Rum Exchange Guyana Port Mourant

Bythefatrumpirate

Rum Exchange Guyana Port Mourant Rum Review by the fat rum pirateRum Exchange Guyana Port Mourant. Rum Exchange are a importer of fine spirits and are now an independent bottler of rum. This is their fourth release, following on from some very impressive rums from Jamaica and Belize. Today we are in familiar territory with an independently bottled Port Mourant rum from Guyana.

For those of you that are not aware Port Mourant is the name given to the Double Wooden Pot Still which is housed at Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL) in Guyana. The still is used in a number of the El Dorado range as well as Pussers and numerous over “Navy” style rums and blends.

Today we are reviewing a 2008 vintage which was bottled in 2019 after 11 years of maturation. I am unaware what percentage of this is tropical/continental. Rum Exchange Guyana Port Mourant is presented at Cask Strength 58.3% ABV. It is 100% Pot Still rum. In Europe it retails at around the €85 mark.  It is a single cask rum and only 280 bottles are available worldwide, with only 30 being in the UK.

Presentation wise Rum Exchange seem to have settled on a more branded affair with this and the Belize offering. The small square stubby bottle is nicely finished off with a good wooden topped stopper. The card sleeve to house the rum is also a bonus as is the information about the rum on both the bottle and the sleeve. It all looks very modern and is certainly something you would notice on the shelf.

Rum Exchange Guyana Port Mourant Rum Review by the fat rum pirate

In the glass we have a very light spirit for 11 years old. It is a very light brown bordering on being yellow. The nose is big and sharp with a big hit of banana bread and roasted pineapple. It smells more like a Worthy Park rum than a Port Mourant.

Further nosing reveals more Port Mourant character with a nice hit of aniseed and a big waft of almost whisky like maltiness. There is a peppery spice lingering in the background alongside some prunes and dates adding a bit of fruitiness.

Sipped, initially it is very peppery with lots of savoury notes and a big hit of very whisky like notes. Further sips reveal a slight sweetness with notes of dark licorice and some molasses but overall this is a very woody and very spicy spirit.

There is nothing unfamiliar about this Port Mourant but it is not one that I am finding entirely to my liking. This is a very good rum but I would prefer just a bit more sweetness to go with the more savoury “malty” notes. It’s a very dry style of rum and not one which people used to adulterated rum would appreciate.

Fortunately, after a few sips your taste buds adjust to the spiciness of the rum and the sweetness comes out more and more. Time in the glass also helps this rum to develop. Now I am enjoying it more as the mid palate gives me a hit of raisin and currant to mix with the spicy woody heat and the savoury notes which are a little like Weetabix.

Rum Exchange Guyana Port Mourant Rum Review by the fat rum pirateThis is a complex rum and one worth spending time with. Don’t rush this one it is a rum where small sips are required. The finish is a reasonable length but does seem to fade out rather quicker than I would usually expect. It leaves the malty savoury taste behind in the mouth. The aniseed burn as it fades out is pleasant alongside the spicy slightly tannic wood.

Overall this is a quality rum, which might not suit all palates but those that enjoy a Port Mourant which is on the drier side will certainly appreciate this one. It’s not my favourite ever Port Mourant but it is till a very tasty drop. The price is pretty good as well. Some bottlers are charging a lot more for a lot less!

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  • DropWorks Distillers Drop #002

    Bythefatrumpirate

    DropWorks Distillers Drop #002 rum review by the fat rum pirateDropWorks Distillers Drop #002. DropWorks are clearly not hanging about. Distillers Drop #002 arrives off the back of a debut that sold out quickly and earned a fair bit of attention.

    Rather than playing that safe they’ve leaned further into the experimental side of things. For Drop #002 they’ve gone down the Bordeaux Red wine cask route. Not a short finish, not a token influence either. This has spent 28 months in ex-Bordeaux casks from the Fronsac region. Casks which previously held Merlot.

    It’s bottled at a meaty 50.7% ABV with an outturn of 900 bottles, and like Drop #001, it didn’t take long for people to start snapping it up. It is as I type down the “last few bottles” according to their latest Facebook reel. You can still pick up a bottle which for a 70cl will set you back £64.75 here direct from DropWorks

    The bottle itself sticks to the DropWorks house style. Clean, modern, and refreshingly free ofgimmicks. No pirates, no shipwrecks, no overwrought backstory. Just the information you actually care about, presented clearly. It probably won’t excite the marketing department but it works for the rest of us.

    In the glass it’s a deeper shade than the first Drop, with a rich amber colour and the faintest reddish tint when the light hits it.

    A slow swirl shows some decent weight and gives the impression this is going to be a bit more structured than its predecessor.

    The nose opens with the cask influence front and centre. Red fruits appear first, more Strawberry and Plum than heavy Red Wine, followed by Caramel and light oak-ey notes. There’s a crack of Black Pepper sitting underneath it all which stops things getting too sweet. Given a bit of time, darker notes start to creep in too. A touch of Cocoa, a hint of something earthy.

    On the sip it there’s DropWorks Distillers Drop #002 rum review by the fat rum pirateheat but it’s well managed. An initial burst of spice gives
    way to Caramel, Vanilla and gentle Oak. The wine cask starts to show its hand a little more with more sips. This adds a soft tannic note that gives the rum shape without drying it out too much.

    As you spend time with it, deeper flavours begin to emerge. Cocoa becomes more obvious, the Oak darkens slightly, and there’s a suggestion of Stewed Fruit rather than fresh sweetness. A slight bitterness runs through the back of the palate which keeps everything in check.

    The mid palate is probably where this works best. The interaction between spirit and cask feels intentional and well judged. The wine influence adds complexity rather than novelty. Crucially it still tastes like rum first and foremost. That’s not something every wine cask rum manages to pull off. Especially those that are from a “wet cask” with soem extra special sauce added……….

    The finish is long and warming. Sweetness fades first, leaving Spice, Oak and that gentle wine derived dryness lingering nicely. A final echo of caramel and pepper hangs around long enough to encourage another sip, which is always a good sign.

    I didn’t really mix this. I thought about it briefly, but that was as far as it got. Like DropDropWorks Distillers Drop #002 rum review by the fat rum pirate #001, this feels far more at home sipped neat or maybe with a cube if you’re feeling generous. You could use it to reinforce a cocktail, particularly something spiritforward, but you’d be missing the point a little.

    DropWorks aren’t trying to make these Distillers Drops appeal to everyone and that’s a good thing. Drop #002 feels like a step forward rather than a repeat performance. More refined than the first, but still clearly part of the same “What happens if we try this?” thinking that makes the series worth paying attention to.

    It won’t be for casual drinkers, but for those who enjoy cask forward, higher strength rums and are interested in where modern British rum is heading, this is another excellent showing.

     

  • Pampero Anejo Especial

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Pampero Anejo Especial Rum ReviewRon Pampero is typically known by Venezuelan’s as “Caballito Frenao” (literal translation “The Restrained Horse”).  Which is guess explains in part the man astride a white horse on it red label (though it shows no sign of restraints).For those unfamiliar with Venezuela it is sandwiched between Guyana and Venezuela.  Venezuela’s coast line is on the Caribbean Sea.

    Pampero or Industria Pampero C.A was founded in 1938 by Alejandro Hernandez.  The are subisdiary of Diageo,  This probably goes some way to explain how this rum is quite easily available in the UK and most of Europe.  My first experience of this rum was in a UK bar and it is often one of the “better” (not saying much) available rums in more trendy establishments.

    The Anejo Especial is a blend of Venezuelan rum aged upto 2 years in American Oak (Bourbon) Barrels.  Pampero currently have four rums in their line up, this, a similarly aged White (Blanco) rum, the 1938 Seleccion and finally the Pampero Aniversario.  A 70cl bottle of this rum will set you back around £18-22 in the UK.

    As can be seen from the picture the rum comes in fairly standard bar style bottle (save for the horse emblem embossed on the neck).  Whilst the rum comes with a screw top enclosure, the screw top is of very high standard.  There is very little chance of the cap becoming detached from the bottle without the threads breaking first.  Despite being from a mega corporation such as Diageo the bottle is entirely in Spanish.  A HMRC duty sticker is not part of the label and is instead stuck on the rear of the bottle.  I find this quite unusual.  This is usually common amongst less commercial bottlers.

    In the bottle the rum presents itself as gold rum.  Similar in many ways to other Anejo’s such as Diplomatico and Havana Club’s anejo offerings.  For those who don’t know anejo simply means aged (it is often used to describe rums aged between 2 and 5 years on its own).  When poured the rum retains its colour.  The nose is quite flowery and buttery.  It has a little bit of the Havana twang but doesn’t exhibit the tobacco tones of the Havana Club Anejo Especial.  It’s quite similar to the Diplomatico Anejo in terms of smell.  The nose in many ways is quite boozy but at the same time delicate with hints of vanilla.  It reminds me of a Bajan style rum.  The Pampero Anejo Especial is not overly sweetened as many of these Central/South American rums tend to be, whilst there may be a little sugar added it doesn’t seem to have been adultered much by way of additives. On the nose at least it seems quite a clean rum.

    Onto the tasting.  The taste is fairly pleasant.  Despite the relatively young age of the rum it doesn’t burn much at all when sipped. It’s really quite an easy going rum.  There is a little burn and the finish lingers in the mouth giving a little spice.  It’s quite a dry rum – again similar to a Bajan (think Seales 10 year old).  It has quite a long finish and leaves notes of toffee and slight sugary caramel.  These notes aren’t very distinct though it isn’t by any stretch of the imagination a particularly sweet or fruity rum.  There is a little bit of banana and vanilla initially but isn’t in spades like some rums.

    As a mixing rum its perfectly acceptable.  To be honest often when I’m out and about it’s a welcome relief to see Pampero Anejo Especial behind the bar.  However, despite this it isn’t a rum which I am going to stock regularly in my bar.  Like so many rum’s in the £20 price bracket it is (as the price would suggest) bang average.  It’s a relatively smooth if uncomplicated sipper and its pretty  much the same as a mixer.  It does both job’s well but there isn’t a lot shouting out at you in this rum to make you feel the need to buy it again.

    2 stars

     

     

  • Dictador Distillery Icon Reserve Aged 20 Years Solera System Rum

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Dictador Distillery Icon Reserve Aged 20 Years Solera System Rum review by the fat rum pirateDictador Distillery Icon Reserve Aged 20 Years Solera System Rum.  Quite a mouthful but thats what they’ve put on the label.  Quite how Aged 20 Years and “Solera System Rum” works is anyones guess, however.

    Dictador are a rum brand from Colombia. They also have lines of coffee, cigars and gin.  I’ve not been around the rum scene for that long but Dictador 12 was one of the first “premium” rums I bought.  I reviewed it in the early days of this blog. As was one of the aims of this blog I have learnt a great deal about rum since then.  I won’t revisit that review until I have completed this one.  I don’t recall being blown away by Dictador 12 though.

    Dictador rums are the kind of rums you will find in high end department stores that like to stock designer “gear”.  You’ll find them along side the likes of Zacapa XO, DIplomatico and Don Papa.  Presentation wise the Japanese made squat opaque bottles are very attractive and the black and blue colourway on this particular bottling is striking.  Presentation wise these are very much “designer” rums.  If there is indeed such a thing.

    A 70cl bottle of Dictador Aged 20 Years Solera System Rum will set you back around £50 it is bottled at a rather standard 40% ABV.  Dictador rums are pretty easy to pick up in the UK.  They have definitely tapped into the market.  Having said that I don’t really hear that much talk about them in rum circles.  Except when the Solera System gets brought up or we begin talking about the origin of rums…..

    Or when we start talking about “Virgin Sugar Cane Honey”.  The Dictador website is as slick as the bottles. Taking the information from the website you would believe this rum is a 20 year old aged in a Solera System.  Which doesn’t make a great deal of sense to me.  Dictador note that is a blend of rums distilled in Copper Alembic (Pot) and a Steel Continuous Column.  Which produces a “medium bodied” rum.  It seems to me Dictador are using the finest Grade A marketing tactics as used by Zacapa and Diplomatico with their descriptors.

    Dictador are a brand who claim to have been in existence since 1913. The following slideshow gives you more information on the brand.  The brand hails from Cartagena de Indias.  Dictador Distillery Icon Reserve Aged 20 Years Solera System Rum review by the fat rum pirateInteresting Dictador have a master blender rather than distiller Hernan Parra.

    When I originally tried the Dictador 12 I did think it had been adultered in some way.  I still hold this view.  True it “passed” the Hydrometer test but that can be easily fooled by other sweet alcohols such as sweet wine and other less invasive additives.  I’ve not seen anything which explains how the flavour has been produced. They do not mention anywhere I have seen what the rum in the Solera is aged in ie what type of barrels/casks.

    My thoughts on the flavour profile of Dictador will be revealed more over the next few paragraphs as I nose and taste this rum.

    Dictador Distillery Icon Reserve Aged 20 Years is a rich, dark brown colour. Without knowing the exact age of the rums in the blend (it is not a full 20 years) I’d still be surprised if the colour was entirely natural.

    A quick nosing reveals a very sweet, light almost Cuban style rum. It’s slightly floral but it does have a quite surpising hit of alcohol fumes. It’s reasonably spicy but it all seems a little “candied”. Overall the nose isn’t bad and there is quite a bit to come back to and far amount of complexity.  Licorice, cinnamon and some sweet boozy notes – like a younger rum sometimes exhibits. There is a hint of tobacco and a touch of tar. Overall though its mostly sweet.

    Sipped you get coffee, a lot of coffee. Sweet sugary coffee. It’s actually a lot more spicy than I had expected. I do believe quite a portion of rum a LOT younger than 20 years is in this blend. I’m not getting much of the pot still rum – its not doing much in this blend. Blind I would have assumed this was all column. It’s light and inoffensive. It has a reasonable amount of alcohol burn to reassure you it is a 40% spirit. Unfortunately it doesn’t have a lot of what I would determine as “rummy” characteristics. It’s more like a kind of sherried flavoured vodka. I’m sure such a drink exists somewhere.

    Sweet, light bordering on floral and with that strange coffee like hit especially on the finish. Which is very short. It’s an interesting spirit but I wouldn’t want to be forking out £50 on this if I wanted a bottle of rum.

    It’s agreeable and easy enough to drink. Whether it is really a rum I’m not so sure. It didn’t hold my interest. It’s certainly different to a lot of rums on the market. I’m not sure that is a good thing though.

     

     

  • Diplomatico Mantuano

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Diplomatico Botucal Mantuano Rum Review by the fat rum pirateDiplomatico (or Botucal in Germany) Mantuano – meaning nobleman and also a cocoa producing town in Venezeula.  Which is where Diplomatico rums are produced.

    Diplomatico Mantuano was showcased at the London Rumfest in October 2016.  It is a direct replacement for the companies Reserva rum.  It has retained the orange parts of that rums colour scheme and the ornate rounded stubby bottle.  I always feel these bottles look smaller than most 70cl bottles.  Clearly this is an optical illusion as they hold the same amount of liquor.

    Diplomatico have three dark rums in their core range – Anejo, Mantuano and Reserva Exclusvia.  The Reserva Exclusiva is the most popular of these and the sweetest.

    Presentation wise we get the familiar Diplomatico bottle which is a very dark brown for this release.  A white, black and orange colour scheme sets the rum apart on the shelf. Unlike the Reserva Exclusiva, Diplomatico have opted to put the familiar face of Don Juancho more prominently on the bottle (I think this is a wise move on their part).  Don Juancho was a much heralded spirits collector in Venezuela.

    Diplomatico tell us that this rum is “Aged for up to eight years, Mantuano is a blend of Column, Batch Kettle and Pot Still rums and made from molasses and sugar cane honey”.

    A 70cl bottle of this rum should set you back around £30.  Only slightly cheaper than the Reserva Exclusiva.  Which I think was the real issue with the Reserva.  Not sure how this rum will change things?  I rarely heard the Reserva talked about or reviewed.  Most seemed to be drawn the Reserva Exclusiva and seemed to stick with that.

    A few years ago Diplomatico’s Reserva Exclusiva and Ron Zacapa 23 were regularly held up as the “best rums in the world”.  I’ve noticed a slight change in opinion lately – more and more enthusiasts seem to be becoming more interested in learning what is actually in the bottle.  I hope in my own small way I have helped with this.Diplomatico Botucal Mantuano Rum Review by the fat rum pirate

    A hydrometer test shows that this rum has 8g/L of additives.  This compared to the Reserva Exclusiva is pretty low.  The Reserva which preceded Mantuano was measured between 7 and 12 during its life cycle.

    In the glass you get a very dark reddish brown coloured liquid.  For an eight year old rum it is likely that it has been coloured with caramel.

    The nose is familiar it reminds me of other Venezuelan rums such as Pampero Anniversario and Cacique.  It’s sweet with scents of brazil nuts and some butteryness like shortbread.  There is a distinctive mix of coffee and caramel to the overall nose.

    It’s light and approachable.  It has an average complexity in keeping with the rums age. If you enjoy easy drinking uncomplicated sippers you will be reassured by the nose.

    When sipped the rum isn’t as sweet as the nose suggests.  In terms of flavour it doesn’t really have anything too distinct coming out when sipped.  Overall it is a sweet rum but it exhibits a sweetness which is more common to a naturally sweet rum rather than a sweetened one laden with additives.

    There is a little spice on the palate and a tiny slither of oak.  The finish has a little coffee and a touch of caramel.  It is smooth and very easy to drink.  It does have a very slightly “grassy” vegetal note but after a couple of glasses that seems to fade away.

    Its just not very exciting.  Much like Cacique 500 it is all just a bit too soft.  Too light, too fluffy.  There are a few thngs going on with the rum but its like the elements are only half trying to get noticed.

    I can’t really get too excited about this rum as I feel I’ve been here a million times before.  As £30 there are a lot of other rums I could buy instead and enjoy a lot more.

    Which is a shame because this rum does show that DilplomDiplomatico Botucal Mantuano Rum Review by the fat rum pirateatico do have a decent base product they just maybe need to up the Pot Still elements within to make it more complex and less safe.

    It’s slightly above average but its overall “safe” profile means it is a bit of a disappointment.  When I saw Diplomatico had re-issued their White Rum (Planos) at 47% ABV I though they might have done something a little more exciting with this.

    It will no doubt sell well and lovers of this light Spanish style of rum will enjoy it.  However, I’m not convinced many will opt for this over the Reserva Exclusiva.  This has more “real” rum character but I don’t think many people buying the Reserva Exclusiva care too much about that.

    It’s certainly more worth its price than some of the other rubbish they’ve pumped out, such as the dreadful Ambassador.

  • Cachaca Princesa Isabel Balsamo Jaqueira

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Cachaca Princesa Isabel Balsamo Jaqueira review by the fat rum pirateCachaca Princesa Isabel Balsamo Jaqueira. This Cachaca hails from Linhares in the state of Espirito Santo. Cachaca Princesa Isabel is produced at the Fazenda Tupa on the banks of the River Doce. If you have a look on their Facebook page, you will be able to see the stunning countryside that surround the Fazenda.

    The production process for Cachaça Princesa Isabel begins with the cultivation of the cane varieties RB7515 and RB5453 at the Fazenda. Once grown the sugar cane is manually harvested, without any burning of the cane. The sugarcane is then crushed within 12 hours of being harvested.

    Part of the “bagasse” is used in a boiler to heat the distillery and the rest for the composting and supplementation of feed for the Nellore cattle, from the Fazenda. The “vinasse” resulting from the distillation of Cachaça Princesa Isabel is stored in a waterproof tank. It is later used in the fertilization of the fields at the Fazenda. 

    Cachaca Princesa Isabel is produced on Alambique Copper Pot Stills which were made for the distillery.

    The particular cachaca I am reviewing today is slightly unusual in that the cachaca has been aged in both Balsamo (Balsam) and Jaqueira (Jackfruit) woods. The Jackfruit barrels are coopered from Jackfruit trees grown locally in and around the Fazenda.

    Cachaca Princesa Isabel Balsamo Jaqueira is presented in a tall thin bottle. With a wooden topped cork stopper. The presentation is very modern and would not look out of place in a high class bar or liquor store.  It retails at around R$100 (around £15) for 750ml bottle. Were it to come to the UK I woudn’t expect to see it retail for anything less than £35-50.

    It has been bottled at 42% ABV. It has been aged for a year in Balsamo and a year in Jaqueira. So two years old from what I understand.

    In keeping with their Facebook presence and presentation of their bottlings Cachaca Princesa Isabel, also have a very useful website. So should you want further information then take a look.Cachaca Princesa Isabel Balsamo Jaqueira review by the fat rum pirate

    So lets see how we find this particular cachaca.

    In the glass, we have a straw/white wine coloured spirit. Maybe a shade darker perhaps.

    Nosing Cachaca Princesa Isabel Balsamo Jaqueira , it has a lovely hit of sweet sugar cane. It’s quite fruity with notes of pear, white grape and a touch of mango. A little time in the glass allows some slightly soapy notes to come out which are pleasant and delicately floral.

    The nose is nicely balanced and very inviting.

    Sipped Cachaca Princesa Isabel Balsamo Jaqueira is quite unlike any cachaca I have tried before. The presence of the Jaqueira wood really gives this an unusual flavour.

    Initially it tastes quite like a lot of cachaca, its not as sweet as the nose suggests and the initial entry is a little spicy with notes of white pepper and some oak. There is a nice herbal note to it. It’s got a soapy kind of aftertaste on the palate which might not sound very nice but its actually quite enjoyable.

    The mid palate moves into even more herbaceous notes. Pine cones and some notes of mint and a touch of tree sap.

    Finish wise it isn’t the longest of finishes. The flavours do dissipate quite quickly.

    Cachaca Princesa Isabel Balsamo Jaqueira review by the fat rum pirate

    However, it does leave behind a very refreshing “clean” tingly mouthfeel.

    With so many cachacas, available in the market in Brasil, it is nice to see something a litttle bit out of the box. When I noted what this has been aged in I decided to put it near the top of future cachaca reviews as I was keen to see how it worked out.

    Well I can report that this combination has worked really well. A very nice start for me with Cachaca Princesa Isabel. If you have taken time to look on their website, you will note they have a range of different cachacas available. As luck would have it I think I may have a sample or two of those as well.

    I’ll be looking forward to reviewing my next Cachaca Princesa Isabel. Great start.

     

     

     

  • Yaguara Cachaca Ouro

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Yaguara Cachaca Ouro Rum Review by the fat rum pirateYaguara Cachaca Ouro came to UK shores last year.  It seems the Brazilian “rum” is beginning to catch on.  Cachaca brands are becoming more commonplace at UK Rum Festivals and trade shows. Cachaca once again highlights the diversity in Sugar Cane Spirits.

    Yaguara Cachaca Ouro is an aged Cachaca. The producers note it is small batch artisinal Cachaca.  Produced in Copper Pot Stills.  They have quite an impressive and informative website.  They have been producing Cachaca for 5 generations. So they are not a new company but their products are new to the UK.

    The first of their products to hit the UK was Yaguara Cachaca Ouro.  However, The Whisky Exchange now stock all their of the Cachaca’s.  A 70cl bottle will set you back £33.75.  It is bottled at 42% ABV.  A lot of Cachaca is bottled at 38% ABV so this is a little different in that respect.

    Yaguara Ouro comes in a tall this slightly rounded bottle with a good quality wax sealed cork stopper.  The Cachaca is a blend of spirit aged in Cabrueva, Amburana and American Oak.  If the first two woods are unfamiliar to you – that is probably because they are native American woods.  The use of such woods is what makes Cachaca different to rum.

    For those of you who aren’t aware Cachaca is produced from Sugar Cane Juice rather than syrup or molasses.  It is similar to Rhum Agricole.  It is often rested in steel vats.  Most white Cachaca is under a year old.  Like Rhum Agricole the amount of ageing required before it is classed as “aged” is often much lower than you might find with molasses based rums.  This is an aged Cachaca but I don’t think any of the distillates used are more than 4 years old.

    Yaguara Ouro is a white wine colour – almost clear with just a tinge of yellow.  Unless you are very familiar with aged Cachaca then you will initially find the nose quite odd.  It is a mix between a rhum agricole and something like tequila or mezcal.Yaguara Cachaca Ouro Rum Review by the fat rum pirate

    The native Brazilian woods used to aged most Cachaca give it a very different and very distinct aroma.  Yaguara Ouro uses both Cabrueva and Amburana alongside more traditional (in rum at least) American oak barrels.

    The resulting nose is much more floral than an Rhum Agricole and it is at the same time still quite medicinal.  Kind of like Pot Pourri steeped in Nail Varnish.  The “woody” notes smell a little like freshly sawn wood – a touch of sawdust.  It reminds me a little of Clairin – sweet yet menacing.  It’s quite a complex nose and quite difficult to pin down.

    Sipped Yaguara Ouro is much more mellow than the nose suggests.  It has a really nice smoky flavour and a lovely flowery note.  Really different and its really piqued my interest in aged Cachaca.

    It is initially fairly sweet with some green apple and a touch of sugar syrup.  This gives way to a light woodiness and an almost florally infused smokiness which is very different to the harsh mass produced industrial White Cachaca I have tried previously.

    The finish isn’t overly long but it is nice and dries out nicely to a smoky slightly oaky conclusion.

    It is quite a delicate spirit once introduced to mixers.  Coke is a definite no-no – it works nicely in a Ti Punch though.  To be honest this cachaca is so interesting it seems a shame to mix it.

    Yaguara Cachaca Ouro Rum Review by the fat rum pirateWhilst Cachaca is essentially rum by another name Yaguara does show that it does indeed need its own identity.  The native woods used give this spirit such a distinct flavour that it would actually flummox people if it were presented to them as rum.

    I’ve really enjoyed this spirit.  It is a million miles away from some of the cheaper industrial White Cachaca I have tried.  It’s definitely worth trying out if you are looking for something different.

    I think personally it is a good thing to keep a bit of variety in your spirit cabinet.  This certainly offers that.

    This offers a nice, gentle change of pace.  It’s quite complex and floral but not overly challenging.  It’s fairly delicate in comparison to heavier rum styles.

    A really decent sip.