Jung & Wulff Luxury Rums No 3 Barbados. As the title of this review might suggest this is the third rum I have reviewed in the Jung & Wulff series from American powerhouses Sazerac.

I’ve covered the story around Jung & Wulff in previous reviews. So if you haven’t read the reviews prior this one (which of course you will have) please check them out. I don’t like repeating myself in my reviews. I’m sure I’ll find something else to prattle on about.

Jung & Wulff Luxury Rums No 3 Barbados completes the “trio” of famous Caribbean rum destinations used in this series. Maybe future releases will see a Jamaican added to fully cover the most famous “British Style” molasses based rums of the Caribbean.

As with the previous releases Jung & Wulff Luxury Rums No 3 Barbados does not have an age statement. There is no indication of the age of the rum on the bottle or their own website.

However, some literature I received indicates that is a blend of rums aged up to 15 years distilled from molasses. There is no indication of the rums provenance or any other information regarding the actual rum. I presume this rum has been aged in ex-bourbon barrels mainly in Barbados but I have nothing to support this.

As far as retail is concerned a 750ml imported bottle of Jung & Wulff Luxury Rums No 3 Barbados is available over at Harvey Nichols priced at £45. The rum was bottled in 2019 at 43% ABV.

The tall thin bottle is very nice and the label over the plastic topped cork stopper gives a premium appearance. The scene of a cricket match in progress is very much in keeping with thoughts of Barbados and West Indies cricket. It’s an eye catching design which will no doubt appeal in a department store setting. It is very much a rum for gifting as a surprise for someone.

Unlike the other two Jung & Wulff expressions I do not know which distillery this rum hails from. As noted earlier there is no information available from the producers. It is noted as a blend so it could be from a number of Barbados distilleries. I doubt that however as this is not the way things are usually done. We usually have a blended rum sourced from an individual distillery, usually via a broker not direct. Quite how Sazerac obtain their rums – I am not part to that information.

So with little else to comment on I may as well get my hooter into the glass. I’ll pour some rum first of course…….

The rum presents itself as a dark brown liquid with a copper hue running through it. A “classic” aged rum colour.

Nosing Jung & Wulff Luxury Rums No 3 Barbados I am immediately puzzled by the profile. It has a very pronounced caramel aroma to it. Similar to Demerara rum. Certainly not something I have experienced very often with a Barbados rum. Especially one which is “no sugar added” as stated on their literature. Fair play the Hydrometer Test backs this up but I am definitely getting something which does smell a bit fishy (well it doesn’t actually smell fishy that would be even odder but you know what I mean).

Further nosing reveals some more bitter notes beneath the sweet caramel and toffee aromas. Charred oak, tobacco and some notes of coffee and English Breakfast tea. This noses to me more like a multi island blend than a Barbados rum.

Once the initial sweetness fades the rum becomes very charred and bitter on the nose. Lots of oak and woodiness.

It’s not a bad nose overall but certainly not what I was expecting to experience from a Barbados rum. It’s pointing more towards WIRD in some of its similarities to Cockspur XO. That said the Demerara/El Dorado caramel note is still a bit puzzling. It gives a little hint towards tropical fruits – well more Summer Berries I would say but not a great deal is really shining through.

Sipped the toffee/caramel note continues. This isn’t overly sweet but it isn’t as “dry” as you might expect from a Barbados rum. There isn’t much coconut or vanilla present with this rum. It’s a mix mostly of caramel and wood. There isn’t really anything overly complex about this either.

The initial entry is quite “smooth” and easy going and its in no way offensive. Unfortunately the mid palate doesn’t really build into anything too exciting. We get some nice oak and wood spice and some tobacco, barrel char and a tiny hint of some vanilla but it doesn’t last all that long. Nor does it develop into anything to complex beyond sweet toffee and woodyness.

The finish gets a little fruitier but its quite light strawberry, toffee and some light oak spices. The finish is probably the most easy going part of this rum. It fades quite quickly from the mid palate and it all just feels a bit too easy going.

If I was handed this – I would certainly drink it and quite enjoy it. However, I don’t think I would sip and savour it. It’s an easy going rum which you could easily knock back a few glasses of without really thinking too much about it.

 

As a glass of rum it is fine – as an example of a Barbados Rum it is puzzling. It has a profile which suggests the rum could have been aged in a molasses coated barrel as per El Dorado’s output. It certainly has a lot of that profile going on. Which isn’t really what most people will expect from a Barbados rum.

I honestly did look twice when I tried this, to check I had picked up the right bottle and not the Guyana.

A strange but not unpleasant rum. It just doesn’t do what it says on the tin for me.