Rum of the Year 2018 – Shortlist

Bythefatrumpirate

Rum of the Year Review by the fat rum piratethefatrumpirate.com Rum of the Year 2018.

Obviously, this is the one award that every self respecting rum producer wants to win. In a world where many Rum Awards are determined by paid entries and golden handshakes this is one award no producer can influence. And no amount of nasty emails or invites to distilleries will spoil that……..

Now I know that a number of people have been questioning the award going to Foursquare Rum Distillery for the past 3 years. Is there some kind of bias? Do I receive free products from Foursquare? Am I in Richard Seale’s pocket?

The answer to that is of course – no. Since starting the blog I have received the following from Richard Seale, a ton of information and two pin badges. If you don’t believe me, then ask Richard yourself. Having said that, if you are serious about rum and no not believe Foursquare deserve the awards they have received over the past few years, you must live in Cloud Cuckoo Land. Or you have been bought by other producers……

Since starting this blog way back in 2014, I have always ensured that my reviews are 100% honest and reflect my genuine view of a product, as a consumer. Recently I have begun to receive more and more samples, from around the world. However, 95% of these samples are received from fellow Rum Enthusiasts, not from the producers.

So what about the other 5%? Well yes I do receive some free samples. These samples reflect very much the ethos of the blog. So I have received sample product from the likes of Kill Devil, Berry Bros & Rudd, The Whisky Barrel, St Lucia Distillers and Worthy Park – amongst others. Rums where you know you are going to get something of a certain standard and you only get rum in the bottle.

I do not get sent the latest Super Duper Premium from Central America. Bit strange I don’t get sent rums laden with additives isn’t it? Still there are more than enough arse licking fence sitters who will still fawn over such releases..

To be honest when I set the blog up, I always knew it was going to divide opinion.The fact of the matter is there are a lot of people out there claiming to be “promoting transparency” coming out with all the appropriate quotes in the forums. They quickly backtrack as soon as they get an invite to the opening of a crisp packet. Then trot out all the marketing nonsense they learned. It’s the only transparent thing about them.

From a selfish and personal point of view, it is also good for me to see so many bloggers who will sell out. Then concentrate their time and effort on rums and companies no serious enthusiast cares about. The worse your blog is the more viewers I get. Keep up the good work!

It is baffling and perhaps a little sad that a blogger such as myself is seen as “controversial”. People should be honest and be sure of their opinions. Saying things how it is, should be every bloggers raison d’etre. It is sad to see so much fence sitting and pro-industry bias.

To be honest a lot of these bloggers don’t really get much by way of views and have very little influence. Some are little more than Facebook and Instagram irritants, piping up with their regurgitated quotes and quips.  In terms of other actual Rum Reviewers blogs such as The Lone Caner, Rum Diaries Blog, Rum Shop Boy and DuRhum do at least take a regular stab at honest opinion and delve beneath the marketing for information in their reviews. They aren’t the problem.

Anyway let’s get on with our Rum of the Year. By coincidence, rather than design I find I have given 10 rums a 5 star rating this year. So I will leave that as the starting criteria and decide which one I think was the best rum of last year.

Please note these are rums I reviewed last year – they may have been released prior to last year and yes I know I have “missed” a lot of great rums. I can only review so many per year.

The actual Rum of the Year will be revealed in due course……..it is amongst these 10 bottlings

Compagnie des Indes New Yarmouth Denmark Rum Review by the fat rum pirateCompagnie des Indes Jamaica New Yarmouth 12 Year Old (Danish Bottling)

First up is a true funk bomb of Jamaican wonderfulness. Sadly this particular high proof bottling was only available in Denmark. The rest of Europe got a reduced proof version, which quite frankly does count this one out of the running.

Fantastic rum though and a real hit at the London Rumfest in 2017.

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

Another trip to Jamaica, this time we visit Hampden Estate courtesy of Hunter Laing’s excellent Kill Devil range via The Whisky Barrel online store.Kill Devil Jamaica Hampden Distillery Aged 10 Years The Whisky Barrel Rum Review by the fat rum pirate

Fantastically funky and a really great rum. The Whisky Barrel released a number of Hampden bottlings in 2018 and certainly got plenty of custom from this Rum Enthusiast!

Foursquare Rum Distillery Principia

Foursquare Rum Distillery Principia Review by the fat rum pirateThe latest Foursquare bottling (on general release) in conjunction with Velier. We await the standard Destino bottling in the UK with baited breath but we’ve been more than spoiled (again) by Foursquare this year.

This was another classic.

 

Foursquare Rum Distillery Premise

A very deliberate release by Richard Seale. Aimed at a different segment Foursquare Rum Distillery Premise rum review by the fat rum pirateof the market, to the likes of Criterion and Principia. This is a lower ABV and slightly gentler rum. Designed to show people sweet rum is far superior to sweetened rum.

An advancement on the Port and Zin Cask rums in terms of ABV at 46% but still a very accessible entry into “real” rum.

 

Foursquare Rum Distillery 2005

Foursquare 2005 Rum Distillery Rum Review by the fat rum piratAn update on our 2016 Rum of the Year winner, the 2004. Difficult to decide whether this one is better or just different to the 2004.

A seemingly very simple rum – blend of pot and column aged in bourbon casks and released at 59% ABV. Sounds a little boring?

It’s anything but.

Havana Anisio Santiago Aguardente de Cana

Havana Anisio Santiago Aguardente de Cana Cachaca rum review by the fat rum pirate2Some of these rums weren’t actually released for the first time last year. Some are old staples, I have just gotten around to trying. 2018 saw me begin a Cachaca journey in earnest. This is widely recognised as one of the best Cachaca/Aguardente de Cana available in Brasil.

An example of how good aged Cachaca can be. You could argue, I should just have rum on this list. Not when something is as good as this!

Rhum J.M XO Tres Vieux Rhum Agricole

Rhum JM XO Agricole Rhum Rum Review by the fat rum pirateIt’s not very often every member of staff and even the odd browsing customer tells you how great a particular rhum is when you pick it up. But that is what happened to me in Charles de Gaulle airport earlier this year.

I was aware how good Rhum J.M could be from past experience but this as a continuous release, is a fantastic rhum which is now a staple here..

It wasn’t released last year but I felt it more than worthy of a place in the final countdown.

Habitation Velier Worthy Park 2007 WPL

Habitation Velier Worthy Park 2007 WPL Rum Review by the fat rum pirateGoing forward, I doubt this will be the last 5 star rum from the Worthy Park Estate. They have been toying with perfection for a good few years now and finally with this wonderful expression they hit the peak of their powers.

An absolutely fantastic rum. Everything just seemed to fall into place with this one.

Appleton Estate 15 Year Old Limited Edition

Appleton Estate 15 Year Old Limited Edition Rum Review by the fat rum pirateWhen researching this blog you find out all kinds of information. Apparently the biggest market for Appleton rum at the present time is Canada. So this meant that this Limited Edition 15 Year old rum was released only in Canada.

Rumours of a UK release persist but for now you’ll need a holiday or a rum runner to get this one in Europe.

Well worth trying either!

Foursquare Rum Distillery Destino Velier 70th Anniversary Release

Foursquare Rum Distillery Destino Velier 70th Anniversay Release Rum Review by the fat rum pirateFrom what I gather this release was made up of rum from different barrels to the standard Destino release (as mentioned earlier and we are still waiting!). Other than that the make up of the rum is the same age, barrel type etc.

Another really good rum from Foursquare. They are perhaps dominating this list but they really are having a purple patch at the moment.

So what is your favourite from the list? Any idea which rum I will choose as Overall Rum of the Year? A lot of Jamaican funk and Bajan balance in the list.

All will be revealed tomorrow.

 

 

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  • Santiago de Cuba Carta Blanca

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Santiago de Cuba Carta Blanca rum review by the fat rum pirateSantiago de Cuba is a Cuban rum brand named after the city of Santiago.  A green mountain range named “Sierra Maestra”, the golden sun and the Caribbean Sea characterise the landscape around the city of Santiago.  The landscape can be found in the brands logo.

    The Cuban rum distilleries came into existence in the middle of the 19th century. One of the largest distilleries is located in Santiago de Cuba.  The secrets of producing rum are passed on from generation to generation through the “Maestros Roneros”.

    Cuban rum has long been well represented here in the UK, in the form of Havana Club.  Santiago de Cuba has been sporadically available here via a variety of importers.  There has never been what you would class as a steady stream of Santiago de Cuba rum though.  JBE Imports have recently began importing three Santiago de Cuba expressions along with the Ron Cubay brand they were already importing.

    Santiago de Cuba Carta Blanca is a 3 year old white rum.  The rum retails at around £22 per 70cl bottle and (as many younger “rons” are) is bottled at 38% ABV rather than at 40%.

    Santiago de Cuba is column distilled rum and is primarily to be used as a mixer.

    In the glass the Santiago de Cuba Carta Blanca is clear with no signs of any “yellow” tinges – this suggests it has been filtered quite a bit if it is a 3 year old rum.

    The nose is quite pleasant it is sweet and clean.  It’s not a huge nose but whilst their are scents of sweet young alcohol it is not at all harsh.  Maybe a little banana on the nose a touch of those banana shaped foam sweets.

    Santiago de Cuba Carta Blanca rum review by the fat rum pirateSipping the rum is a surprisingly smooth if slightly underwhelming experience.  It has a little bit of tobacco or leather but it is mainly just a very neutral tasting spirit.  It’s not rough or harsh.  You could almost mistake this for a vodka albeit a slightly sweet one.

    Mixing the rum with cola gives a smooth, very easy drinking, slightly buttery, light and fresh tasting drink.  On the exit surprisingly is a pretty strong leathery finish which gives a little extra bite to the drink.

    Despite the plus points to this rum I still feel that overall it is all just a little bit to light and to clean.  The only real evidence of “rum” comes in the finish which is slightly leathery with a note of tobacco.  I really enjoy more fruity white rums such as Chairman’s Reserve White Label and Appleton Special.

    This is probably handy for a bartender needing a more easy going rum. From my perspective though it is very average.

    2 stars

     

  • The Duchess Barbados 19 Year Old Rum

    Bythefatrumpirate

    The Duchess Barbados 19 Year Old Rum review by the fat rum pirateThe Duchess Barbados 19 Year Old Rum. We have another bottling in the The Duchess “Hummingbird” series for review today. This bottling is noted as being “Distilled at Barbados Oldest” on the front label. Which as many a rum enthusiast means Mount Gay Rum Distillery, Bridgetown, Barbados.

    In recent years certain distilleries have requested that Independent Bottlers do not use the name of the distillery or at least do not display it as a “headline” on the their labelling. Confusion between official, co-bottlings and Independent bottlings.

    Increasingly Caribbean distilleries have been expanding their portfolios into more aged rums, single casks and limited editions. Which were previously very much the domain of the Independent bottler. Some very historic distilleries such as Hampden Estate had never released an aged rum under their own “brand” until a few years ago. Increasingly the distilleries are seeing the distillery name as the “brand”. Without doubt in some instances Independent bottlers have enhanced the reputation of the distilleries products.

    So as a result you will not see an Independent bottling with “Mount Gay” written on it going forward. To be honest I can’t think of all that many times I have seen any Independently bottled Mount Gay rum. They have historically sold a lot less bulk rum than other Barbados distilleries. Such is the success globally of rums such as Eclipse and Mount Gay XO.

    I’d also like to qualify also that whilst Mount Gay Distillery is the oldest official distillery on the island – with records dating back to 1703, there were plenty of unofficial distilleries on the island prior to this……..

    The Duchess Barbados 19 Year Old Rum – Distilled at Barbados Oldest or “Barbados Oldest” is part of the Hummingbird series of rums designed by Dutch artist Hans Dillesse. Todays Hummingbird would appear to be the Antillean Crested hummingbird as I cannot see any green on its plumage unlike the Green Throated Carib. (PS Barbados has only 2 native Hummingbirds – I am not some kind of Twitcher).

    The rum was distilled at Mount Gay Distillery way back in 2000 and bottled in 2019. It spent 6 years ageing in Barbados before being transferred to Europe. It has been matured in ex-bourbon casks. The rum is from cask number 49 and was bottled at Cask Strength 54.3% ABV. Although not stated I am assuming that this is a Pot/Column blend.The Duchess Ten Cane Distillery Trinidad Aged 11 Years Rum Review by the fat rum pirate

    There were 252 bottles at the time of bottling.The Duchess Barbados 19 Year Old rum is available from Best Of Wines and Zeewijck (amongst others) to those on the continent. For those closer to (my) home Edencroft Wines also have stock. It retails at around the £/€100 mark.

    From memory this may be the oldest Mount Gay rum I have tasted, but don’t quote me on that!

    So let’s see how this latest The Duchess bottling is.

    First up in the glass we have a classic golden to dark brown rum with red and orange flashes. It is a little cloudy but that is something we should not be disappointed with!

    The nose is very fruity with lots of pear, pineapple and some mango. The usual Mount Gay coconut note is there but not as prominent as usual. Further nosing reveals some cashew nuts, milk chocolate and some fruity raisins.

    It’s quite light and slightly floral with a slightly acidic note to it. It’s nicely balanced and quite different for a Bajan style of rum. There isn’t as much vanilla and coconut or charred oak you often get with Mount Gay. This is certainly quite different.

    It does have a nice balance and a bit more time in the glass does see more vanila and oak influence but its playing second fiddle to the fruity and floral notes.

    Sipped this is again very fruity. Green Apple, some bitter Gooseberries and some rose water. There is a bit more oak and spice on the entry and mid palate than the nose suggested. It’s welcome as it adds an extra layer on the top of the sweeter fruitier and floral notes. I’m still getting very little of the more familiar Mount Gay profile. Not much vanilla or coconut.

    In some ways this is fruity in the sense of a sugar can juice/Agricole Rhum. It’s certainly not your typical Barbados rum. Quite different – more like something from Mauritius perhaps. It’s light and nicely balanced.The Duchess Barbados 19 Year Old Rum review by the fat rum pirate

    The mid palate has a bit more oak and more spice which is a little more familiar. There is a slightly “damp” note to this rum – an almost damp hay like note which is interesting.

    As we move into the finish the rum delivers quite a long yet gentle finish. Even by Barbados standards and considering this is Cask Strength this is a very easy sipper.

    The finish is a good length with a nice hit of oak and some bitter bark coming through. The fruitiness fades out nicely to give this a really nice rounded finish. It’s long and very enjoyable.

    All in all this is another really interesting barrel pick from The Duchess. Certainly not a barrel you would pick if you were searching for something similar to Mount Gay’s regular releases that is for sure. Quite how the rum has ended up quite so different – I do not know. Maybe 13 years Continental ageing? Or maybe this was some kind of experimental blend.

    Had I been given this blind I doubt I would ever have guessed it at being from Mount Gay as it tastes so different to what I have experienced before. That said it’s a really interesting and very good rum in its own right.

     

  • Foursquare Rum Distillery Empery

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Foursquare Rum Distillery Empery Rum Review by the fat rum pirateFoursquare Rum Distillery Empery. This is one of three “sherried” rums from Foursquare, which have appeared on the market over the past few weeks.

    All are official Foursquare releases and all contain rums aged for 14 years. Foursquare Rum Distillery Empery is an Exceptional Cask Selection release. Mark IX – the ninth in the series. Closely followed by the latest “straight bourbon” matured 2007.

    I’ve already reviewed Hereditas, which was the Whisky Exchange Exclusive rum and I will shortly be putting Patrimonio to the test which is distributed in Europe by Velier.

    This is the cheapest of the three releases coming in at around £65 it’s available at The Whisky Exchange but isn’t exclusive to them. Other retailers are stocking this rum.

    Foursquare Rum Distillery Empery is a blend of Pot/Column distilled rum aged for14 years in ex-bourbon casks and a portion of Pot Column distilled rum which was aged for 10 years in ex-bourbon casks and then matured for a further 4 years in ex-sherry casks. It has been bottled at Cask Strength 56& ABV. So it has a very similar make up to Hereditas and Patrimonio.

    Presentation wise the ECS have all been released in “traditional” stubby Foursquare bottles which are also used for the Doorly’s rum range. The labels continue to contain a wealth of information on the actual rum. Following issues with the natural cork stoppers Foursquare are now using synthetic plastic topped stoppers in the main – though my Empery has a wooden stopper.

    Foursquare have also begun adding a kind of Olympic medal style pendant on the neck of the bottle. They’ve also dropped the “Rum Distillery” part of the title – I personally preferred it that way. For no particular reason I can think of.

    In the glass we are presented with a dark brown spirit with a very vivid orange hue. Nosing reFoursquare Rum Distillery Empery Rum Review by the fat rum pirateveals a sweet easy going, very fruity Barbados rum. I would say most people familiar would recognise this as Foursquare product. The sherry influence isn’t quite as pronounced as it is with Hereditas. It’s still fruity – raisins, sultanas and a hint of blackberry but it doesn’t have quite the same sherried note as Hereditas does.

    Dark chocolate – almost like fruit infused chocolate and some pistachio are present. Oak spice and some vanilla do mingle in with the nose but the ex-bourbon cask influence isn’t quite as apparent as with other Foursquare releases.

    Empery’s nose is similar to Hereditas, however once you begin sipping you realise the differences between the two rums.

    For me this rum drinks more like Dominus or Criterion. It’s rich, dark and quite woody. The fruity elements of the nose are dialled back a notch on the sip.

    The initial entry is fairly sweet with notes of raisin and red grapes. This quickly moves into a spicy and quite oaky mid palate. The flavours are intense – lots of dark fruits, tobacco and a ginger and black pepper explosion.

    This is a drier, more intense tasting rum than Hereditas. Even though Hereditas was bottled at Cask Strength it was much “lighter” and easier to drink. This is a rum you will probably spend more time, between each sip. It’s just a touch more complex.

    Finish wise the Cask Strength really plays it part on the finish. It is very long and leaves a real tingle on the tongue. Rich and oaky with a lot of spice from the barrel.

    It’s a very good rum (my near empty bottle is testament to that) if another producer put this out it would cause all kinds of ripples amongst rum geeks. With Foursquare it’s just another excellent rum. No surprise really. The surprise will come when Richard releases something mediocre.

    In my review of Hereditas, I alluded to the fact that my scoring scale gives me little wiggle room. I haven’t got the joy of being able to rate a rum as 91 rather than 92. To be honest I didn’t do that for a reason – I just don’t think it’s necessary. I really honestly couldn’t justify why I might give Foursquare 2006 95 points and then give Destino 96. I probably would have driven myself mad ranking and rating all theFoursquare Rum Distillery Empery Rum Review by the fat rum pirate rums I have tasted.

    Read what I say about the rum. It might be that, what I don’t like about a rum is what you might find really appealing. The score is important but its only my opinion.

    I guess this is leading up to a big BUT with this rum. Not really, to be honest I just want to explain why I am awarding this rum a lower mark than Hereditas.

    I just find Hereditas easier to drink – Empery has a slightly drier/bitter note, especially on the finish, where Hereditas is fruitier. It’s a personal preference. I know for a fact a lot of rum lovers will prefer this over Hereditas.

    Neither rum has a poor “balance” – something which I have always found with Foursquare rums. The balance and blend of the rums is always nigh on perfect. You always feel the rum is exactly what Richard was looking for. He’s produced 3 rums which look very similar when written down. When blended and bottled we have three very distinct expressions. A review of Patrimonio will follow soon. For more opinions on Empery (and 2007) have a look at Rum Revelations.

    My advice on which Foursquare rum to buy?

    Buy them all. After all Empery means “Absolute Sovereignty” and at the moment Foursquare are pretty much ruling the rum world.

  • Cockspur Old Gold Special Reserve Rum

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Cockspur Old Special Reserve RumCockspur Old Gold Special Reserve Rum. I always think of the cricket, when I see Cockspur. Which is strange, because aside from being a mean left handed fast bowler in my youth, my adversity to having small hard things thrown at me at speeds of up to 60mph, largely diminished my interest in the game.

    That said, I was more than happy delivering a “full toss” (no sniggering at the back), especially at my PE teacher or kids from rival schools.

    Anyway I digress. Cockspur have over the years sponsored various cricket competitions throughout the West Indies and the Caribbean.

    Cockspur Fine Rum is probably the most recognised expression in the Cockspur portfolio. It has long been very easily available in the UK. Indeed it was one of the first “premium” branded rums I tried once I gravitated from Supermarket own make rum. Yes, I started at the very bottom. There is little snobbery on this blog.

    The brand was re-booted in the UK in 2019. It is now handled by The Cockspur Rum Company, who are based in Warrington. Distribution of Cockspur was passed to Quintessential Brands in 2017. A quick google of the two companies reveals both are coming out of the same address. So although Cockspur doesn’t appear on the Quintessential website it appears they are still involved with the brand.

    I thought I had viewed a UK or European Cockspur website a while back but I don’t seem able to find it at the moment. It might have been a figment of my imagination. There is a Cockspur.com website but it’s a little out dated and had no real useful information anyway.

    Cockspur Old Gold Special Reserve Rum hails from Bridgetown, Barbados and is produced at the West Indies Rum Distillery (WIRD), which of course is now owned by Maison Ferrand who produce Plantation, which is soon to be The Rum Formerly Known As Plantation – TRFKAP for short.

    Cockspur Old Special Reserve RumUnlike the Plantation line Cockspur Old Gold Special Reserve Rum has been distilled, aged and blended in Barbados. It says so on the front label. It doesn’t say anything about additives but I can confirm there are none as per the hydrometer.

    Cockspur Old Gold Special Reserve Rum has not been reviewed much at all online. It is only recently that I have seen this available outside of the Caribbean and the US. I do not recall ever seeing this for sale in the UK, until very recently. I’ve always enjoyed Cockspur Fine Rum, so when I saw this for sale I bought it immediately, along with the XO and the re-branded Cockspur Fine Rum. All will be reviewed shortly. I went for this one first as I hadn’t reviewed any variation of it in the past.

    Cockspur Old Gold Special Reserve Rum is a blend of Column and Pot Distilled rum. I am putting them in that order because I understand that the majority of the rum is Double Column Distilled rum with a smaller proportion of Pot Still rum added.

    The blend is aged in ex-bourbon barrels, for what I understand to be a minimum of 5 years. It has been bottled at “Island” strength (a number of Barbadian expressions, such as Mount Gay Eclipse, are bottled at a slightly higher ABV on Barbados, than they are when exported) of 43% ABV. In the UK you can currently pick up a bottle at Master of Malt and Amazon. Expect to pay around £30.

    Presentation wise the bottle is clean and uncluttered. You don’t get any information on the actual rum sadly. Just tasting notes and the fact that it is produced and bottled on Barbados. The labels have a slightly photo-copied look about them but only really close up. The actual bottle is a 3/4 stubby style bottle with a short neck. The rum is sealed with a wooden topped synthetic cork stopper. All in all it looks modern and has an appeal on the shelf.

    My curiosity is peaked by the fact that is noted as being around 5 years old so I am keen to learn how it compare’s to Plantation’s own flagship 5 Year Old Barbados rum. Which, I understand is now made using rum from WIRD only. I’ll point out at this stage that Cockspur is not part of Maison Ferrand. The brand is licensed out in much the same way Malibu is.

    So l better get down to business and see how the delivery is on this one (get it??).

    In the glass I am presented with a classic golden/dark rum profile. As this is a continuous product it is highly likely it has had some caramel added solely for colouring purposes. Cockspur Old Gold Special Reserve Rum has a slightly reddish hue to go alongside the golden/dark brown colour. Cockspur Old Special Reserve Rum

    Nosing the rum is quite light. Even by Barbadian standards the nose is not particularly punchy. There is a fair amount of booze on the nose. It does smell a little younger than I would expect. Maybe the information on it being around 5 years old is out of date. It’s a no age statement rum so its no big deal for me. I learnt a while back not to obsess over numbers. In fairness often reviewing rums without all the facts works best anyway…….I’m probably contradicting myself a bit there. Never mind just call me Mary.

    Further nosing reveals some toffee and a hint of caramel. A little vanilla. The nose is quite oaky and slightly astringent. Time in the glass brings out a bit more character. I’m getting some heavier notes now of burnt banana and some brown sugar.

    As a sipper Cockspure Old Gold Special Reserve Rum is a little rough and ready. The initial entry hints at toffee, chocolate and molasses but it is quickly taken over by a heavier, bitter note of oak and woody spices. As far as a Barbados rum goes it’s quite “heavy”.

    With further sips your palate seems to adapt to the overwhelming bitterness of the first sip. The initial entry improves with more of the toffee, caramel and brown sugar notes lingering for a longer time. There is also a fair bit of molasses like bitter treacle which when combined with the bitter woody oak isn’t as pleasant or as balanced as I would like.

    That said the sweetness does improve with further sipping and it does get a better balance. Finish wise it isn’t particularly long or very “fiery” you get most of the oak and spice and woodiness on the mid palate. I expected more from the finish but it just fades out quite quickly into a low burn on the chest.

    Cockspur Old Special Reserve RumThe back label recommends serving this over ice or with Ginger Ale for a Bajan mule. I mixed this both with Cola and Ginger Beer. It made a pretty pleasant stab at both drinks. In particular with Ginger Ale.

    Then again at £30 a bottle it should perhaps be a bit better than decent mixer. If you compare it to other Barbados rums such as Old Brigand, Doorly’s 5 or Mount Gay Black Barrel (I’ve not tried the newer blend so I’m talking about the older one) I just don’t think it is as good a rum.

    That said I didn’t find this particularly unpleasant and at the end of the day at least it is an honest Barbados rum.

     

     

  • 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

     

     

  • Cor Cor Red – Okinawan Rum

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Cor Cor Red Rum Review by the fat rum pirateCor Cor Red Okinawan Rum.  Cor Cor Red and Green first seriously caught my eye at London Rumfest 2017.  They were displaying at the Boutique Rumfest on the Friday afternoon.  A show which is designed for new rums to display their wares to the “trade”. Its the part of the weekend I personally enjoy the most. The atmosphere is a little more restrained and you get to try a lot of new rums.

    Grace Rum is the name of the company which oversees production of Cor Cor rum.  From looking through their website it appears that they used to have three expressions Cor Cor Green, Cor Cor Red and a luxury version Cor Cor Premium which seems to have disappeared from the line up.

    Cor Cor Red is a molasses based rum as opposed to Cor Cor Green which is a sugar cane juice or agricole style rum.  Grace Rum do have a website (which may be a little out of date).  It seems from reading their website that both their existing expressions are unaged white rums.  No mention is made anywhere regarding the ageing of the rums.

    Cor Cor benefit from producing their own sugar cane and molasses.  You might be quite surprised to learn that a lot of existing rum producers no longer use molasses from their own islands.  Cor Cor are also quite upfront about the type of rum they produce.  I have never seen a rum producer openly admit “not everyone will like our rum” in quite such an honest and straightforward way.

    Cor Cor Red and Green seem to be aimed very much at rum enthusiasts seeking out a new experience.  Japanese rum is still uncommon I can only think of Ryoma as another example. They also focus on their rums being a limited edition dependant on the amount of sugar cane they can harvest.  A sugar can harvest takes place only once a year.

    As a result the rums do seem quite expensive for an unaged white rum bottled at 40% ABV.  In the UK a bottle will set you back around £80.  For this you do get a quite unusual and distinctive bottle and card sleeve which does give a more “premium” feel to this rum.

    Interest in unaged white rum has piqued recently thanks mainly to the likes of Velier.  Not only has Luca Gargano opened the worlds eyes to the Clairin’s of Haiti (very rudimentary agricole style distillates) but Velier have also released several unaged white rums in their Habitation Velier line up.  Examples from Worthy Park, Marie-Galante and DDL to date.Cor Cor Red Rum Review by the fat rum pirate

    Sugar production has taken place on the island since the late 18th to early 19th century.  At one point there was a sugar cane railway which encircled the island transporting sugar cane all around the island.  The distillery was set up in 2004 at the site of the former Airport on Minomataido Island.  The site states they have a master distiller with over 20 years experience (that will now be over 30) but they do not name this person.

    Well that is as much information as I have been able to gather for these expressions.  So without further ado lets move onto reviewing the molasses side of production………

    Cor Cor Red in the glass is a completely clear spirit. As to be expected from an unaged spirit.

    The nose is interesting. The initial aroma is sawdust or pencil shavings. It’s very different to the Cor Cor Green. It has a strong medicinal aroma and a slight fruitiness – maybe a touch of banana and pineapple.

    In time the nose becomes less alcohol forward and you get more aroma’s. It is slightly vegetal  but the sawdust is quite dominant. Like the Cor Cor Green there is a slightly tart aroma of goosberries or very sharp raspberries. Again its quite pungent and clearly an unaged spirit.

    Sipped the rum has an all spice note to it. Mixed with the woodiness of the pencil shavings. Again much like Cor Cor Green the rum initially bursts with flavour but quickly settles into a very long and very spicy mid palate and finish. It’s fiery and a little smoky – almost tequila like in places.

    It’s a curious spirit. At the London Rumfest where a group of us tried these there was quite a lot of debate as to which one was the best. Initially I was more in favour of this one. Having tried them both alongside each other I’m not so sure now. Both are interesting. This is a slightly less sweet, less grassy spirit. More smoke and I would say slightly more fiery overall. In the end I think I will go for a tie.

    I enjoyed trying them both and have continued to enjoy them both at thome. They are very interesting spirits. I’d be very keen to see what they can do with an aged spirit. Theres is a lot of flavour to be had in these distillates and they are quite distinctive.

    As even they say though – not very everyone.

     

     

4 Comments

  1. I think this post pretty much sums up the current rum market; almost entirely Foursquare and Indie Jamaican bottles, which, when I’m looking down my prospective purchase list seems tie in (just wish i had a bigger budget!). I’d love to see the Rhum J M win though, us readers need more exposure to Agricole over here certainly.

  2. Excellent short list!
    I haven’t tried all of the rums on the list (missing that particular JM, the Havana Anisio, that Kill Devil Hampden (tried other KD Hampdens though) and the Danish NY release (tasted the regular at RumFest 2017) and would probably go for the WP 2007.
    It’s a beautiful rum, not too funky that only rum geeks will enjoy it, fairly widely available (so people who read this can actually still get it) and a reward for the excellent work WP has been doing over the last years. They are really building up a name for themselves, I remember when I serious about rum in 2015-ish, not a lot of people had heard of them, but nowadays they are THE modern Jamaican rum while staying truth to the Jamaican pot still tradition. Plus bananas and (white) chocolate, who doesn’t fucking love that?! 🙂

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