notice more nuances than me as I am relatively inexperienced with agricole rhum.

    Presentation wise Rhum J.M Blanc comes in a stubby style bottle with a hand drawn effect label.  It’s bright and vibrant – its old style rather than old fashioned and it does stand out.  A bottle in the UK will set you back around £30 for a 70cl which comes in at 50% ABV.

    The best selection of Rhum J.M products comes from Amathus drinks who import the range.

    In the Rhum J.M Blanc 50% White rum review by the fat rum pirateglass we have a translucent spirit which is likely to have benefited from some filtration to give it a clear appearance.

    The nose is familiar – kind of standard for white agricole.  It’s not as vegetal as some and it exhibits a little more fruit notes than many.  Bruised banana, citrus peel, maybe some ginger and nutmeg.  Overall its quite sweet but displays a more savoury vegetal note.

    It is not quite as vibrant and fresh as Bologne Black Cane – maybe a little more muddled together if that makes sense.  It’s ever so slightly muted in comparison.

    Sipped the rum is quite difficult to get down.  It’s very spicy and quite grassy.  With a few further sips it does get better.  There is quite a lot of flavour – spicy almost ginger beer like notes alongside the banana from the nose and some strong tart citrus notes.  I wouldn’t go as far as to say its unbalanced but it is certainly a little on the challenging side.

    It is largely recommended to use Rhum J.M as a mixer – in traditional drinks such as Ti Punch or in more exotic cocktails calling for White Agricole.

    Mixed it certainly works better it makes very enjoyable Ti Punch and is equally good with soda water and lemonade.  It’s also very pleasant in a Daiquiri.  It adds nice spicy notes to each drink – its quite vegetal.  In that respect similar to a Jamaican Overproof.

    At its price point it is certainly good value and makes for a nice introduction to white agricole.  Even at 50% once mixed it seems more easy going and is surprisingly easy to drink.  Making it a little dangerous!

    It’s reasonably complex and its certainly a very competent and enjoyable white agricole.  It could perhaps be a bit more vivid and punchy but it has enough to entertain and it becomes surprisingly addictive.

    Almost very good but not quite.  Just missing maybe a bit more definition.

  • Black Tot Historic Solera Rum

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Black Tot Historic Solera Rum Review by the fat rum pirateBlack Tot Historic Solera Rum This is the latest release in the Black Tot portfolio. I am always a little apprehensive when I see the term “Solera” being used in Rum. I think it is fair to say that a number of producers make claims they are using a “Solera” method when, in truth they are doing no such thing.

    For those unfamiliar with a true Sherry Solera System here is some information for reference. A lot of producers claim to be using a Solera but in reality they are often doing little more than adding a very small portion of aged rum to their blends and then citing this as an age statement on their bottles. As the word Solera has no real legal definition there is nothing stopping such words being used on the bottle and attached to rather dubious numbers.

    Now, as Black Tot as a brand has been transparent to the point of being OTT – I do not have any issues with their use of “Solera” and I will take what they are telling us as part of their marketing as truthful. Unlike other brands/producers they have not lied or deceived any of us in the past.

    I am not saying they have strictly followed every aspect of Sherry Solera ageing as outlined above (and I’m no expert on such things) but from the information they have given they have at least adopted some kind of genuine Solera System. They also haven’t prominently displayed any misleading numbers on their bottles…….

    So I’m going into this review with an open mind…….well as far “open minded” as a ageing, cynical rum reviewer can anyway!

    First up like the other rums in the Black tot cannon we have a lot of actual information about the make up of the rums in Black Tot Historic Solera. So here we go………

    40% 3-5 Year Old Blend of Guyana Pot/Column distilled rums

    35% 5 Year Old Barbados Pot/Column still blended rum

    20% Unaged Guyana Pot/Column blended rum

    5% 3 Year Old Jamaica High Ester Pot Still rum

    These rums have been aged in ex-bourbon barrels which have been seasoned with Pedro Ximenez and Oloroso sherries. Before being further aged through a traditional 3 tier Solera process.

    Black Tot Historic Solera Rum Review by the fat rum pirateBlack Tot Historic Solera comprises of molasses based rums that have been matured both in their country of origin and in Europe. So Continental and Tropical ageing. Alas I do not have any information on how this is split. The rum is non-chill filtered and contains no added sugar. In the UK a bottle of Black Tot Historic Solera is available direct from The Whisky Exchange. A 70cl bottle will set you back £63.75. The rum has been bottled at 46.2% ABV.

    Nosing Black Tot Historic Solera Rum I am immediately reminded of the “standard” Black Tot Finest Caribbean, which is no bad thing. The influence of the Guyanese element of the blend is immediately apparent. With lots of chocolate covered raisins/sultana’s and a very nice toffee/caramel like note. It reminds of Toffo’s (discontinued, though possibly soon to be revived rumour has it flavoured toffees available in the UK) as there is also a banana like note in there.

    There is also a little hint of pineapple and some ginger lurking in the mix. The oak and spice influence is fairly muted on the nose. There is a slight “mustiness” but nothing like the Master Blender’s releases in terms of smokiness.

    The Sherry influence shines brightly. Giving this Black Tot release a much sweeter overall nose. Lots of lighter fruits – peach and strawberry come through and a slightly tart hit of raspberry. There is a slight peppery note and some crystallised ginger coming through as well.

    All in all I’m enjoying the nose and it doesn’t seem overly sweet for my tastes.

    Sipped the Black Tot Historic Solera immediately seems dangerously easy to drink. The 46.2% ABV coupled with the sweeter Solera profile certainly makes this very approachable and its sliding down rather easily.

    On the initial sip I am hit initially with some sweet Sherry notes alongside the toffee and chocolate covered raisins, I got on the nose.  As the rum slides down I feel more complexity coming in on the mid palate. Dry ginger and some nice oak spice comes in giving the rum a drier mouthfeel and flavour. It’s certainly not as sweet as I initially thought. The sweeter Sherry notes are still present but less prominent as we move towards the finish.Black Tot Historic Solera Rum Review by the fat rum pirate

    Finish wise this is a medium length finish that doesn’t really linger to long. It fades rather quickly but what is there – strawberry, peach and a touch of light oak and ginger works nicely . There is maybe also a hint of darker fruits as well – Blackberries and some Plums.

    I would say overall this is a slightly sweeter and less challenging version of the Finest Caribbean. Lighter overall in profile and a little more approachable.

    I personally don’t enjoy it quite as much as the Finest Caribbean but it is still a very good rum.

     

  • Novo Fogo Tanager

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Novo Fogo Tanager cachaca rum review by the fat rum pirateNovo Fogo Tanager. We have covered the Novo Fogo brand previously, when we reviewed their Barrel Aged Cachaca expression. They are a brand expanding rapidly and alongside the likes of Leblon, Avua and Sagatiba, are looking to push a more stylised version of cachaça into the US and European market.

    However, much like those other brands it is not at the expense of well produced cachaça. There is no style over substance with Novo Fogo. Yes, the presentation is sleek and modern but the liquid inside is also of a high standard. I won’t say much more, as I might be pre-empting the review.

    The brand has it’s own very informative website. Should you wish to seek out further information on the brand itself. For now, we will explore this Novo Fogo Tanager expression. First up what the hell is a Tanager? Well, it’s a bird. There are around 240 species of Tanager. 60% of Tanagers live in South America.

    Hang on a minute. This is a Rum Blog not a frigging twitchers website. Enough of the bird talk, what the heck has this all got to do with cachaça?

    Novo Fogo Tanager is part of the brands Two Woods series which consist of Graciosa (aged in American Oak and Brasil Nut Wood), Colibri (American Oak and Brasilian Teak) and finally we have Tanager (American Oak and Zebrawood). Zebrawood is often referred to as Arariba. It’s all Double Dutch to me. I’m still lost as to why this is called Tanager I guess it must just be the fact the birds are common in southern Brasil.

    So we certainly have the most exotic sounding of the series up for review today! Novo Fogo Tanager was the first of the two woods series to make it to the US, when released in 2015. The two woods used are amongst the most popular in the Brasilian south.

    Novo Fogo Tanager has been distilled in small batches on Copper Pot Stills, it has been bottled at 42% ABV.  It is currently available in the UK, at The Whisky Exchange for £38.25. Unfortunately I cannot find any information at present on the age of the cachaça.

    So lets see how this latest cachaça tastes. In the glass, the Zebrawood has imparted a very distinctive red hue in the glass. This cachaça doesn’t just have a slight tinge of red it is actually red/orange. It’s very vivid.

    On the nose, it’s pretty fruity. Mango’s and some light peach. A hint of Passion Fruit. Certainly not aromas I would commonly associate with cachaça. Beneath the initial burst of fruit come more familiar, buttery notes and a fair amount of baking spice and some really earthy notes.

    Their is a nice backbone of spicy woody oak, as well running through the nose.

    Sipped Novo Fogo Tanager is a very interesting cachaça and one which takes a little time to get acclimatised to. The initial sweet fruity burst is more of redcurrants and blackberries, than the tropical notes on the nose. The mid palate then comes along with a really earthy, almost sandy kind of note. It’s really hard to explain, it kind of tastes like what a sandy pebbly peach smells like. Yes I know that makes little sense.

    Further sips reveal some more traditional cachaça notes – a slight vegetal note, especially on the finish which is long and surprisingly refreshing. A very nice warming tingle of mixed spice and ginger, is just the right side of warming to remain on the palate for a decent length of time.

    Also the more you sip Novo Fogo Tanager seems to add extra layers of spice and complexity to the palate. It’s a very nicely balanced spirit but it does seem to get a little hotter the more you sip! There’s a real hit of chilli by the time you get onto the third of fourth sip. Again most unusual.Novo Fogo Tanager cachaca rum review by the fat rum pirate

    I think the nose is better than the sip with this one. That said what you get as a sipper is a very interesting and complex glass of cachaça.

    It may however not to be to everyones tastes. It might be a little odd for some. In fairness, it is one of the most unusual cachaca’s I have tried so far.

    But certainly not the worst. It has received some very high scores at some tasting events and competitions. I won’t score it as highly as a 94 out of 100 here but its a sold 7/10 cachaça with perhaps just enough to unusualness to make it a 7.5 ish.

    Makes a nice Tanagerac – so I am told. Check their website for the recipe.

2 Comments

  1. TOFFO’s were the flavoured sweets I think you are referring to. Great review I will check these rums out.

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