Santa Teresa Linaje – Gran Reserva

Bythefatrumpirate

Santa Teresa Linaje Rum Review by the fat rum pirateSanta Teresa Linaje was released back in 2012.  Whether it was a worldwide release or not I’m not entirely sure.

Santa Teresa are the oldest producers of rum in Venezuela.  An independent family group employing over 400 people. Santa Teresa is renowned for its community investment, including the Alcatraz project, the Revenga municipal projects of Aragua State, location of the Agroindustrial tourist and sports complex at Hacienda Santa Teresa.

The Linaje (proncounced Lin-AH-hay) only came to my attention a few months ago – it might have even been a photograph on Instagram which alerted my attention.  For some reason the black bottle with gold/yellow lettering was remarkably appealing to me.

Santa Teresa rums hail from Venezuela – home of Pampero.  Like most Central American producers they produce rums with no age statements using the solera system.  To Santa Teresa’s credit they do not produce rums with solera age statements on the bottles.

I found their 1796 highly enjoyable so I figured I would give this rum a shot.  At around £25 for a 70cl bottle with an ABV of 40%. I was interested to see how the younger Santa Teresa rums would perform.

I don’t know why I like the rums presentation so much – but I do I even like the plastic screw cap which is functional but allows the rum to keep its sleek appearance.  The presentation really does suggest a rum more expensive than the £25 I paid.

Santa Teresa Linaje Rum Review by the fat rum pirateTo be honest this rum doesn’t seem to have caught the imagination.  There is very little comment on the rum online and my research into the age of the rum etc has led me to the Santa Teresa site.  Which like the presentation of this rum is also rather slick.

Unfortunately I can’t find any information on how old the blend of this rum is.  The Santa Teresa Gran Reserva is a blend of rums upto 5 years old and this rum is said to be a bridge between that and the 1796.  So I guess this rum is slightly older.  I say slightly older as it is according to the website still best paired with soft drinks.  The bottles label is no help to me either as I assume it is in Spanish.

In the glass Linaje is a lovely reddish/golden brown and the nose is nicely balanced.  Sweet almost red wine like notes, rich plums alongside nice buttery light oak and vanilla. It does have a hit of alcohol as well suggesting it isn’t the oldest rum blend you’ll ever encounter.

ST Linaje 3As a sipper it is perhaps just a shade too young and a little one dimensional.  It lacks any real complexity and depth of flavour.  It’s not rough as such – there is some alcohol burn, nothing to harsh but it does display young sweet alcohol notes especially on the entry.  I like the oaky-ness of this rum – which suggests it will stand up and still deliver a kick when mixed.

Mixed with cola you get a very pleasant rum and cola. No surprise for a rum in the £25 price bracket, it certainly should be mixable.  I’d imagine this rum could be quite a versatile young rum in cocktails etc.  In a rum and cola it gives a nice smooth oaky drink which is very enjoyable.  It is slightly expensive for what it is though.  I could spend £25 and get a lot more for my money.

It perhaps lacks a little extra oomph but all in all this a decent rum.  It won’t replace 1796 as a sipper but it is better than Pampero Anejo Especial.

Slightly above average and quite nicely done but all in all pretty forgettable.

2.5 stars

 

 

 

 

 

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  • Mount Gay 1703 Master Select Rum – 2017 Release

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Mount Gay 1703 Master Select Rum Review by the fat rum pirate 2017 releaseMount Gay 1703 2017 release. Mount Gay probably don’t need much introduction to even the most casual of Rum drinkers. Putting aside the puerile/childish comedy that can be derived from it being a “Gay” rum, the Eclipse is omnipresent in most British supermarkets. It’s availablity in pretty much every Airport I have ever visited in Europe also ensures it is one of the Rum Worlds big hitters.

    For all of Foursquare’s innovations and limited editions over the past few years Mount Gay and Cockspur are still Barbados’ biggest hitters in terms of volume and worldwide sales.

    For many years Mount Gay were known for their Eclipse rum’s (available in Gold and Silver though the Gold is much easier to find) and their Extra Old or XO – often shortened to MGXO in enthusiast circles. Until recently they had a 50% ABV Black Label rum as well but they discontinued that in favour of Black Barrel. You will now find bottles of Black Barrel pretty much everywhere that sells the Eclipse. It’s worth keeping an eye out of the 1 litre bottles available in Travel Retail.

    Contrary to popular belief the year 1703 is not the year Rum was first distilled on the island of Barbados. Mount Gay is often cited as the first Rum Distillery. It was the first legally recognised distillery but the noble spirit was produced much earlier than this date on Barbados.Mount Gay 1703 Master Select Rum Review by the fat rum pirate 2017 release

    Mount Gay 1703 has been in circulation for a number of years. It was recently “revamped” with new packaging and more information on the actual rums involved in the blend. It is Mount Gay’s “Super Premium” offering and retails at over £100 in the UK.

    The version of Mount Gay 1703 I am reviewing today is from the 2017 “batch”. This batch is one of 12,000 bottles issued annually. It is a blend of rums aged between 10 and 30 years. As far as I am aware it is a blend of Pot and Column distillates from 55 different casks expertly blended by Alen Smith. Alen is widely recognised as one of the best rum blenders in the world. The rums are blended and matured in ex-bourbon casks. I have no information suggesting anything otherwise.

    In the UK a bottle of Mount Gay 1703 Master Select will set you back around £150 for a 70cl bottle. Presentation wise the new look is much more contemporary and looks much better on the shelf. It is much more appealing and less “old fashioned” now. It is bottled at 43% ABV.

    I think that’s me done on the information side so lets see how good this rum is…..

    Golden brown in colour. The nose is full of chewy toffee, banana, caramel, brown sugar and that signature coconut.

    The coconut notes are particularly good. Its not very spicy. There is interaction with the wood but it doesn’t seem to have developed beyond a little buttery spiciness. This is a light and sweet bajan style of rum which has a wonderful balance to it.

    Big and punchy it isn’t but it is a rum which has been developed by a master blender that knows his rums strengths and he’s very much playing to them.

    Sipped the sweetness is dialled down a little. There is a nice spicy entry which is quite woody – ginger and a little hint towards a charred barrel and a little fire to the sweeter brown sugar and toffee notes.

    Further sips reveal more of the sweeter notes. The coconut returns – this time tasting at times like a Coconut Ice. The finish is long and spicy but never overbearing. It lasts longer than I had expected. Ginger and a bit of caraway seed alongside a good measure of oak.Mount Gay 1703 Master Select Rum Review by the fat rum pirate 2017 release

    It’s all very nice and polite and very nicely balanced. But its just not overly exciting. I think at this price point we need more from Mount Gay. They need to get out of that comfort zone. A re-brand is all very nice but they must be looking at Foursquare. St Lucia Distillers, Worthy Park and even Plantation and thinking – we must spice things up. We need to change, innovate, maybe try some different finishes – up the ABV (this is 43%) and just offer something more exciting and more 2018.

    This would have been great 10 years ago. Heck its still a very good rum but you can get better for a quarter of the price. I like Mount Gay rum a lot but they really need to move way beyond the Eclipse if they want the “aficionados” money.

    Safe – too safe.

  • Thameside Signature Blend Premium Caribbean Rum

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Thameside Signature Blend Premium Caribbean Rum Review by the fat rum pirate Thameside Signature Blend Premium Caribbean Rum. This is the first rum to be released from the Thameside Rum Company which was established in 2018.

    The rum is noted on the front label as being an English style blend of the finest aged Caribbean rum. This information is clarified further by the rear label which notes that the rum is from Jamaica, Barbados and Guyana.

    These Caribbean destinations (I would normally say islands but Guyana is actually on the coast of mainland South America) have long been associated with Navy rums. In some circles rum from these countries are referred to as “British Style”.

    Multi Island Blends of rum are often looked down upon by more serious Rum Enthusiasts. They are often fairly cheap and made up of fairly young rums. Rums such as Lamb’s Navy Rum and Captain Morgan Dark Rum are usually taken with cola or ginger ale and aren’t generally on the spectrum of such enthusiasts.

    Rums such as Pusser’s Navy Rum are seen as better but more expensive alternatives. The Whisky Exchange have just released a new Black Tot Rum which is priced at £40 which is a multi island blend.

    So it will be interesting to see how Thameside Signature Blend fares in the market. It is priced at just under £40, currently in stock at both their own website and Master of Malt.

    Presentation wise Thameside Signature blend comes in a rounded stubby style bottle with a chunky cork stopper. The branding is clear and modern and you are given some information about the actual rums in the bottle. No age statements etc however. The rums in this blend have been aged entirely in ex-bourbon casks and there have been no post distillation additives used. It is also without any kind of colouring. Rums such as this are usually very dark. So fair play to Thameside Rum Company for taking a different, more daring approach and presenting this rum in its natural statThameside Signature Blend Premium Caribbean Rum Review e. It is also non chill filtered.

    Thameside Signature Blend is blended at Cask Strength but is brought down to 40% ABV when bottled. Which is to be expected as the minimum ABV for a rum retailing at this price point. I dare say a few people would like to see a higher ABV. Maybe they will introduce a “Cask Strength” or “Overproof” offering in the future. Obviously as a new company they are still working on increasing their Economy of Scale.

    The Thameside Rum Company website is very informative and they give a breakdown on the rums used in the blend. (I think some of this information on the bottle might also be useful). So the rums in this blend are as follows

    4 Year Old 100% Pot Still rum from Jamaica

    5 Year Old Pot and Column distilled rum from Barbados

    2-5 Year Old Pot and Column distilled rum from Guyana

    The actual distilleries aren’t named but the Barbados element will almost certainly be from Foursquare and the Guyanese rum can only hail from Demerara Distillers Limited. The Jamaican element could be from a few different options – Long Pond, Hampden or Worthy Park being the most likely.

    I don’t think there is much else I cant say about this rum. I think pretty much everything is covered. So lets see how this fairs when put to the taste test.

    In the glass as promised we have a golden brown rum, rather than the more “traditional” dark brown/black style adopted by most other blended Navy/British style rums. It’s a little on the hazy side which attests to it not being chill filtered.

    On the nose ThThameside Signature Blend Premium Caribbean Rum Review by the fat rum pirateameside Signature Blend will be familiar to anyone who has tried some Continentally Aged Demerara and/or Jamaican rum. It has a slightly savoury note to it – woody and earthy at the same time. Hints of aniseed and brown sugar mingle alongside some smoky funky notes. Burnt banana and some unsweetened toffee.

    Further nosing reveals vanilla and some sultanas. It is a very complex nose especially for a 40% ABV rum. I think if you were given a glass you might well think it is a higher ABV. Such is the concentration of the aromas – rather than it being particularly “boozy”.

    That said it is quite a hairs on the chest kind of rum. It’s certainly not delicate and fragrant. The Barbados element of the rum certainly stops the Jamaican Pot Still from running away with this rum but its still big and punchy.

    Sipped this is every bit as flavourful as the nose suggested. It’s less smoky and oaky than the nose with a lot more fruitiness coming through.

    Classic Demerara notes of brown sugar, toffee, raisins and aniseed mingle alongside some more savoury Jamaican funk. It’s not out there funky but its enough to keep things interesting and an extra layer.

    The Barbados element of this rum is adding just enough balance to keep this from becoming unwieldly.

    It’s quite a dry rum but the finish isn’t as oaky as I was expecting. It retains just enough sweetness throughout the delivery. The initial burst of sweetness moves into the smokier and oakier elements of the rum on the mid palate. The finish is a decent length and some of the sweeter notes return in the form of brown sugar and raisin.

    The lower ABV on this one makes is really easy to sip. Especially if you are used to sipping Cask Strength aged rums. It deliver a more “Continentally Aged” style of rum than some of the Velier aged rums. If you are a fan of European aged Demerara rums then I think you will get a lot of enjoyment out of this rum as an occasional sipThameside Signature Blend Premium Caribbean Rum Review by the fat rum pirateper.

    I’m usually quite skeptical about rums like these, however as you will see from their website the company behind this are very much against the usual industry bullshit. Which is great to see.

    For £40 this makes a really decent sipper. However, they also suggest using this rum in a number of cocktails and other serves. I have to say having this in a rum and cola makes for one of the best I have had to date. In some ways it does the job of a few different rums. The Demerara and Jamaican rums give a real complexity of flavour and the Barbados element really smooths the drink out and adds a great balance.

    Really, really good stuff. Cask Strength next please……….

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Dead Reckoning Rum HMS Antelope

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Dead Reckoning Rum HMS Antelope Rum Review by the fat rum pirateDead Reckoning Rum HMS Antelope. This is the third release of Dead Reckoning Rum” from Australian Rum Enthusiast and Importer Justin Boseley who heads up La Rumbla Imports over in his native Australia.

    Not content with bringing the likes of Mezan, Mhoba, Privateer and Sampan to Australian shores, Justin has also set up his own rum brand in the shape of Dead Reckoning Rum.

    At present their rums are really only available in Australia. In fact I’m not entirely sure even if you are in Australia, if you will find much of the first two Dead Reckoning Rum releases. Both were limited editions. The releases up to now at least are “single batch” rather than continuous ongoing expressions.

    With this release their is arguably scope to produce a more continuous product but as it stands this HMS Antelope is also a Limited Edition. As you can see from the photo there are 705 bottles in this release. My bottle is number 403

    Which tells you its not a Single Cask Rum – it’s actually a blend of rums. More specifically its aimed at being a Navy Blend of Rums. It’s very much paying homage to Justin’s Grandpa Sidney Bosley, who was born in Kent, England and took part in World War 2. He was onboard the HMS Antelope as a sailor. For more information on the HMS Antelope take a look on Wikipedia.

    So that’s the reason for the name but what about the juice in the bottle? Well it’s a blend of rums from ex-British colonies. So the usual suspects are to be found.

    So we have rum from Jamaica, Guyana, Trinidad and Barbados. There is a slight curveball, though not an entirely unexpected one – in that we have some rum from Queensland, Australia in the blend. It has been documented that Australian rum was historically used in some rum supplied to the Royal British Navy but it is not the first Port of Call many people would think of.

    I don’t know the exact ratios of the blend, Dead Reckoning have not went all Black Tot on us and given us every tiny detail of the blend. So we have in the blend as follows

    4 Year Old Pot Still rum from Australia. The distillery isn’t disclosed by Dead Reckoning but I will take and educated guess and say its Beenleigh Distillery.

    3-5 Year Old Column Still rum from Angostura, Trinidad.

    3 Year Old Pot Still Rum from Worthy Park, Jamaica.

    2 to 5 Year Old Pot/Column Still Rum from Diamond Distillery, Guyana.

    and finally

    2-5 Year Old Pot/Column Still Rum from Foursquare, Barbados.

    So taking all things into consideration we are looking at a rum with an average age of around 3-4 years depending on the ratios etc. We aren’t talking a really long aged rum blend.

    Price wise and Australia is possibly even more expensive for spirits than the UK this retails at around the $150 Australian Dollars mark. Which is a shade under £/€80 for those in the UK and Europe. It has been bottled at 55% ABV, which also plays a part in the price. Like the UK tax varies dependant on certain ABV thresholds. I’m not going to claim to be an expert on alcohol prices/taxation in Australia. If you wish to make some kind of comparison to get a feel for the price Pusser’s Gunpowder Proof rum is $99 from La Rumbla Imports. If we say Pusser’s is £35 in the UK then Dead Reckoning Rum HMS Antelope is around £52.50. (Not that we would EVER get it over here at that price!)

    I do know from personal experience it was pretty expensive to drink when I was over there over 10 years ago. Not so much in the bars but certainly in terms of picking up something to drink in the hotel room – you weren’t saving much at all. That said I didn’t have a car when I was over there so never really ventured into a Supermarket. My options were mostly limited to the “onsite” bottle shops attached to most bars in Sydney and Cairns. So this might also have played a part in the prices I encountered. Anyway I digress…..

    Back to the review. Dead Reckoning Rum HMS Antelope comes in a rounded stubby Dead Reckoning Rum HMS Antelope Rum Review by the fat rum piratestyle bottle. The seal on the lid has some wax over it. Whenever I get wax on my lid (ooooooh Matron!) I expect a cork stopper. Apart from when I buy miniatures from Master of Malt. So I was a little surprised to find (after looking for a “string pull”) that their was no cork just a black plastic screw cap. The bottle has a nice heavy base and the package is nicely put together.

    That said its good quality its not a metal screw cap and the “threading” is on the glass bottle. So its very secure and should keep your rum nice and fresh. I rarely have a problem with this myself as it never usually lasts long enough to get tainted etc.

    As far as the label goes the front label gives us all the relevant information on the make up of the rum and the label goes right around the bottle giving more background about HMS Antelope and Sidney Bosely.

    I’ve written nearly 900 words already! So I best get on with the tasting and nosing before this turns into War and Peace.

    In the glass Dead Reckoning Rum HMS Antelope is a golden brown. The rear label also points out that it is has not been sweetened or coloured and it is (I always hear Ralfy’s voice when I read this) non-chill filtered.

    I think the sweetening of rum continues to be a big talking point in the rum world. I know Justin like myself is pretty much against it. Now whilst some people get their knickers in a twist over colouring – I tend not to get as upset about that. Chill Filtration – the process does sound like it would take way some of the flavour of the rum so it’s re-assuring to see that has not been carried out as well.

    The nose delivers a lovely fruity sweetness – Apricots/Peaches, nice fruity raisins and some coconut milk. I’m also getting a milky chocolate Worthy Park like note coming through. There’s some Pineapple juice and a nice hit of Jamaican “funk”.

    There is also a good weight of spice with some ginger and a touch of nutmeg. I’m getting some nice oak notes but they are quite light and almost fruity rather than very woody.

    At 55% ABV the nose is surprisingly approachable, even as the first drink of the day. It has a oily/mucky kind of vibe to it as well. I’m not quite sure which of the rums give it this but I often find this with younger Demerara. There’s a kind of young Versailles Still “menace” going on in this blend. There is something a little “sharp” about the rum which I rather like. I don’t like my rum like sugary water…….

    More time in the glass seems to make the nose sweeter. I’m now getting an almost candied Strawberry note and a big dollop of Cornish Vanilla Ice Cream.

    As you can see from the notes – there is a lot going on with this nose and I have to say I’m more than enjoying just nosing this for now.

    Needs must though and I must get this review completed. So I guess I best take one for the team and give this Navy Blend a sip or two.

    A sip of Dead Reckoning Rum HMS Antelope is certainly not a disappointment. It delivers a lot of complexity. It’s quite dry – the Demerara rum is not the dominant player in this Navy Rum.

    There is an initial sweetness on the sip – touch of icing sugar. However, this quickly moves into a richer, slightly savoury in some ways delivery. I’m getting more of the spices and definitely more oak. It’s quite “peppery” and the ABV does show itself more than on the nose. It’s hairs on the chest kind of rum. You could imagine sailors drinking something quite similar to this.

    The mid palate evolves and some of the sweetness returns – dark chocolate, milky slighty bitter tea, some stewed fruits, maybe a touch of marmalade and orange zest?

    I think the Pot Still Rum from Beenleigh delivers quite a lot of the “oomph” in this blend. It has an almost whisky like kick which gives it a touch of something a bit more malty which seems to meld nicely with the funkier Jamaican Pineapple and Mango notes (?). It reminds me a little of The Duchess Beenleigh release I reviewed last year.

    The Angostura and Foursquare elements of this rum are probably supplying the more subtle notes and some of the fruitier elements. Adding a little sweetness to the blend.

    Finish wise it has a surprisingly good length to it. The ABV obviously helps with this but you aren’t just left with a boozy blast. It has an almost medicinal and slightly tannic finish with lots of cocoa and some cough medicine like notes. The Jamaican and possibly the Beenleigh rum return in the shape of some funky notes of Pineapple, mango and some guava.

    It’s a really interesting rum in that time taken between sips – really seems to make a difference to the profile. If you take a couple of quick sips the overaDead Reckoning Rum HMS Antelope Rum Review by the fat rum piratell profile remains quite fruity. More time in between and your palate seems to pick up more of the complexities.

    I think from the notes (and the size of this review) that it is pretty obvious that I have enjoyed this rum – a lot. In a blind tasting I would have put this as being at least twice its average age. It drinks very much like something aged for at least 8 years.

    Hats of to Justin on the blend as this is a pretty awesome assembly of what is essentially not really “old” or well aged rum. It works well though. Rum from quality producers – even at a relatively young age will beat those 25 Year Solera Additive ridden concoctions all day long for me.

    Excellent. Highly recommended – if you do come across a bottle buy one!

     

     

  • Foursquare Rum Distillery Premise

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Foursquare Rum Distillery Premise rum review by the fat rum pirateFoursquare Rum Distillery Premise. Another intriguingly named rum from Foursquare. Premise – a proposition supporting or helping to support a conclusion. Cryptic, very cryptic.

    Foursquare Premise the eighth bottling in the exceptional cask series. It is one of three bottlings released in 2018 alongside Dominus and 2005.

    It has just made it to the UK and is available via The Whisky Exchange it is priced at £45.25 with an ABV of 46% and your usual 70cl bottle. Foursquare Premise comes housed in the usual Foursquare stubby bottle complete with synthetic cork closure.

    In terms of legacy it is perhaps this years “Port” or “Zinfandel” cask (two previous Foursquare exceptional cask bottlings). Though rather than call it “Sherry Cask” Richard Seale has opted to give this rum a more intriguing/interesting name.

    Foursquare Premise has been aged for 3 years in ex-bourbon casks before being transferred to ex-sherry casks where it was matured for a further 7 years. 10 years in total. It was bottled in January 2018. It is a blend of Pot and Column distilled rums.

    There was a time when a Foursquare rum bottled at 46% ABV would have been a real talking point. It is quite hard to believe just how far the Distillery has come in the past 3 to 4 years. Clearly with the amount of aged stock – and the acquiring of various casks and barrels many years ago, the Exceptional Cask series has been a long term and very deliberate strategy.

    It may have been seen as a risk at the time but it is certainly paying off now. Foursquare are leading the way in the rum world make no mistake about that.

    With these rums – I will include Port Cask and the Zinfandel Blend I believe Richard is trying to showcase to rum consumers that true unadulterated rum can also be “sweet” – it is not all “dry” and “oaked”. I also believe keeping these rums sub 50% ABV will ensure less experienced drinkers are not “scared off” by excessive burn. I’ve not actually asked Richard about this but I believe that rums such as this one could perhapsFoursquare Rum Distillery Premise Rum Review by the fat rum pirate be used as “Gateway Rums”. Helping people move onto what many enthusiasts might consider to be the “best” rums. Rather than having them waste money on fancy XO decanters of adulterated multi column crap.

    Anyway, I digress. You are here for a rum review after all.

    In the glass Foursquare Premise is an orangey to dark brown colour. It certainly looks the part.

    The nose on Foursquare Premise is wonderful. It is light and fruity with notes of fortified wine. There is enough vanilla, oak and light slightly zesty spice to counteract the sherry notes and stop them becoming overbearing. Bringing great balance to the rum and a nice “weight” to the nose. Red and White grapes, green apples a touch of peach and some red berries. Very approachable yet complex. Hugely inviting.

    Sipped it is a little more spicy than I was expecting. There is a touch more “oomph” to this than I perhaps expected. There has been real interaction with the cask to deliver a intense and rich spiciness and a real warm “red wine” like note. Thick lemon peel and just a squeeze or two of lemon juice, hints of Shiraz – stoned fruits.

    Further sips reveal more of the lighter sweeter notes – a return of the Sherry and some lighter white fruit – apples and grapes. Hints of marmalade and just a drop of Angostura bitters.

    Much like its predecessors the Port and Zinfandel rums it can seem a little to “light” at times. It’s very easy to drink and ridiculously sippable. In most cases such rums fall rather flat on the finish as they are to light in body.

    Not Foursquare Premise. This is very complex but deceptive in how easy it is to drink! Trust me you will want more than one bottle of this. The finish, whilst not huge is long lasting and very pleasant. Gently, well balanced spice and oak mingle along nicely with just enough of the sweet fruits and sherry notes. It all remains in the mix till the end.

    This is a very moreish and very easy to drink rum. You will buy a bottle but don’t expect it to last long. Such is the glut of Foursquare releases and the increase in ABV may mean that a few people see this as “weak” or think Cask Strength etc will be better. Honestly, don’t buy into that. This is another example of just how good “real” rum can be.

    I’ve already mentioned the difficulty in scoring these rums. Maybe I should have given Dominus a full 5? Maybe I should be giving this a lower score because it isn’t a full blooded 50% plus rum? Maybe I do like the “sweeter” pure rums? Maybe, maybe……

    Maybe picking your favourite Foursquare rum is a bit like picking your favourite child?

    All I will say is spend as much time with all of them as you possibly can. This is stellar stuff.

    PS Photos will be updated when my bottle arrives.

     

  • One Barrel Refined Old Rum

    Bythefatrumpirate

    1 BARREL Rum Review Belize TravellersI purchased this rum mainly due to  the demography.  I hadn’t tried a rum from Belize, simple really.  One Barrel also boasted of a number of gold medal awards, in major spirit competitions. A Gold Medal in the Dark Rum category at the second International Cane Spirits Competition in 2007. In 2007 and 2008 Gold Medals at the International Rum Festival.

    In 1953, Jaime Omario Perdomo Sr., began a venture by opening a bar in Belize City which he called Travellers Bar.  It was a logical name since most of his clientele were traveling either into or out of the city.​

    ​Travellers Bar initially sold only imported liquor and beers and only a few home made efforts.  It was the practice of local bars to make their own rum blends for exclusive sale and Omario Perdono soon began his own blending.  He started to create unique blends for his bar.

    As Travellers Bar’s rums grew in popularity, Omario Perdono searched for a way to provide consistency to his blends. During this time the recipe for the award winning One Barrel aged rum was developed. Travellers Liquors Ltd was also formed.

    ​One Barrel rum is exported to Europe, Canada and the United States.   The bottle of One Barrel Rum I obtained online via the Whiskey Exchange came surprisingly in a 750ml bottle. This is a standard bottle size in the US but not the UK (700ml).  Upon closer analysis of the bottle it became apparent the bottle had originally been exported to the US by Bluefield Productions, Los Angeles.  So clearly my rum had indeed done a bit of Travelling before it arrived!  This might go someway to explain the price of this rum.  It is Travellers Liquors Ltd entry level rum.  However, this UK duty paid bottle from Belize via the US of A cost me £30.  Probably 3 times the price the rum retails at in the USA and Belize.

    The presentation of the rum (like most entry level efforts) is pretty uninspiring.  In fact its pretty awful really.  I think the barrel on the front is really amateurish and in all honesty I find the rum to have a very cheap and nasty appearance.  The closure is a plastic screw top.  I really don’t like the presentation of the rum. The gold and black writing is difficult to read, looks cluttered and very unprofessional.  It’s not a rum that jumps out at you on the shelf, well it does but only in a DON’T BUY ME! kind of way.  It says Cheap, cheap, cheap all the way.

    We all know that the packaging of a rum isn’t always a guarantee of it’s credentials.  So on, with an open mind to the tasting.

    The One Barrel Rum is a young rum – the rums in the blend are aged for a maximum of two years.  The rum is finished in Kentucky White Oak Barrels (bourbon) for 12 months.  It is unlikely that (despite a £30 price tag for me!) I’m faced with a sophisticated sipping drink.  If I am then they really need to up their presentation.

    Pouring the rum into my glass it is an attractive golden colour.  I’m a little miffed how this has one awards in the dark rum category.  It isn’t what I would class as a dark rum at all.  Its golden for gods sake!!  On the nose the rum is very sweet.  It smells of toffee, caramel and a little maple syrup.  It is a little on the sickly side.

    When sipped the rum really displays its youthfulness.  It’s really rather short and very rough.  The sickly sweet smell transfers into the flavour.  The taste is short and quickly gives way to a strong alcohol burn which is spicy and lingers for longer than you would want.  It still lurks at the next sip.  An ice cube helps things but its not really something that can be sipped in my opinion.  I add a little cola and to be honest it doesn’t really help matters.  The alcohol burn and the very short burst of sweet caramel and toffee still remain.  Mixed more liberally with cola it does improve.  Whilst it is now a lot more drinkable (especially if you are already half cut) it is very, very sweet.  Initially, I really enjoyed the One Barrel in a long rum and cola but it does become cloying and sickly after a few, even if you are drunk.  If anything its the smell of the rum as much as the taste which put’s you off.  It’s just so sickly sweet its like childrens cough medicine.  This is a definitely a rum which I am pleased I  had re-visited prior to reviewing.

    This isn’t a complex or sophisticated rum.  To me it tastes like a young rum which has been heavily altered by flavourings and colourings.  It probably rides very closely to being a flavoured rum.  I’ve not tasted anything even close to this level of sweet sickliness in any regular rum before.  In that respect its more in keeping with a Spiced Rum like Bacardi Oakheart or Morgans Spiced.  There is something about this rum which makes it feel very artificial.  Their isn’t a lot of rum flavour to this.

    If there is such a thing as a dessert rum then this could be it.  However, if I was going to have a dessert rum I would choose either the El Dorado 12 Year Old or even Old Monk 7 Year Old Vatted (both reviewed on this site).  I’d rather have a nice gelato than a blob of vanilla soft scoop.

    I don’t really understand how this rum has won so many awards as a Dark Rum.  It certainly isn’t that.  Whilst I could understand it winning an award in a category with other young rums, I think it call’s into doubt some of the views and opinions of some so called experts.  This rum certainly wouldn’t win any awards from me.  Its far too sickly and artificial.  I don’t even really feel like I’m drinking rum.

    1 stars

  • Stroh 80 Austria Inlander Rum

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Stroh 80 Spirit of Austria Rum Review by the fat rum pirateStroh 80 Austria Inlander Rum. The Spirit of Austria. Stroh is a brand of “rum” that you will likely come across quite frequently, being sold at most shops online.

    Despite the fact, I do not know a single person who drinks or enjoys it. Stroh sits at the lower to mid-priced end of the market. It is an historic brand which has been available since 1857.

    Stroh has had a bit of mixed identity over the years and the term “Inlander Rum” (Domestic Rum) has had it’s meaning changed by recent EU Legislation.

    Domestic Rum, as can be found here with Maraska Room is essentially “fake” rum. As you can see from the review and the pictures of the bottle Maraska can no longer legally call such a spirit rum. It is a neutral spirit with added flavourings or essence – usually vanilla and butterscotch.

    This is what Stroh originally was, with added flavours and spices. There are conflicting stories as well as to whether Stroh also contained a small percentage of “real” rum, from overseas. Now I understand that the base of Stroh is authentic rum produced in Austria from Sugar Cane molasses

    Stroh is available in varying strengths, this is the highest ABV version and the most well known. In the US, due to them not using metric measurements you will see Stroh 160 which is proof rather than ABV.

    Stroh comes in a 50cl stubby hip flask style bottle. The bottle is understood to represent those used by hunters during Austria winter in years gone by. A bottle of Stroh 80 will set you back around £30.

    In the glass we have a very strange coloured spirit. It’s a very strange looking red colour with black flashes (I’m not quite sure how it manages this). On the nose I am met with a plethora of aromas.

    All of which are pretty confected and pretty fake. Toffee, Caramel, Vanilla, Butterscotch (Werthers Originals) and some strange notes, which I can best describe as a mixture of Jägermeister and Licor de Herbias from Mallorca. Both of which I detest.

    Add into this cacophony, a huge waft of sweet sugar and sickly sweet honey notes. It is in all fairness, absolutely rancid and completely fake. Stroh 80 is used quite a lot in baking and I can certainly see why that is the case. This is very, very essence heavy.Stroh 80 Spirit of Austria Rum Review by the fat rum pirate

    Sipped all you get is a massive amount of heat and some burning notes of sugar and burnt caramel. It has a slightly herbal off note to it, on top off all the sweet sugary notes. Which make it slightly bitter and even more unforgiving.

    This is definitely not a sipper by anyones definition. Probably the type of thing Austria teenagers might “shot” down to get drunk.

    Despite the high ABV, the length of this spirit is very short. You aren’t left with any kind of finish as such, just a mouthful of sickly sweet essence flavours. The burn of alcohol etc, disappears almost instantly on the sip. I’ve no idea where the actual rum has gone in this spirit. It may as well be made with cats piss.

    Stroh is available in various strengths so maybe watering this down might help a bit. Does it? Not really, it just makes the experience a bit sicklier if anything whilst adding nothing of any merit.

    It’s the kind of dreadful novelty nonsense that will appeal to people wanting to seem “hard” drinking high ABV spirits but who have no knowledge of Cask Strength or barrel aged spirits.

    There isn’t a great deal of point being awful about Stroh as unlike a lot of the rubbish out there in the rum market they don’t seem to set their offerings up as anything sophisticated. They know it is used a lot in cookery and are happy with that. I will however still give Stroh a go as a mixer.

    I’m quite surprised to find such a high ABV spirit mixes so easily into a rum and coke. Any heat or boozy notes from the ABV seem to disappear. All I am getting on the nose, is the fake toffeStroh 80 Spirit of Austria Rum Review by the fat rum piratee and butterscotch. It just all smells very sweet an innocent. In terms of flavour, it reminds me of Czech Domaci Rum and Old Monk (I would say Old Monk is a lot better overall though). It’s not rum and it doesn’t really pretend to be. It’s kind of happy in it old little weird place in the world.

    I can’t really be too harsh about Stroh but at the same time I can’t think of a single good thing to say about it.

    I suppose the very short finish of it and next to no mid-palate is a blessing. In all fairness, when you visit their website even they recognise it is used primarily in baking. They aren’t bullshitting anyone.

    As a rum it’s a load of bollocks but as a curiosity it has a little bit of charm I suppose.

    Please though don’t make me drink it again!