Mount Gay XO – Cask Strength

Bythefatrumpirate

Mount Gay XO Cask Strength Rum Review by the fat rum pirateMount Gay established in 1703 report that they are the oldest rum brand in existence.  Which is arguable.  What cannot be argued is that they are one of the top producers of authentic rum in the Caribbean.

Alongside Eclipse – Mount Gay Extra Old (Mount Gay XO or even MGXO) is their most recognised and most respected rum.  A blend of Pot and Column molasses it is seen as a benchmark in the birth of true sipping rums.

In recent years Mount Gay have revamped and revitalised their rum line up.  New logos and new expressions have hit the market.  The culmination (to date) is this, Limited Edition Cask Strength Extra Old rum.

Coming in at a hefty 63% ABV and carrying an equally hefty £140 price tag the rum is housed in a luxury wooden box.  Complete with a booklet and notes written by master blender Alen Smith.  Limited to only 3000 bottles worldwide.  If you are after value for money against the regular XO you may feel its too expensive.  In fairness you are paying for it being limited and attractively packaged.

Released exclusively into the UK market in November at Selfridges, the rum is now available online at other retailers.  Just in time for Christmas.  As one of the more recognised rum brands in the UK, I am sure more than a few XO lovers will wake up to find their better halves have treated them to a bottle of this.  What glorious timing Mount Gay!

I reviewed MGXO around 18 months to 2 years ago if memory serves ( I should check but its not that important).  I recall giving it a slightly stingy 4 star rating.  There are still a fair few rums I need to re-appraise as my knowledge and tastes have improved over time.

In the glass the rum is lovely copper colour.  Much like the XO and most Bajan rums.  I don’t worry too much about colour these days, as most commercial blends are coloured with caramel.

On the nose you notice straight away that this not your usual 40-43% Bajan rum.  Like the Cask Strength Velier Foursquare from earlier this year, this is much more intense.  I would make a comparison between a European aged Demerara and a Velier one.  Everything seems more concentrated – all the flavours which existed before are present but just in much more clarity.  Standard Definition TV versus HDTV maybe?Mount Gay XO Cask Strength Rum Review by the fat rum pirate

The nose is classically Bajan – very pronounced spicy oak notes.  You can almost taste the Bourbon that was in these casks prior.  Vanilla, a nice creamy nuttiness and a slight hint of banana, toffee and caramel.  Despite the ABV there is very little “menace” as I like to call it.  It’s still a very nice well balanced, skillfully blended spirit.

Sipped even at 63% it is a surprisingly mellow and pleasant experience.  I would recommend a little water but not much – just to bring out all the flavour.  Not too much or you might as well stuck with the regular XO.

There is a lot of flavour to savour.  Everything which was on the nose transfers to the palate.  Which gives you a very satisfying and complex sipping experience.  The initial sip is quite spicy and very oaky but as you progress and your taste buds acquaint themselves with the rum these move quickly into sweet toffee, caramel and chocolate notes.  There is also a nice fruitiness in the rum which runs right through to the very long spicy and tingly finish.  Peaches and a hint of banana?

Like the XO my only real criticism is that I can find it a little dry at times and perhaps a touch too oaky.  However, this is quite dependant on my mood and what food etc I’ve eaten.  Sometimes I can drink the XO like pop, other times I can only have a glass.  R L Seales 10 I find similar.

Mount Gay XO Cask Strength Rum Review by the fat rum pirateFor a seasoned XO drinker this will be a no brainer of a purchase.  After trying this the XO does seem a little “watery” but only immediately after drinking this at nigh on Cask Strength.

A very well made, well balanced and blended authentic rum.  Highly recommended.  If the price is a problem then just go for the regular XO an perhaps a bottle of Black Barrel.

4.5 stars

 

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  • 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

     

  • Cadenhead’s FSPD Fiji South Pacific Distillery Aged 13 Years

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Cadenhead's FSPD Fiji South Pacific Distillery Aged 13 Years Rum Review by the fat rum pirateCadenhead’s FSPD is another Cask Strength bottling from in their Dated Distillation range.  This time hailing from the South Pacific Distillery, Fiji.

    To date I haven’t tried a lot of rum from Fiji.  The only Fijian rum reviewed thus far have been Independently bottled from Berrys’ and Ultimatum.  The Berrys’ rum was considerably younger than this one at only 8 years old.  The Ultimatum more similar in terms of age, at 12 years old.

    At London Rumfest in October 2016 I tried Berrys’s 11 Year Old Fiji rum – which I though showed a lot more maturity and complexity than the 8 year old.  A couple of months later I was tipped off about a Worthy Park release by Cadenhead’s and I noticed this Cask Strength 13 Year Old which I wanted to try.

    Also present at London Rumfest last October were Fiji Rum Co.  With so much going on at Rumfest I never did get around to visiting them.  I understand if memory serves me correctly that they are something to do with Coca-Cola.

    The South Pacific Distillery is actually the only distillery on Fiji.  So any rum you see will hail from this distillery.

    I’ve seen over the past couple of years rums from St Lucia Distillers and Worthy Park grow in popularity and stature. It is my opinion that Fiji could well be the next island to see a real surge in the popularity of its rum internationally.  South Pacific Distillery are producing full flavoured Pot Still distillates. Which, if handled correctly could become very much sough after.  In particular amongst Rum Geeks and Enthusiasts. The rums might not prove as popular in the more casual end of the market but certainly I think one day bottlings, such as this one will be very desirable.

    Presentation wise the rum comes housed in Cadenheads standard brown, yellow and orange bottle cardboard sleeve (slightly flimsy I must add). The bottle is a dumpy affair with a nice plastic topped real cork stopper.  This rum retails at around £50-55 a bottle.

    Information on the contents is as follows.Cadenhead's FSPD Fiji South Pacific Distillery Aged 13 Years Rum Review by the fat rum pirate

    Matured in wood, Produce of Fiji, FSPD from the South Pacific Distillery, Pot Still, Bonded 2003 and bottled December 2016,  13 Years Old, ABV 59.6%.

    “The rum has been bottled from a Specially Selected individual cask, it has not been reduced with water and is bottled at natural strength.  It has no added colour and is not chill filtered.”

    “It remains the authentic product of its distillery”

    Sound good?  Well here we go and let see what the juice is actually like.

    In the glass the rum is light golden brown – almost straw like.  It is a touch darker as it is a little hazy (no chill filtration).

    The nose is strong and almost Agricole like.  Very vegetal – lots of pine and tree sap. Wet grassy fields.  It also has an almost menthol kick to the nose – which reminds me of Fisherman’s Friends.  The nose actually grows on you.  It has an almost savoury whisky like note.  I’m reminded in equal parts of St Lucia Distillers 1931 series (especially the 1st one) and a Cadenhead’s rum from Worthy Park.

    The nose doesn’t seem all that different to the Berrys’ 8 Year Old  It is markedly different to the Ultimatum 12 Year Old though – perhaps surprisingly. I would have expected the two with the similar age to well, be most similar!  This effort is the first Cask Strength Fiji I have tried to so maybe that has a big influence.

    Sipped the rum is initially very spicy, unsurprisingly at Cask Strength. It more than makes your tongue tingle. Especially one the first couple of sips.  It is clearly European aged for probably the vast majority of its 13 years. It’s a very clean and an almost clinical kind of spirit.  There isn’t any warm fruity richness that Tropical ageing often brings to the table.  I’m thinking in terms of the marked difference in European aged Demeraras and Velier Tropical aged rums as a reference point.

    It is from the first sip clearly a Pot Still rum.  Its big and challenging and at first quite difficult to get a handle on.  There is a lot of flavour coming from the rums interaction with oak.  It’s spicy – ginger, some very clean tasting oak. It’s got an almost minty flavour to it.  The FSPD is a deceptively complex rum.  The extra years ageing seem to have made the spirit cleaner more defined but no less “funky” than the eight year old Berrys’.

    Cadenhead's FSPD Fiji South Pacific Distillery Aged 13 Years Rum Review by the fat rum pirateWe are in Hampden territory funk particularly on the finish.  You get a really huge funky spicy kick on the exit.  Big Jamaican pot still collides with vegetal St Lucian notes to give a very potent and long lasting finish.

    It’s quite a dry rum with little by way of fruity flavours.  It’s very much defined by the casks it was aged in, quite a savoury tasting rum.

    The Fijian rums whilst “similar” to a lot of other Pot Still rums are distinctive enough to enjoy their own identity.  On re-visiting this bottle I was quite surprised to see how much I had drank of it over the past few months.  It’s a bit like Smith & Cross – once you get a taste for it one glass just doesn’t cut it.

    I feel that maybe a blend of pot and column or even a totally tropically aged Fijian rum might work better than this single cask offering.  However I still feel this was more than worth the £50-55 I paid for this bottle.

    At the moment there are a lot of Fijian rums available amongst independent bottlers.  If you are serious about your rum I would pick up a couple.  This is a pretty good example to start with.  Thanks to the relatively low profile of Fijian rums this is still available despite being released early this year.

     

     

     

     

  • El Dorado Cask Aged 8 Years Demerara Rum

    Bythefatrumpirate

    El Dorado 8 Year rum review by the fat rum pirateI do enjoy reading other people’s rum reviews.  Unfortunately I feel many reviewers take a very lazy approach to the reviews, often quoting in full, the notes on the bottle or the companies website.  This can lead to very generic and to be honest quite boring review.  It adds padding to the review but little else.

    If there is anyone who is taking the time to read my reviews who isn’t familiar with El Dorado or Demerara rum (and I doubt there can be many) then please after reading this review take a few minutes to Google “Demerara Distillers”, “Demerara” or “El Dorado Rum”.  I’m afraid I’m not going to recycle the companies history.

    It is highly likely that even a novice rum drinker will have (whether they realise it or not) tried a rum from Demerara Distillers Ltd.  The likelihood of this is even greater for those of us whom live in the United Kingdom.  A great number of dark blended rum’s, in particular Navy rum’s have at least some “Demerara Rum” in the blend.  Some are made entirely of Demerara rum.  Rum’s such as Skipper, Woods 100, OVD and Robert Watson’s are all made from Demerara rum distilled by Demerara Distillers.  Pusser’s has Demerara rum in its blend as does Lamb’s.

    So this may lead the new rum drinker to think that they can get their El Dorado kicks from the cheaper supermarket Demerara rum’s.  Whilst rum’s such as OVD and Robert Watson’s do offer you a Demerara profile they do not offer the complexity and quality of the El Dorado line of rums.  The likes of Skipper, OVD and Woods 100 are simply not aged enough to compete with the 12 and 15 year old El Dorado’s.  The El Dorado 5 year old offers a lighter take on Demerara than Skipper or Woods.  It’s very light by Demerara rum’s standards.  More floral than the dark fruit and chocolate offered by the likes of Woods and Skipper or even the older El Dorado’s (the 15 in particular).  So where does this leave the 8 year old El Dorado?

    I passed up buying a bottle of the El Dorado 8 Year Old around about a year ago.  I had just received a consignment from the Whisky Exchange (it was rum-honest!) and foolishly thought that Aldi would still have stocks of the 8 year old at the end of the month.  Unfortunately for me they didn’t but in my pursuit of the 8 year old my wife inadvertently found a dusty bottle of the 15 year old at a fantastic discount in another branch of the discount retailer.  (Over the coming months I found another branch which had stocks of the 15 year old and eagerly bought their entire stock!).  I never did get a bottle of the 8 year old.  So I was left having tried the 5 year old, the 12 and the 15.

    In order to complete (and I still have the 3 and 21 to try) my reviews of the El Dorado range I finally bought a bottle of the 8 year old online.  Just in time for Aldi to begin re-stocking the 8 year old in time for Christmas at a better price than I had paid…..

    So here I am finally trying the 8 year old (I’m actually nearly onto my second bottle).  It will be impossible to review this rum without comparing it to the other El Dorado’s.  I also feel it necessary to compare it to the other Demerara rum’s which are readily available.

    The El Dorado Case Aged 8 Years Demerara Rum is available online at a variety ofEl Dorado 8 Year rum review by the fat rum pirate retailers with a variety of prices.  The prices range from just over the £20 mark upto £30.  The average price is around £25 for a 70cl bottle.  Aldi are stocking it in the run up to Christmas at £19.99.  This places the rum in the same price bracket as OVD and Woods 100 (Woods packs an ABV of 57%).  The rum is 40% ABV and comes in the same bottle as the 3 and 5 year old.  To me this suggests the rum is seen more as a mixing ingredient than a sipper.  The label does suggest the rum can be sipped and used as a “premium” cocktail ingredient.

    Presentation wise I’m immediately thinking the 8 year is the 15 year old’s little brother, the black/gold colouring is similar.  In much the same way presentation wise the 5 year  old reminds me of the 12 year old with its pink hue.  In the bottle and glass the rum is much lighter than most “cheaper” Demerara rum’s.  Its almost a gold rum rather than a typical Dark Demerara.  The appearance however is deceptive.  When nosed the rum still exhibits that classic “El Dorado” scent.  It’s floral, there are notes of dark chocolate and dried fruits.  It reminds me of rum and raisin ice cream or Cadburys Old Jamaica (rum and raisin dark chocolate).  Even my wife who is a non rum drinker enjoys “sniffing” the empty glass after I have finished a drink.  Whilst Demerara rum’s all have similarities in terms of smell the rum’s in the El Dorado range have something quite distinctive and more complex than other Demerara’s.

    The nose of the 8 year old immediately sets it apart from the supermarket Demerara’s.  A gentle sip of the rum reveals a very well balanced spirit.  It is sweet but exhibits quite a hot spicy burn.  I was expecting the rum to be slightly smoother.  It isn’t rough but it does have quite a spicy burn and finish.  The rum is better than all other Demerara’s I have tried below the £25 price point.  That isn’t a surprise as it is likely that it is the longest aged of the rums.  It is unlikely the likes of Skipper, OVD, Watson’s etc are aged for anything more than 5 years, at best.

    The presentation of the rum made me think immediately of the 15 year old.  In my opinion I would pair the 8 and the 15 year old together.  The 8 year old is similar but the lesser aged spirit does not have the same complex notes in particular the oak and smokiness from extra ageing.  It is sweet (as all Demerara’s are) but it isn’t reminiscent of the 12 year old or the 5 year old.

    I really enjoy Demerara rum.  I especially enjoy the El Dorado rum’s.  The 15 year old is currently the highest rated rum on my website and the 12 is also held in very high regard.  As a sipper the El Dorado 8 Years stands up to a lot of competition but the 15 is so much better.  As a mixer I find the 8 year old is robust and flavoursome enough to stand up in all mixed drinks.  The sweet chocolately fruity rum makes for an excellent rum and cola.  I also like (unlike many cheaper Demerara’s) the rum doesn’t “froth” excessively when mixed with cola (OVD is particularly guilty of this).

    If you are partial to the sweeter Navy style blends or even the likes of Diplomatico, Zacapa etc then it’s likely you will enjoy this classic Demerara rum.  It may suit someone who enjoys Goslings Black Seal  as well due the sweetness in its profile.

    In short this is a classic Demerara rum.  It isn’t a replacement for your 12 or 15 year old but it is excellent as a mixing rum for those who enjoy sweeter rum.

    4 stars

     

     

     

    El Dorado rum is available from

    THEDRINKSHOP

     

     

     

  • Renaissance Distillery 2018 Single Rum Fino Cask – The Whisky Exchange Exclusive

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Renaissance Distillery 2018 Single Rum Fino Cask - The Whisky Exchange Exclusive rum review by the fat rum pirateRenaissance Distillery 2018 Single Rum Fino Cask – The Whisky Exchange Exclusive. During lockdown and the various restrictions imposed as a result of COVID-19 – I have been working from home.

    As a result my 2 hourly daily rail and car commute has been cut to simply waddling down the stairs. Into the whirlwind madhouse that confronts any parent with small (and in my case slightly wild) children.

    This has given me more time, some of which I have spent wisely. Some not so much. Most of my time has not really been my own.  I’ve increasingly found myself watching snippets of “Pointless”. This is a quiz show which you “win” by uncovering the most obscure but correct answers to questions. Indeed the ultimate is finding an answer no one else said.

    I dare say that if you ask 100 people (as this show allegedly does or something along those lines) for the name of a Rum Producing country/nation – Taiwan wouldn’t be first on most peoples lists. So it would give you a pretty good chance of getting a “Pointless” answer.

    Despite this fact, The Whisky Exchange have not been put off by the relative obscurity of Taiwan as a Rum Producing nation. Indeed they are charging £175 for a rum which is not even 3 years old, from a distillery, which so far has had more fanfare around it’s very detailed rear-labels than the actual liquid in the bottle.

    This tale has played out a little on Social Media and on some of the Rum Forums.

    Now I understand peoples concern about the price of this rum. However I always think that you should have tried something before you comment on its merits. Sure I can identify bottles which are vastly over-priced before tasting them. I know bottles which I will pretty much definitely not like from experience. Whose quality will not match the price tag.

    I’ve not got that kind of experience of Taiwanese rums. Nor do I think those commenting on Social Media have either. So until I’ve tried something from this distillery I’m not going to say whether I think it is over-priced.

    Thing is this is a new distillery just starting out and ageing product. Based in Taiwan so its going to be expensive to get the product into Europe and the UK. Is it worth £175? Lets be honest is any bottle of booze truly worth £175? For that kind of money there are a quite a few bottles which I find personally more attractive then this. I could also spend £175 on some far more practical and sensible things as well.

    That said I have a sample of this rum – so I’m going to give an honest review on its own merits.

    Renaissance Distillery 2018 Single Rum Fino Cask - The Whisky Exchange Exclusive rum review by the fat rum pirateAs mentioned already the rear labels of these bottle is where the producer is imparting a lot of information on to the consumer. I don’t normally go in for “large” size images in the review. However in order to see everything on this label I felt it worthwhile!

    It also saves me regurgitating the information on the label! Any further questions? No – Okay then lets get on with the nosing and tasting.

    In the glass we have a dark/golden brown spirit. For its age it is quite dark. The nose is curious with a kind of bubblegum aroma to it which is quite sweet. I’m getting some Toffee and Banana alongside some more “menacing” notes of fermented Pineapple and some Mango.

    Further nosing reveals a touch of Jamaican like funk and some more “Pot Still” heavy elements. These lurk just below the sweetness imparted by the Fino Sherry Cask. I’m getting a touch of apple and some cinnamon as well the more I nose. Theres an almost herbal kind of note going on as well which reminds of Mekhong funnily enough.

    It’s not the nose I was quite expecting. It’s lighter and a lot sweeter than you might expect of a 100% Pot Still distilled rum.

    Sipped it is much beefier and far more spicy than I was expecting from the nose. Talk about a wolf in sheeps clothing.

    The initial sip at full 62% ABV is full more familiar Pot Still funkyness – lots of hot chilli spice, some burnt toffee and fudge. Lashings of sweet Banana and some Passion Fruit.

    After a couple of sips things calm down and you can taste more of the rums complexity. The initial sip delivers an initial sweetness, followed very quickly by a zesty almost sour note which sends you taste buds down all different routes. It’s almost like and Sweet and Sour rum……….or maybe like a Hot and Sour soup?

    It’s not really comparable to many other rums I can think of. The rum has got a sweetness which you might expect from the Spanish (dosed) Style of rum making, alongside all the blood and guts of a 100% Pot Still distillate.

    The mid palate returns with a touch of the bubble gum and some Tarry notes. There is a fair amount of spicy heat – ginger, cinnamon and maybome Cardamon. It’s a very distinctive rum. Conflicted at times almost.

    Finish wise it’s not the longest but it fades out nicely and at 62% ABV you do get a fair amount of kick on the pack of your palate. It’s quite herbal on the finish and a little strange.

    There is a fair bit of complexity with this rum. Some elements really work for me. Others whilst, not unpleasant leave me a little puzzled. It’s almost like a “Pick n’ Mix” in a bottle. One that you didn’t get chance to pick….so not everything is your type of thing.

    The overall profile seems a little uneven at times. I don’t know if it needed more time in the Fino Cask or if indeed I would have enjoyed it more minus the Fino Cask. Just aged in ex-bourbon.Renaissance Distillery 2018 Single Rum Fino Cask - The Whisky Exchange Exclusive rum review by the fat rum pirate

    I’m rarely left pondering how exactly to mark a rum. I’m certainly left very curious about the distillery itself though and what it might be producing over the next few years.

    Overall I’ve enjoyed  Renaissance Distillery 2018 Single Rum Fino Cask – The Whisky Exchange Exclusive. Yes it would be unfair to say I haven’t. It’s just been a bit of a shock to the system in that I found the profile unique. It’s left me intriqued and a little baffled. Whether this is the distillery signature style remains to be seen.

    I’m certainly very curious to try more. Though at £175 a bottle – I’m hoping future releases are a bit more budget friendly.

    I’ve a feeling this distillery is likely to become a bit of talking point over the next couple of years.

     

     

     

  • Rum Nation Caroni 1999

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Rum Nation Caroni 1999 Rum Review by the fat rum pirateRum Nation Caroni 1999 bottled in 2015. Rum Nation have featured a little bit more on the site recently. I’ve had a few bits and bobs from them lying around for some time now. So I thought I would re-visit some of them and finalise the reviews.

    The Caroni Distillery has been closed for a good while but the number of Independently bottled rums show no sign of slowing down. Rum Nation must also be one of the Independent bottlers that have quite a stock or access to a stock of Caroni casks.

    This is a 15/16 year old old. It was distilled in 1999 and bottled in 2015.This release, Batch number L 15/217, comprises a whopping 4480 bottles. So this is not a single cask release it is, I assume a blend of casks. It is noted as being a Heavy Style Caroni from their Column Stills.  Rum Nation Caroni 1999 was aged in Trinidad for 11 years in American oak with 4 years ageing in the UK. It was then shipped to Piedmont, Italy for a finishing period of 12 months. These casks had previously held Spanish Brandy and Sherry. The hydrometer reveals 15 g/L of additives so perhaps those casks were a little “wet”. Information direct from Rum Nation reveals 9.43 g/L of sugar. Either way it has been “dosed” in some way.

    As far as I am aware this rum was released in 2016 and bottles of it are still available. Expect to pay around the £60 mark maybe more in the UK. It is bottled at a hefty 55% ABV.

    As can be seen the rum comes in the newer stubby style Rum Nation bottle with a quality cork enclosure and a nice albeit lightweight cut out cardboard sleeve. The classic Rum Nation postage stamp design is also used to good effect. It’s a nicely packaged rum.

    Rum Nation Caroni 1999 Rum Review by the fat rum pirate 2In the glass it is a rich dark brown with an orange tinge. The nose on the Rum Nation Caroni 1999 is familiar. It is quite a heavy, full blooded and rich nose. In the glass the rum has a rich,oily almost viscous character. It remind me very much of the Bristol Classic Rum Providence Estate release of a couple of years back.

    Familiar notes of petrol and burnt tyres greet the noser. They do not become overbearing though and there is very nice, gentler oak and spiciness which balances the nose. It has a sweetness – Sherry and red wine. At the very end of the nose is a touch of menthol and eucalyptus.

    Sipped it is not as “heavy” as I might have expected. I’d say Caroni wise it just touching the heavier styles found in many of the Velier releases. You get an appreciation and feel for both the tropical and continental European ageing with this one. The finish is also very noticeable to add some sweetness.

    It’s still quite an intense rum though it is not “sweet” as in the sweetened rum style. Its still very menacing has enough oak, tobacco, petrol and burnt tyres to satisfy a Caroni buff.

    It’s got a nice balance to it and its very easy to sip even a the full ABV. The finish is perhaps the most “Caroni” like moment. It’s very smoky and full of tobacco and diesel fumes. The oak and spice really hit the palate and deliver quite a long heated finish.

    All in all its quite an enjoyable little sipper and a good introduction to the Caroni style without being too “full on”. It is perhaps a little to sweet though if you are a serious Caroni petrol head. Maybe a touch too rounded and gentle in parts. This stops it from being an amazing rum in my mind. Left without the finish it may have been a better example of Caroni.

    Having said that its different and there is no shortage of Caroni so this is a nice departure.

  • Bacardi 8 – Ron Bacardi 8 Anos

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Bacardi 8 Rum ReviewBacardi 8 rum was the “sole preserve of the Bacardi family for over one hundred and thirty years” it is a “unique blend of the finest Bacardi Rums matured for no less than eight years”.  Whilst the first part of the of the statement may be slightly fanciful the second part indicates to me that ALL the rum in the bottle is at least 8 years old.  Still this hasn’t stopped the Bacardi Bashers and the Rum Conspiracy Theorists (there are some absolute crackers to be found online) from suggesting otherwise…….

    As I mentioned in my earlier review of the Bacardi Reserva  I had put off trying the Bacardi 8 due mainly to my dislike of Bacardi Gold.  Incidentally the Bacardi Gold (or Oro as it is now) has recently been re-released in the UK as a 40% offering as opposed to the previous 37.5% effort.  Due to the joy of travel I’ve already tried both offerings.  Neither impressed.  But as shown in my review of the Reserva I was wrong to totally dismiss Bacardi.

    To date the majority of my purchases have been made online.  This is due to there being very few specialist shops in my part of the world (North East England).  I’ve found a couple of shops that carry a limited line of rum’s but rarely do I have get the joy of actually walking into a real shop and picking up something a bit special (read halfway decent!).  Such is that rarity that even the the thought of a duty free in the Airport fills me with joy!

    I knew before I got into Newcastle Airports duty free that the rum selection would be fairly limited, I expected to pick up some Bacardi, Captain Morgan, Lambs maybe even a Woods or a Pussers.  In the end I left with just Bacardi.  Two bottles of the Reserva, a bottle of the new White Sipping Gran Maestro De Ron and a bottle of this.  The main bonus of the duty free was that they were all 1 litre bottles.

    The Bacardi 8 cost £32.99 which is fairly reasonable as the 70cl bottle retails for between £25-30 in the UK.  Unlike with the 70cl bottle you get a very nice cardboard tube to store the rum in.  The tube and bottle have that sort of retro look that Bacardi go for and is consistent with the usual Bacardi branding.  I like the consistency in the branding.  I always think a strong brand identity is a good marketing strategy.  You’d certainly never pick up a bottle of Bacardi thinking it was something else.Bacardi 8 Rum Review

    On the rear of the tube (as pictured) you get the story/marketing schtick.  The bottle itself has all the usual Bacardi touches, the bat and the Case Fundada En Cuba slogan emblazoned across the bottom.  The Bacardi 8 doesn’t seem particularly expensive it is competitively priced along with most other 8-10 year old rums.  However, if it tastes anything like Bacardi Gold it definitely won’t be value for money!

    To date as far as I understand the Bacardi’s I have tried have been from the Puerto Rican distillery.  Until reading up on the Bacardi 8 I wasn’t even aware they had a distillery in the Bahamas.  I also learnt a little about geography as well as I was going to note this is a Bajan rum. Wrong!

    The solid presentation of the rum is continued when you open the bottle.  A good foil bottle topper is removed to reveal a black Bacardi Bat cork stopper.  The cork is large and gives a very nice pop upon opening the bottle.  The cork is synthetic but I have no issues with that at all.  Its very solid and well made and a nice touch.  The initial pop of the cork also gives you a very nice nose of a very fruity smelling rum.

    In the glass the rum smells very inviting.  There is very little in the way of “booze” in the nose, the rum smells sweet but also oaky.  It is not quite as “Latin” in terms of oakiness and in particularly smokiness as the Bacardi Reserva.  It is slightly darker than the Reserva, which would suggest longer in the barrel.

    Bacardi 8The rum is actually really nice just to sip.  It is very smooth for an 8 year old rum.  The Reserva I found was best mixed with cola to take its roughness away a little.  The Bacardi 8 however when mixed with cola becomes quite oily and bitter.  To be honest in a Cuba Libre it isn’t very nice at all.

    When sipped, or mixed with a little ice or water the Bacardi 8 is very decent.  It’s very smooth and easy to sip.  It isn’t hugely expensive.  .  It is a well balanced rum.  It has nice notes of sweetness and oak.  It has some similarities with Angostura 1919 but I think this is slightly better.  Both are very smooth

    The Bacardi 8 is another solid well made, nicely crafted rum which has been made with care.  A lot of people will still bemoan Bacardi without actually trying their products.

    3 stars

     

     

     

     

     

     

One Comment

  1. I’m not sure if I should be embarrassed to admit this or not, but when it comes to an overproof or cask strength rum to enjoy neat or on the rock(s) then I unhesitatingly reach on my shelf for the reliable and rich J. Wray & Nephew Jamaican rum. Hell, it also retails for $26.75 per liter in Austin, Texas, so I cannot complain much about either the mouthfeel, flavor, finish, or finances involved with my heralded overproof favorite.

    Shit, even E. Hamilton 7 year St. Lucia at 59% ABV is a great option for far more flavor nuances, and it costs $45.75 at one of the more upscale, proprietary shops in Austin. Oh, and if one really wants to spend the money on a great and unique overproof rum then I highly recommend Neisson’s L’Espirit 140 proof agricole rum at $74.00 for a liter.

    But, seriously, one should come to appreciate the dear warmth and medium-bodied mouthfeel of Jamaica’s greatest overproof, J. Wray…

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