Ron Yacare Anejo

Bythefatrumpirate

Ron Yacare Review by the fat rum pirateRon Yacare is an Anejo (aged) rum from the Dominican Republic.  It has been difficult to find any information regarding this rum, mainly due to this being predominantly for the Spanish speaking market.

Ron Yacare from the information on the bottle is distributed by Carrefour Supermarket group.  I assume it is available in their stores, which are found mostly in France and Spain.  From web searches they also produce a Honey based Ron Miel and they have a Viejo and Reserva Exclusiva expression as well.  I think that Yacare is more of a brand name and I do not think all of the rums in their range come from the Dominican Republic.

My in laws actually got me this bottle after I had asked them simply to bring back something I hadn’t tried or something different.  The rum cost around 8 Euros which equates to just over £5 at the current exchange rate.  Spirits in Spain are a lot cheaper than the UK as they are not taxed as heavily. This is a 70cl bottle and the rum is 37.5% ABV.

Rum production in the Domincan Republic is big business with the three “B’s” – Bermudez, Brugal and Barceló dominating the market.  It is likely that this rum is produced by one of those (If indeed they all don’t come out of the same distillery).

A Yacare is actually a South American crocodile/alligator.  Despite that there is no crocodile or anything remotely connected to such a creature on the presentation.  Ron Yacare comes in a slighty dumpy almost stubby style bottle.  The Gold and Black colour scheme is both old fashioned and slightly contemporary.  The label is quite good but the black and gold bottle neck is dated.  The rum is sealed with a black plastic screw top which has a diffuser in the top.  For a supermarket rum its not bad at all.

Ron Yacare Anejo Rum ReviewMy experience with Dominican rum is pretty limited.  I find by in large the Hispanic “rons” to be a little thin and one dimensional.  Fine as mixers but few have stood out beyond that.  By law Dominican Republic rum must be aged a minimum of 12 months.

Pouring out a small measure of Ron Yacare it is noted just how light this rum is.  It could probably be filtered to a white rum quite easily.  It’s a very light straw colour and is much lighter in the glass than in the bottle.

The nose is light and slightly floral.  Slightly sweet but more of a after shave/cologne like note rather than perfume.  It’s quite strong and the alcohol sits quite prominently.  From the nose I would be surprised if this rum was aged much more than the 12 month minium.  Which will also explain the light colour.

Sipping Ron Yacare is a so-so experience.  It’s initially quite sweet giving way to a kind of sharp taste of strong alcohol.  The finish is actually quite nice and the mouthfeel is not as harsh as I would expect.  It burns quite a lot in the throat but it very quickly subsides.  It leaves little behind.  There’s nothing really to recommend this as a sipper.

Ron Yacare Anejo is unsurprisingly best suited to long mixed drinks.  It’s agreeable and light profile means it can be mixed readily into most cocktails and hi balls without causing any issues.  As mentioned earlier the thinness and one dimensional notes I have found in many young Hispanic rums are ideally suited to creating decent if unremarkable standards such as Cuba Libre or a Mojito.

Ron Yacare Anejo Rum ReviewThe rum in many ways could even be used as a Vodka substitute.  It doesn’t offer a great deal of flavour just a little sweet alcohol.  It mixes well and is surprisingly smooth.  This isn’t available in the UK but if it was readily available in the Supermarket I wouldn’t hesitate to pick up a bottle providing it was competitively priced circa £15.  I would much prefer this to the very thin and slightly salty Brugal Anejo.

Whilst the Ron Yacare is nothing outstanding it is certainly much more preferable than many of the Supermarket own brand “Caribbean” rums found in UK supermarkets.  I prefer this lighter style for mixed drinks than I do the cloying and sickly sweet profiles of some of the Dark rums on offer at Tesco, Sainsbury’s etc.

If you are in Spain and just after a competent little mixer you could do a lot worse than have a punt on this.

2.5 stars

 

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  • Bacardi Oakheart

    Bythefatrumpirate

    image In 2011 after numerous “flavoured” expressions and a couple of rum “liqueurs” Bacardi finally released a Spiced rum to the market.  Except at only 35% they aren’t legally allowed to market it as a Spiced rum so it becomes a Smooth and Spiced Spirit Drink.

    Oakheart takes its name from the charred white oak barrels that the rum, sorry spirit drink is housed in.  The rums contained within the blend are aged between 1-3 years.  Bacardi were hoping upon its release that the tagline “Oak and Coke” would be heard in bars all over the world.  I don’t think that has quite worked.

    It was the Original UK recipe Sailor Jerry which really began the Spiced Rum “craze” (I don’t think it really got that far) in the UK in the late noughties.  Spiced Rums such as The Kraken and Morgans Spiced (Gold) appeased many fans following the adoption of the American style Sailor Jerry.  The Kraken proved particularly popular and even led to Captain Morgan hitting back with their own Spiced Black rum.  In the UK a enterprising bunch have now set up a rum called “Old J” which seeks to re-create the old style Sailor Jerry.

    It really should have been a no-brainer that Bacardi would produce a Spiced Rum that would take over the world.  Unfortunately it hasn’t quite worked out that way for this “spirit drink”.

    First off the presentation is pretty good for what is an entry level drink.  Bacardi were Bacardi Oakheart Rum Review by the fat rum pirateseeking for a “rugged and masculine” brand and they have achieved that.  The bottle is a step above most entry level rums with detailing on the well made screw top and dimbling on the bottle which is a nice extra touch.  The product screams Bacardi with the Bat Logo very prominent and it does promise to be a dark and mysterious offering.

    In the UK the rum retails at around £22 for 1 litre bottle and around £17 for a 70cl bottle.  The ABV is 35%.  Still plenty strong enough if it is as addictive as many spiced rums to give you a thick head come the morning!

    I’ve reviewed a good few spiced rums and only really Foursquare’s and Pusser’s have impressed me.  Most are simply too sweet and overpowering.  Vanilla is usually the worst offender in a spiced rum.  Synthetic vanilla and over enthusiastic use of Cinnamon have led to some pretty grim discoveries in the Spiced department.

    Now Bacardi suggest this rum is “Smooth and Spiced” and can be sipped neat, over ice or as they suggest in a signature “Oak and coke”.  The Oakheart also works with Ginger Beer but as with most Spiced rums Lemonade or lighter mixers really don’t make for a pleasant drink.

    Bacardi Oakheart Rum Review by the fat rum pirateI take a sip of the Oakheart and yes it is smooth but it is also very sweet.  There is a still a slight burn of alcohol and the spicing is maybe just a bit too much for you to really enjoy the spirit neat.  There is also a slightly jarring aftertaste.  It’s a bit smoky and oily and is reminding me very strongly of one of my least favourite Bacardi’s – Bacardi Black.  The aftertaste is very unwelcome and definitely rules the Oakheart out as a sipper for me.

    So on with the mixing and I’ll try and “Oak and Coke”.  Initially the drink is pretty pleasant.  It’s very smooth.  However, the is attributable to the amount of spicing and sugar that is clearly in this drink.  It certainly isn’t ageing.  Bacardi claim to use “Amber rums” in the blend.  This is another unwelcome addition as it would suggest Bacardi Gold (Oro) or a similar blend of rum.  Bacardi Gold is another rum which I found to be pretty awful.  Despite this claim I am still getting that nasty aftertaste which still reminds me of Bacardi Black.

    On with another drink this time with Ginger Beer.  This is probably the best way to drink the Oakheart.  Sadly its because the Ginger Beer masks the cloying sweetness of the spirit drink and also tempers the horrible smokey aftertaste which I so hate.  If it wasn’t for the lingering aftertaste and the mouthfeel it leaves behind I probably wouldn’t mind this drink so much.  Unfortunately as it stands I’m really not enjoying this drink at all.

    To be honest the Oakheart just doesn’t work on so many levels.  The rum base being used is one which I really dislike.  The flavours whilst not as synthetic as Morgan’s Spiced Gold are still ramped up a notch or three too far.  The drink becomes cloying very quickly.  It is smooth but you can tell that this is more the amount of added sugar and flavourings than any decent time in “Oak”.

    I feel Bacardi have tried to pull the wool a little with this one.  It isn’t smooth due to time in small white oak barrels its because its been heavily sugared.  This is really pretty poor stuff and best avoided.

     

    1 stars

  • Lamb’s Demerara Navy Rum – Bottled 1970’s

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Lamb's Demerara Navy rum 70's bottling Rum review by the fat rum pirate Lamb’s Demerara Navy Rum. I don’t know exactly when this was bottled. Research has shown that this style of bottle was available in the 1970’s (and before). The UK largely stopped using their own “proof” calculation in 1980 and began showing the ABV rather than the proof. Whilst this is noted as 70 proof on the bottle, it’s the old “British” style proofing so it translates to 40% ABV. The same ABV Lamb’s Navy Rum is today.

    I thought it might make an interesting post to compare and contrast the Lamb’s Demerara Navy Rum, that we got in the 70’s with the Lamb’s Navy Rum we find on our shelves today. This also fits in nicely for Black Tot Day as well which was of course 31st July 1970. So we are fast approaching its 50th anniversary.

    First up, for all Lamb’s presence in the UK market and a rich history going back many years I cannot find any evidence – even on their own website that they did actually supply rum to the British Royal Navy.

    Even though this is just a miniature Lamb’s didn’t introduce their distinctive hexagonal bottles until the 1980’s. The presentation of this rum is quite different with a more sparse colour scheme. I particularly like the heavy plastic and metal screw cap with “Lambs Navy Rum” printed into it. Though it was a bit of a bugger to unscrew.

    In the glass Lamb’s Demerara Navy rum is a dark almost burnt brown with orange edges. The nose is the first surprise. I am getting a lot of quite meaty, beefy notes of Marmite and Bovril. Which is quite odd.and not what I was expecting. I did acquire this miniature only very recently at auction, so I cannot really account for how it has been stored. It also smells quite vinegar heavy and altogether just a little odd.

    Beneath the sour vinegar and more meaty notes I can detect some more familiar Demerara notes of raisin, coffee and a very definite hit of aniseed.Lamb's Demerara Navy rum 70's bottling Rum review by the fat rum pirate

    Sipping this rum I am taken by the lack of sweetness in the rum. It is quite bitter and very heavy on the aniseed notes. Quite a lot of fennel seed in there as well. This is a much less “sweet” style of rum than the one which presents itself on our shelves at the moment.

    It’s not a hugely complex rum and the sip is certainly better than the nose – which was really odd. I may well have an off bottle”. Though to be fair it doesn’t taste all that bad, it just smells a bit funny. A little on the one-dimensional side of things though. Bitter burnt toffee and a touch of aniseed with some sharp sweet alcohol is about as far as this rum goes. It’s not awful but its a little bit, meh. I’m thinking Port Mourant still and maybe the Versailles. It’s interesting that this is just a Demerara rum as Lamb’s is noted of being a blend of 18 Caribbean rums way back when Alfred Lamb stated blending it. Nowadays I understand it is a blend of Caribbean rums from various different islands.

    Mixing Lamb’s Demerara Navy Rum is quite an underwhelming experience as well. It’s pretty plain and safe, though the odd slightly meaty aroma returns. Drink wise it doesn’t stand up to the cola all that well and doesn’t  really do a great deal. It makes a passable rum and cola but it is nowhere near the calibre of other Demerara rums such as Wood’s or El Dorado 8. Even Skipper has a bit more oomph than this and Pusser’s beats it to a pulp.

    It is much less sweet than the raisin and coffee/burnt caramel heavy notes of the current bottling but I can’t say I have much of a preference over either. Both are pretty Lamb's Demerara Navy rum 70's bottling Rum review by the fat rum pirateone dimensional and fairly bland in their own way. The newer bottling is sweeter but equally no show stopper.

    Often it is said rum isn’t as good as it was in the past. I can safely declare that in this instance the passage of time hasn’t really changed things. Lamb’s was bang average in the 1970;s and its bang average now.

    An interesting little “rarity” to review for Black Tot Day but not one which I’ll be rushing out to buy. There is the odd full size bottle of this available at around £180 if you hunt around. This may interest a collector but I’m very much about the drinking side of things.

    Up Spirits! I think I’ll stick to the Pusser’s next year……

  • That Boutique-y Rum Company Flying Dutchman Rum Aged 4 Years

    Bythefatrumpirate

    That Boutique-y Rum Company Flying Dutchman Rum Aged 4 Years rum review by the fat rum pirateThat Boutique-y Rum Company Flying Dutchman Rum Aged 4 Years. We are back reviewing another Boutique-y Rum Company release. This time I’m 100% up to date as this bottling is due for release today (19/11/2021).

    Which is nice because things have been slipping a little lately on the site. I haven’t been updating it as often as I would like. Life has a habit of getting in the way of doing the things you’d like to do I’ve found recently……..

    Anyway, this is the first Boutique-y Rum release from a distillery based in mainland Europe. As the title suggests this rum hails from the Netherlands and comes from the Zuidam Distillery. The distillery which is headed up by distiller Patrick Van Zuidam has been producing their won “Flying Dutchman” branded rum for a number of years now.

    I’ve been aware of Zuidam Distillery for some time but have never previously had the opportunity to try any of their rums. I’ll also say that due to my somewhat eclectic buying choices/decisions I have never sought to buy their products either. Quite why I’m not entirely sure as I have heard good things about them. I will confess though I am always put off a little by distilleries that produce multiple types of spirit rather than focusing one in particular.

    More often than not Rum is pretty much an after thought or a Spiced/Flavoured rum range is released as a cheap cash in. So I tend to avoid releases from such distillers. I will say at this stage that I have been told that Zuidam but a lot of care in to all their products.

    So what do we have for review today exactly?

    This rum is produced using imported molasses, which goes through long fermentation (two weeks plus, I’ve been told) utilising multiple yeast strains before being double distilled in Pot stills. This rum has been aged for 4 years in the Netherlands using an ex-Pedro Ximénez cask and is bottled with The Flying Dutchman name, which is consistent with the own-label rums released from the distillery.

    The usual wacky Boutique-y label design shows Patrick van Zuidam in full Willy Wonka garb with a pirate-y eyepatch. He is in a roiling sea of fermenting molasses, beneath a nightmarish looking sky. A member of the crew hands him his telescope, as he is said to always have one eye on the future. A pitched battle appears to be won by the crew of the Howard Pyle. The nearest ship to them has been holed, slipping below the waves with the Captain clinging to the mast. Another ship has turned tail and is making off like a bat out of hell. A Windmill in the background reminds us of the heritage of the rum in the bottle.

    That Boutique-y Rum Company Flying Dutchman Rum Aged 4 Years comes in a 50cl/500ml bottle. The rum has been bottled at 53% ABV. Stock in the UK at Master of Malt is quite limited, as a lot is being sent to mainland Europe. I am unsure how many bottles of this have/will be released. Currently it is limited to one bottle per customer which will cost you £59.95. If you are in a hurry to buy this then here is a link, which will also see me get a couple of quid to go towards hosting fees etc (or maybe a bottle of rum).

    So lets see what this rum is like I’m very keen to try something finally, from this distillery.

    In the glass we have rum which is a shade or two darker than perhaps a “traditional” Gold rum. It’s nearly dark……but has an orange hue around the edges and running right through it.

    On the nose That Boutique-y Rum Company Flying Dutchman Rum Aged 4 years is initially very sweet and very heavy on the raisin. In short the initial burst is that of PX Sherry. For those unfamiliar PX Sherry is a very sweet sherry that does carry a lot of raisin aromas (and flavours). Bit like Christmas Cake.

    Further nosing and the raisin noted develop more into dark chocolate covered raisins. I am now beginning to notice more of the “rummy” notes in this spirit though. So I am getting a nice hit of treacly molasses and some really nice vanilla and coconut notes.

    Due to the age of the rum it does have quite a nostril tingling kick to it and a slightly astringent note. Some pencil shavings and a touch of green chilli. I’m also noticing a kind of minty/menthol note, the more I stick my beak into it.

    It’s rich and fruity but has a little menace to it as well – bit of backbone which I like in a rum – especially a Pot Still Rum. It’s pretty complex and there are also a couple of notes/aromas that I can’t quite place but they add to the rich fruityness of the nose. Some kind of exotic fruits.

    Sipped, I am getting much of a Pot Still Rum flavour now. More heavy treacly molasses and some spicy notes which give a nice kick of spicy heat and oak tannins. The fruitiness especially the raisin from the PX cask mingles in amongst this and is less dominant than on the nose. Dark chocolate, plums and some apricot jam develop on the mid palate alongside some of the slightly minty elements and a good chunk of oak and spices. Some Gingerbread and a touch of fennel.

    As we move into the finish I notice more of the vanilla and some coconut notes. The finish is a reasonable length but it does lose quite a lot of the oak and spiciness. This leaves behind the gentler vanilla and coconut, which fade out nicely.

    That Boutique-y Rum Company Flying Dutchman Rum Aged 4 Years rum review by the fat rum pirateAs it stands this is certainly a very mature sip for what is a 4 year old rum. Yes it does show some of its youthfulness – but I quite like that. Overall it’s a very complex experience. There is a lot of development from the initial nose to the finish on the sip. At full strength I didn’t feel it needed any water. As mentioned earlier, it certainly belies its age to some extent.

    My interest in Zuidam Distillery is well and truly piqued by this release and I would be very keen to try this with more age on it. I think the use of PX cask has really worked – without being overbearing. It’s added a layer to the rum which is what a good finish/maturation should do. It should add some influence to the rum not make the rum taste like Sherry.

    Great stuff

  • 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.

     

     

  • O Reizinho Aged 3 Years

    Bythefatrumpirate

    O Reizinho Rum Aged 3 Years rum review by the fat rum pirateO Reizinho Aged 3 Years. Today we are reviewing another rum from the Portuguese island of Madeira.

    Although this is not the first O Reizinho bottling I have reviewed it is the first distillery bottling. In that it has been bottled and released to the market by O Reizinho themselves rather than an independent bottler.

    The previous O Reizinho rums I have experienced were from That Boutique-y Rum Company. Coincidentally one of those was also a 3 year old, with quite a similar ABV. The other bottling was unaged. I wasn’t too stuck on the unaged version but enjoyed the 3 year old.

    Now if you are in the UK or pretty much anywhere outside of Madeira you might struggle to find this rum. I don’t think they have brokered much of a distribution deal outside of the island as yet. I certainly couldn’t find their rums available online. Other than the That Boutique-y Rum Company bottlings. After some searching I found that Excellence Rhum has a few of their rums but not this particular bottling. It would seem that other French retailers should also have stock as well.

    O Reizinho Distillery is ran by Pedro Ferraira and his family. It has been around since  1982 under the gudiance of Pedro’s father. Though it was not a commercial operation. He distilled rum for friends and family. Pedro moved back to the island in 2012 from South Africa and began expanding the distilleries operations and “legalising” it. In 2012 only 1,300 litres of rum were produced. By 2019 14,000 litres.

    Production at the distillery is “artisanal” in the true sense of the word and very much in keeping with Artisanal Cachaca from Brasil or some of the smaller Rhum Agricole producers.

    The cane is pressed as soon as it arrives at the distillery, during the harvest season. The harvest season runs from March to May. Pressing of the sugar cane is done without adding water, unless the sugar concentration is greater than 18 brix, which would be too high to start fermentation. Fermentation lasts around 3 to 4 days. The result is a “cane wine” with an ABV of  around 12%.

    Distillation is carried out on a traditional Portuguese Hybrid Pot/Column still. The still is very similar to those used in the production of Armagnac. The resulting distillate has an average ABV between 60 and 70%.

    I’ve not been able to find a bottle of this available for sale, sadly so I don’t know how much it would retail at. It will likely be cheapest found on Madeira. I would thoroughly recommend a visit to the island, if and when we can all travel again!

    In the glass we have a golden to dark brown liquid with a yellow tinge. It looks a little older than you might expect of a 3 year old rhum.

    The nose is bright and fresh with some notes of red wine, walnuts and a slightly briny olive aroma. On top of this I am getting a little nail varnish and some grassy sugar cane sweetness.

    O Reizinho Aged 3 years is slightly tannic but quite sweet with it – lots of juicy sultanas and raisins and some very ripe juicy plums.

    Sipped it is quite punchy with the ABV of 52.1 % ABV. It is still quite sweet though particularly on the initial entry. Still lots of rich dark fruits and a kind of dessert wine feeling to it. It reminds me very much of an aged Port. Further sips reveal the red wine and more tannic bitter notes as well as a really nice chunk of rich dark oak spices and a lot of ginger and a touch of cinnamon.

    Despite its overarching richness and “dense” fruity flavours I am still getting plenty sugar cane sweetness and some fresh “grassy” notes as well as some sea salt and a touch of brine. Black Olives and some lemon peel and a zesty citrus note to the rum as well.

    Despite the ABV you don’t need water for this to get it to open up – it has a lot going on. Further sips reveal a slightly mineral like note which you notice more in the finish as the rum fades out. This takes some time and the finish is long and very satisfying. There is a mineral and herbal like note as well as some fruity and spicy notes. The fade out of tannic red wine and oak spice is really nice.

    This is a rich full bodied rum which has a very wine like quality to it but has enough agricole like character not to stray to far into that territory. A very intereO Reizinho Aged 3 Years Rum review by the fat rum piratesting and enjoyable sip for a relatively young rum.

    I seem to have enjoyed this slightly more than the That Boutique-y Rum Company offering, I reviewed previously. That said I would always suggest that my scores can easily move with a half star (or more sometimes) over time. I would imagine both rums would be pretty similar. Maybe this was a touch better. I don’t have them both available to test the theory unfortunately.

    Good stuff – if you can find it. Madeira is lovely………

     

  • Worthy Park Special Cask Release Port

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Worthy Park Special Cask Release Port Rum Review by the fat tum pirateWorthy Park Special Cask Release Port. Last year Worthy Park released the first of their two “Special Cask Releases”. They also released their own Single Estate Reserve.

    Worthy Park are very keen to release their rums either as their own Rum Bar brand, inconjunction with Habitation Velier and as part of these Special Cask releases. Establishing a strong brand identity for Worthy Park rum.

    Some of the Caribbean rum producers, see now as the time to really step up and release their own distillery bottlings. Rather than rely on bulk rum sales and having independents take all the acclaim for bottling their rums. So in future rums released by Independent bottlers other than Velier will not prominently display the Worthy Park name.

    Worthy Park Special Cask Release Port was distilled back in 2008. Which makes it the oldest Special Cask Release thus far. As with all Worthy Park rums this is a 100% Pot still rum. It was aged for 9 years in ex-bourbon barrels before being transferred to a Port Cask in Denmark (1423.dk do the second maturation) for a further year before being bottled. The run is 585 bottles, which have come in at 56% ABV. In the UK a bottle will set you back around £100-120. So it is also  the priciest of the Special Cask releases so far.

    In the glass Worthy Park Special Cask Release Port is dark brown with an orange hue. The nose has that classic toffee/caramel banana note so recognisable as Worthy Park. Further nosing reveals the Port Cask influence. Wafts of slightly tannic/bitter red wine notes – dates, raisins and some almost malty whisky like notes.

    The nose on the Worthy Park Special Cask Release Port is vibrant and nicely balanced. It’s rich and fruity but the port doesn’t overtake the rest of the classic Worthy Park notes. The finish is complementing rather than dominating the rum.

    Sipped the rum really does display the Port maturation.  It’s very rich and fruity on the entry. Huge amounts of blackcurrant jam and tart orange marmalade. Fruity raisins, pineapple juice and some lighter notes of banana.

    The mid palate is very warming and sharp – again like a red wine. I like the intensity of this rum. Just as the rum runs the risk of being a touch on the bitter side the fades begins into the finish.

    The finish is full of milk chocolate and spicy gingerbread. A touch of clove in the mix as well. It’s long and very pleasant. Really nicely done throughout.Worthy Park Special Cask Release Port Review by the fat rum pirate

    As with the first two Special Cask Releases the cask finishes have really added an extra dimension to a Worthy Park rum. Not that there is anything wrong with your standard Worthy Park rums of course!

    Thing is once you get down the rabbit hole as much as I have with Worthy Park rums you do start to look for different finishes etc. Variety is one of the main reasons I enjoy rum so much so releases such as this are right up my alley.

    Of the Special Caks releases (I have a couple more up my sleeve) I think this one is my favourite so far.

    Really top stuff from a top producer and kudos to 1423 for the second maturation in the Port Cask.