Penny Blue XO Single Estate Mauritian Rum – Press Release

Bythefatrumpirate

Penny Blue XO Press Release by the fat rum pirateThe Indian Ocean Company and Berry Bros. & Rudd Spirits are delighted to announce the release of the fourth batch of Penny Blue XO Rum.

Named after the world’s rarest stamp, Penny Blue is distilled at Medine, the oldest operational distillery on Mauritius, dating back to 1926. The estate is situated a few metres from the sea on the west of the island, near Bambou.

Doug McIvor, Spirits Manager from Berry Bros. & Rudd and Jean Francois Koenig, Master Distiller at Medine Distillery, have once again carefully handpicked a number of casks, choosing a few particular types at the peak of their maturity. The single estate limited edition XO 4 Mauritian rum is a vatting comprising rum matured in bourbon and whisky casks. The oldest rum in this batch is 11 years old and the youngest 4 years old.

Penny Blue is a small batch vatted rum, it is natural in colour and un-chill-filtered. All the production happens on the one single estate: from growing the sugar cane to distillation, maturation and bottling. There is no artificial sweetening involved in the process.

Doug McIvor explains; “The key to the success of the Penny Blue series is retaining a level of continuity in each release, yet ensuring each batch is distinct in character. Batch four is wonderfully rich and opulent, with high levels of complexity which have become associated with each of the Penny Blue releases.”

Penny Blue tasting notes 43.3%Penny Blue XO Press Release by the fat rum pirate

Appearance: Amber with golden highlights.

Nose: Tropical fruits, hints of eucalyptus and wood spice, citrus and vanilla.

Palate: Nicely textured and succulent with some balancing wood spice dryness to the finish.

Penny Blue XO Batch #4 is already a highly acclaimed, award-winning rum having received a Gold Medal from the Rum Masters 2015 before being launch in to the market.

Printed in Mauritius in 1847, the Penny Blue stamp immediately became a collectors’ item because of its inscription. A mistake by the engraver resulted in it reading “Post Office” rather than the usual “Post Paid”. From the thousand stamps printed at the time, only twelve are believed to be in existence today. The Penny Blue stamp is as rare and highly collectable as this small batch rum.

Batch three was only available in Mauritius, whereas the fourth batch will be available internationally excluding the USA from the 1st July 2015. Batch four is again a limited release with only 10,000 bottles available with the recommended retail price at £41.95/€52.95.

 www.indianoceanrum.com/pennybluerum/

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  • 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.

     

     

  • Matugga Golden Rum

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Matugga Gold RumEarlier this week I posted up a Press release on Matugga Rum.  Whilst this site is largely independent I am still happy enough (on occasion) to publish Press Releases or do some advertising for companies if I think they are a good enough cause.

    I don’t just publish everything that is sent to me nor do I routinely accept samples.  However, in this instance and armed with enough knowledge about the rum (not just from the press release) I am comfortable enough to review the samples Matugga have kindly sent me.  I shall explain my confidence in this product.

    Back in the early part of 2014 I bought a bottle of “English” rum.  A spirit which had, at least been distilled and bottled here in the UK.  The rum itself was small batch and copper pot distilled.  For any UK rum enthusiast it was a rum to try.  100% Pot Distilled rum from Cambridgeshire, England.

    The rum I bought was “Old Salt Rum” from the English Spirit Distillery.  As part of an article I did a few months back on Spiced Rum, I contacted the owner of English Spirit Distillery John Walter who along with informing me of new longer aged variants of Old Salt, also gave me some hints about some new sources of molasses/sugar cane which he couldn’t discuss in detail.

    Lo and behold then here we have Matugga Golden Rum (and Matugga Spiced Rum) made at the English Spirit Distillery and made with that mysterious molasses.  From Uganda………or as Matugga are arguably more wisely putting on most of their material East Africa.  The figure of Idi Amin and his various atrocities and acts of sheer lunacy are unlikely ever to be forgotten!  For information Matugga is a town in Uganda.

    So I was pretty comfortable when asked if I would like samples of the rum that I would be able to do an honest review.  If I wasn’t aware of the rums origins I doubt I would have been interested in doing the Press Release or the reviews (they have a Spiced Rum as well).

    As mentioned in the Press Release Matugga Rum are launching the rum this week (during Rum Experience Week) culminating with a stall at this weekends London Rumfest.  Due to my wife being 8 months pregnant with our firstborn I am not going to be in attendance at this years event.  I promise I will be there next year!

    So I figured the next best thing to try and stay involved would be to “sample” a few new rums and get Matugga to advise those at Rumfest, that I had a live review of the rum online.Matugga Golden Rum

    So moving onto the actual review of the rum.  The presentation on the Matugga looks very good.  As you can see from the opening picture you get a nice bottle similar to those used by La Mauny in their more aged expressions.  A nice cork stopper is also present.  Due to the time period involved in receiving the sample and conducting the review in time of Rumfest I haven’t been able to determine how aged the spirit is.  (It’s certainly less than 5 years).  The rum is already available online at Master of Malt and will set you back £39.99 for a 42% ABV 70cl bottle.  Quite pricy for a relatively young rum – however it is worth noting that this is 100% pot still rum.  Unaged or young rums such as the Clairin’s from Haiti (unaged white rums) released by Velier are all in the £35-40 price range.  Velier are also set to market Habitation Velier shortly which are limited releases of 100% Pot Still Rums from the likes of Foursquare and I’m not expecting them to sell in the UK for anything less than £50 a bottle.

    Matugga Golden Rum is as the name would imply a shimmering gold colour.  It’s presentation and colour are very inviting.

    Nosing the Matugga reminds me of the Haus Alpenz Jamaican classic Smith & Cross.  The nose is big and full, very heavy in esters and there is a real dunder heavy Jamaican style funk running through the spirit.  Huge tropical fruits, bruised black banana’s, treacle, hints of allspice and a very strong boozy sense of Piratey rum!

    Much like Old Salt before it and Smith & Cross, Matugga is the kind of rum that grows on you as you get deeper into your Rum Journey.  Whilst many will discover El Dorado or Diplomatico some of us continue the path of experimentation and begin exploring very different rums.  Moving into the Independent side of things can be very interesting.  Despite the slick appearance of Matugga and everything pointing to it being another Pyrat or perhaps more accurately a Tiburon (pretty young rum dressed up with sugar and put in a premium package with boastful claims) it really isn’t one of those “here today, gone tomorrow” kind of rums.  When I first heard about Matugga I thought “oh dear he’s another one……..” but I was wrong and as said anything that involves 100% pot still distillation has got to be at least explored by any self respecting rummie, in my opinion.

    First up I’m struck by the viscous nature of the rum.  Long legs run down the side of the glass.  There is added sugar to this rum (the Hydrometer tests confirms as much), however this rum is neither hugely expensive nor does it have any ludicrous ageing claims.  Much like my recent review of Dark Matter Spiced Rum, I feel I must take into account the youthfulness of the spirit.

    If in time, like Old Salt Rum, Matugga continue to produce rum I am sure they will look to make more aged rums.  This seems a simple of case putting a rum to market in the hope that it is good enough to sell enough to perhaps lead to further phases of the rums evolution.

    MATUGGAThis rum as a sipper is slightly too challenging for me.  It’s a little bitter and very fiery.  It’s not particularly rough in terms of alcohol burn but on its own it’s all just a little bit too much.  It could do with more time in the cask if its to make itself into a true sipper.  It’s very, very flavourful but some of the flavours aren’t as pleasant as I would like.  Too acidic and with a harsh bitterness.

    The Matugga website offers a few cocktail or long drink suggestions.  This however wouldn’t be thefatrumpirate without me getting the cola out.

    A generous dose of Matugga, a splash of cola and a cube or two of ice and it’s a surprising turn around.  Not in a sense that I thought it was a bad rum – I really don’t I personally really enjoy the sheer intensity and rawness of the pot still rum.  It’s like Appleton V/X tuned to the power of 11!  It’s just it was a little too much when taken neat.

    But adding even a splash of cola seems to cut right through all the jagged edges and removes the bitterness.  All the flavour remains from before but it seems a little refined and a lot more balanced.  The rum and cola created with Matugga is rich and full of flavour with a very distinct and tangy slightly tart taste.  There is a big hit of cooking apples like sweet and sour.  Fiery notes of hot sweet peppers come through along with a lovely hit of rich dark treacley molasses.

    I would imagine at Rumfest this will meet with some mixed reviews.  It will certainly puzzle those who have never really delved into Jamaican style pot still rums or have tried anything slightly outside the box.  Along with Smith & Cross and J Wray and Nephew White Overproof this stuff makes one of the funkiest rum and cola’s.

    It won’t be to everyone’s tastes and it isn’t perfect by any stretch of the imagination but there is something very daring about releasing a rum like this.  Personally I really enjoy this kind of rum.  I accept many won’t get It but that’s not my problem.  I really hope they age it more as they go forward, as they could have a very distinctive and truly exceptional product on their hands if they do.

    3.5 stars

     

  • S.B.S – The 1423 Single Barrel Selection Trinidad 2008

    Bythefatrumpirate

    S.B.S - The 1423 Single Barrel Selection Trinidad 2008 rum review by the fat rum pirateS.B.S – The Single Barrel Selection Trinidad 2008. This is the latest in the 2019 series of single cask bottlings by our Danish Friends 1423.dk. Availability of these rums has increased recently as they being imported into the UK by Skylark Spirits and are readily available on Amazon and now Master of Malt.

    As you will know, if you have clicked the Master of Malt link above these rums retail at around the £100 mark in the UK. I will focus now on the exact details of this Trinidad 2008 bottling.

    As the title suggest all the S.B.S line up are from single casks, so they are extremely limited. For this Trinidad 2008 there are/were 337 bottles released from that single cask. Bottled at “cask strength” of 57% ABV. This is a rum from Trinidad Distillers Limited or Angostura if you want their more recognisable “brand” name. It was produced on a column still and finished for an unknown period in a Madeira cask. It was bottled in 2018.

    The still this rum was produced on is a Continuous Multi Column still which was commissioned and built for Trinidad Distillers in the 1940’s. So it is a bit of a heritage still to use a term coined by DDL.

    Presentation is nice and clean with a white and baby/light blue colour scheme. Information is readily available on the label which also denotes that this is non chill filtered. Not something which is mentioned much in rum – more so in whisky. You get a nice cut out card sleeve to house your stubby bottle of rum in. A cork enclosure is to be expected at £100 per bottle and is duly delivered.

    Besides this information I cannot think of anything really to add about this rum. I’m sure we all know about Angostura. For those who aren’t familiar with their style they produce a light and easy-going kind of rum. A lot of their rum is sold in bulk and can be found in supermarket and entry-level blends.

    I’ll be honest with you I find Angostura to be one of the most boring rum producers out there. There light, adultered sugary style of sweet rum does little for me and I have found little variation in their rums. In fact the younger less adultered 5 and 7-year-old I have found to be better than the likes of their No1 cask editions or the sickly sweet 1787.

    But I’m always keen to try something. This rum has come up “clean” on the Hydrometer test so I am hopeful that the Madeira cask finish might lift it up a little and give me an enjoyable glass of rum.

    The nose is quite tannic with a slight not of sulphur. It’s rich and aggressive at the same time. I’m quite pleased to find it isn’t all sweet and floral like say 1919 from Angostura. Notes of raisin and a touch of walnut or mixed nuts appear. Shell on peanuts and some sweet chewy toffee. Highland Toffee for those in the UK.

    The Madeira influence is there but it doesn’t mask the rum. Instead it gives it an extra layer. A little bit of oomph that I feel is much-needed with TDL rums.

    Sipped it’s very sweet on the initial arrival, with big fruity notes of raisins and red grapes mixed with some more bitter tannic red wine notes. As it develops on the mid palate it becomes less sweet and becomes more dry and wine like. The spices on the mid palate mingle with the tart notes of red wine. These nestle alongside nutmeg and cinnamon.

    It’s a surprisingly dry rum with a good length on the finish. Mixed dried fruits and Christmas cake on the finish with an almost lemon like tartness towards the end. This leads to a very dry but fruity end note. It’s rich and warming but it’s quite aggressive at the same time.S.B.S - The 1423 Single Barrel Selection Trinidad 2008 rum review by the fat rum pirate

    Not a typical Trini style rum. It falls between the two more familiar styles of the lighter Angostura rum and the heavier historic Caroni style. It’s definitely a rum for the curious to try.

    If you are fond of Madeira or a drier style of rum with a bit of fruitiness then this might be for you. I don’t think the Madeira has totally masked the rum but it does have quite a big influence on what was likely quite a gentle spirit to begin with. From the nose I though the sulphur like notes might have taken over but they hung back on the sip.

    A very pleasant surprise. Definitely a bit more meaty than your standard TDL fare.

     

     

  • An Interview with Robert A Burr

    Bythefatrumpirate

    ROBERT A BURRToday we have an interview with one of the most recognisable personalities in the Rum World – Robert A Burr.

    In the online world Robert is responsible for publishing Rob’s Rum Guide and the National Rum Examiner

    In the real world together with his wife Robin and son Robert V Burr , Robert hosts and organises the annual Miami Rum Renaissance Festival the largest gathering of rum lovers in the world. They also host the Rum Renaissance Caribbean Cruise, an adventure for rum enthusiasts to visit distilleries and rum shops on many islands.

    Robert very kindly took some time out of his hectic schedule to answer some questions I posed to him (hey I even took the time to ask him some questions specific to him – maybe that could be idea for some other sites to follow!).

    As with previous interviewees I have not amended Rob’s answers in anyway nor have I sought any further clarification regarding them.

    1. So Robert how has 2015 been for the Burr Empire? Another successful year?

    It’s hardly an empire with three people here, but yes, we had a good year in terms of the rum festival and trade show, the rum guide and the rum cruise. It was also a good year for being a judge in international rum tasting competitions. Several new projects are in the works that should bear fruit next year.

    2. How do you feel rum has progressed and developed during 2015? I feel that 2015 has certainly been a very big year!

    The rum category continues to move forward. Many new distilleries, many new brands, many new expressions, have come to the market and many more are in the pipeline now.

    3. Other than Miami Rum Renaissance which Rum Festivals have you enjoyed the most this past year? Any highlights?

    Being invited to the 250th anniversary of St. James in Martinique was wonderful — absolutely incredible. Our trips to Haiti to search for rustic clairin distilleries are truly fascinating adventures. Joining my fellow RumXPs for the festivals in Hong Kong, San Francisco, Rome, Berlin, Belgium and London are always top notch experiences. Unfortunately my schedule would not allow for the rums festivals in Paris and Madrid this year. Our exclusive rum seminars at Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans were the first to sell out again. Visiting the distilleries of Barbados, St. Lucia, Antigua, St. Croix and San Juan on the rum cruise was over the top. We always end the year with a week in Key West to relax and soak up some rum in the sun.

    4. In both the UK and the US rum production seems to have stepped up a notch. Which rum distilleries/producers would be your one’s to watch in 2016?

    The myriad private labels and new distilleries in the USA bringing new products to market are nearly overwhelming. Elsewhere, St. Lucia is sitting on a gold mine and since the death of the visionary leader Laurie Bernard several years ago, we’ve been wondering what direction they might take.

    I am encouraged that incredible products are forthcoming. Expect more dynamic rums from Richard Seale at Foursquare, from Gordon Clarke at Worthy Park, from Cartavio in Peru. Our friends at Monymusk make great rum, but are a bit short on the marketing skills necessary to get these fine products to the market. Hopefully that will change.

    Yoshiharu Takeuchi at Nine Leaves in Japan is winning more top awards than any new brand I’ve ever seen. Anders Skotlander in Copenhagen also has taken many awards for his new rum label and continues innovating and pushing the envelope. Compagnie Des Indes is making a name for themselves in Europe. I hope to see them in the USA some day soon. Of course, we trying very hard to get Bristol, Velier, Silver Seal, Samaroli and other collectible spirits into the USA as well.

    5. On that note which “new” rums or distilleries caught your eye in 2015?Clairin Casimir 2 rum review by the fat rum pirate

    Some of the tiny distilleries in Haiti are ready to be discovered by a greater international audience. It’s the last place in the modern world where anyone can make rum legally without a license, oversight or taxation. The very best of these artisanal rustic cane spirits are like a time machine taking you back to the way rum was made three hundred years ago.

    6. Have you discovered any new rums in 2015 that have become staples in the Burr household?

    Most of our rum enthusiast friends buy spirits to enjoy them. They have their favorites that they choose more often that others according to their preferences for styles, categories and regions. Our modus operandi is a bit different than most. We collect spirits to understand them. Our interest is in knowing every aspect of their production method, their intentions and the business model of every available spirit in the rum category. We evaluate many rums each week and have currently have more than 2100 samples on hand at the home office bar. In this sense, we don’t have any particular favorite rums that we buy from the liquor store each week to enjoy in our leisure time.

    7. As well as promoting and encouraging new commercial bottlings how do you feel about the continued interest especially for those on a “Rum Journey” with Independent bottlers? Do you find it strange that so many of them come from the UK and Europe and the US has yet to catch on? Or do you think that is unfair?

    Interest in special bottlings is a good sign of coming success for authentic rums. The market in the USA, with 50 states and 3,300 counties makes it difficult for a company that produces only 200, 500 or 800 bottles of a special expression to make economic sense. It’s not a matter of fairness. With so many regulations and hurdles on top of a myriad of distribution challenges, the US market favors very large brands with significant promotional budgets.

    ROBERTBURR8. Going back in time when did your own “Rum Journey” begin? Any influences? Could you have went down another path?

    We’re involved in numerous business ventures. Rum is one of my personal passions and one that I predicted was ready for advancement ten years ago. Rum’s reputation was ordinary, average, unremarkable. I knew it to be fascinating, quite varied and far better than its common status might suggest.

    Growing up in Miami, rum was always available. Miami is the number one local market for rum in the world, so we’re lucky to see many brands from the Caribbean and elsewhere first breaking into the US market here. Our years of publishing a magazine about scuba diving in the 1980s took us to every imaginable tropical destination on earth where corals and tropical fish might be found. Incidentally, sugar cane flourishes in these places and the opportunities to discover that wide variety of rums made in the tropics was before us at every turn. The rum collection grew significantly during these years of easy international travel, as did our fascination for understanding the various processes of making and aging rum.

    9. When you have visitors do you have a signature serve? Any Burr cocktails that you particularly enjoy serving up to guests?

    I like rum and gingers, daiquiris, mai tais, rum old fashioneds — plus we make many variations on the classic rum punch formulas. But far and away, when friends visit our Rum Wreck Dive Bar, we have a purpose — to sample small amounts of many interesting rums neat.

    When we travel to visit a good bar, we like to order a daiquiri to see if this simple, delicious cocktail is understood. There was a time when 95% of them were horrible. I’d say we’re closer to 50% now as many bars and bartenders catch on the the simplicity of creating classic cocktails using fresh ingredients.

    10. More “Authentic” rum seems to be enjoying a bit of a come back with many rum enthusiasts now ignoring the sweeter “Premium” rums. Do you think that rums such as Smith & Cross. The Scarlet Ibis etc will ever become “mainstream” or do you think that we will always have the sweeter rums as the forefront?

    We’ve seen trends in whiskey, bourbon and tequila that lead to greater appreciation of authentic, quality products gaining greater appreciation. This trend in rum is a signal that more rum enthusiasts are becoming rum adventurers, looking beyond the most popular expressions and seeking more interesting spirits.

    Many begin their appreciation with the “sweet delicious” style rums and move on to others which they discover to be more interesting. Serious rum collectors look for the true signs of authenticity and take an active roll in social media platforms to share thoughts and advice. Time will tell. The market will reward those expressions that meet the needs of consumers.

    RUM WRECK DIVE BAR11. Do you have a guilty pleasure when it comes to rum – a drink or a particular rum that is one that you sip or mix in secret?

    Not really. I make a unique cocktail at my home bar using seven relatively inexpensive rums which, when combined, produce a hauntingly complex and delicious libation that one would certainly believe was made from very expensive rum. It’s a potent drink, meant to be sipped in a leisurely manner. Rum Wreck Dive Cocktail

    So there you have it. Rob’s views on the Rum World today (not all necessarily agreeing with mine) and a few lighter hearted insights into his life and libations. I hope you have all enjoyed this. Thanks again to Rob for his time and here to another great year for Rum!

  • Kill Devil Jamaica Hampden Distillery Aged 10 Years – The Whisky Barrel Exclusive

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Kill Devil Jamaica Hampden Distillery Aged 10 Years Rum Review by the fat rum pirate The Whisky BarrelKill Devil Jamaica Hampden Distillery Aged 10 Years – The Whisky Barrel Exclusive. An exclusive bottling sees one of Scotland’s younger rum bottlers, team up with a relatively youthful Scottish retailer in the shape of The Whisky Barrel.

    The Whisky Barrel have been earning a great reputation over the past few years. Focusing and stocking Independent bottlings of both whisky and rum. Obviously my attention has always focused on the rum. They heavily feature two of my favourite UK based Indie bottlers. Bristol Classic Rum and Hunter Laing’s Kill Devil range.

    We are on familiar ground then again with this bottling in terms of bottler, distillery and age. I reviewed a 9 year old Cask Strength Hampden bottling from Kill Devil a few months back. I found that bottling (a run of just 55 bottles) on The Whisky Barrel also. Regular readers of this blog will be aware that Jamaica has been covered very regularly lately. Not Just Hampden but also Worthy Park.

    As a rule I “try” and review bottles whilst they are still available for retail and whenever possible, as soon as they are available. I think this works both ways – you readers will be keen to read about the rum before you commit and it ensures I get a steady stream of views for such bottlings.

    Anyway enough of the rambling. What we have here is a 10 Year Old Pot Still Rum from the Hampden Distillery. Distilled back in November 2007. It is bottled at 64.1% ABV – Cask Strength. One of just 290 bottles from a single cask. Priced at £62.65 which is only slightly more expensive than last years 9 year old rum.

    It is likely that this rum was sent to Europe unaged and has been aged solely in a continental European climate.

    This is reinforced when the rum is poured in the glass. It is a very light straw colour with a slight flash of gold in the swirl.

    Nosing the rum (you don’t really need to it you can smell it across the room) I get all those wonderful familiar Jamaican funky notes, that I’ve so enjoyed recently with our Kill Devil and Berrys’ Jamaican bottlings. Getting up there with one of my all time favourites, that mythical Duncan Taylor Long Pond 2000. Ahhhh memories.

    Varnish, shoe polish, diesel fumes, Calpol and menthol cigarettes are all very prominent on the nose. Despite all this there is enough sweetness. Pineapple, guava and Lockets (honey flavour cough sweets with a liquid centre). These notes balance out the more aggressive and frankly unpleasant sounding notes (it is amazing how such horrible sounding notes can smell so wonderful!).Kill Devil Jamaica Hampden Distillery Aged 10 Years Rum Review by the fat rum pirate The Whisky Barrel

    So lets see how this all transfer over to the sip.

    Wow! This is some really funky, sweet and vibrant rum. An initial sugary-ness gives some really fruity almost candied notes of pineapple and passion fruit. There is a really medicinal and warming hit of lighter fuel and navy tablet (more English cough sweets) on the mid palate. Nice warming notes of spice – ginger, nutmeg and a really well developed oak and some slightly tannic notes like red wine. The balance is wonderful.

    This is what I call a slow sipper. Big gaps between each sip. Not because you don’t want more but because it is so complex and the finish is long and satisfying.

    There are all kinds of notes to be explored with this rum – sweeter tropical notes, more aggressive heavy medicinal notes and some really nicely balanced and well delivered spice and oak in the finish and mid palate. This all adds up to a very funky and well balanced Jamaican rum.

    With the Hampden rums from Independent bottlers it is very much about how well they have been matured. The funky-ness that comes off the still is already packed full of flavour. This is distillate driven rum – whilst the rum may have mellowed slightly in the barrel/cask and taken on some of the vanilla and spice of what I presume to be re-fill bourbon, it is still very much characterised by the unaged rum that came straight off the still.

    It’s difficult to tame a Hampden – without arsing it up with “dosage”. You can over-oak them from time to time or put them in “bad” barrels.

    But that hasn’t happened with this particular bottling. I gave the 9 Year Old Kill Devil Hampden 4.5 stars out of 5 earlier this year and the same score to the 17 Year Old Berrys’s exclusive for The Whisky Barrel.

    We are really getting down to finite differences. This might just get the balance between youthful exuberance and well matured spirit – just a teensy bit more than those two. Would I easily tell them apart after a couple of glasses? Probably not if I’m being honest.

    This doesn’t have the slightly bitter note of the 17 year old on the finish and is ever so slightly better balanced overall than the 9 year.

    To be fair you should buy all three of those bottlings if you can. No scrap that – buy two, three as many as you can get.

    Jamaican Rum Heaven. More collaborations please…….

  • Santa Teresa Anejo Gran Reserva

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Santa Teresa Anejo Gran Reserva Rum review by the fat rum pirateSanta Teresa Anejo Gran Reserva. The Santa Teresa brand hails from Venezuela. The Hacienda Santa Teresa is situated in the valleys of Aragua near the capital Caracas. The estate was founded way back in 1796.

    Indeed, Santa Teresa’s flagship rum is name after the year the estate was founded. Santa Teresa 1796 is one of the mostly widely recognised “Premium” rums the world over. Bacardi took over distribution of that rum, but not the rest of the Santa Teresa line up in December 2016. This has enabled Santa Teresa 1796 to become available more widely, particularly in Travel Retail Duty Free.

    I have previously reviewed both the 1796 and the Linaje rums from Santa Teresa.

    Hacienda Santa Teresa grow and harvest their own estate sugar cane. Once the juice is extracted, the remaining molasses is used to produce Santa Teresa rum. The molasses is then fermented for 12-16 hours. The resulting wash of around 8% ABV is then distilled on either a Continuous Column Still or a Copper Pot Still.

    Two different cuts of alcohol are taken from the Continuous Column still. From the fourth column a light, pretty much neutral spirit is taken at 95% and from the first column a oilier, more flavourful spirit  at 75% ABV. These two cuts form the base of every rum Santa Teresa produce.

    From what I can see the Pot Still at Santa Teresa is only used for the 1796 and the Bi-Centennial Blend, they bottled a few years back. There is nothing which indicates that any Pot Still rum is contained in this bottle.

    It has also been noted that all Santa Teresa rums are aged in ex-bourbon and I understand that Santa Teresa Anejo Gran Reserva is aged up to 5 years. The minimal amount of ageing required under the Venezuelan DOC Denominación de Origen is 2 years to call the spirit a rum. Although Santa Teresa operate a “solera system” (which is perhaps more genuine than some) I do not think the solera is used for this expression. It is far more likely just a blend of different barrels of different ages.

    Santa Teresa Anejo Gran Reserva is particularly popular in mainland Spain and its islands, where it is in pretty much every liquor store and bar. Especially in tourist areas such as Benidorm, Mallorca and Salou (in my experience). In the UK a 70cl bottle will set you back around £22-26. It iSanta Teresa Anejo Gran Reserva Rum review by the fat rum pirates bottled at a respectable if unremarkable 40% ABV.

    Presentation wise it has a unique contoured bar style bottle. Label information is minimal and isn’t translated into English. So it’s not terribly useful to me. When pouring, as is the case with many rums and spirits from South/Central America it has plastic diffuser. This is to prevent the refilling of the bottle with a cheaper spirit by nefarious bar owners. The label has been updated and re-jigged a fair few times over the past few years. It’s likely you will find a few variations for sale especially in bricks and mortar stores.

    So let’s move on and see how Santa Teresa Anejo Gran Reserva goes down.

    In the glass we have light golden brown spirit. The nose is light with lots of vanilla. There is a note of tobacco and some toffee. Warming woody spices float over the top and they are nicely integrated and balanced.

    It’s not a hugely complex nose. Nor is it particularly “big”. It’s a light gentle rum which isn’t trying to be anything it’s not. It smells like a fairly simple and straightforward mixing rum. As seems to be a theme, the rum registers 8g/L of additives. These are probably softening the spirit a little to reduce the burn and astringency of the younger rums in the blend.

    Sipped it is best described as light, slightly boozy, woody, tobacco water. Which doesn’t sound all that appealing and to be fair in terms of a sipper, it’s not particularly good. It’s just too light and lacks in any real flavour. There is nothing really to distinguish this from many other similar “rons” at this price point.

    It is though marketed and priced as a mixer. To expect a Premium Sipping experience at £22-25 is a big ask.Santa Teresa Anejo Gran Reserva Rum review by the fat rum pirate

    It’s popular with cola, I drink quite a lot of this type of rum when I am on holiday. It’s usually readily available in most bars and in the supermarket you usually get rums like these for less than €15.

    Santa Teresa Anejo Gran Reserva does seem less sweet than some other “rons” and has a bit more of a tobacco, smoke and woody profile. I don’t mind this as a mixer at all to be honest. If the price is right. It’s the kind of rum for long lazy days on the beach or in the garden.

    That said though, this is in the grand scheme of things pretty average. Well maybe a touch above. So we’ll give it an extra 1/2 star. Not a rum I would go out of my way to find but if it was more readily available and less than £20 I’d buy the odd bottle for weekend mixing.

3 Comments

  1. Hello, thanks for your reviews, it is interesting to read it. I am wondering, Penny Blue XO #003 is sold only on Mauricius. Do you think is there any possibility how to get this bottle to my collection? Mauricius is far away from my home 🙁 Thanks for your answer.

  2. Pingback: Penny Blue XO Single Estate Rum Review

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