SBS x UK Rum Club Summer Charity Pack Release

Bythefatrumpirate
For those of you who perhaps aren’t members of the group, as well as running this website, I am also one of the admins of The UK Rum Club. This is a Facebook group which run along with Steven James of Rum Diaries Blog. This is a group which focuses more on Rum without Additives, than most others around at the moment.
Please feel free to join as it will allow you access to this exciting bottling coming in the Summer.

SBS x UK Rum Club Summer Charity Pack Release

It’s time to look towards our next 4 x 200ml bottle pack and again it will have a charity donation.

We haven’t fully decided upon the charities yet but we do know the pack contents

Each pack will contain the following:

Jamaica – Hampden HGML

Guyana – DDL Port Mourant

Martinique – Le Galion Gran Arôme

Fiji – SPD Pot Still

Each will have spent 8 – 10 months in PX Casks

As we are dealing with aged products, we need to be able to buy and sell the entire barrel contents. There will be around 160-170 packs available but to make this possible we need a minimum level of pre-sale / registered interest for 150 bottles

Release is scheduled for around May / June

Price will be £120 per pack with £10 per pack being donated to charity (more to come on this)

Some great Rum in the pack, we know that the original SBS Fiji and the SBS Martinique were two great releases from 2020 so we can’t wait to get these new bottles out there

Register your interest via email at theukrumclub@yahoo.com using “SBS Summer Pack” as the subject

We need your name, full postal address that you’ll be using for delivery, contact number, email address and the amount of packs that you’d like to purchase

Your information will then be collated and forwarded to Skylark Spirits for sales and distribution

Thanks in anticipation for your support

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  • Duncan Taylor Single Cask Rum – Jamaica Long Pond Aged 15 Years (Cask 65)

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Duncan Taylor Jamaica Long Pond 200 Single cask rum review by the fat rum pirateDuncan Taylor are a Whisky and Rum bottler from Aberdeen, Scotland.  They have been selling their rums in distinctive flask style bottles for a number of years now.

    Like another Independent bottler, Mezan they keep a very similar presentation for each rum.  With them releasing so many rums, some differing only by a cask number it can make deciding on what to buy quite tricky!

    This particular rum was released in late 2016.  It is a Pot Still rum from the Long Pond Distillery in Jamaica.  It was distilled in 2000 and bottled after 15 years in 2015.

    I will give you a little information regarding the Long Pond Distillery in Trelawny, Jamaica (which is the home town of Hampden Estate as well) for a more detailed read including a peek into the distillery itself please see the following great piece over at Cocktail Wonk.

    In the 1940’s Seagram’s purchased the Long Pond Distillery and used the distillery to help found the Captain Morgan rum brand.  Long Pond is now once again under the control of the Jamaican Government under the guise of National Rums of Jamaica.  It is likely you may not be overly familiar with Long Pond rums as they have never had a notable brand which was universally known to come from Long Pond.

    High ester Wedderburn style rums (which is what I believe the this rum is an example of) have come from both Long Pond Distillery and its very near neighbour Hampden Estate.  Examples of such rums can be found in Smith & Cross and Bristol Classic Rum released a “Vale Royal” style Jamaican rum a few years back.

    Currently I understand the distillery is not operating but may re-open shortly.  Quite when (or if) it closed is quite hard to find online with several conflucting stories.  Any further solid information would be greatly appreciated if anyone out there has more information.
    What information I have on this bottle is as follows.  It was distilled in June 2000 and bottled in February 2016.  It is honestly labelled as a 15 year old rum.  A bottle of which there are only 270 will set you back around £70.  It is bottled at 51.9%.

    I was keen to try this rum as I heard good things about Pot Still rum from Long Pond and it seems that quite a lot of it is available from this year 2000.

    In the glass the rum is a light golden brown.  Duncan Taylor do not add colorant nor do they chill filter their rums.  So it is likely there may be a bit cloudiness or sediment in the rum.  This should not put any enthusiast off.

    The nose is rocket fuel.  I’m not really one for making OTT tasting or nosing notes but this is definitely rum turned up to 11.  It’s one of those rums you can smell at twenty paces.  It screams Pot Still to any Jamaican rum enthusiast.  It makes Smith & Cross seem like Appleton 12.

    Varnish, paint stripper, lemon rind all jostle for position. Nosing deeper, it is filled with sweeter notes of dried fruits, black banana’s and even a touch of mint and pine.

    Once it has settled down in the glass it becomes slightly less fiery and a little more muted.  The nose is still huge but its a bit more balanced once it has had a little time to settle down.  All the notes remain but in perhaps more harmony.  The oak ageing
    begins to shine through giving it a bit more familiar rum feel rather than exhaust pipes.

    At just over 50% ABV I should be able to cope with this but you mDuncan Taylor Jamaica Rum 15 Years Single Cask Long Pond 2000 review by the fat rum pirateay wish to add a little water to suit your palate.

    Despite the fullness and the menace on the nose this is actually a much sweeter and a more refined sip than I had expected.  There is a minty refreshing note to this a little like toothpaste.  The sweetness takes the form of bananas and a little raisin, white grapes perhaps.  It’s a very distinctive rum. I’m reminded of the Pot Still rums from Fiji but with a sweeter edge, more approachable.

    Don’t be fooled by the talk of sweetness.  It’s a big, menacing rum.  However it also carries along with it a lot of complex sweet notes.  A kind of sweet but only barely sour note that is kind of like bourbon but not quite.

    As you can see it is quite a difficult rum to describe.  Very unique in terms of what I have tasted so far.  It has similarities with other rums but it seems to be kind of out on its own.

    With such complexities in a rum the balance can often be a little out.  This really excels as a sipper (I would imagine it would make some mean mixed drinks as well).  There are no off putting notes.  I like it all, a lot.

    This is easily one of the best Jamaican rums and one of the best rums overall I have ever tasted.  If you can find one of the remaining 269 bottles then I would definitely urge you to buy at least one!

  • Dràm Mòr Single Cask Rum Clarendon Estate Aged 10 Years

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Dràm Mòr Single Cask Rum Clarendon Estate Aged 10 Years rum review by the fat rum pirateDràm Mòr Single Cask Rum Clarendon Estate Aged 10 Years. The Dràm Mòr Group are a new bottler of Scotch Whisky and Rum, who hail from Bonny Scotland. Dumbarton to be exact. The group is headed up by husband and wife team Viktorija and Kenny Macdonald.

    Dràm Mòr as well as being quite a fun little pun “dram more” means literally Big Whisky in Gaelic. The bottling I am reviewing today is a rum (obviously) and is one of 2 releases so far from the group.

    I previously reviewed the other bottling a 13 year old Foursquare rum here. For those unfamiliar with Clarendon here is a brief overview

    Clarendon Distillers Ltd is located on the Monymusk Estate. You will see terms such as Estate and Distillery used quite interchangeably when referring to Clarendon/Monymusk. The distillery was built in 1949 by the owners of the nearby Monymusk Sugar Factory. By 1976 it was under government ownership in the form of the Sugar Corporation of Jamaica.

    Today the distillery is run by National Rums of Jamaica, which is jointly owned by West Indies Rum Distillery Ltd, Demerara Distillers and the Jamaican government.

    There are two sides to the distillery. The older area is equipped with pot stills, used to make heavier styles of rum. The newer section features column stills that produce a lighter spirit. Rum produced onsite is used in brands such as Captain Morgan, Myers, Royal Jamaican, as well as their “own brand” the Monymusk rum range.

    The bottling we have today is from the pot still side of the distillery. This is an 100% pot still rum.

    Dràm Mòr Single Cask Rum Clarendon Estate Aged 10 Years is a run of just 295 bottles. The rum has been bottled at 63% ABV and is presented in a traditional 70cl bar style bottle. The labelling is clear and uncluttered with some tasteful artwork and a modern logo. Their are no fairy tales or stories on the bottle just solid information regarding the liquid held within. The liquid is kept safe by the use of a sturdy wooden topped cork stopper. In the UK should set you back around £75-80. The Good Spirits Co currently have it in stock (limited to 2 bottles per household).Dràm Mòr Single Cask Rum Clarendon Estate Aged 10 Years rum review by the fat rum pirate

    So that’s pretty much everything I know about this bottling so lets give it a whirl and see how it tastes.

    In the glass I’m presented with a medium to dark brown liquid. It has a nice golden glow to it. All is well.

    A quick nosing of Dràm Mòr Single Cask Rum Clarendon Estate Aged 10 Years reveals a very fruity smelling spirit. Lots of banana and pineapple. There is also a toffee like sweetness and a nice waft of vanilla.

    Further nosing reveals ginger and a slightly herbal almost grassy note. I’m getting banana loaf and a kind of toffee sponge. It’s a bit treacly as well.

    I often notice a slight “musty-ness” with Clarendon/Monymusk bottlings there are hints of that but this smells a lot “fresher” and more vibrant than a lot of previous bottlings I’ve experienced.

    The rum overall smells a bit like a blend of Worthy Park and Hampden. Funky yet with a gentler more refined note. Interesting. Theres a lot to the nose and as I go in for another sniff I’m getting Kola Kubes (boiled sweets), which is interesting and perhaps a hint of Pear Drops (boiled sweets again).

    When sipped the rum is more savoury and less sweet than the nose suggests. However, it has a really nice almost malty note to it and it still has an initial burst of slightly sour/hot pineapple, banana and pear.

    The mid palate becomes more rounded and the oak ageing begins to show. It becomes spicier with hints of ginger, cardamon and some white pepper running alongside some slightly sharp oak notes and some vanilla to round things.

    As we move into the finish the initial sweetness returns I’m getting some notes of pickle juice and pickled onions (?) lurking in the back of the palate as the finish builds into a oaky and quite peppery finale.

    The finish is a good length and the intensity of the flavours on the initial sip and mid palate remain for some time.

    Although this rum is probably quite low overall in terms of esters it’s still a very complex and very interesting rum to sip on. There’s a lot going on and it all blends together very nicely.

    This is certainly more interesting than a lot of the Monymusk branded rum I have tried. It is interesting to see whisky bottlers picking out rums such as these. It shows that people are looking for variety. I hate the endless posts on Facebook requesting “Rums to gift a whisky/bourbon drinker” then seeing people suggest rums aged in Scotch Whisky casks or rums which are very similar in profile to whisky/bourbon.Dràm Mòr Single Cask Rum Clarendon Estate Aged 10 Years rum review by the fat rum pirate

    When I try and other spirit I want a good example of that spirit not something which is going to taste vaguely familiar. What’s the point in that? “Here’s a whisky I’ve picked for you that tastes like rum” Yeah thats great, just what I was looking for…..not. Other people think differently though. People like familiarity. I get that.

    Anyway this is certainly one of the better Monymusk/Clarendon bottlings I’ve had to date and I’ve had a few.

    Thoroughly recommended. Thats two great picks so far from Dràm Mòr

     

     

     

  • Sugar House Blood Tub Rum Vintage 2018

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Sugar House Blood Tub Rum Vintage 2018 rum review by the fat rum pirateSugar House Blood Tub Rum Vintage 2018. I’ve seen a couple of reviews of this already. Now being anally retentive is not something I excel at.

    However, I’ve deliberately added the “Vintage 2018” moniker to the review title because I suspect we will be seeing more iterations of “Blood Tub Rum” over the next few years. So I like to try and keep my review titles as relevant and as ordered as possible.

    Even if the writing in the review is neither………….

    Sugar House Rum is essentially Distiller Ross Bradley. When this release was distilled back in 2018, he was still working full time and distilling in his “spare” time. As a result he did not have his own distillery and used Strathleven Distillers Pot Still. He know has his own set up.

    This is not something Ross has tried to hide. It is noted on the side label of this bottling just below the bar code. He will quite happily tell anyone the full provenance of any of his other rums as well. I mean, when you are producing 100% Pot Still Rum with no additives – do you need any additional bullshit?

    Sugar House Blood Tube Rum Vintage 2018 is 100% Pot Still Rum. It was distilled in January 2018. It was bottled in June 2021. The rum clocks in at 56.4% ABV. It is noted (on the lovely sealed Certificate you receive as part of the package) as being a Single Cask Selection.

    As a result it is a Limited Edition – my bottle is number 16 of just 61. The rum retailed at £74.95. I can’t find any bottles available now – so once again the secondary market might be your only hope.

    Probably the most pertinent piece of information relating to this rum is the “cask” or “tub” it has been matured in. For those unfamiliar with the various sizes and terminology used for whisky/spirits casks a Blood Tub is a very small cask with a capacity of just 40 litres. From the information I have found online the cask has an elongated shape which makes it even to transport, even on horseback.

    This particular Blood Tub is made from Virgin Oak.

    Presentation wise Sugar House have recently overhauled the look of alSugar House Blood Tub Rum Vintage 2018 rum review by the fat rum piratel their rums. I’m not entirely sure why. I didn’t think there was a lot wrong with their previous branding which was clean and modern. That said I’m getting on a bit now so maybe it wasn’t quite hip with the kids……..

    The new presentation is good though. Focusing more on the “Sugar House” giving a nice illustration on the front label. The bottle itself is a 3/4 stubby style bottle with a wider shoulder and short neck. The bottle is sealed with a synthetic cork stopper and the bottle is covered down to the bottom of the neck in a thick red wax. Fortunately, this wax seal can be fairly easily removed thanks to the “string pull” provided.

    In addition to this for the is Limited Edition release the rum comes in a hay stuffed wooden box with Sugar House emblazoned on it. Also in the package comes a wax sealed certificate. This outlines which number bottle you have received and also gives more information on the rum.

    All in all its a very classy package and it certainly stands out.

    Thing is I’ve had similarly packaged rum before which offered me all kind of promises. Sadly Gosling’s Family Reserve Old Rum – wasn’t quite as good as I was hoping from the elaborate packaging.

    So it will be interesting to see how Sugar House Blood Tub Rum Vintage 2018 works out.

    In the glass the rum presents itself as a vibrant mahogany colour with lots of orange and yellow flashes. It has a real orange glow around the edges. It’s darker then you would expect from a 3 year old rum. This is likely due to the smaller cask.

    On the nosSugar House Blood Tub Rum Vintage 2018 rum review by the fat rum piratee I am immediately but in mind of Habitation Velier Foursquare 2013, not just because of the age and 100% Pot Still elements. It has a very similar, very strong molasses/treacle sweetness. Thick and gloopy.

    The initial nosing is sweet. I’m getting molasses/treacle but also some lighter caramel and toffee notes. Underpinning this and perhaps giving it more balance is a lovely weight of vanilla and stoned fruits. Light sweet plums and some sweeter raspberry mingle alongside a Blackcurrant Crumble aroma.

    There is a little oak but to be fair even at 56.4% ABV I am not getting much by way of booze. Don’t get me wrong it’s not a “light” nose by any stretch of the imagination but its not particularly boozy.

    The initial sip of Sugar House Blood Tub Rum Vintage 2018 is a nice treacly, fruity smack in the chops. Treacle Toffee, Vanilla Fudge and a thick mixture of mixed dark berries come at you. Beneath this you get a lovely spicy array of oak, vanilla, cinnamon and some white pepper. The rum has a really oily and thick mouthfeel, which works wonderfully well and really gives a real “richness” to the sipping experience.

    Further sips reveal more vanilla and a slightly butterscotch like flavour which leads nicely into the mid palate.

    On the mid palate the rum becomes quite “custardy” with the caramel and toffee notes mingling with the vanilla to give flavour not dis-similar to an Egg Custard. Whilst this develops you might also notice some peppery heat and a kick of chilli powder as the oak begins to make its mark. Hints of cocount and banana begin to

    Sugar House Blood Tub Rum Vintage 2018 rum review by the fat rum pirate

    fade in and out.

    Finish wise – despite how much I enjoyed this rum I didn’t find myself pouring another as quickly as I have with other rums. Not because I wasn’t enjoying it.  Far from it.

    The finish on this rum is really good – long and complex. It also introduces more of the flavours it has hinted at earlier. The dark fruits return but they are alongside a very soft banana and coconut fade out. The spice and oak never seem to dominate or knock this rum out of balance.

    This is a fairly “oily”, “heavy” rum with a lot going on. It’s complex and very intense in terms of flavour. It’s a rum which if given blind you would never guess was only 3 years old.

     

     

     

  • Jung & Wulff Luxury Rums No 3 Barbados

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Jung & Wulff Luxury Rums No 3 Barbados rum review by the fat rum pirateJung & Wulff Luxury Rums No 3 Barbados. As the title of this review might suggest this is the third rum I have reviewed in the Jung & Wulff series from American powerhouses Sazerac.

    I’ve covered the story around Jung & Wulff in previous reviews. So if you haven’t read the reviews prior to this one (which of course you will have) please check them out. I don’t like repeating myself in my reviews. I’m sure I’ll find something else to prattle on about.

    Jung & Wulff Luxury Rums No 3 Barbados completes the “trio” of famous Caribbean rum destinations used in this series. Maybe future releases will see a Jamaican added to fully cover the most famous “British Style” molasses based rums of the Caribbean.

    As with the previous releases Jung & Wulff Luxury Rums No 3 Barbados does not have an age statement. There is no indication of the age of the rum on the bottle or their own website.

    However, some literature I received indicates that is a blend of rums aged up to 15 years distilled from molasses. There is no indication of the rums provenance or any other information regarding the actual rum. I presume this rum has been aged in ex-bourbon barrels mainly in Barbados but I have nothing to support this.

    As far as retail is concerned a 750ml imported bottle of Jung & Wulff Luxury Rums No 3 Barbados is available over at Harvey Nichols priced at £45. The rum was bottled in 2019 at 43% ABV.

    The tall thin bottle is very nice and the label over the plastic topped cork stopper gives a premium appearance. The scene of a cricket match in progress is very much in keeping with thoughts of Barbados and West Indies cricket. It’s an eye catching design which will no doubt appeal in a department store setting. It is very much a rum for gifting as a surprise for someone.

    Unlike the other two Jung & Wulff expressions I do not know which distillery this rum hails from. As noted earlier there is no information available from the producers. It is noted as a blend so it could be from a number of Barbados distilleries. I doubt that however as this is not the way things are usually done. We usually have a blended rum sourced from an individual distillery, usually via a broker not direct. Quite how Sazerac obtain their rums – I am not part to that information.

    So with little else to comment on I may as well get my hooter into the glass. I’ll pour some rum first of course…….

    The rum presents itself as a dark brown liquid with a copper hue running through it. A “classic” aged rum colour.

    Jung & Wulff Luxury Rums No 3 Barbados rum review by the fat rum pirateNosing Jung & Wulff Luxury Rums No 3 Barbados I am immediately puzzled by the profile. It has a very pronounced caramel aroma to it. Similar to Demerara rum. Certainly not something I have experienced very often with a Barbados rum. Especially one which is “no sugar added” as stated on their literature. Fair play the Hydrometer Test backs this up but I am definitely getting something which does smell a bit fishy (well it doesn’t actually smell fishy that would be even odder but you know what I mean).

    Further nosing reveals some more bitter notes beneath the sweet caramel and toffee aromas. Charred oak, tobacco and some notes of coffee and English Breakfast tea. This noses to me more like a multi island blend than a Barbados rum.

    Once the initial sweetness fades the rum becomes very charred and bitter on the nose. Lots of oak and woodiness.

    It’s not a bad nose overall but certainly not what I was expecting to experience from a Barbados rum. It’s pointing more towards WIRD in some of its similarities to Cockspur XO. That said the Demerara/El Dorado caramel note is still a bit puzzling. It gives a little hint towards tropical fruits – well more Summer Berries I would say but not a great deal is really shining through.

    Sipped the toffee/caramel note continues. This isn’t overly sweet but it isn’t as “dry” as you might expect from a Barbados rum. There isn’t much coconut or vanilla present with this rum. It’s a mix mostly of caramel and wood. There isn’t really anything overly complex about this either.

    The initial entry is quite “smooth” and easy going and its in no way offensive. Unfortunately the mid palate doesn’t really build into anything too exciting. We get some nice oak and wood spice and some tobacco, barrel char and a tiny hint of some vanilla but it doesn’t last all that long. Nor does it develop into anything to complex beyond sweet toffee and woodyness.

    The finish gets a little fruitier but its quite light strawberry, toffee and some light oak spices. The finish is probably the most easy going part of this rum. It fades quite quickly from the mid palate and it all just feels a bit too easy going.

    Jung & Wulff Luxury Rums No 3 Barbados rum review by the fat rum pirate

    If I was handed this – I would certainly drink it and quite enjoy it. However, I don’t think I would sip and savour it. It’s an easy going rum which you could easily knock back a few glasses of without really thinking too much about it.

     

    As a glass of rum it is fine – as an example of a Barbados Rum it is puzzling. It has a profile which suggests the rum could have been aged in a molasses coated barrel as per El Dorado’s output. It certainly has a lot of that profile going on. Which isn’t really what most people will expect from a Barbados rum.

    I honestly did look twice when I tried this, to check I had picked up the right bottle and not the Guyana.

    A strange but not unpleasant rum. It just doesn’t do what it says on the tin for me.

     

     

     

     

  • Ron Barceló Imperial Onyx

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Ron Barceló Imperial Onyx rum review by the fat rum pirateRon Barceló Imperial Onyx.

    One of my first “Premium” rums was a bottle of Ron Barceló Imperial that I picked up for around £12 in Gibraltar circa 2012.

    At the time I was fairly pleased with it but as my experience grew I found myself less enamoured by the rum. I reviewed it back in 2017 by which time my perception had changed quite dramatically.

    In the UK you will occasionally see Ron Barceló rums but it is not a brand which has been taken up by any of the big pub or restaurant chains to the best of my knowledge. It’s presence in the UK is fairly low key.

    However, for anyone who travels outside of the UK and into Europe it is often present at the AIrport Duty Free. This bottling I am reviewing today I have seen numerous times when visiting Spain especially. The brand is pretty popular over there.

    In the UK a bottle will set you back around £45 but if you are a regular traveller you are best picking it up at the Duty Free. I picked my bottle up from Amazon for £30 in a sale. Curiosity as much as anything and to maybe mix up the reviews a little.

    Ron Barceló Imperial Onyx comes in a very wide flask style bottle with a short stubby neck. The cork stopper has a large ornate plastic topper. You also get a cut out card sleeve to house the rum.

    Ron Barceló Imperial Onyx comes in a 70cl bottle coming in at a slightly disappointing 38% ABV. So only just above the legal limit. Quite common for Dominican rum though.

    There is no information regarding the rum on the bottle or the cardboard sleeve. So its off to their website for some information. First thing that hits me is that the site claims Ron Barceló is the most exported Dark Rum in the world. Which seems a slightly odd (and difficult really to judge) claim to make. Dark Rum? Hmmmm

    Anyway, I have found the following information regarding this rum

    “The result of the finest selection of rums aged up to ten years in oak barriques with a high toast degree, subsequently filtered from real Onyx stones to obtain a rum with intense, deep notes and a unique character.

    Notes on tasting

    Mahogany colour with amber shades.
    With a robust, structured body and of great character. Toasted fragrances, with a subtle hint of cherry, coffee and nuts. Intense sensations of wood and vanilla with a persistent aftertaste. An aged and complex rum that delights all the senses.

    Ideal for

    To be enjoyed used for the preparation of classic and contemporary cocktails. 750 ml and 700 ml presentations.”

    So not a great deal of information. Ron Barceló say that their rums are made from the finest Sugar Cane Juice. Which like their Haitian neighbours might suggest something akin to Agricole Rhum.

    What  Ron Barceló doRon Barceló Imperial Onyx rum review by the fat rum piraten’t tell us on the website is the method of distillation. Industrial Multi Columns. So not the traditional Coffey Column Still’s used in Agricole.

    So with my information exhausted I think I will pop that chunky cork and see what this is like.

    In the glass the rum is indeed pretty dark – almost a mahogany colour. Coloured a little? Most likely – nearly all continuously produced rums are coloured to some degree for consistency, if nothing else.

    The rum gives off a nice aroma – dark chocolate, a touch of cocoa, some plums and other dark fruits. There is a sweetness and a lighter touch as the rum settles in the glass.

    Further nosing I’m getting some leather and cigar smokiness.

    Despite the dark colour of the rum and the desire to be rich and decadent it isn’t as “deep” as I think they want us to believe. It’s still got a sweet light Spanish style aroma.

    I’ve checked the Hydrometer and it bobbed at 38% ABV but I wouldn’t be surprised if their is a touch of Glycerol/Glycerin.

    Taking a sip it is less interesting than the nose suggested. Much of the coffee and leather aromas are over taken by a sweeter note. It tastes more like something that has been made to feel old rather than actually long aged. I dare say there is a fair bit of a stretch going on with the “up to 10 years” claims.

    It’s sweet but not overly so but it gives a fairly standard Spanish style rum flavour which you can find for a lot less money. Even they note this is for cocktails.

    There really isn’t a great deal going on with this. It’s entry is fairly nice with a little bit of spice but the 38% ABV isn’t doing it any favours.

    I usually comment on the mid palate and the finish. Unfortunately the main downfall for this is how short the overall experience is. It disappears very quickly and d

    Ron Barceló Imperial Onyx rum review by the fat rum pirateoesn’t leave much behind once swallowed. A very slight burn which quickly fades – sweet and inoffensive.

    I’ve mixed it a Rum and Coke and its okay. At the price point it should be. That said I’d be happier with their own Anejo or Gran Anejo if that is all I was going to do with it.

    They offer up Premium Cocktails to try on the website but in all honesty this rum doesn’t have enough about it to really enhance anything. So I’ll give that a miss.

    I’m not disappointed or surprised by this rum. It’s not unpleasant but just doesn’t justify its price point in anyway shape or form. Which sadly means I’m going to give this very average rum a slightly below average score.

    Another one for the Pretty Bottle Brigade. Not for me though.

  • That Boutique-y Rum Company Greensand Ridge Batch 1

    Bythefatrumpirate

    That Boutique-y Rum Company Greensand Ridge Batch 1 Rum review by the fat rum pirateThat Boutique-y Rum Company Greensand Ridge Batch 1. Regular readers of the site should be familiar with The Boutique-y Rum Company by now. I have reviewed a number of their offerings over the past couple of years since the company was formed.

    This offering from Greensand Ridge is part of the recently released “Home Nations Series”. Which celebrated the growing number of rums now being produced in the UK. It also focused on some whisky as well but we’re not interested in that. Not today anyway.

    Greensand Ridge Distillery is a micro-distillery which focuses on gins, fruit brandies and rum. It is named after the hills which surround The Weald, commonly known as Greensand Ridge or Wealden Greensand.

    Sounds like something out of LOTR or something. The Weald is a wooded area based in the South East of England, it crosses the counties of Hampshire, Surrey, Kent and Sussex.

    So there you go if you wish to learn more about Greensand Ridge Distillery then they have a very informative website with plenty of information. They are a carbon neutral operation and have other environmental projects ongoing as part of their operation.

    So lets learn a little more about the juice in the bottle. That Boutique-y Rum Company Greensand Ridge Batch 1 is a 100% Pot Still rum. It has been aged for 18 months in an ex-apple brandy cask (produced at the distillery). It has been bottled at 52.5% ABV. Upon releases there were 444 bottles available. Bottle size for the That Boutique-y Rum Company are 50cl rather than the more common 70cl. It retails at around the £50 mark it is available from Master of Malt and other retailers.

    As with all That Boutique-y Rum Company bottlings the artwork has once again been provided by Jim(‘ll Paint it). He’s now dropped the ‘ll Paint It – I would imagine for pretty obvious reasons. He’s still using Microsoft Paint though!

    So I think I have exhausted the information I have on this particular bottling so why don’t I get my laughing gear around a glass or two?That Boutique-y Rum Company Greensand Ridge Batch 1 Rum review by the fat rum pirate

    Why not indeed. In the glass That Boutique-y Rum Company Greensand Ridge Batch 1 is a very light coloured spirit a kind off white/very light straw. It could almost pass as a “white” rum with just a sl ight yellow tinge.

    The nose is full of molasses and caramel. It’s quite sweet but at the same time has a savoury kind of pastry note to it. The type of pastry you would use for a savoury pie. Shortcrust with a pinch of two of salt.

    There’s also a slightly sharper note – it’s quite fruity. Logically it should be a kind of apple like note but its a bit sharper more citrus heavy than even a baking apple. Quite tart.

    I’ve got to say its not my most favourite nose. There’s a fair bit going on but there is a bit of a rub between the molasses notes and the rest of the nose. Something just doesn’t quite sit that well for me.

    Sipped it is certainly a lot fruitier and more vibrant than the nose. It’s not as heavy on the molasses and I’m definitely getting the apple brandy alongside those citrus notes from the nose.

    The initial fruity burst is off set by a nice hit of peppery heat and some softer woody notes. The mid palate is slightly menthol like with some hints of apple and apple blossom. It fades quickly into the finish.

    Finish wise as to be expected of a younger rum it’s a little rough around the edges. It’s quite boozy but the overall lighter nature of this rum means it doesn’t get too much.

    The fade out is gentle with some whisky like barley/malty notes.

    Overall That Boutique-y Rum Company Greensand Ridge Batch 1 shows some promise. Overall for a 100% Pot Still Rum I found the profile a little light and not quite as robust as I might have expected. That is not really a criticism just an observation on the overall style.That Boutique-y Rum Company Greensand Ridge Batch 1 Rum review by the fat rum pirate

    I think this rum has started to take on some of the characteristics of the barrel it has been aged in. It would be very interesting to try it again with more time in the barrel. I’m sure as young disitillery Greensand Ridge will be working towards this.

    This is okay – its nothing special and nothing that is going to make me rush out and buy more Greensand Ridge rum. However, I will be keeping an eye on any future releases and will ensure I try any samples of new stuff as it evolves. There is definite potential in terms of the distillate and the options available to Greensand Ridge in terms of barrel selection from their exisiting portfolio is exciting.

    One for the future.