Privateer International Letter of Marque Sisters in Arms TWE Exclusive

Bythefatrumpirate

Privateer International Letter of Marque Sisters in Arms rum review by the fat rum piratePrivateer International Letter of Marque Sisters in Arms TWE Exclusive. TWE for those who have are unaware is the commonly used abbreviation for The Whisky Exchange, which is increasingly focusing attention on rum. They have their own rum brand in the shape of The Black Tot and more and more of these “exclusive” rums are popping up.

Very popular they are proving to be as well. The most recent offering a Hampden Estate VIREO 2010, sold out within hours. Unfortunately many of these consumers are not going to be imbibers of these rums. Increasingly we are seeing people “flipping” bottles sometimes days (and often even before in certain European countries beginning with I) after they have went on sale.

That is a discussion for another day, many rum collectors/drinkers see flipping as a legitimate way to obtain more hard to find bottles further down the line.

Privateer Rum hasn’t been readily available here in the UK. In fairness it has only been sporadically available in mainland Europe. It’s main market has been the US. Now the US rum scene is quite different to Europe. I would also say that whilst us British can be reasonably patriotic (sadly often in a rather zenophobic manner) there is little doubt that the people of the US are much quicker to back their own homegrown products. In quite a vociferous manner. I’ve no problem with this I must add. It’s not a criticism

However, overall the quality of rum available to your average European is better, I would say.

For a few years now Maggie Campbell, President, Head Distiller or Master Distiller depending on what sources you read has been the poster girl for Privateer Rum. She has built a reputation for opposing the use of additives and has given numerous talks and attended numerous rum festivals to share her knowledge.

In rum circles Maggie is well respected and well liked by her peers. In many ways as with other operations that have deployed females in Senior Positions, within their Rum Organisations such as Appleton Estate and Mount Gay, it seems to add further interest.

So demand for this TWE Exclusive was always going to be high. Despite my best efforts (should I start writing a review every day?) if you want to try this particular rum then it’s going to be the secondary market I’m afraid. Sorry……no hang on hold your beer……..you can still pick up some samples as well as a bottle of Privateer Navy Yard from TWE if you wish to try their rum.

Privateer International Letter of Marque Sisters in Arms rum review by the fat rum pirateAnyway, lets talk a little about what was available in this bottle. Privateer Letter of Marque Sisters in Arms TWE Exclusive is noted as being a “Single Traditional Column Still” rum. However, from what I understand Privateer often carry out Double Distillation whereby they run the rum through a Pot Still and then through a Column (not a continuous column its still batch distillation). It is also thought that they might have a kind of hybrid still.

I’ll be perfectly honest I’ve sat down on numerous occasions to try and understand distillation and how it works etc. Very little tends to stick. I just can’t get interested! Apologies that probably makes me a bit of an oddity in the enthusiast world.

Privateer International Letter of Marque Sister in Arms has been aged for 3 years in a “Used Rum barrel”. It has been bottled at 57.5% ABV and retailed at £74.95. An outturn of just 220 bottles – single cask. The rum is presented in the familiar (well if you are familiar with Privateers rums to begin with) tall thin bottle with a simple black and white colour scheme outlining various information about the bottling. It uses a “handwriting” style typeface for the title etc. It’s interesting but they have bottled a lot of rum in very similar bottles – so keep an eye on what you are buying.

So let’s see how this compares to the previous Privateer bottlings I have tried.

In the glass the rum is a light golden brown. Nosing you are struck by a waft of vanilla and baking spices. Some icing sugar and a big hit of oak spice (very aged bourbon-esque) and some stewed tea. It’s both sweet and quite woody at the same time.

Sipped it is very spicy on the initial mouthful. Full of vibrant oak spice and as mentioned already its also quite heavy on the vanilla. It reminds me a little of English Harbour from Antiqua. I would say it’s a bit heavier than a typical Foursquare offering at a similar age in terms of the wood and spice. They do share certain similarities though.

It does benefit from some time in the glass. I’d recommend this to allow some of the woodiness to dissipate a little. I wondered at first if this had been aged in Virgin Oak.Privateer International Letter of Marque Sisters in Arms rum review by the fat rum pirate

The mid palate moves into a fruitier profile with some banana and a touch of raisin. It’s still quite spicy though – white pepper, some cumin and a touch of chilli.

The finish holds up quite nicely and doesn’t get as spicy or as oaked as I was expecting. The vanilla makes a re-appearance. It is a touch on the short side though maybe that is not a surprise for a relatively young rum.

All in all this probably wouldn’t be your best bang for buck, when it comes to a Privateer. That said availability here is problematic at present.

Privateer International Letter of Marque Sisters in Arms TWE Exclusive, is a nicely put together rum, no question. As it’s already quite woody I’m not sure if it would benefit from more time in the cask, really. Still I have a few more Privateer’s to review – I’ve kindly been sent some from the US.

 

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  • Black Tot 40 Year Old Demerara Rum

    Bythefatrumpirate

    BLACK TOT 40 Year Old Demerara Rum Review by the fat rum pirateBlack Tot 40 Year Old Demerara Rum is the latest release from independent bottlers Elixir Distillers.  The rum has been released to pay homage to the British Royal Navy.  Unlike the original Black Tot release which was released in 2011 this is not a rum which was available to the Royal British Navy.

    There are several “Navy style” rums on the market.  Brands such as Woods , Skipper and Lambs are common place in the UK.  Just about every rum released as Navy rum is presented as a very dark, at times almost viscous rum.

    Demerara Rum is usually at the heart of such blends.  This 40 year old rum rather than being a blend of rums from various distilleries/islands is a 100% Demerara Rum from Guyana.

    The rum was originally distilled back in 1975 and has been aged for 40 years.  I do not have any firm details on where it was aged but it is thought much of the ageing has occured in a European rather than Tropical climate.

    I assume it was aged in ex-Bourbon casks though again I do not have firm details on this.  Of the historic stills at DDL – Port Mourant, Versailles and Enmore this is a blend of six casks from the Port Mourant still.  ABV of 44.4% and 606 bottles produced.  The price?

    It’s available from the Whisky Exchange from 31st July 2017 priced at £1500. Presentation wise I have only seen the above bottle shot.  The original Black Tot had a case etc to store the rum  in so I would imagine this will also have some pretty nifty presentation bottle aside.

    So this rum does not purport to being an authentic Navy rum.  However it does offer the buyer the opportunity to own a very rare 40 year old rum, from one of the most respected distilleries in the world.  Clearly any buyer will not really worry too much about the price.  For a lot of people £1500 can’t be justified for a bottle of booze.

    July 31st 2017 represents the 47th anniversary of Black Tot Day which was 31st July 1970.  This was the final day a rum “ration” or tot was given to sailors.

    With this in mind the Black Tot 40 Year Old is being released on the 31st July 2017.  As mentioned already it will initially be available exclusively at The Whisky Exchange.

    So with nothing else to note about this particular rum we best move onto the nosing and tasting.

    In the glass the rum is a very dark brown with red flashes.  It is likely it was coloured at some stage by DDL with a touch of caramel.

    The nose is very rich and warming.  Full on raisins and currants.  Almost like chocolate covered raisins at time.  It’s undoubtedly a Demerara rum.  It’s extremely rich for a Port Mourant and it reminds me more of an Enmore or even a Versailles still marque.

    Unsurpringly after so long in the cask the rum shows a lot of oaky character.  It’s almost musty and even smells a little old.  Leather, tobacco and some more familiar Port Mourant anise.  Its a big fruity rum but the oak character stop it getting too close to a red wine or port in terms of sweetness.  It’s a big almost Velier-esque nose.

    When sipped the rum is considerably less sweet.  It’s very spicy.  There is quite a lot of heat going on.  It’s a very oak centric rum.  It certainly dominates the initial few sips.  It’s also quite a bitter rum.  Unfortunately the raisin and currants so dominant on the nose have slipped away.  I’m not getting a lot of sweetness with this rum.

    It’s quite a dry rum and the mustiness and age of the rum really shows.  It has a very smoky and relatively short finish.  It doesn’t linger or hang around.  Overall the rum is quite short and bitter.  Even though it is only 44% ABV its a very drying rum. The mouthfeel leaves you feeling strangely thirsty.

    Its not my favourite Demerara.  I don’t know if it is has been aged for too long or if it would have benefited from being blended with another marque.

    Having said that it is still quite an interesting rum to try.  It’s pretty distinctive and the chances of trying Demerara rum from 1975 won’t come along too often.  The mustiness and the more familiar anise from the Port Mourant still are not unpleasant.  The nose perhaps led me to expect more from the rum.  It’s still pretty good but sadly not the Velier beater I was hoping for.

    Still for anyone looking at spending £1500 on a bottle they should have a rough idea what to expect and are likely not buying it entirely for the taste experience.

  • Lord Nelson’s Spiced Rum Liqueur

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Lord Nelson's Spiced Rum Liqueur review by the fat rum pirateLord Nelson’s Spiced Rum Liqueur represents the first liqueur which I have reviewed on the site.  Well the first drink which is actually labelled as a liqueur anyway…….

    Produced as a Naval Tribute to Lord Nelson (myth states that his body was preserved in rum for his final journey home) this is another product from the Hebridean Liqueur Company for me to review.

    Despite not featuring any rum liqueurs to date I have reviewed a Hebridean Liqueur product before.  Confused?  Don’t be I shall of course explain.

    The Hebridean Liqueur Company have produced another tribute with a naval theme.  Back in 2011 they set about finding a rum to celebrate (and I find this slightly odd for a Scottish based company) the Queens Golden Jubilee.  The result was The Anicent Mariner 16 Year Old Caroni rum, which as plenty is still readily available slipped under the radar (they initially did not label it as Caroni rum and have only recently added a sticker to indicate this).  I reviewed it here.

    Unsurprisingly to anyone who has tried Caroni rums, this Spiced Liqueur does not have Caroni rum as its base.  Instead it has a blend of Demerara rums.  Caramel and spices are added.

    It is available in 5cl and 50cl bottles.  Both bottles are tall with a long neck and square body.  As you can see Nelson adorns the front of the bottle.  The 50cl bottles come with a box with the same presentation of the bottle.  The liqueur is aimed squarely at the birthday and Christmas market.  The liqueur comes in at a very respectable 20% ABV and a bottle will set you back around £25.  It is frequently reduced on Amazon and bulk purchases can reduce the price should you get addicted to this!

    I often associate liqueurs with people who don’t really drink and the elderly.  However, I will be honest this has interested me for some time now.

    I’m quite surprised by the liqueur in the glass as it is nowhere as viscous as I was expecting.  In fact it just looks like regular rum a nice golden brown.

    The nose is as expected very sweet rich caramel, toffee and wafts of that distinctive El Dorado type Demerara rum.  It has hints of cloves and some nice spiced notes such as cardamom.

    LORDNELSONTasting the Lord Nelson’s reveals it as a very sweet (one glass only kind of drink) almost cloying drink.  Very much an after dinner digestif or nightcap.  Despite the overwhelming sweetness you still get plenty of nice spiced notes which add complexity to the drink – clove, a little spice a Cinnamon like note.  There is very slight heat to this drink and due to the caramel and added sugar it is silky smooth.

    It is too sweet for my tastes – I would have preferred less sugar and more of the complex spiced notes – ginger, cardamom a bit of clove are all there but struggle to overcome the sugar rush which overwhelms this drink.

    I haven’t tried a lot of liqueurs especially rum liqueurs but whilst this goes does pleasantly enough I doubt I would ever seek out a full size bottle of this.  I’ll give it a very preliminary score based on my lack of experience in this department but don’t be surprised if this score changes.

    I’ve reviewed it based on it being a Rum Liqueur with no prejudices or pretences in it being anything else.  I suspect it is slightly better than average but I can’t help feeling that with less sickly sugariness it could have been better.

    2.5 stars

  • Tiki Lovers Dark Rum

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Tiki Lovers Dark Rum Review by the fat rum pirateTiki Lovers have a small range of rums which are designed for “Tiki Drinks”.  This is Tiki Lovers Dark Rum – Finest Caribbean Blend.

    Tiki Lovers rums are produced and bottled for Haromex Limited who also responsible for distributing and importing brands such as Pusser’s, English Harbour and Hampden Estate to the UK.  This, if you like, is their own brand bottling.

    Tiki Lovers is available in 3 variations White, Dark and Pineapple (I haven’t heard nearly as much about this Pineapple rum as that other one………..).

    For the Tiki Lovers Dark variation for review here they have blended Jamaican Pot Still rum aged around 2 to 3 years along with similarly aged Pot/Column blended rum from Barbados.  They then add a “splash” of Trini and Guyanese column distilled rums to complete the blend.  Those in the know in the Tiki world might not be surprised to learn that is bottled at a Zombie topping 57% ABV.

    A 70cl bottle of this will set you back around £25-30 in the UK if you can still find it as distribution isn’t great here.  It’s easier and cheaper to find it on the continent (approx. 20 Euros).

    The presentation is unsurprisingly Tiki based.  Its a standard bar style bottle with a decent quality metal screw cap.  My bottle came with a little card neck sleeve indicating that back in 2011 this won best Overproof rum at the Berlin Rum Festival.  It also notes the white won a Mixology award in 2016.  The White is bottled at 50% and even the Pineapple comes in at a hefty 45% ABV.

    As this was bottled on the continent it also denotes that Caramel Colouring (E-150A) was added but we guessed that anyway…….Tiki Lovers Dark Rum Review by the fat rum pirate

    I’m not huge on the whole Tiki thing.  In fact I’m not really interested in it at all.  I don’t mind the odd cocktail but I don’t do it at home.  I do drink quite a lot of mixed drinks though (rum and coke being the obvious one) so I should still be able to assess the merits of this rum.

    Now straight up people may have a problem with this being marketed as a “mixing rum”.  If you do that’s cool – its not something which I associate with poor rum as many do.  I just think it often means younger rum – not bad rum per se.

    So lets put this one to the test.

    In the glass as expected the rum is very dark.  A very dark orange/brown.  Probably kicking around the same colour as Pusser’s only slightly more vibrant.

    On the nose the first thing that hits you is the strong vanilla note.  It smells very much like a spiced rum.  It smells a liitle artificial. Vanilla essence?

    As this is bottled at 57% ABV you also get quite a lot of alcohol on the nose.  Beneath the vanilla you can get nose some of the Jamaican rum in the blend.  Familiar bruised bananas and almost a little bitterness on the nose.  There are also notes of toffee and caramel.

    Sipping this rum at full ABV is quite spicy there is quite a lot character to the rums in this blend.  It’s bitter sweet with strong notes of Demerara sugar quickly being cut off by dry oaky bitterness.  The finish is hot and spicy – full of pepper and plenty menace.  It’s not massively complex in terms of a sipper and the flavours are quite short.

    It would seem silly to review this rum solely on its “sipping” qualities when clearly it is not made for that purpose.

    So lets drown it with cola.  Diet Cola to be precise.

    Mixed it makes an enjoyable if vanilla heavy rum and cola (think Old Monk toned down a couple of notches).  I would have liked to have seen more of the young Jamaican rum come into play and add a bit more complexity as it is pretty one dimensional.

    For the price and with the added ABV it offers a competent value for money mixer.  I personally wouldn’t choose it over Woods for example but it isn’t terrible by any standards.

    I feel it would have been better without the artificial vanilla note.  If there isn’t an element of Vanilla essence (or something) in this rum then I apologise to the producers but it certainly tastes that way.

     

  • Silver Seal Demerara Enmore Distillery 2002 (55% ABV)

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Silver Seal Demerara Enmore 2002 review by the fat rum pirateSilver Seal Whisky Company are independent bottlers of Whisky and to a lesser extent rums.  They hail from Scotland (at least this is where the rum is bottled) and their rums and whiskies are largely available online from Whisky Antique and Rhum Excellence.  Italian and French websites.  They aren’t readily available in the UK.  Which is just typical of the ever confusing rum world.

    I’ve put off a review of this rum for a while now.  The main reason is that I have been unable to get any real information about the actual rum in this bottle.  I have attempted to contact Max Righi from Whisky Antique and I have put out requests on various forums for some more information on this rum.  All have drawn a blank.

    So I’m left with what little information I do have.  The rum was distilled in 2002 at Enmore Distillery and bottled in 2014.  As the Enmore Distillery closed in 1993 this is impossible.  What is possible is that rum was produced on one of the stills now housed at DDL (Demerara Distillers Limited) or the Diamond Distillery as it is often called.  My research indicates that this rum is likely to be from the Wooden Continuous Coffey or EHP still (EHP was a marque used by Enmore to indicate the rum was from the Enmore Estate).  This still is used in all of El Dorado’s rums except for the 3 year old.  For those who are interested here is a list of all the stills used in El Dorado’s rums.

    As there are other Enmore rums in Silver Seal’s range that state Single Cask I do not think this is a single cask rum.  More likely to be a blend.  It is still limited with only 840 bottles available.  This bottle is number 768 so there aren’t many (if any) left.

    Taking into account import duty etc this bottle ended up costing my around £100 (possibly a little more).  The presentation of Silver Seal’s rums tends to be quite distinctive.  The Trinidad and Jamaican rums tend to have brightly coloured birds and tropical scenary.  All in all they are very unusual and to my eye – a bit gaudy.  This rum has a slightly more muted presentation style instead with the classic sailing ship.  The rum comes in a black bottle with a silver cap with SS on it and a real cork stopper.  Much like Bristol Classic Rum there is a slightly DIY effect to the presentation.  Also included is a very sturdy box to store the rum in which denotes this is a “Special Bottling”.  To be honest the presentation is distinctive rather than good.  Still it’s what’s in the bottle that sells these kind of rums not the fancy presentation.  The rum is bottled at a very naval 55% ABV.

    Silver Seal Demerara Enmore 2002 review by the fat rum pirateFor anyone who has yet to explore independent bottlings of Demerara rum, it can be a bit of a minefield.  I’ve had some spectacular bargains and some pretty expensive mistakes.  It is worth noting that many of the Demerara rums that are independently bottled are very different from the El Dorado rums.  Despite coming from the same stills.  Most independent bottlings come without any added sugar.

    I’m always a little sceptical of the constant positive reviews of Independently bottled rums.  Particularly the expensive ones.  I’m pretty sure some of them mustn’t be all that great but I don’t know if people are always able to be honest when they have spent top dollar on something………

    When the cork is popped on this rum as well as a very satisfying pop you also get a lot of “mustiness” – the rum almost seems to smell old.  When poured in the glass this aroma seems to dissipate quite a bit.  I don’t know if this is something to do with the cork or just how the rum has been aged etc.

    The rum is a very nice dark reddish brown, it is very slightly cloudy (this becomes more evident when water is added) which suggests it hasn’t been chill filtered.  I’m a little surprised how dark the rum is as I have had older rums from other Demerara stills which have not been anywhere near as dark.  I’d be surprised if any colouring had been added though.  Much like the presentation anyone buying these rums knows what they are getting and the pressure which is on most commercial bottlers to present rum in a certain colour does not exist.

    The nose on this rum is very strong.  There is still a slightly oaked mustiness to the spirit but nothing like when first “popped”.  Once you get past the strong alcohol notes you get a lot of very intense more familiar Demerara like notes.  Rich burnt sugar and a little toffee or caramel sweetness.  Dark chocolate raisins.  Sipped straight this rum is very intense.  It is full flavoured and very, very spicy on the palate.  If this isn’t Cask Strength it must be pretty close to the mark.

    Unlike many, I will add water to rum when it is over 50% ABV or I feel like I am missingSilver Seal Demerara Enmore 2002 review by the fat rum pirate some of the subtler notes in the rum.  With this being so intense I do feel that a little water will open up the flavours a little.  For those who may think this is madness (or are questioning my manhood) a lot of distillers dilute their rums with water to around 20% ABV to ensure they detect every note and nuance.  I won’t take it that far I can assure you.

    A little water really helps with this rum when sipping.  A few drops of water really helps bring out the more complex notes in the rum.  With the edge taken off the very intense hot pepper notes you get much more from the drink.  Much like the nose, you need to get past the stronger ABV to really appreciate this rum.

    This Enmore is very intense and full of flavour.  Dark slightly bitter chocolate, rich plump raisins, toffee. A tiny hint of anise. It is still a bit of a tongue tingler even with added water.  It does actually have an almost numbing sensation on the palate and definitely makes the lips tingle as well!

    Such is the intense flavour profile of this rum adding water really is a must to fully appreciate it.  Luckily you can add quite a bit before you even come close to losing any of the flavour.

    I often talk about “proper” or “rummy” rum – this would definitely fall into that category.  It isn’t smooth or particularly refined.  A comparison even though it doesn’t taste quite the same would be Pussers Gunpowder rum (the old 54.5% Blue Label).  It’s got that same style.  Sweet yet menacing.

    Silver Seal Demerara Enmore 2002 review by the fat rum pirateFor those hoping for a “sweet and smooth” sipping experience.  You aren’t going to get that kind of rum.  This isn’t Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva, Zacapa or Pyrat XO. Nor is it typical of the EL Dorado range.  It shares obvious similarities but it hasn’t been sugared so the sweetness hasn’t been cranked up.

    This rum isn’t that refined despite the 12 years ageing.  Which will surprise some.  As I haven’t been able to determine any details about the rum it could be that it was actually aged (and bottled) in Scotland.  So it hasn’t benefited from 12 years of Tropical ageing.  Maybe that is why it is slightly slightly rough and ready.

    Expensive but overall a very good rum.  It has certainly piqued my interest in more aged Enmore expressions going forward.  I’ve resisted the urge to drop it half a mark based on price as I don’t think that wouldn’t be fair.  It is a piece of history after all.

    A bit of a monster but full to the brim with flavour.

    4.5 stars

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Aluna Coconut Rum

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Aluna Coconuf Rum Review by the fat rum pirateAluna Coconut Rum. A new addition to UK shelves in 2017 was Aluna Coconut Rum. For many Koko Kanu offers a more respectable alternative to the perennial pub and club favourite Malibu in the battle of the “coco-rum” wars.

    Much like Malibu, Aluna Coconut Rum technically isn’t a rum under EU law. It is bottled at 35% ABV. Standard Malibu is 21% ABV in the UK. It is really a rum based spirit drink.

    Now it is unlikely you will find many (if any) reviews of Aluna Coconut Rum on dedicated rum review websites. You are more likely to come across “micro reviews” and comments on Social Media such as Instagram and Pinterest.
    You may come across the odd review on less specific “alcohol” blogs but you need to be wary of such sites. Often they only offer “reviews” based on the marketing material sent to them and are not in the business of offering a critical assessment.

    It is unlikely that many other rum review sites will review this as it either won’t interest them or they look down on this kind of offering. I’ve always said I’ll review pretty much any “rum” I come across – good, bad and even ugly. At times very ugly. At times such as this it might not technically even be “rum”.

    Aluna Coconut rum comes in a bar tender friendly tall bottle. The presentation is sleek and modern. Surprisingly not at all tacky. No palm trees, hula girls or other such nonsense. You even get a synthetic plastic topped cork. I did find the one on my bottle hard to dislodge though.

    In the UK where it has been launched and is being distributed by Mangrove. It retails at around the £20-25 mark. Which is slightly more expensive than the completion of Malibu and Koko Kanu. I attended a Rum Festival last year where this was being exhibited by Mangrove. They were very keen to point out the lower calorie basis of this Coconut “Rum”. The rum is a base of Caribbean (I guess at Trini) and Guatemalan rums. It is noted on the bottle as being a “Toasted Coconut Flavoured Rum”. It is blended with “organic coconut water and natural toasted coconut flavours”.

    At the aforementioned Rum Festival they seemed a little surprised that I wanted to try the Aluna. I was interested because they weren’t mixing it in a mini-cocktail, as is often the case with flavoured and spiced rums. I thought that was quite daring.

    Now as with my review of Koko Kanu I am reviewing this as a £20 bottle of coconut flavoured rum. Koko Kanu I enjoyed, as it delivered the coconut flavour and just enough Jamaican funk to give it a little kick. It was very sweet though. I am not comparing it to a £200 – 20 Year Old Caroni rum or even 12 Year Old £35 Bajan rum. The star rating is based on how good I feel it works as a coconut rum. How authentic the coconut flavours are.

    Aluna Coconuf Rum Review by the fat rum pirateSo without further ado lets get down to the (hopefully fun part).
    The nose is surprisingly good. Really nice toasted coconut notes – like fresh Macaroons desiccated coconut and a slightly less sweet note of natural coconut water running over it all. It promises everything on the label. If you don’t like coconut – particularly in its natural fresh state then this isn’t for you. If you do then this does have a air of authenticity.

    Running alongside the coconut notes is a nicely balanced vanilla and light toffee from the rum. With many “coco-rums” particularly those suspicious bottles you find in mainland Europe, the alcohol is overwhelming and rather unpleasant. No such problems here. This is really nice. It is sweet but compared to Koko Kanu and Malibu there is definitely a huge step down in the sugar levels. It measured on the Hydrometer at 25g/L whereas I couldn’t get a reading of Koko Kanu (suggesting over 100 g/L of additives).

    I found with Koko Kanu that you got a real residue of granulated sugar around the screw cap. I have had this bottle of Aluna for some time now. I’ve not noticed any sugar granules forming either in the rum or around the closure.

    Aluna Coconut Rum is surprisingly shippable and very enjoyable. The nose is transferred across into the sip. Toasted coconut, coconut water, vanilla, toffee and just enough alcohol to remind you this is 35% ABV. They suggest adding ice. Again its quite refreshing to see that they are confident to not just mix this drink.
    It is a flavoured rum. It’s not an amazingly complex sipper but it does offer a sweet, tasty and refreshing “sorbet” like palate cleanser or occasional after dinner sip. Its certainly a lot better than some of the sugar laden “Premium” straight rums out there. There’s a lot less bullshit on the bottle as well.

    Aluna mixes very nicely in a variety of cocktails. Makes a tasty Pina Colada, unsurprisingly and it mixes well with most fruit juices. I’ve also quite enjoyed a few rum and colas with Aluna.Aluna Coconuf Rum Review by the fat rum pirate

    Personally, I think this has a bit more to it than sugary coconut and I prefer it to Koko Kanu. Both offer a good taste of coconut but this offers a bit more complexity with a bit more variety in the coconut notes.

    If (for whatever reason) you are looking for a Cocount rum or want to upgrade from Malibu then I would recommend trying this. It does what it is intended to do well. The coconut flavours are well-defined, without being sickly. The base rum whilst light adds just enough alcohol, vanilla and toffee notes to be more than just a neutral base.

    Surprisingly good.

  • Bumbu The Original

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Bumbu The Original Rum Review by the fat rum pirateBumbu The Original. Bumbu is an Indonesian word for a blend of spices. I’m sure I have also seen terms such as Bombo and Bumbu, used to describe mixed drinks made by Pirates and other historical figures. These drinks have been composed of rum, water and varying spices.

    This rum has proved to be very popular over the past couple of years. It has also proved to be very controversial. Bumbu The Original titles itself as The Craft Rum. They note that their rum, which is “hand crafted” using 8 different sugar cane varieties is aged for up to 15 years.

    Bumbu The Original is based on the “original recipe” created by 16th and 17th century sailors of the West Indies, who blended native Caribbean ingredients into their rum and called it “Bumbu”. Making it to their marketing says “truly the original craft spirit”.

    They also state “Using the same all-natural native spices and no artificial colors or flavors, our rum is an authentic revival of this piece of Caribbean history, distilled in small batches and blended by hand. We’re pretty sure our great-great-grandfathers would approve”

    Quite what comprises a small batch today I am not entirely sure. Much like “craft” it is a term which doesn’t really have any specified definition that has to be adhered to. It can be plonked on pretty much anything and its meaning is rarely quantified. It certainly isn’t with Bumbu. The rum in the blend comes from WIRD (West Indies Rum Distillery). If information on Diffords Guide is correct, then WIRD currently operates two Pot Stills. Which may or may not be the source of the “small batch” rum they use in this. I’m not convinced to be honest.

    On the Bumbu website, they also make a big fuss about the presentation. Particularly the weight of the bottle and the oversized “real” cork used. Presentation is pretty much what I would expect from a Rum Brand like Bumbu to be honest. Very Pirate-ey.

    Bumbu is widely available in the UK for around £35 for a 70cl bottle. Although it is noted as being a rum, it is only 35% ABV so is really a rum based spirit drink. Once again the EU countries are extremely lax about the classification of this “rum”. So it is easily passed off as being a rum. Even if EU law defines it isn’t.

    Bumbu The Original Rum Review by the fat rum pirateSo what we have here is really a Spiced Rum type drink, which is trying to pass of an air of authenticity and heritage. I think it’s all just a load of bollocks, to be honest. Yes in the 16th and 17th century sailors, pirates, plunderers and admirality might well have “spiced” their rum. But they weren’t adding spices to 15 year old rum! Rum back then will have been as rough as a badgers arse and probably tasted like one as well.

    So lets see what joys this has in store for us.

    When poured Bumbu The Original is a dark brown with orange tinges. It leaves legs on the glass. Which is no surprise as it measured at 40 g/L of additives. If this was marketed as the Spiced Rum Based Drink it is, instead of as you can see from the advert above it is noted as being “The Craft Rum” I wouldn’t have much of an issue with this. Whilst they do admit it’s flavoured and spiced they are also quite happy to keep up the illusion this is a “real rum”. This irritates me. Prior to reviewing Bumbu I had tried it at a couple of rum festivals. So we may as well see exactly what we have in this bottle.

    The nose smells very sweet. Llashings of caramel and toffee. It reminds me of Banoffee Pie, as it has a lot of sweet confected bananas. Think cheap bottled Banana milkshake. Foam banana sweets even Candy Rock. Beneath this is further saccharin like sweetness, which smells like cheap strawberry flavoured boiled sweets.

    I’ve never really seen spirits as being drinks I would associate with underage drinking. Vodka aside, most children won’t find any appeal from the likes of Scotch Whisky or Gin. Spiced Rum I guess can appeal to a younger palate. Even with Spiced Rum (or Spiced Spirit Drinks) there is usually a “bite” of alcohol which might turn the “youth” off. Not so with this concoction. It barely even tastes like alcohol in any way shape or form. It hardly tastes like you are drinking an alcoholic drink at all. If you served this in a cocktail I would assume you had given me a mocktail,

    The 35% ABV makes it very thin and the sheer amount of artificial tasting banana, toffee and the huge onslaught of saccharin sweetener makes this have no burn or rum taste whatsoever. It is pretty much like imbibing sugary sweet water. Even someone with zero experience of knocking back spirits could drink “shots” of this. Which is pretty much what it tastes like. Those cheap holiday shots you buy because a pretty girl (or hunky bloke for the ladies, or indeed men, should they be inclined that way) is selling them.

    So, what do we have as a sipper? Well we have a virtually neutral alcohol based spirit which is hugely dosed with cheap banana and toffee flavouring. 15 Year Old rum? If there is a 15-year-old rum in this blend its like giving someone a 10p Harrod’s Gift Voucher. Pointless.

    Bumbu The Original Rum Review by the fat rum pirateAs with most rums like this, after the initial burst of confected over the top sweetness it just disappears to nothing. No mid palate and definitely no finish not even the slightest hint of alcohol burn. Maybe a little bit of woodiness as it goes down. I wouldn’t go as far as saying oak though, more like its had a wood stave dipped in it briefly.

    Mixed this works, if you want a cloying Rum and Cola or Rum and Ginger Beer. The website suggests cocktails but I really don’t want to waste much more time and expense on this shit.

    A work of pure fiction and one of the worst flavoured/Spiced rums out there. It’s absolute rubbish. Cheap flavoured alcohol. What appalls me the most is that some Rum Reviewers have given this reviews, which suggest it is worth your time as a rum.

    Now that really is a joke.

    This is about as Bajan as Jellied Eels. And just as nauseating. At £35 you could get yourself some absolutely outstanding Bajan rum. Do yourself a favour and do exactly that.