Rum of the Year 2020 – Shortlist

Bythefatrumpirate

Rum of the Year 2020 - Shortlist by the fat rum pirateRum of the Year 2020 – Shortlist. Now, we all know 2020 didn’t really go as we all might have expected. I’m not going to go too much into that here. I think we are all probably sick of hearing about it. I know I am.

Instead, we’ll just focus on all the great rum that came available in 2020. Luckily I haven’t been impacted by COVID-19 or the impending finalisation of Brexit, so far at least, in terms of available rum purchases. Some releases have been delayed but despite this, we still have a damned good shortlist for Rum of the Year 2020.

In terms of selection I’ve only picked one rum per producer. So any producers lucky (or skilled) enough to have been awarded more than one 5 star review this year, only get the one “entry”. Seems fair enough to me.

For the shortlist I will be picking 5 of my favourite rums from 2020. The order they are listed here, is the order I reviewed them in. It’s not a countdown, that will come in a few days time, when I select the Rum of the Year.

Rum of the Year 2020 – Shortlist

Damoiseau Rhum Vieux Millesime 1995 Rum Review by the fat rum pirateDamoiseau Rhum Vieux Millesime 1995

The first rum to come from one of the powerhouses of the Rhum Agricole world. It’s not the first Rhum Agricole to make the list though, as it is actually made from a blend of 50% molasses rum and 50% cane juice rhum. Or so I have been told…….accounts seem to vary!

Either way regardless of how it has been produced it is a truly exceptional r(h)um. Sadly now very difficult to find. Though at auction it doesn’t seem to command the type of crazy prices we are seeing some bottles fetch.

Worthy Park Single Estate 2006 Aged 12 Years rum review by the fat rum pirateWorthy Park Single Estate Aged 12 Years

Here we have a release from a Jamaican distillery and a former winner of Rum of the Year back in 2018. Unlike that rum, this is an 100% distillery release and not a co-bottling. This really should have been part of the round up for 2019 but I just didn’t get around to reviewing it until March this year. Lazy bastard.

A great example of how far distilleries in the Caribbean have come in the last few years in terms of bottling their own products for export. Rather than relying on sales of “bulk” and less expensive rum for the domestic market.

This highlights the wonderful Worthy Park style of Jamaican rum making.

This review was followed closely by another Jamaican Distillery bottling………

https://thefatrumpirate.com/duncan-taylor-single-cask-rum-jamaica-long-pond-aged-15-years-cask-65Hampden Great House Distillery Edition

Another example of a great Jamaican rum producer going “solo” and producing their own distillery bottling. Hampden Estate have long been more famous for the various Independently bottled rums which have been sold, mostly in Europe.

This was only their third aged rum bottling ever and what a banger it was. A 2020 edition is now also available with a different blend. Definitely a rum that is on my “to buy” list.

Foursquare Rum Distillery DetenteFoursquare Rum Distillery Détente by the fat rum pirate

It wouldn’t be Rum of the Year without something from Foursquare would it? This was one of 3 rums which I awarded 5 star ratings to in 2020. The others being Nobiliary and 2008.

I also know that this particular bottling is a bit divisive. I like what Richard Seale is trying to achieve with this bottling though. It’s very much the evolution of the inaugural Rum of the Year winner Port Cask Finish.

So, what is the final bottling up for Rum of the Year 2020? Well, I’ll reveal that shortly but I must put in a couple of “honourable mentions” for 5 star rums which haven’t appeared in the Top 5 this year.

First up was a sublime bottling from Saint Lucia Distillers, which was released in January 2020 in partnership with The Whisky Exchange – Chairman’s Reserve Master’s Selection 2006 13 Year Old The Whisky Exchange Exclusive. A really excellent 50/50 split of John Dore and Vendome Pot Still rum. Sadly with only 286 bottles available it sold out pretty fast in early 2020.

Another Single Cask bottling, which was sadly only really available in the US was Holmes Cay Single Cask Rum Fiji 2004. This is hands down the best rum I have had from the South Pacific Distillery and really showcases how excellent Fijian rum can be.

So lets see what the fifth and final selection for the shortlist is……….

Black Tot 50th Annivesary Rum Review by the fat rum pirateBlack Tot 50th Anniversary Rum

The Black Tot brand originally began with a blended bottling of various Royal Navy flagons which were part of the Navy ration given to sailors pre its abolition on 31st July 1970.

This blend is not intended as a re-creation of those particular rums. More of a modern interpretation. It uses predominantly Guyanese rum (around 75%) of the blend.

It’s fair to say that this exceeded all my expectations and is a truly remarkable bit of blending from Oliver Chilton – Head Blender of Black Tot Rum.

So there we have the shortlist for Rum of the Year 2020 here at thefatrumpirate.com. The winner will be published in a few days time so keep your eyes peeled for that.

 

 

 

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  • Ron Pampero Anejo Seleccion 1938

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Ron Pampero Anejo Seleccion 1938 rum review by the fat rum pirateRon Pampero Anejo Seleccion 1938 can be quite a tricky rum to track down.  Diageo the owner of this Venezulan rum brand seem focused upon the entry level Anejo and Blanco.  In addition to this the brands Aniversario is fairly easy to pick up.  Especially in Spain.

    Anejo Seleccion 1938 takes part of its name from the year in which Pampero began producing rum as Industrias Pampero.  It is Anejo (aged) rum but no age is attributed on the bottle.

    The rum is column distilled in 3 column stills.  It is a blend of rums from ten different barrels some of which were previously used to age sherry.  The remainder being in more traditional ex-bourbon barrels.  Age wise there is little information I would estimate the general bulk of the blend will likely be between 3 and 7 years old.  This is just guesswork based on the age of other rums in the Pampero line up.

    This rum has also been included in the re-vamp of the lines rums.  However if you do see if for sale it it is likely to be in the older style bottle.  It is currently available in the UK via the Whisky Exchange for £30.45.  The rum is bottled at 40% ABV and the bottle size is the standard 70cl.

    Presentation wise I honestly didn’t think Pampero were doing much wrong previously. The update is more modern but I quite liked the old style if I’m being honest.

    With a lack of any further information on this rum and with very little overall to say about Pampero (that I haven’t before).  We may as well just dive into tasting the Anejo Seleccion 1938.

    Ron Pampero Anejo Seleccion 1938 rum review by the fat rum pirate

    Rich mahogany in the glass. A nice vibrant reddish/brown.  Coloured without doubt but still it looks nice!

    The nose is familiar to anyone with experience of Pampero or Venezuelan rums.  I’ve always felt that Pampero, particularly the Anniversario are more full and complex than other Venezeulan rums such as Diplomatico or Cacique.

    The extra complexity is provided by additional notes of cocoa and coffee.  Like its more expensive brother this rum has a very enjoyable chocolate note running through it.  In common with other Venezuelan rums it has an almost “buttery” note to it and it also displays a slightly sweeter lighter aroma.

    Sipped the rum is much more complex and rich than the Cacique lin

     

    At the price point but subject to availability as this can be tricky to find it offers a good value no nonsense sipper.  It has an extra bit of oomph missing in many Central/South American “Anejo’s”.  An extra layer of oak and spice which sets it apart more as a rum.

    It’s not really a rum to mix – its not as rich as the Anniversario so it doesn’t really stand up that well with heavier mixers and it really doesn’t work with lemonade.  With Ginger Beer it works pretty well but I would imagine most people will find this complex enough to sip and enjoy.

    It has quite a decent length as well – the finish is reasonably long and nicely spiced – nutmeg, a little ginger and some nicely balanced oak make this very enjoyable.

    Overall I would say this rum is fairly sweet and light but with just a little bit of an edge which makes it that little bit more enjoyable.  It’s certainly a big step up from the standard Pampero Anejo.  A rum which is just a little too thin and undemanding.

    An everyday sipper.  Good but not quite great.

  • Duncan Taylor Single Cask Rum – St Lucia 11 Year Old (Cask 5)

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Duncan Taylor 11 Year Rum Review by the fat rum pirateDuncan Taylor are primarily an Independent Scotch Whisky bottler, whom like Wm Cadenhead also dip their toes in the rum market.

    Formed in 1938 the company transformed itself from a broker of whisky casks to distilleries and Independent bottlers, to producing and marketing their own brand bottlings.

    Duncan Taylor boasts one of the largest privately held stocks of rare Scotch Whisky in the world,  The company is based near one of the largest whisky producing regions in Scotland – Speyside.  Their current base is in Huntly, Aberdeenshire.

    As far as rum goes Duncan Taylor bottle Single Cask rum usually at Cask Strength or very close to it.  They also have a Caribbean Blended rum.  As you can see the title for this bottle is quite long.  That is because Duncan Taylor are very informative about what goes into their rum bottles.  For this they should be applauded.  If you would like more information on Duncan Taylor you can visit the website.

    This bottling is one of only 242 bottles – long since sold out I must add.  It is 100% Pot Still rum from St Lucia Distillers.  Bottled at a very precise 52.6% ABV.  When this was available it cost around £50.  Duncan Taylor’s bottlings cost typically nowadays around £55-60.  Some bottlings are still around the £45 and a few can be around £80.

    It is fair to say that the UK Independent bottling scene is up there in terms of choice and value with anything else in the world.  Even taking into account our high taxes.  As Velier have now lost their arrangement with Demerara Distillers Limited I expect interest in UK bottlers to increase and their products to become more sought after by collectors.

    As you can see from the photo I only have a small sample (3cl) of this rum to go by.  Fortunately it is just enough to Hydrometer Test and review.  If I hadn’t tried other Pot Still St Lucian rums or blends with Pot Still in them – I would probably have had to park this review.  However, with something to “benchmark” against this rum I am confident that I will still be able to assess it.  In reality it is the only chance I am likely to get!

    As mentioned earlier this St Lucian Rum comes in at 52.6%, so one of the most important things to do before delving into this rum is to give it time to settle in the glass.

    The initial nosing when it is first poured is full on Pot Still rum – in this instance St Lucian Pot Still Rum is a mix of Jamaican “funk” like notes and strangely some almost petrol like Caroni notes which were column distilled rums.  This is a feature of Pot Still Rum from St Lucia Distillers.

    When rested in the glass the nose is much more defined – initially it has a clean almost whisky like note.  Followed by some familiar oak aged smoke which reminds me of Chairman’s Reserve.  The nose ends with those slightly tar/petrol like notes – burnt rubber almost.  Throughout the nose is a gentle waft of sweet vanilla notes.Duncan Taylor St Lucia Rum Review by the fat rum pirate

    At 52.6% ABV the rum is perhaps not enjoyed at its best neat.  For my money whenever a spirit begins to numb the tongue and palate it is time to add a little water.  With such a small sample this will also help spread the rum out a bit!

    Without some added drops of water you are missing quite a lot of the rums complexitiy and are left with what tastes mostly like a very salty almost rubbery whisky like spirit.

    With some added water you are able to appreciate the depth of the rum.  It’s sweetness becomes more apparent – nice vanilla and a little hint of toffee.  The oakiness and smokiness in the profile beguns to overtake the “off” notes – the burnt rubber flavour is not up there with one of my most favourite or sought after notes.

    This is a dry rum, which in many ways you can tell has been aged in the UK.  It’s very clean and slightly organic.  Tropical ageing seems to give rums more depth whereas ageing in colder climbs seems to leave the spirits less affected by the cask.

    It’s quite a nice example of Single Cask rum but it also showcases why so much rum is blended.  It doesn’t have everything you might want and look for in a rum.  It isn’t blockbuster.

    Decent well crafted rum but nothing to get too excited about.  Better than average for sure but you can find better 11 Year Old St Lucia rums on the market.  That said I will certainly be looking to try more of the Duncan Taylor offerings in the future.

    3 stars

     

  • Compagnie des Indes Guyana 13 Year Old

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Compagnie Des Indes Guyana 13 rum review by the fat rum pirateCompagnie des Indes (French East India Company) are a relative newcomer to the Independent bottling scene.  They have however, released a frightening amount of rums over the past 2 years.  The brainchild of Florent Beuchet who has a long history in the Drinks Industry having been the brand manager for Banks Rum and also helping his father run a small absinthe distillery in his native France.

    Unfortunately a lot of Compagnie des Indes releases have not made it to the UK.  Even more frustrating is that many of their releases have been in Denmark only and offering Cask Strength. Still we can always turn to France for some rums which is what us UK rummies have had to do to get our hands on a few Compagnie des Indes releases.

    Luckily this was release that did make it to UK shores (in limited quantities) it was available at around £60 for a 70cl bottle.  This was bottled at around 43% ABV.

    Presentation wise I do like the stubby CDI bottles and the cut out box add a bit of class.  You get a nice cork stopper just to top things off.

    This rum has been aged in Europe.  It has spent all its time in ex Bourbon barrels and has not been finished or matured in a second type of barrel. The distillate comes from the famous DDL Port Mourant wooden pot still

    In the glass the rum is a very light straw colour.  This suggests to me that it has indeed been aged in Europe.

    The nose is reasonable if slightly one dimensional. It smells like a much younger sweeter slightly aniseed–ey Demerara.  It has a touch of savoury/whisky like note but offers little else.  There is talk of praline and brown sugar on the sites selling this rum as nosing notes.  I’m sorry but I’m must not getting them!

    compagnie des indes 13 Guyana rum review by the fat rum pirate port mourantSipped – again it is one dimensional.  It’s the first rum that I have sipped where I feel it tastes a little watered down.  The flavour itself isn’t bad.  You get the familiar “edginess” of the Port Mourant still, you get that slightly petrolly/aniseed flavour.  Which is great in itself and something I really enjoy.

    The problem is – that’s all you get.  Nothing else really besides some oak which is a little bit spicy and warming on the finish.  The finish is actually pretty decent but its what goes before is the let down.

    It’s just incredibly boring and muted.  I’m not one to bang on about Cask Strength rum.  I’m usually just as happy with 40-46% rums so its not a case of me being a bit hardline.  This rum genuinely does taste as if it has been watered down too far. 

    At a higher ABV  I think the rum maybe a little better but I don’t think it would ever be brillant.  It’s missing any complexity or anything approaching a wow factor.  It’s just very safe and well dull.

    This is the thing with Independent bottlings – you win some you lose some!

     

  • DropWorks Barrel Drop Rum

    Bythefatrumpirate

    DropWorks Barrel Drop Rum review by the fat rum pirateDropWorks Barrel Drop Rum. We are back to Worksop today. Ahh Worksop Town I’m sure George Best played for them at some point…..I hear you all shouting, no Wes it was Dunstable Town!

    Well he did so there. unfortunately it was George A Best and he was a Goalkeeper. Not a right winger or an alcoholic. He actually played his last professional game not far from me just down the road in South Shields.

    That pretty much sums up my knowledge of Worksop a town in Nottinghamshire where DropWorks Distillery is situated. Close to the Welbeck Abbey Brewery, which I also know sweet FA about.

    DropWorks Barrel Drop Rum is the first aged offering from the distillery. There is quite a lot of information about the rum on their wesbite so I will summarise it as best I can. For full details see here.

    DropWorks Barrel Drop Rum is a molasses based rum. This is important as a number of distilleries in the UK use Panela or even Sugar as the base for their rums. Which arguably makes them NOT rum according to EU guidelines. Little however seems to be done about this. I suppose as long as Tax is being paid why would the government care?

    Two fermentations ranging from 4 to 30 days using a unique Wild Trinity Yeast. The rum is made up of 3 marques of which 75% is Column Distilled, 15% Double Pot Distilled and 10\% Double Retort Distilled.

    It does not have an age statement on the bottle but it has been aged up to 16 months. I am not sure what this means? Is only part of the liquid 16 months old? I don’t know.

    It is aged in a selection of casks one of which is a hybrid of Portuguese and American Oak. Both of which have been Shaved, Toasted and Re-Charred (STR). There is also a small amount of the rum aged in Virgin Oak casks.

    DropWorks Barrel Drop Rum review by the fat rum pirateThis rum is a continuous release as part of DropWorks core range. It is bottled at 40% ABV. You can pick a bottle up direct from DropWorks or at Master Of Malt.

    It retails at just over the £30 mark. So its pretty well priced considering the work that goes into it.

    So thats my information exhausted so lets see how this one goes down…………

    DropWorks Barrel Drop Rum is in keeping with most other UK based rums. On the initial nosing its a heavy molasses, caramel and treacle profile. It’s certainly something much like Jamaican and Bajan rums that marks it out from other types of rum.

    Something which I think the UK poducers should make more of a point about. I do think a little more solidarity and working together would help UK rum overall. Raise its profile worldwide perhaps.

    Anyway I digress, further nosing reveals some fiery ginger root and some gingerbread biscuits. A touch of black pepper and some cocoa like notes. I’m getting some Rum and Raisin Ice Cream and some stoned fruits as well.

    On the sip the molasses heavy profile remains so plenty of dark treacle and lighter caramel notes. Treacle Toffee but with a slight bitterness to it.

    DropWorks Barrel Drop Rum review by the fat rum pirateIt’s rich and warming and quite fiery. The ginger and spicy notes from the barrel certainly come out as we move into the mid profile. There is a slight creaminess off set by the strong rum flavour which runs out into the finish.

    Finish wise its a reasonable length and the strong flavours of the rum remain throughout. It’s certainly full bodied and does not shy away.

    As a mixer it works really well as it stands up to pretty much anything you throw at it. Maybe not the best for the lighter cocktails such as Mojito’s but its certainly good in a Dark and Stormy, Navy Grog etc.

     

     

  • Kill Devil Jamaica 24 Year Old

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Kill Devil Hampden Jamaica 24 year old cask strength rum review by the fat rum pirateScotch Whisky bottler Hunter Laing and Co Ltd, released their range of Kill Devil rums early in 2016.  Not so hidden amongst the interest were a number of comments on the strength of the rums.

    All the rums released initially were bottled at 46% ABV.  This disappointed quite a few rum connoisseur’s who had hoped to see Cask Strength releases.

    Quick to recognise this and following the success of their first releases (both critically and commercially) the team at Hunter Laing have returned with some Cask Strength offerings.

    The presentation of the rums remains the same aside from a slight change in colour scheme.  The lozenge labels are now a deep reddish/purple colour instead of grey.

    As well as releasing rum at Cask Strength Kill Devil have also used one of their older stocks from an iconic Jamaican distillery.  Famed for its Pot Still rums this Cask Strength release will be for many rum lovers an essential purchase.

    Which is probably just as well for Hunter Laing because this rum retails at around the £200 mark in the UK.  For this you get a 62.4% ABV rum which was distilled back in April 1992 and bottled in 2016.  So you are getting a Single Cask Jamaican Pot Still Rum.  Only 234 bottles of this are available worldwide so despite the price tag some people may still be left disappointed.

    From the information available I am unable to determine if this is all pot still rum or a blend.  From what I can gather Hampden Estate have only 4 Muller Pot Stills at the distillery.  I’m fairly certain this is Pot Still only.

    Hampden Estate rums are best known for being high ester.  If you aren’t sure what is meant by the term ester I’ll direct you here.  They explain it way better than me.  Tastewise it means the rums are very “funky”.  There are a number of articles about Hampden Estate and their processes.  Again as it has already been explained better elsewhere I’ll direct you to Rum Connection who have visited the distillery.

    This is very much a rum for someone who knows specifically what they are looking for.  If you want to try high ester Pot Still Jamaican rum then I wouldn’t advise beginning with a bottle as expensive as this.  You might get quite a shock.

    Kill Devil Hunter Laing Jamaica Hampden Estate Rum Review by the fat rum pirate

    In the glass the rum is a light gold/straw colour.  I might have perhaps expected a darker rum considering how long it has been aged.  As far as I am aware this rum has not been treated to any finishes – its spent its 24 years maturing in an ex bourbon cask.  It’s difficult really to determine what colour rum really should be – so many commercial bottlers colour theirs with caramel.

    The nose on this Hampden is huge.  You can smell it from across the room.  Unlike unaged Jamaican overproofs however it doesn’t smell quite as “boozy”.  It’s not as alcohol forward as you might expect as such a proof.

    Big wafts of black banana and mango combine with rich unsweetened slightly bitter toffee and caramel notes.  Despite all the big high ester Jamaican funk it also displays evidence of its time in the oak.

    There is a nice spice to the nose – hints of sweeter bourbon and some nice oak notes.  The oak notes are quite light and fragrant.  It is better and more rounded than the younger Hampden rums such as Hampden Gold or for instance Smith & Cross.

    So onto the sipping.  Like many whisky commentators I will always advocate adding water to any spirit which is more than 50% ABV.  I am more than happy drinking a spirit at between 46-50%.  I personally feel that any higher any my palate simply does not pick everything up from the rum it should.  I try rums such as this at Cask Strength for review purposes but I don’t routinely drink them at that strength.

    At Cask Strength you get a very big complex rum.  However, I add a couple of drops of water and I feel I get more from this rum.

    Everything that was found on the nose translates through with this on the sip.  It’s a big pot still rum but the ageing really has developed it beyond just that.

    It has a lovely spiceiness to it, full of flavour and sweet/sour notes which compare to the Foursquare 2004.  Slightly savoury and at times slightly bitter.  There’s a lot of fruit and the finish is long, balanced and warming.  Some notes which might not sound quite as appealing (but work surprisingly well to give this rum its complexity) would be varnish, shoe polish and even a little astringency.

    The sweet fruit flavours make this rum very moreish yet the finish is so good you feel like you mustn’t rush it too much.   You get that nice funky Jamaican black banana and tropical fruit hit, good notes of toffee and unsweetened caramel.

    As so few bottles of this are available I sincerely hope that the 200 or so people lucky (and rich) enough to get their hands on this fully appreciate what they are getting.  I hope it doesn’t fall into the hands of someone looking for another Ron Milonario XO or a replacement for his Zacapa XO.

    Expensive but rums this age from Hampden Estate do not come up very often.

    4.5 stars

     

     

     

     

     

  • Captain Morgan White Rum

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Captain Morgan White Rum review by the fat rum pirateI can almost feel the condemnation as I write.  A review of another of Diageo’s Captain Morgan offerings.  However, before you do so, please note this is a white rum not one of the many Spiced Variants which have given the Captain such a bad name in recent years.

    A White Rum from the Captain Morgan brand has been available on and off for some time.  Dependent on the territories you have visited and/or your geographical location and time spent enjoying rum, you may have come across a White Captain rum in the past.

    All I know is that until this year (2015) Captain Morgan White Rum was not available in the UK.  Coming at the same time as huge global re-branding by Bacardi.  Not to mention another new Spiced Bacardi product (Carta Fuego).

    Captain Morgan White Rum enters a UK market which is dominated by Bacardi.  In most bars and clubs in the UK, if you ask for a Bacardi and coke – you will not be asked if an alternative white rum is okay if Bacardi isn’t actually available.  For many Bacardi IS white rum and it’s matterless if it isn’t the Bacardi brand.  Even more worrying many Bacardi drinkers in the UK don’t even realise it is a rum……….

    Faced with what is a monopoly in the UK the Captain has a lot to do to gain a foothold in the market.  Price cutting other Spiced Brands in supermarkets throughout the UK has got Captain Morgan’s Spiced Gold to the top of the charts so will that be a tactic?  Indeed, yes it has been I picked up a 70cl bottle for £12.99.  In the UK it is bottled at 37.5% ABV.

    Presentation wise it is the new style Captain Morgan similar to the Spiced Gold and Black.  It is nothing remarkable and in many ways pretty tacky.  The screw cap is of decent standard but the label gives little real information about the juice in the blend.

    Captain Morgan White Rum Review by the fat rum pirateFinest Caribbean Rum is as much details as you get.  So how is the Captain planning on winning over UK audiences?  Well they have went for another tried and tested tactic of offering novelty glasses with the Captain Morgan.  In this instance plastic tankards.  Sadly I didn’t get one with my bottle!

    Diageo have also embarked on a no doubt very expensive TV marketing campaign with several adverts on UK TV and in partnership with Buzzfeed for more details see here.

    As mentioned already I expect many people will write Captain Morgan White Rum off before they have even given it a try.  As a regular spirits drinker and weekend “binger” I decided that £12.99 was not to big a price to pay for a drink which I would be able to mix with cola.  Yes it might not be the greatest rum in the world but I probably would soon empty the bottle……..

    First up, I’m not keen on the Captain’s Spiced offering and the Dark Rum (called so many different things worldwide) is so-so, a kind of bad version of Myers’s.  Nevetheless I soldiered on so here are my findings.

    First up, unlike Havana 3 Anos (another popular Supermarket offering in the UK) this is as clear as day.  No yellow haziness it is crystal clear.  So this has no doubt been filtered quite extensively.  It is much the same as Bacardi, Appleton, Chairmans Reserve etc.

    The nose on the White is very strong and pungent.  Jamaican rum is my first impression.  It is also very sweet and has hints of pineapple, banana and other tropical fruits.  This is a young white rum so there is also a strong smell of what can only be described as “booze”.  Alcohol fumes are very much present despite the slightly lower ABV.Captain Morgan White Rum Review by the fat rum pirate

    As a sipper this is quite a challenge and not one I would really recommend.  It really burns, pretty much everywhere and not a nice warming burn but a strong medicinal boozy burn which makes you feel like your throat is on fire.  A little ice cools it down a little but also dilutes what little flavour you got out of it.  Is this a sipper? Of course it isn’t and I was a fool to try.  I would however, be an even bigger fool if I was to try and appraise it as one.

    Captain Morgan White Rum is an inexpensive mixer for cocktails and long mixed drinks.  A reasonable person should just it on those merits alone.

    A liberal mix of Captain Morgan White Rum with cola is a surprisingly good experience.  The cola tempers alcohol fumes considerably allowing the tropical fruits on the nose to come through.  It is quite a sweet rum with a lot of almost boiled sweet (Pear Drops in particular) flavours.  Banana and pineapple are also in the mix along with sweet syrup like notes.  It makes a nice fruity rum and cola.  It reminds me very much of Chairmans Reserve White and Appleton White.  It is not quite as “funky” as Appleton White but it does display some of that Jamaican funk especially in the aftertaste.

    I’ve previously played down much hyped white rums such as Plantations 3 Stars and Banks 5 Island Rum (a particularly overpriced and overworked white mixer).  I feel both try to be to clever and introduce too much to what should be quite a simple straight forward mixer.

    I don’t think Captain Morgan White Rum is as good as Chairman’s Reserve White Label or Appleton White but at around £13-16 a bottle it is not a bad option for a weekend mixer.

    Of course I know that this review will be dismissed by many (who will probably never try this rum) in much the same way many avoid ALL Bacardi rum.  I’ll stand by my opinion on this, as a mixer I think it is a very credible white rum.

    3 stars