Rum of the Year 2017

Bythefatrumpirate

Rum of the Year 2017 by the fat rum pirateRum of the Year 2017. It’s that time again when I look over the rums I have tried in the past 12 months and decide which one fits the bill as Rum of the Year.

Now I’ll let you all know the criteria for this years selection has changed – slightly. This is basically because the Rum World is evolving and changing. Producers are taking more risks and producing more varied and interesting rums.

2017 was the year seemingly of the “Limited Edition” releases. In 2015 and 2016, although I did give the Rum of the Year to “Limited Edition” rums, both were still widely commercially available at the time of the award. This year the truly great rums I have discovered have in the main disappeared from view.

2016 perhaps saw one of the first real scrambles for a rum release. I don’t recall there ever being a case of demand outstripping supply, quite so much as was the case with the Velier/Foursquare 2006 release. Demand for Velier bottlings has increased greatly since their last Demerara’s in 2014. I recall early on in my Rum Journey, 2012-14 seeing a good few Velier releases, at the likes of the Whisky Exchange remain on the site for months. Now they would likely be gone within a day.

We have seen over the past couple of years more producers release Limited Edition rums. Often with “finishes” or “maturation” in casks other than ex-Bourbon – Sherry, Marsala, Cognac etc. Whilst Foursquare Distillery might be the first producer to spring to mind with their Port and Zinfandel Cask rums it is worth noting that it was Plantation who perhaps began to make this kind of thing “trendy”. I don’t think there is a “finish” or “maturation” Plantation haven’t tried.

Other producers such as Don Q and Worthy Park are also getting in on the act. Unfortunately, their efforts have come to close to the year end for me to review. I could have got some Worthy Park imported from France. Alas I do not have a bottomless pit of money.

We have also seen the beginning of Cask Strength releases and higher ABV rums (above the standard 40-43% ABV) from the likes of Mount Gay, Plantation, Worthy Park, St Lucia Distillers and Foursquare (again). Independent bottlers have popped up left, right and centre with even more limited releases, Single Casks with runs of just a few hundred.

In terms of genuinely exciting releases most have come from the producers already mentioned. They have stood out for the reasons stated above. A real stand out “new” commercially available rum for 2017 just hasn’t come my way. I’m scratching my head to think of one. I’ve tried a lot of really great rum in 2017. Unfortunately, a lot of it has been Independent bottlings. St Lucia Distillers released (in the UK) Plantation Rum Single Cask Barbados 12 Years - Wild Cherry Finisha couple of 1931’s. I’ve yet to review the 6th edition. Both were excellent rums but not quite as good as my final choice. Neptune was a nice addition to the rum scene but at the end of the day its a 3 year old Foursquare rum. It’s very good but its not a game changer for me.

So unfortunately I am afraid I have had to tweak my selection process slightly this year. You likely won’t be able to go out and buy this particular rum after reading this. If you do find any bottles lying around in liquor stores – buy all they have would be my advice.

So how has the rum been decided upon? Well it’s a Limited Edition rum. As much as I was amazed by the Duncan Taylor Long Pond 2000. I just don’t think it is much use to give a Rum of the Year award to a single cask which yielded only 270 bottles. Going forward it is highly likely I will increase the number of awards next year. I’ve been looking at Serge over at WhiskyFun and I quite like his way of doing things so maybe something like that. I would like to give a few more producers some credit as they are doing some great stuff.

The rum I have selected was a Limited Edition. I am not sure how many bottles exactly were released. I think it was around 4000. Available only in Europe and the US. It was matured in ex-bourbon and Madeira casks for 10 years. A blended rum of Pot and Column distillates. Released at an eye watering Cask Strength of 59% ABV.

For the third year running a Tropically Aged rum from the Exceptional Cask Selection Series, takes the crown as Rum of the Year.

Foursquare Rum Distillery’s Criterion. Another jewel in the crown. Few producers would get away with calling their rums “Exceptional” but this distillery does just that!

Yes, I hear you cry “Triptych”. It was definitely in the running but personally I preferred this one. I’m aware of there is a real split over the two rums. Personally I preferred the slightly sweeter, less woody profile of the Criterion. If you picked Triptych though that is a very good choice.

Foursquare Rum Distillery Criterion Rum Review by the fat rum pirateI hope my choice is relevant. I personally cannot see the point of re-hashing lists of rums you tried years ago and re-scoring or re-reviewing for the purpose of an award. The idea of giving Mount Gay XO, El Dorado 12 Year Old or Havana Club 15 a rum of the year in today’s rum world just seems pointless. Out of touch and irrelevant.

Anyway, a very Happy New Year to all of you. Thank you all for taking time to read the site over the past year. It has been a truly “exceptional” year for us here at thefatrumpirate.com. Please contact us if you have any ideas or questions, for or about the site.

Thanks also to all the Rum Producers for, well producing the rum in the first place! Kudos to all those involved in the Industry who have helped me over the past year. Giving me information on your rums, access to your events and just general help and support.

And a final wave to all those people who I have met over the past year both online and at the various Rum Festivals and events I have attended. I hope your Rum Journey continues with us.

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  • El Dorado Rare Collection Skeldon 2000

    Bythefatrumpirate

    El Dorado Rare Collection Skeldon 2000El Dorado Rare Collection Skeldon 2000. The only rums I have seen in my rum “career” that denote Skeldon are the Velier 1973 and 1978 releases. Which are long gone except for those with very deep pockets. As any rum blogger will attest researching Demerara Rums is on the most complicated and time-consuming pursuits. Excellent work by the likes of Marco Freyr of Barrel Aged Mind have helped with this. I will once again recommend reading his huge article on The Demerara Distillieries.

    You won’t see many Demerara rums denoting Skeldon for a few reasons. Firstly the actual Skeldon Distillery closed way back in 1960. Unlike the likes of Uitvlugt and Enmore none of the stills were moved onto other distilleries upon the sites closure.

    As a result, even the older 1973 and 1978 Velier Skeldon releases, weren’t produced on one of the original 4 Column Coffey Stills, which stood at Skeldon. They were produced on another Metal Coffey Still to replicate the rum marque SWR (Sir William Ross – the original founder of the Skeldon Estate).

    Like the previous Rare Collection bottlings Skeldon 2000 comes in a stubby opaque bottle with a cork stopper and a card cut out sleeve. I like the presentation it is a step up from the regular El Dorado range. As it should be really. This 70cl bottling will set you back around £/€220-250. Information on the bottle is factual and again, nice to see.

    El Dorado Rare Collection Skeldon 2000 has been produced on a Continuous Blair Still – I am not sure what still this actually is to be honest. This is just information I have found on the internet. So please correct me if it’s not right! It has been aged for 18 years 2000 to 2018 in Guyana and has been bottled at Cask Strength of 58.3% ABV. I can’t find any information on the number of bottles and I do not believe this is a single cask release. It is un-chill filtered.

    In the glass the Skeldon 2000 is a dark brown with a striking reddish hue around the edges. It looks 18 years old – even if it is likely to have had some caramel added at some point. The Hydrometer shows this to be without additives – which is what the enthusiast will want at this kind of price.

    On the nose you get wafts of treacle toffee, juicy raisins and some notes of dried apricot and some canned peaches. Further nosing reveal deeper notes of redcurrant and bitter blackcurrants, port and some slight smoky but nicely intergrated oak and light vanilla.

    Overall the nose is quite sweet on this one and it reminds me more of El Dorado 21 Year Old than the Versailles 1973 I recently reviewed. For some this may be a bad thing but I thoroughly enjoyed both rums. This has a sweeter edge to it which I quite enjoy.

    Sipped at the full ABV, you get a lot more of the oak and spice from the wood than the fruity nose might have suggested. The initial sip is woody and like the 1973 Skeldon slightly “musty”. That said it is considerably less “old” tasting than that bottling. This still has a slightly fruitier, sweeter edge.

    Further sips see the palate adjust and you note a bit more of the fruitier notes. Plums, raisins and some Port. These notes move nicely along into the mid palate.

    On the mid palate you get a lot of oak spice – ginger, oak and some faint traces of cinnamon. Marmalade and some notes of leather and Merlot move in and out of the mix.

    The finish is long, rich and pretty spicy with a fruity kick to the end. Sultanas, satsumas and some Chocolate covered raisins.

    This is all at full ABV. If you prefer a slightly less “heated” affair a couple of dEl Dorado Rare Collection Skeldon 2000rops of water would be recommended. A couple of drops does bring out a bit more of the fruitier notes and does temper some of the spicier elements of this rum.

    As far as Demerara rums this is one of the few examples of 100% Tropically Aged Demerara you will find on the market. These El Dorado rums have effectively replaced the old Velier bottlings. If you are wanting Tropically aged as opposed to European aged – even only partly then El Dorado is your port of call for the foreseeable future.

    I think El Dorado have been a bit canny in calling their most recent Rare Collection rums Albion (I will review soon) and Skeldon. They know the Velier releases are now only available on the secondary market and they know the name alone will sell a few bottles. I do think sales of their original 2 “batches” or Rare Collection were hindered a little by the price tag and competition from European bottlings with similar monikers.

    I like this rum a lot – it’s a really top example of a Tropically aged Demerara. The Skeldon 1973 had perhaps the slight nod over it but this easily stands amongst the Velier Demerara bottlings I have tried to date.

    That is perhaps the only reason I’ll stop short of giving it the full 5 stars. That 1973……..

    Please someone send me a 1978 sample.

  • Ron Barceló Imperial

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Ron Barcelo Imperial rum Review by the fat rum pirateBarceló are on of the big three named rum producers of the Dominican Republic.  I say named because Oliver & Oliver another big Dominican rum player produce a variety of rums under various different guises.

    In 1929 Spaniard Julián Barceló arrived in Santo Domingo and founded Barceló & Co. In 1974, Don Julián Barceló handed over the reins to his nephew Miguel Barceló and in 1980 Ron Barceló Imperial was born.

    This is one of the more premium rums in the Barceló portfolio.  Only the Imperial Onyx and 30 year Anniversary Imperial Blend are more expensive.

    In the UK you will fork out around £30 for a 70cl, which has an ABV of just 38%.  In Spain were the brand is very popular a bottle will cost little more than £15.  Like its Dominican brother Brugal it is very prominent in Spanish Airport Duty Frees.

    In order to keep the focus on this rum and not make this review too lengthy I will direct you to a very good website. This website – Dominican Rum Guide should provide you with any further information you require on rums from the Dominican Republic.

    I will give some more information on the rum in this bottle though.  The rum is a blend of rums aged upto 10 years. The rums are column distilled and the rum is blended and aged in Bourbon Barrels.

    As you can see from the photographs the presentation is very “Premium”.  Nice wide, flat stubby bottle with a huge ornate plastic emblem topped cork stopper.  Quite what all the writing is about on the front – I have no idea as it is in Spanish.  You also get a nice cut out box – which might not protect your rum but it looks nice.  The box or bottle do not give you any information regarding the age of the rums or how its been distilled etc.  I’ve had to dig that up on the net.

    Ron Barcelo Imperial Rum Review by the fat rum pirateFor anyone familiar with rums from the Dominican Republic it will come as no surprise that this rum does show some additives when we run the Hydrometer test.

    So with an ABV of just 38% next to no disclosure on what is in the bottle and some additives – Barceló are not off to the best of starts with this reviewer.

    In the glass the rum looks slightly less vibrant than in the bottle.  It is a reddish/golden brown but once poured in the glass it does look a little dull.

    The nose is light and gentle.  Vanilla, milk chocolate and refreshingly some nice oaked notes. A little twist of lemon zest.  It’s quite nicely balanced but just a little bit too nice.

    Which is where our good friend “sugar” seems to have made an appearance.  Combined with the ABV the sugar makes this rum just a bit too weak and puny.  The sugar has rounded off any rough edges but for me has also diminished the quality of the rum.  I feel it could have been warmer and more fruity without the sugar.

    Tasting the rum is initially quite a spicy experience.  The interaction with the Bourbon oak gives the rum a very zesty tang.  It’s quite spicy – especially in smaller sips.  A little ginger and maybe a hint of tabasco.

    After a couple of sips I start taking larger sips.  Allowing the rum to coat more of the palate.  As a result I’m getting a lot more of the chocolate notes and some toffee.

    Unsurprisingly the rum is now pretty smooth but its not overly sweet.  Having said that I still think an experienced rum taster will notice the sugar (or additives).  There is still some good nicely aged oak notes in the drink though -especially in the finish which is still a little on the spicy side.

    Ron Barcelo Imperial Rum Review by the fat rum pirateIn the UK where this rums costs around £30 a bottle I wouldn’t really be looking for a mixer.  However when in Spain (and Gibraltar especially) I’ve picked this rum up for little over £10.  So I have mixed it with cola and found it too work pretty well.  The spicy elements of the rum stand up quite nicely and it is very smooth.  So a rum and cola with Barceló Imperial is pretty decent.

    Back in Blighty though I wouldn’t splash another £30 on this rum.  If they dropped the additives and bottled it at 40% though they might well have a better product.  Which I would consider though I doubt it would ever be stellar.

    It’s a perfectly serviceable easy sipping drink.  There’s nothing particularly unpleasant about it.  At the same time it is very safe and sadly displays too many traits that are linked to “Premium” rum. Premium rum should be an entirely different beast.

    2.5 stars

     

     

  • Mount Gay Extra Old Reserve Cask Rum

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Mount Gay Extra OldMount Gay Extra Old or XO as they seem to have re-branded it.  For those in the know Mount Gay Extra Old is often known as MGXO.  The XO notation on the Mount Gay is pretty standard across the rum and spirits industry to denote an aged spirit (without actually noting how old it is!).

    As the Mount Gay Distillery is the oldest official distillery in the world established 1703 as the label denotes, I don’t think we need to worry too much about the heritage and authenticity of the contents of this Extra Old rum.

    The more established distilleries use labels such as XO because they cannot guarantee the exact blend of rum’s which will be used in every batch of rum produced.  Each cask will be different and the skill in making rum “uniform” comes in the shape of the master blender.

    The master blender at Mount Gay is in the shape of Allen Smith who has been with the distillery over 20 years.  Again this adds a guarantee as to what you will get in the glass.

    Mount Gay have recently re-branded their bottles and introduced a few new lines in the shape of Black Barrel and a few limited edition cask finish editions have also appeared.

    The new presentation of the Mount Gay Extra Old Cask Reserve Rum is in keeping with the Eclipse (Mount Gay’s entry level offerings).  The bottle is slightly shorter and rounder.  It also has a very nice cork stopper.  Like the Eclipse the MGXO has Mount Gay Distilleries etched into the glass of the bottle, as pictured.MGXO Mount Gay Extra Old Rum Review by the fat rum pirate

    I like the presentation of the MGXO and I also like the robust card sleeve which the rum is housed in.  It isn’t cheap and flimsy and gives some nice information regarding the heritage of MGXO.  Things like cork stoppers and cardboard sleeves may seem slightly superfluous but sometimes they can be very important when deciding which rum to take to the counter and buy.

    Another nice touch regarding the MGXO is the product of Barbados seal on the lid of the cork.  It’s very nice and like the green Guarantia labels on Havana Club adds a little extra bit of authenticity to proceedings.

    Mount Gay Exra OldMGXO is very highly regarded amongst the rum fraternity yet is often overlooked by rum snobs and the new breed of rum drinkers who have been influenced by “Premium” and “Super Premium” rums.  MGXO is available for around £35-40 in the UK for a 70cl bottle and it is 43% ABV (slightly higher than most but not uncommon amongst the longer aged Bajan rums).

    As mentioned earlier the rum does not have an age statement.  The website states it is a blend of rums aged between 8 and 15 years.  I personally have no problem with this.  It has been suggested the quality of this rum has diminished over the years due to the competitive nature of the rum market and the aggressive advertisting used by Diageo and the huge tax subsidies afforded to the likes of Diageo.  Nevertheless at the £35-40 price point I do not feel I am being conned.  Age wise this is still a decent rum for your money.

    So on with the tasting.  I have deliberately been trying Jamaican and Bajan rums recently.  Before publishing reviews on staples such as Appleton Reserve (8 Year Old) and R L Seale’s 10 Year Old I felt I had to have a good feel for those kind of rum’s.  I Mount Gay Extra Old Rum review by the fat rum piratealso enjoyed revisiting a few (Appleton VX).  In light of my impressions with this rum I have also decided to revist Mount Gay Eclipse.  I have found in time that a few of my initial impression on rum have changed.

    In the glass the rum exhibits itself to be a lot lighter than in the bottle.  However it still shows to be a lot darker than the Eclipse.  It is a nice dark reddish brown colour.  Nicely aged.

    The nose is very fruity.  Raisin, prunes and currants with a little banana and some tropical fruits a little pineapple perhaps.  There is good evidence of ageing on the nose with nice woody notes.  There is still a very spirit like smell present but it is nothing in comparison to the Eclipse.

    As part of the nosing (and tasting process) I also tried the R L Seale’s and Captain Bligh XO.  Of the three rums I found Mount Gay to be in the middle in terms of fruit aroma’s.  It was also in the middle in terms of oaked notes.  Captain Bligh has a slightly more fruity sherried approach (much like Doorly’s XO).  R L Seale’s more complex and woody to the nose with fruit only intermittently coming through.

    Tastewise I found the Mount Gay to be very nice and quite easy going despite the 43% ABV.  Whilst an ice cube wasn’t necessary due to the smoothness of the spirit I found it opened it up a little.  I also found leaving the rum on the radiator for a short while enhanced it (especially on a freezing English winter afternoon).  The rum does have a slightly sherried taste with strong fruit flavours.  It is spicy especially on the finish and a little bit short.  It’s not quite as dry or oaky as R L Seale’s but it is close in terms of overall profile.

    I’ve found it really difficult splitting R L Seale’s, MGXO and Captain Bligh XO.  In terms of presentation it is a two horse race between Seale’s odd ball offering and Mount Gay’s more contemporary approach.  However, I don’t really give marks to the presentation (it might overall influence things subconsciously).  In terms of taste I found MGXO to be slightly more to my taste’s than R L Seale’s.  The difference however wasn’t enough for an extra mark or half mark!

    Mount Gay Extra Old Rum review by the fat rum pirateIn terms of my taste test I probably should have brought Cockspur 12 or even Doorly’s XO or Rum Sixty Six into the proceedings.  Thing is these Bajan rum’s due to the fact they cannot be altered are quite similar.  Much like the Jamaican and Demerara rum’s you get a very definite feel about these Bajan style rum’s.  In all honesty in a blind taste test I would probably struggle to guess them apart.

    MGXO is smooth, complex rum which is definitely best enjoyed without cola (if you want a Bajan mixer Cockspur Fine Rum has no equal).  It is without doubt an excellent rum which anyone who is serious about rum should seek out.

    However, in my scoring I found personally found a little extra something in the Captain Bligh XO (not even a Bajan but very similar in style).  Still MGXO come’s very highly recommended.  It is a beautiful well balanced classic rum.

    A must try

    4 stars

     

     

    This rum is available from

    THEDRINKSHOP

  • Kill Devil Trinidad Caroni Distillery Aged 20 Years 64.8% ABV The Whisky Barrel Exclusive

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Kill Devil Trinidad Caroni Distillery Aged 20 Years 64.8% ABV The Whisky Barrel ExclusiveKill Devil Trinidad Caroni Distillery Aged 20 Years 64.8% ABV The Whisky Barrel Exclusive. Apologies for the not so snappy title. I always try and provide sufficient information, particularly when dealing with Independent bottlings. This is in the hope a web search will turn up the result you are looking for. I’ve included the ABV in the title because The Whisky Barrel has two Caroni 20 Year Olds from Kill Devil that have just been released. They hail from two different casks but were distilled and bottled at approximately the same time.

    There are a number of Caroni bottlings on the market at present. Concerns that stocks would have run low by now, seem a bit ahead of themselves. There seems no shortage of Independently bottled Caroni, appearing on the market.

    This particular Caroni bottling, was distilled way back in December 1998, so it will have been produced using Trinidad molasses. Some of the later Caroni bottlings used imported molasses, as sugar production on the island decreased as plantations closed. It is from a single cask which yielded 214 bottles. Hunter Laing (who are behind Kill Devil) have bottled it at Cask Strength of 64.8% ABV. It was produced on a Column still.

    As noted in the title this release is restricted to The Whisky Barrel. The listing can be found here. As you can see it retails at £149.95 for a 70cl bottle. In today’s market this is a fair price for a 20-year-old Caroni. Clearly its price means it will be bought by 214 rum enthusiasts (and probably a few flippers).

    Presentation wise, it comes in the usual opaque Kill Devil bottling, with a solid cardboard Kill Devil Trinidad Caroni Distillery Aged 20 Years 64.8% ABV The Whisky Barrel Exclusivetube to store the rum in. The Cask Strength Kill Devil releases, all have purple and gold presentation. The cork seals are particularly “blingy” being a striking gold colour. The presentation also notes the rum is Single Cask and Cask Strength.

    Hunter Laing have done remarkably well with their Kill Devil range of bottlings, over the past few years. They have released a great number of different rums. These rums, from Jamaica in particular have been impressive. I have previously reviewed a Kill Devil Trinidad bottling, a 13 Year Old. However, I concluded that it was from Angostura rather than Caroni. And it wasn’t all that great. Could Angostura be the most boring rum distillery? They are definitely in the running.

    Anyway enough chatter let’s get down to a tasting and see if this is a rum Caroni hunters need to seek out.

    In the glass, Kill Devil Trinidad Caroni Distillery Aged 20 Years is an inviting dark brown with an orange tinge to the edges. On the nose, there are familiar tarry and smoky notes, common with Caroni’s heavy style of rum. Nice notes of spicy aged oak give the tar and smoke a delicate spiciness, which is very pleasant. Despite the fact the rum will have been predominantly aged in Europe, it is quite rich. Reminiscent of a tropically aged Caroni

    Wafts of fruity raisins and Christmas cake make an appearance, which also help balance out the more “extreme” sounding notes. This is a warming style of rum. Very navy like. Whilst I think I would pick it out as a Caroni rum, by the petrol and oily notes – I wouldn’t have been surprised to be told this was a blend, containing rums from other islands. It really does have a nice balance on the nose. Overall balance sometimes goes a bit skee-wiff with Caroni.

    Sipping this Caroni at full strength, is a very rich warming experience. Deep fruity notes of plum, dates and sweetened raisins mingle alongside smokier notes of charcoal and some more oily, petrol like notes. A bit of creosote creeps in but is not dominant and rubs along nicely with the fruitier notes.

    The mid palate is also very pleasant with a lot of spicy oak and some slightly bitter tannins. Ginger and bitter toffee treacle but in an appearance.

    This rum is drinkable at the full ABV but some may favour a drop or two of water. Not too much though, as the beauty of a good Caroni rum is the slightly edge the less pleasant-sounding notes give. “Menace” as I have called it in the past. This is rum to put hairs on your chest.Kill Devil Trinidad Caroni Distillery Aged 20 Years 64.8% ABV The Whisky Barrel Exclusive

    Finish wise you get a lot of the petrol and oily notes. It’s quite spicy and has a fair amount of heat (especially at full proof). As it fades out the fruitier notes again reappear – raisins, plums and a slight hint of pineapple.

    I’ll be looking forward to trying the sister cask of this rum, as this is a really good example of a fruitier, more balanced Caroni rum. It’s still got all the menace it’s just got a bit extra fruity complexity to help balance it out a little

    Really top stuff.

  • Don Q Reserva Anejo 7 Anos

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Don Q Reserva Anejo 7 Anos rum review by the fat rum pirateDon Q Reserva Anejo 7 Anos. The Don Q range has undertaken quite a re-vamp over the past few years. They have both expanded and re-categorised their range of rums.

    So we now have the “Traditional Range” which comprises their Gold, Cristal and 151 rum. The “Flavors” comprising Naranja, Coco, PIna and Limon. Finally we have the “Serralles Collection” which seems to house pretty much everything else.

    The website also splits the rums between Don Q Rums and Don Q Premium Aged rums – which differentiates between the “Traditional” and “Flavors” and the “Serralles Collection”

    Don Q Reserva Anejo 7 Anos is part of the Serralles collection. I am presuming this replaces the previous Don Q Anejo which I reviewed way back in 2016. As I can see no sign of such a bottling on the Don Q website.

    The Don Q Anejo was a blend of rums aged between 3-8 years. So in theory as Don Q use the minimum age as their age statement this is at least a fully 7 year old rum. So their should/could be an improvement. In all honesty with that review being 9 years ago and with no access to that bottling – I don’t think there is going to be much comparing going on!

    Don Q Reserva Anejo 7 Anos has been aged for “at least” 7 years in ex-bourbon casks at the distillery in Puerto Rico. It is a molasses based rum which was produced on a column still. It is in the lighter “Spanish” style but unlike many of their peers Don Q do not use any additives in their rum production. I’ve always thought of Don Q being the brand that Bacardi could be..

    A 70cl bottle of Don Q Reserva Anejo 7 Anos will set you back around £35 it is available from Master of Malt and other stockists quite readily. It is bottled at 40% ABV.

    In the glass we have a “classic” Golden Brown rum. As this is a widely and continuously available release it is likely that a little E150 is used as a colourant for consistency. People don’t like buying piss coloured spirits for some reason……..

    Don Q Reserva Anejo 7 Anos rum review by the fat rum pirateOn the nose Don Q Reserva Aenjo 7 Anos, is light and vibrant. There is a nice hit of sweetness initially – vanilla and coconut. This is followed by some light oak and warming spices. There is a little bit of tobacco as well.

    It is not a hugely complex nose. It is a very honest nose though. Don Q is produced in the lighter Spanish column distilled style but I feel it has a fair bit in common with lighter Barbados and St Lucian profiles. Especially when the column element is high.

    Don Q Reserva Anejo 7 Anos is bottled at 40% ABV and its lighter profile means it is an easy going sipper. How well does it work as a sipper?

    I would say surprisingly well but I’m not “new” to Don Q so it isn’t a surprise to me personally. It’s light, clean and easy going. The nose transfers nicely into the sipping experience. So sweet notes of vanilla and coconut, alongside some sweet shortbread and baking spices. A little toffee/caramel. Caramel Shortcake perhaps.

    On the mid palate the oak and spices come into play more offering a rich and nicely rounded experience.

    Finish wise – it is a decent length but with it being a touch on the light side it isn’t particularly intense. It gives a nice airy yet slightly woody finish with plenty vanilla and toffee.

    Don Q Reserva Anejo 7 Anos is not a “knock your socks off” kind of rum. It is a light multi column distilled spirit. Personally, regardless of how it is produced I think it has lots in common with Barbados, Antigua and St Lucian rum. Certainly, in terms of the actual flavour of the rum.Don Q Reserva Anejo 7 Anos rum review by the fat rum pirate

    They are very forthright in the fact they do not add sugar or other additives to flavour their rums. Something which isn’t so common in the “Spanish Style”.

    All in all, if you are looking for something a little lighter or something a little more “Premium” for cocktails then this is certainly well worth considering.

    It doesn’t pull up any trees or do anything “new” or “innovative” but its a very solid rum. What it does do in terms of the flavour profile it does very well. It’s a much better rum than say Bacardi 8 for example.

  • Chairman’s Reserve 2005 Vintage

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Chairman's Reserve 2005 Vintage Rum review by the fat rum pirateChairman’s Reserve 2005 Vintage. Chairman’s Reserve Finest Saint Lucia Rum has been available since 1999, long before I got into rum.

    It has even worked it’s way into UK supermarket shelves and has been stocked by Sainsbury’s for at least 7 or 8 years. It has certainly helped raise the profile of “Supermarket” rum.

    We’ve recently seen quite a lot of Chairman’s Reserve branded Single Cask rums being released by various different stores, Rum Clubs and even investment businesses. Saint Lucia Distillers in general have increased their overall portfolio considerably, especially here in Europe.

    They have added rums to all their “brands” such as Bounty, Admiral Rodney, 1931 and of course Chairman’s Reserve. So lets take a look at what they are offering us this time.

    Chairman’s Reserve 2005 Vintage is a 14 year old blend of rums from their John Dore 1 still and their traditional Column Coffey still. The rums were originally aged seperately for 4 years in ex-bourbon barrels. After this time they were “vatted” together and aged a further 10 years until 2019 when the contents were bottled.

    It has been bottled at 46% ABV, which may disappoint some, sorry correction this HAS disappointed some wanting Cask Strength rum. I am tasting from bottle number 132 of only 390. It is noted as being from Cask 7/10. Which I presume means their are 9 other similar casks to this rum floating about somewhere? Perhaps this was the only one that was bottled at 14 years. To be honest I’ve not asked anyone about it. So if anyone wants to shed more light please feel free.

    Despite the low out turn of bottles it is still available. You can pick a bottle up for £59.95 over at Master of Malt. It’s a shame no one told this guy who paid nearly double that at auction. This is something which seems to be happening rather a lot lately. People paying over the odds at auction for bottles they could have easily ordered online. Still a fool and his money are easily parted.

    Presentation wise the Chairman’s Reserve 2005 Vintage is similar to the Single Cask offerings that have been popping up everywhere in terms of colour scheme. However this has a gold band around the bottom noting 2005 Vintage rather than the Store or Club the rum was bought by. The cardboard box is also a full box rather than the cut out style used on the Single Cask bottlings. I guess this is Single Cask as well but I’m still not totally sure whether there are more 2005 VIntage’s around (from the remaining Chairman's Reserve 2005 Vintage Rum review by the fat rum piratecasks of the original 10).

    Other than that bottle is the traditional stubby Chairman’s bottle and you get a nice synthetic cork stopper. All very nice.

    In the glass we have a vibrant reddish/dark brown liquid.

    Nosing I am immediately taken back to my first experiences with Chairman’s Reserve. I remember my first nosing of Chairman’s and thinking “this is rum”. This has a similar balance to the standard Chairman’s in terms of the nose.

    There is a really nice vanilla sweetness, which is overlapped by some spicy and very nicely balanced oak notes. It’s woody but sweet with it and it’s very harmonious. Chairman’s Reserve 2005 Vintage is not as herbal as some of the Saint Lucia Distillers rums – such as the 1931 line up. It’s more a “straight forward” kind of delivery.

    That is not to say though that it doesn’t have a fair bit going on. It certainly does. As well as being reminded of Chairman’s Reserve “standard” edition I am also getting quite a lot of the Admiral Rodney style. Now Column Distilled rum can get a fair bit of flack and a lot of people (incorrectly) label and consider it to be “neutral” and of little merit. That is not the case when it is done well – and not done on a mass industrial multi column.

    Notes of leather, cocoa, some dark chocolate, pipe smoke and chewy toffee. A slight spicyness with a tiny hint of ginger and some fennel. Bit of stewed breakfast tea – bit of an almost Worthy Park vibe going on. Baked banana bread, stewed apple.

    It’s a lovely nose with most of the things I like – if not all.

    Sipped, it has a touch more bite than I was expecting. That isn’t a problem though it’s still quite soft and pretty easy to drink. The initial entry is a touch bitter with some spicy oak and ginger – a touch of lime zest and some chilli heat that never quite comes to the boil.

    Swirled in the mouth the mid palate develops into chocolate, toffee and some sweet vanilla. The balance and ease at which this can be drank is more than a little dangerous. It’s also very moreish.

    The finish is a good length and moves nicely into more spicy and oaky territory becoming woodier and more nuanced with some bitter cocoa notes – like chewing on cocoa nibs. There is a touch of red apple towards the finish as well which adds a little Chairman's Reserve 2005 Vintage Rum review by the fat rum piratesweetness and makes you reach for another glass.

    The key to this rum is that it hasn’t tried to hard. Some of Saint Lucia Distillers blends (particularly in the 1931 series) could get a little busy. This is a simple balancing act of quality Pot Still and Column Distilled rum. For me the very backbone of good rum making. No matter what any Cask Strength 100% Pot Still nutjob might think on that matter.

    I’m all for challenging rums but I also think we should appreciate when a Master Blender does exactly what his job title suggests. He certainly has here.

    Well played Mr Harris.

     

     

18 Comments

  1. A fine choice. It’s delicious and I still have over half a bottle left. I actually slightly prefer the Cask Strength Mark III. I think you mixed up the proofs Pirate. The Criterion is 56% and the Full Proof is 59%. I had some great rum this last year but all of them, with the exception of Foursquare, were independent bottlers. It does seem unfair that many of our rum companions can’t get their hands on this stuff. I’m really hoping that the official distillers will respond to the enormous critical success of the independents and start to improve their official releases.

  2. I drank this baby yesterday together with the Dunkan T Long Pond 2000 and Bielle Brut de Fut 2007.

    I must say that the tasting was near… the nose of the Bielle is spectacular and the taste of the Long Pond is something special.

    Cheers

    Cristian

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  5. Tasted Zinfandel Cask, Port Cask, and 2004 this year as my introduction to Foursquare. I missed out on this but I will definitely be picking some of their upcoming limited edition releases.

  6. A fine choice! Gutted to not have a picked up a bottle at RumFest, but didn’t trust my self to make a purchase whilst staggering out, despite it being my favorite of the day.
    Foursquare are killing it at the moment

        1. Yes we had a chat about it in the UK Rum Club on Facebook. Would be good to have you onboard. Its a friendly community. I reviewed a Plantation Jamaica a while back. I wasn’t a fan. I feel that Jamaican rum is one style of rum that is killed by “dosage”. I’ve got the M&S Guyana up soon though.

    2. Paul, you can still pick up the Foursquare 2004 Full Proof (59%). That’s 11 years ex-bourbon and I personally like it a tiny bit more than the Criterion.

  7. Unfortunately my rum journey has been limited to more commercial runs as cost is a major factor. I simply cannot justify spending more than £40 on a bottle. However, I enjoy reading all your reviews and who knows, if my premium bonds come up, I can sample a few exclusive rums. Cheers!

  10. Not a very surprising, but well deserved winner.I personally prefer the Triptych, especially the influence of the new casks. However this one is definitly up there!
    Keep up the good work on the site in the next year and I’ll continue to read every single post you put up here. Hope to see at a few more events in 201l8! 🙂

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