Raising Glasses Jablesse Trinidad 21 Year Old

Bythefatrumpirate

Raising Glasses Jablesse Trinidad 21 Year Old rum review by the fat rum pirateRaising Glasses Jablesse Trinidad 21 Year Old. I’m reviewing another bottling from US Independent bottler Raising Glasses today. This was originally released in 2024 and is now sold out.

I’m reviewing it as I haven’t reviewed a rum from Trinidad Distillers Limited as old as this before. So I am unfamiliar with such rums. I’ve also noted it has been given some good reviews. Even getting a 96/100 from Malt Runners. So I am curious to see just how good this offering is……

My opinion/experience of Trinidad Distillers has perhaps been tainted a little by the offerings from their own flagship brand Angostura, which are at best underwhelming and at their worst downright awful.

Raising Glasses Jablesse Trinidad 21 Year Old is a Single Cask Rum. It is noted as being a TML “marque”. This is not a marque used by Trinidad Distillers. It is a marque used by the Main Rum Company. For those who do not know, Main Rum Company are one of the biggest rum brokers in the world. They often give rums a marque in this case TML stands simply for Trinidad Main Light.

Now this would suggest the marque will be a “light” rum. Much like the rum marques attributed to Jamaican rums, I will take this with a pinch of salt. Main Rum Company also have a Trinidad Main Angostura (TMAL) and a Trinidad Main Angostura Heavy (TMAH).

Commentary online has suggested that the TML marque doesn’t really guarantee a particular profile and it certainly doesn’t indicate a “light” rum. Certainly not by TDL/Angostura standards.

The Jablesse is a mythical figure in Trini folklore and is known by various names, most commonly La Diablesse.

Raising Glasses Jablesse Trinidad 21 Year Old was released in 375ml bottles and was priced $80 on its release, in the US only. The rum was bottled at 61.4% ABV. It is a molasses based rum which was produced on a column still. It was distilled in 2023 aged for 15 years on Trinidad before being transferred to Main Rum Company for a further 6 years ageing in the UK.

There is no mention of the casks used. I am assuming that it has enjoyed ex-bourbon cask ageing – with a change in cask when transferred to Main Rum Company.

In the glass the rum certainly shows its age with a dark brown profile.

On the nose it is initially quite oak and vanilla/bourbon forward. As with the colour you immediately know this has been long aged.

Familiar “biscuit” and shortbread notes come through adding further sweetness alongside the vanilla. Its sweet but not sweetened.

Further nosing reveals a slightly more industrial note – we aren’t talking Caroni levels but there is a touch of tar and tobacco.

Surprisingly there is quite a lot of fruitiness coming through. Its slightly medicinal though so notes of Raspberry , Orange Peel and some Banana but with a kind of cough mixture note to them.i

Beneath this there are notes of pencil shavings.

All in all it is certainly one of the most interesting TDL noses I have tried thus far.

Sipped at the full ABV it is surprisingly approachable. Its fiery but no overtly so.

Raising Glasses Jablesse Trinidad 21 Year Old rum review by the fat rum pirateThe initial sip reveals a good hit of spicy oak which leads into a mixture of custard and flavoured cough syrup. Its medicinal but not overpowering the oak and bourbon notes mingle nicely alongside.

The mid palate reveals more spicy oak and some dark fruits. The sweeter elements retreat slightly.

The finish is long and very enjoyable. Oak Spices mingle with raisins, at touch of tobacco and some leathery notes. The medicinal cough mixture notes give it an added complexity and a bit of a kick.

All in all a very enjoyable and surprisingly complex column still rum. Much better than any official TDL bottlIng I have had so far.

 

 

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  • Brugal Anejo Superior Rum

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Brugal Anejo Rum review by the fat rum pirateBrugal are one of the big three “B’s” in rum production on the Dominican Republic. (Barceló and Bermudez are the other two)  For those who do not know the Domician Republic is the politically divided island of Hispaniola.  The remaining part of the island is Haiti.

    A couple of years ago Brugal began re-branding their slightly dated bottles.  This coincided (no doubt deliberately) as they began to expand into Europe.  Since the re-launch Brugal can now be seen in most style and cocktail bars in the UK.  More often than not it will be this rum and the XV which will be stocked.

    Brugal Anejo is used primarily as a mixer and is priced competitively at around £17-20 per 70cl bottle.  The ABV is slightly lower than most branded rum at 38%.  The unusual presentation is actually netting.  I understand this is to enable better grip of the bottle in hot climates.  Clearly it is not something us Englishmen need worry about!

    I like the new presentation of the Brugal the previous bottle looked dated and cheapened the brand.  The new presentation is much more modern and I like the strong and vibrant blue, white and red colour scheme.OLD BRUGAL ANEJO RUM REVIEW BY THE FAT RUM PIRATE

    I actually bought an old style Brugal just as the re-launch was happening.  I bet regular readers can guess why?  Yes that’s right there was a few quid off so I got it for £16 rather than £20.  The present bottle I got in Tesco (who are beginning to stock a not bad selection of rum) for I think £17.  Though don’t quote me on that.

    I remember being underwhelmed by my last bottle of Brugal.  I found it extremely weak in terms of overall flavour and it had a very thin profile to it.  I didn’t sip rum back then so I don’t feel like I properly experienced Brugal.  Out and about a couple of weeks ago I tasted the XV and quite enjoyed it.  So here we are with a review.

    The initial nose of the Brugal is of a classic rum.  It has a classic Bajan nose.  Nothing to dramatic or complex.  Nice gentle notes of vanilla and banana with a slight nutty aroma and a light oaked aroma.  Beneath the aromas is a strong smell of alcohol spirit.  This lets you know it is a relatively young rum (5 years aged).  Overall for an entry level mixer it has a very good nose.

    When sipped the rum is fairly smooth, however this gives way to a very strong burn upon swallowing.  It has a little sweet fruit initially but it quickly fades leaving you with little of anything really.  There are notes of oak and tobacco throughout the tasting but they aren’t very hard hitting at all.  The drink actually feels quite thin as well on the palate.  I sipper the rum offers very little to recommend.  Initially smooth with a strong burn and little to virtually no flavour.  It’s dry and tasteless pretty much.

    When mixed the rum works better.  It makes a reasonable rum and cola though you do have to go easy on the cola (or hard on the rum) if you want to be able to taste the Brugal.  There is a little flavour of vanilla and a general smoothness but again the thinness of the spirit lets it down.  It is a little like mouthwash.  It has a kind of minty/medicinal  feel almost like swallowing water rich with chlorine.  It just feels like some of the rum flavours have been taken out of it.

    It’s the strange mouth feel and weird aftertaste which I dislike the most about this rum.  It doesn’t taste horrible or cheap it just doesn’t really have much taste.  It’s very inoffensive.  I wouldn’t be surprised if you could pass this off as Vodka in a mixed drink.

    I can’t put this rum into the bottom star rating as it isn’t bad per se it’s just really disappointing.  I suppose Average is the best word to describe this effort.

    Added sugar: 7 grams per litre

    2 stars

     

     

     

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  • Jamaican Rum JMH Thompson Bros and Bar Tre

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Jamaican Rum JMH Thompson Bros and Bar Tre Rum Review by the fat rum pirateJamaican Rum JMH Thompson Bros and Bar Tre. You might be forgiven for thinking I have already reviewed this. I haven’t the rum I reviewed very recently with a very similar title was JMM rather than JMH. The JMM and JMH I am now assuming to mean JaMaica Monymusk and JaMaica Hampden. As this particular single cask bottling hails from the Hampden Estate, Trelawny, Jamaica.

    There has been no shortage of continentally aged Hampden Estate available for a number of years. In fact until very recently Hampden Estate had never released an aged product. Sounds mad when you think about it but it’s true. Until very recently the only official Hampden Estate release was Rum Fire. An unaged Jamaican Overproof rum.

    The reputation of Hampden Estate rum was built very much on the numerous bottlings sold by various (largely) European based Independent bottlers. Thompson Bros have come slightly late to this particular party but in fairness it’s looking like this could be a week long rave………The appetite for aged Hampden Estate rum, particularly single casks, seems to have no sign of abating.

    I am sure official distillery bottles such as The Great House and collaborations with Habitation Velier sell very well. However, there is still a great deal of kudos to be earned in certain rum circles from owning more exclusive “single cask” bottlings. Some people try to obtain every release. I’ve tried my fair share of Hampden over the years. I like it without question. However like all other rums I’ve never felt the need to go chasing down individuals casks (often from the same batch).  The differences in the overall experience just wouldn’t merit engaging in such a task.

    Anyway that all went a little of piste but to be honest having reviewed a few Thompson Bros bottlings. Including one just last week – I find I sometimes need to cover something a little different in these reviews. To keep things interesting – I hope.

    Anyhow, we’ll cover the pertinent information for this particular bottling. As mentioned we have a Single Cask Rum from Hampden Estate, Jamaica. It was distilled in 2001, so is likely the Diamond H marque (please note I can’t use the arrows used to denote this by Hampden as WordPress has a hissy fit and it affects all the formatting).

    For those who are interested in this sort of thing the Diamond H marque sits at around 900-1000 gr/hl AA or Esters. The Ester count for Hampden rum is anywhere from 40-1600 gr/hl AA. Jamaican Rum JMH Thompson Bros and Bar Tre has been bottled at Cask Strength of 61% ABV. The outturn was 271 bottles. It is 100% Pot Still Jamaican Rum and has been aged for 19 years. The exact locations are not revealed.

    Jamaican Rum JMH Thompson Bros and Bar Tre rum review by the fat rum pirateAs with the previous Jamaican JMM review this is a collaboration between Thompson Bros and Bar Tre, Hiroshima. As a result local Japanese artist Yu Kurahashi. When released (around a week ago) this retailed at around the £140 mark. I’m afraid I can’t find anywhere that still has this for sale. So secondary market again.

    I do suspect you will find a few of these pop up at auction. I think a number of Whisky speculators are chancing their arm at rum. Some have little idea what they are doing. I’m not suggesting that is the case here but unless this bottle gets some kind of mythical status very quickly – I honestly cannot see you having to pay much more (if at all) than retail on the secondary market.

    In the glass we are presented with a light golden brown spirit a shade darker than straw.

    Nosing Jamaican Rum JMH Thompson Bros and Bar Tre it has a very sweet fruity aroma to it. Pineapples, banana, some passion fruit, white grapes and some lychees. Beneath this sweetness is a very “gluey” aroma – kind of like that thick white glue you used to use in school. A touch of Pritt Stick is thrown in for good measure.

    There are notes of cider vinegar and vinegar soaked newspapers (used for wrapping Fish and Chips here in the UK- well they were once upon a time). There is a nice tingle on the nose of oak and a touch of all spice.

    This is a very fruity version of a Hampden and reminds me of Long Pond. Which is no bad thing……..

    The initial sip of this rum is very complicated. There is so much going on. Sweet, sour, and savoury all at the same time! It delivers a slightly tart, acidic but yet very sweet mix of citrus fruit and vinegar. Trust me it tastes better than it sounds……

    There is more wood and spice on the mid palate and the rum leaves a very unusual mixture of nail varnish remover, Pear Drops (boiled sweets with a

    Jamaican Rum JMH Thompson Bros and Bar Tre Rum Review by the fat rum pirate

    very distinct taste) and crystallised fruits. It’s slightly musty on the mid palate as well but all these seemingly different flavour sensations someone meld together into a very enjoyable and very funky glass of rum.

    This seems to combine elements of young unaged Jamaican rum with more aged and developed notes. It’s really quite an intriguing rum. It’s certainly a little bit out there to say the least.

    Finish wise its long and full of all kinds of notes – there is a slightly fermented note which mixes alongside the oak, white pepper and the slightly tart notes of gooseberries and pineapple juice.

    This really does offer something a little different. Apologies I couldn’t get a review out before it sold out. I do try my best.

    Best of luck at the auctions I guess for this one.

     

  • Velier Diamond 1999 -S- 15 Year Old Rum

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Diamond Velier 1999 rum review by the fat rum pirateWhen “Premium” Rum is spoken about Velier really should be seen as the pinnacle if any such category really, truly exists.  Especially when it comes to Demerara Rum from the Diamond Distillery.

    With the luxury of being able to hand pick and barter for his own individual casks from the distillery Luca Gargano has his own unique foothold into Demerara Distillers huge stock of aged rums.  Or he did………

    Unfortunately, it seems Luca will no longer have access to casks from DDL, which could be a great loss to the rum world if DDL and other independent bottlers don’t spring a few surprises in the future.

    One of Veliers 2014 releases was this 15 Year Old Diamond rum.  Diamond was/is the distillery which is now DDL.  With stills from other former distilleries on Guyana it can be quite confusing and difficult to determine which still produces each “Demerara” rum you come across – with many being blends.

    Housed in the usual opaque “red wine” style bottle  Velier Diamond rums are identified by a black font on a yellow/orange background.  The sparse and clinical style on the bottle and the box gives only information in relation to the way the rum was distilled and aged.  No fancy marketing nonsense here!

    The rum was distlled on a Metal Coffey Still in 1999 and matured in Guyana till July 2014.  It is actually a vatting of 4 barrels which yielded 1137 bottles. 72% Angel’s Share is also noted on the bottle. It’s also noted that the barrels which housed this rum were newly charred.  Bottled at 53.1% ABV.  Quite what the  relates to is unclear and was likely a marque on the casks.

    When poured the Diamond 1999 is a rich, deep dark brown liquid with a reddish hue running through it.  It is slightly hazy with it being un-chill filtered.  Rich and slightly viscous clinging a little to the sides of the glass.

    The nose as I am finding with these tropically aged Demerara’s from Velier is very intense.  There is a huge hit of rich deep dried fruits and Christmas Cake.  It is similar to the 1999 Enmore/Port Morant.  There is a slightly burnt almost aniseed like note and a serious amount of char evident.  It reminds me of very sweet red licorice sweets.

    With each nosing the complexity seems to build giving more definition to the fruitier notes in the rum.  Pineapple, plums along with the familiar Demerara rum-raisin twang.Velier Diamond 1999 rum review by the fat rum pirate

    At 53.1% ABV it is pretty much at my limit when it comes to sipping – taking as is from the bottle its quite a spicy affair.  It is very intense and makes the mouth water – it has a very strong oak char to it.  Slightly bourbon like in terms of mouth feel – sweet/sour.

    After a couple of sips it calms a little giving way to some very strong licorice and notes of stoned fruits such as cherries and plums.  The oak runs all the way through the rum giving it a nice long lasting finish.  There are some slightly tannic red wine like notes maybe a touch of port.

    A couple of drops of water are certainly recommended with this rum as without it the oak notes can be a little overpowering – a little water really brings this rum to life and gives an extra layer of flavour to the spirit.

    As far as recommending this rum – it really is a no-brainer if you are fortunate enough to find a bottle available at a reasonable price.  It originally retailed at around £120 if I remember correctly.  It was released in 2014 and even with over 1000 bottles available sold out pretty quickly!

    The difference between tropically aged Demerara and bottlings from the likes of Mezan, Bristol Classic Rum and even Samaroli and Silver Seal can be night and day.  The tropical ageing adds so much depth and intensity to the rum.  That is not to say there is anything wrong with non tropically aged rum – it can be excellent.  It’s just that its very different.

    Of the three Velier Demerara rums from 2014 I have been lucky enough to try, I think the Uitvluigt 1996 was my favourite, with this and the Diamond/PM 1999 coming in just slightly behind.

    Another great bottling from the genius of Demerara!

    4.5 stars

     

     

     

  • Velier Skeldon 1973 Full Proof Old Demerara Rum

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Velier Skeldon 1973 Full Proof Old Demerara Rum by the fat rum pirateVelier Skeldon 1973 Full Proof Old Demerara Rum. One of the oldest rums, both in terms of when it was distilled and the length of time it was aged, I have reviewed so far. This is also one of  the rarest. It was one of the earlier Velier bottlings originally released back in 2005. Long before I had become serious about rum.

    The original Skeldon Distillery closed in 1960. From reading around online it seems none of the stills from Skeldon were relocated – so I guess they were destroyed or just left to rot.

    This rum was actually produced at the Utivlugt Distillery.on a Coffey Still. The marque noted on the bottle (taken from the barrels) is likely to mean SWR – Skeldon William Ross, who was the founder of the Skeldon distillery. Skeldon is actually in Ayrshire, Scotland. As the name suggests William Ross was a Scottish immigrant. Other theories suggest SWR may stand for Sir Willaim Russell – but I have found no explanation for this.

    Velier Skeldon 1973 Full Proof Old Demerara Rum was distilled in 1973 and bottled in 2005 giving 32 years of tropical ageing in Guyana. The Angels Share is not noted for this release. Bottled at full proof of 60.5% ABV only 544 bottles were released. If you wish to buy a bottle of this rum then try a Whisky Auction site. However you’ll need deep pockets – I would be surprised this to set you back less than £1500 now.

    Velier Skeldon 1973 Full Proof Old Demerara Rum by the fat rum pirate
    Photo copyright Lance Surujbally – The Lone Caner

    I was very fortunate to swap a few samples with Lance Surujbally of The Lone Caner fame and this was one of the samples he gave me. I was very pleased, as I had kind of given up hope of ever trying this or the 1978 release. I seem to remember Luca stating at the Rum Tasting of the Century I attended last year – that the 1973 had some of the 1978 distillate “mixed” with some of the barrels to make more numbers though DDL did not tell him that at the time. As this rum wasn’t made on the actual Skeldon stills, I assume it is made to replicate those marques of rum. DDL have recently released a Rare Collection rum noted as being Skeldon and an Albion rum as well. The cynic in me thinks, this is to help sell the rums, based on the myth of rums such as this one.

    In the glass Skeldon 1973 is a very dark brown – almost black. With only a tinge of brown around the outer edge.

    The nose is very rich and fruity. Lots of juicy raisins and sultanas. Notes of port and a slighty mustiness. Which might not sound very appealing but it’s actually very pleasant.

    Hints of ginger and clove come into the mix the more you sip. It’s surprisingly “low” on boozy alchol for such a high proof rum. It’s all just so rich and concentrated it swirls in the glass. A slight bitterness is present as well licorice and Guinness are present on the nose as well. It’s surprisingly not all that woody.

    Upon sipping everything that was on the nose and more come into play. Initial notes of slighty bitter stout/Guinness and some hits of unsweetened licorice. Raisins and sultana’s again alongside some really fruity notes of Port. Black currants and Red currants. There is also a touch of saltiness in the mid palate.

    This is really intense, very fruity rum. I was expecting it to be very oaky but that is simply not the case. The mid palate does reveal  some notes of ginger and some wood spicing but they are still only playing alongside the fruitier notes.Velier Skeldon 1973 Full Proof Old Demerara Rum by the fat rum pirate

    Finish wise it is long and very pleasant.  Again it’s not as spicy as you might expect, its rich and warming.  This is a very good “winter” rum. Sadlym it is unlikely I will try it again beyond this sample.

    A very unique tasting rum and very different to what we get nowadays. 32 years of ageing but not a year wasted.

    Sensational. If you are given the chance to try this then I would urge you do so.

    Rum rarely gets much better than this from Guyana. Will be interesting to see how the “new” Skeldon marque rum matches up.

  • Arborea Blend Amburana e Carvalho

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Arborea Blend Amburana e Carvalho cachaca rum review by the fat rum pirateArborea Blend Amburana e Carvalho. Arborea are a cachaca brand which hails from Pirapetinga, Minas Gerais. The south eastern state of Minas Gerais is perhaps the most well known cachaca producing state in all of Brasil. A number of high quality and long established cachaca distilleries and brands are synonymous with Minas Gerais.

    The distillery which produces Arborea Cachaca is situated at Sao Joao Farm S/N, Caiapo District, Pirapetinga, Minas Gerais. This farm originally focused on cattle production and livestock. The name Arborea (Eucalyptus) comes from the vast corridors of Eucalyptus trees which surround the farm.

    Arborea Cachaca is a modern cachaca. As you can see from the presentation. It is geared up to both the younger domestic market and will also be suitable for export to the US and Europe. In such territories it will compete with the likes of Leblon, Avua, Abelha and Novo Fogo. All who just like Arborea are presenting their cachaca with very slick modern bottles and presentation.

    Arborea was brought to the market in 2018 and currently has four varieties in its range. Arborea Branca, Arborea Carvalho, Arborea Amburana and the blend of Carvalho and Amburana aged cachaca, I am revieiwing today.

    This Arborea Amburana e Carvalho is often referred to as the “Yellow Label”. In charge of the artisinal production of this cachaca is Master Distiller Asmindo Sousa, who is helped my another industry expert and sommelier Isadora Fonari.

    In Brasil Arborea Blend Amburana e Carvalho retails for around R$65, which works out at around £9.50. However, for a 70cl bottle if it were to retail in UK/Europe I would expect a price tag of at least £35 for this. It is bottled at 39% ABV.

    Arborea like so many artisanal cachaca producers employ organic and wholly sustainable practices. All the sugar can is hand harvested and the cane is crushed within 24 hours of the harvest. The juice is then fermented with natural yeasts. The sugarcane bagasse is reused to feed the boiler and as compost on the farm. The cachaca distilled on a Copper Pot Still.Arborea Blend Amburana e Carvalho cachaca rum review by the fat rum pirate

    After this process, Arbórea cachaça goes to storage, where they use stainless steel tanks and oak, amburana and maplewood vats for ageing. Please note when they talk of vats this could be barrels as I am trying to translate from Portuguese and I fear some of the meaning is misinterpreted.

    Arborea Blend Amburana e Carvalho is a blend of cachaca aged for 1 year in Amburana and Carvalho (Oak). As mentioned already the brand is trying to encourage a younger audience in Brasil to discover cachaca. As a result as well as slick presentation they are have a very active Social Media and Internet presence.

    Should you wish to learn more about the brand then they have their own website. If you wish to interact and stay in touch then they also have Facebook and Instagram accounts.

    Now the last cachaca I recall reviewing which was a blend of Oak and Amburana aged cachaca, was Cachaca Alambique Brasil Carvalho e Amburana, which hailed from Parana state. I quite enjoyed that one so lets see how I find this one.

    In the glass we have a white wine coloured spirit. This is to be expected of a blend aged for 1 year in Oak and the lighter Amburana wood. (For those unaware Amburana is a native wood to Brasil).

    Nosing Arborea Blend Amburana e Carvalho, is quite a warming familiar experience. The spicy notes from the oak and the vanilla are softened by the lighter more delicate creamy notes from the Amburana wood. As with many cachacas aged in Amburana, there is a slight soapiness, which is just the right side of the tracks to not overpower the notes of whipped cream, cinnamon, baking spices and a touch of all spice.

    The nose is pleasant and very approachable with little rough edges and minimal burn.

    Sipped the cachaca perhaps exhibits more of it’s youth. It’s fairly spicy with a fair amount of white pepper, ginger and a touch of curry powder. There is however still quite a lot of vanilla and ice cream on the initial entry.

    Arborea Blend Amburana e Carvalho cachaca rum review by the fat rum pirateAs with a lot of younger and lighter cachacas this does deliver most of it’s flavour up front. So the initial burst of flavour is immediately followed by a more muted mid palate. Initially you may feel that the flavour has all but gone.

    However, what is left behind is a gentle, light note of vanilla ice cream, ginger biscuits, and a touch of a herbal note. This sticks around for quite a while and makes the finish, although very easy going – a reasonable length.

    As a sipper, this is gentle and easy going. There are no off notes. If you enjoy cachaca aged in Amburana then I would be surprised if you do not get some joy from this. More so than you might expect from any spirit with only one year of ageing. On the website’ and Social Media accounts they have various suggestions on how to mix this cachaca.

    I tried this in a simple caiprinha and it worked very nicely.

    Whether we see this in Europe/UK only time will tell. It will certainly be a good addition to what is currently available.

     

  • Angostura 5 Year Old Rum

    Bythefatrumpirate

    imageDespite the presence of Angostura in the rum and bitters market, it doesn’t seem that their younger rums have caught the imagination.

    At least amongst the Rum Reviewing community as I have been unable to find any reviews of this 5 year old rum and only a couple for its older brother the 7 year old.  When it comes to Angostura it seems that life for many begins at 1919 and 1824.

    Whilst the now defunct Caroni Rum Distillery continues to gain acclaim and their rums become more and more collectors pieces – Angostura on the other hand don’t seem to garner much interest amongst more “serious” rum drinkers.  It seems that Angostura will always be associated with Aromatic Bitters and to a lesser extent tropical cocktail competitions.  Not too mention the distain their 1919 rum attracts from the “serious” rum connoisseur.

    Angostura 5 Year Old is a mix of light and heavier rums from their 5 column still set up.  The rums in this blend are aged between 5 and 8 years.  (All Caribbean rum should display the youngest rum in the blend if they use an age statement)  In the UK this rum retails at between £22-26 per 70cl bottle.  It is bottled at 40% ABV.

    Angostura 5 Year Old Rum Review by the fat rum pirateDespite its lack of presence at the more serious end of the rum market Angostura do have quite a healthy presence in bars and clubs up and down the UK.  Even if you do not buy Angostura branded products it is very unlikely any rum drinker isn’t exposed to rum from the distillery – all rum from Trinidad & Tobago (aside from the aged Caroni rum) is now from Angostura.  This includes brands such as VAT19 which were previously produced by the Fernandes Distillery -now just part of the Angostura power house.  Even if Angostura’s own brand rum is not selling by the truckload their rums will be found in all manner of Navy and Caribbean blended rums.

    Personally I’m not very keen on some of the Angostura rums used in the cheaper supermarket blended “Dark” rums.  I find them overly sweet, cloying and slightly synthetic.  However, I have tried a Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference aged Trinidad Rum (8 years) which I found to be much more pleasant.  So I’m pretty open minded when it comes to this young rum.

    The rum is a classic golden colour – in the glass it exhibits flashes of red and orange.  Nosing the rum will offer few surprises to anyone who has tried VAT19 or even the 1919.  It has that nice buttery almost floral, sweet vanilla-ed nose.  It’s pretty distinctive.  It’s not my favourite nose – I find it a little sickly personally.Angostura 5 Year Old rum Review by the fat rum pirate

    Which is why I am relieved when I take a sip of the rum.  Despite the slightly perfumed nose the rum is actually quite nicely aged – it isn’t young or rough and has a very nice balanced oaked profile.  There is little burn but it still delivers a bit of a kick.  It is sweet with a nice hit of vanilla ice cream and some slightly spicy dark chocolate, almost cocoa like notes.

    I actually much prefer this to the 1919 overall as a sipper – as it gives a much more authentic rum experience.  It also has the versatility to work very well as a “premium” mixer.  It’s a big step up from VAT19 despite the similariites.  I also feel it has the edge over the Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference 8 Year Old but only just.  Value wise VAT19 and Sainsbury’s offerings are probably the best buys if you are mixing.  This would probably be a better buy if you were looking for a more easy going sipper/mixer.

    It’s the kind of rum I wouldn’t rush out to buy but if it was on offer I would certainly put a couple of bottles away for a rainy day.  It’s a solid and nicely balanced rum.  Nothing spectacular but very decent.

    3 stars