That Boutique-y Rum Company O Reizinho Distillery Aged 3 Years

Bythefatrumpirate

That Boutique-y Rum Company O Reizinho Distillery Aged 3 Years rum review by the fat rum pirateThat Boutique-y Rum Company O Reizinho Distillery Aged 3 Years. This is the second bottling from That Boutique-y Rum Company to hail from the O Reizinho Distillery on the Portuguese Island of Madeira. Which is of course the birthplace of the world famous sporting star Moises Henriques.

Maybe there is someone else a little more famous than him, some footballer or something.

O Reizinho Distillery is little known outside of Madeira. Even in the capital of Funchal I cannot recall seeing any of the O Reizinho branded rums, that I have noticed appear online recently.

Portuguese Rhum Agricole or Agricola da Madeira is certainly on the rise. It first came to my attention a couple of years ago at London Rumfest when the William Hinton brand were exhibiting.

That Boutique-y Rum Company O Reizinho Distillery Aged 3 Years is a batch of 1,936 50cl bottles. The rhum has been bottled at 52.6% ABV. The eagle eyed among you may notice that “The Olive King” on the front of the striking label is a bit older than on the Unaged bottle. This has after all been aged for 3 years. It has been aged in ex-Madeira wine casks. It is casked at 50% ABV but due to Madeira’s climate they lose more water than alcohol from the distillate so the ABV increases rather than decreases. The rum is very lightly filtered and no additives or colourings have been used post production.

You can pick up a bottle of this at Master of Malt for what I think is a more than reasonable £42.95.

In the glass we have a dark brown spirit with yellow tinges around the edges. The nose is much more developed and “mature” compared to the Unaged White O Reizinho also released by That Boutique-y Rum Company.

The funky notes of the Unaged Batch 1 have been replaced with rich warming notes of fortified wine. Sherry, especially and a splash of Port. Blackcurrants, plump raisins and prunes mingle alongside smoky tobacco notes and dark treacle.

Further nosing reveals a slightly funky edge with notes of burnt banana and green olives. Salty and rich but not as pronounced as they were in the Unaged rhum.

Sipped it is initially a very fiery spirit with lots of chilli powder and salty seaweed like notes. Dark chocolate and some tart gooseberries. Further sips reveal an almost savoury note of leeks and crispy seaweed from the Chinese Takeaway (Dried cabbage as far as I am aware).

As an Agricole style rhum this is quite sweet, with some nice vegetal notes. It has a good balance similar in many respects to something like Rhum JM XO. It’s very definitely an agricole but it lends itself in many ways to a molasses style rum.

Further sips reveal more of the fruity notes of Port and Sherry. There is a very definite smokiness to this rum, which adds an extra layer of complexity.That Boutique-y Rum Company O Reizinho Distillery Aged 3 Years rum review by the fat rum pirate

Finish wise the rum is pretty short in that respect. It is quite intense on the palate and the mid palate is fairly substantial but the finish does fade pretty quickly. You aren’t left with a lot of flavour.

That said for a 3 year old rhum this is a very interesting sip. From memory it has more balance than some of the Madeira Agricole, I have tried in the past. It has a Madeira influence but it doesn’t dominate the spirit.

It is easy to forget that is just a 3 year old rhum.

Much better for me than the Unaged Batch 1

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    Appleton Estate V/X Jamaica Rum/Signature Blend

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Appleton Estate Signature Blend rum review by the fat rum pirateAppleton Estate V/X Jamaica Rum was the entry level rum for the Appleton Estate brand. It has now been re-branded as Signature Blend – the juice I can reliably assure you all is exactly the same as before.

    The rum is distilled, blended and bottled in Jamaica by J Wray & Nephew.  It is imported into the UK by J Wray and Nephew (UK) Ltd.  The Appleton V/X is bottled at 40% abv.  The blend of rums are between 5 and 10 years old.  The master blender at the Appleton Estate is Joy Spence, who was the first female master blender in the spirits industry.  Joy has been at the Appleton Estate for over 30 years now. She became the master blender in 1997.  The Appleton Estate has been producing rum since 1749, officially.

    Over the past few years J Wray and Nephew products have become quite a staple in many UK supermarkets.  The infamous J Wray and Nephew White Overproof Rum is stocked in both Sainsburys and Tesco.  The Appleton Estate rum’s are readily available in most specialist wine and spirits merchants throughout the UK.  Appleton Estate V/X retails at around £20 per 70cl.

    The first thing that draws your attention to the Appleton Estate rum’s are the distinctive curvy, dumpy bottles.  The bottle makes the rum very easy to grip and pour (I’m not suggesting its ever really hard to pour spirit out of a bottle!) without any spillage.  All the rum’s in the Appleton Estate range have very similar packaging (which has caused me a little confusion in the past) there is a real brand identity to their rum’s, which I like.  I like a brand that has strong identity.  The front label is clear and concise, giving only the essential detail of what is in the bottle.  The age statement/marking is displayed on the neck of the bottle.  There is no marketing blurb involved.  This suggests Appleton have full confidence in the contents of the bottle!  The rear label is very small and is little more than a unit warning, which most spirits intended for the UK market display.  The closure is a metallic screw top.  I can’t really quibble about this as the only rum I have found in the £20 price range to have a corked closure was Sailor Jerry.

    The rum actually looks a little different in colour depending what angle you view it from.  From above it is quite a straw like colour (as pictured – compare to the colour in the bottle) but from the side or in the bottle it looks a darker golden brown and orange colour.  On the initial nosing the rum gives a fairly pungent but not overpowering scent of molasses, black pepper and sweet alcohol.  It has made my nose tingle a little, almost to the point of a sneeze.  Jamaican rum’s are famous for their intense pot still flavours.  A more pungent Wedderburn rum is definitely present in this blend.  It is however,  quite well balanced and it is a quite subtle (by Jamaican standards) rum.  A touch of vanilla and ginger.  There is still a hit of molasses on the nose and some spiced black pepper.  On sipping, the rum is quite delicate initially.  The initial sip is quite smooth but the palate soon heats up and  feels the black pepper again, this time with some chilli and ginger spice.  It is a hot spicy rum.  Whilst the alcohol burn is quite strong it is not as rough as you may expect.  Whilst this isn’t smooth by premium sipping standards it could be sipped with a little ice and maybe a squeeze of lime.

    This rum is nowhere near as intensely pungent as Old Salt Rum or Smith and Cross Jamaican Rum, which I found personally overpowering.  In terms of my rum experience it comes in profile terms, closest to Pirates Grog Rum.  (All these rums are reviewed on this site if you care to take a look) I will concede though that my experience of Jamaican rum’s is not huge.  I have tried Appleton Special and Appleton 8 Year Old.  I cannot judge the 8 year old as I only had a shot of it in a public house in Durham.  I will not review a bottle of rum unless I have had at least a bottle (70cl/50cl) or more.  I have had too many experiences where upon initially tasting a rum I have found it to be fantastic only to return to it at a later date and find I over appraised it.  Likewise, I have under valued too many rums on my first tasting.  I do not really agree with Rum Reviewers who review on the basis of small sample bottles.

    imageThis is my 3rd bottle of Appleton V/X in around 2 years.  The first bottle I got was long before I had tried many rums at all and to be honest it was gone within a couple of days.  I was if I remember correctly, a little disappointed with it (I guzzled it down in pints of rum and coke just to get drunk one weekend). I had the second a few months ago again it didn’t last too long but I did enjoy it more than the first!

    So this review bottle is my third. There’s been quite a sale on rum lately in my local supermarket so I’ve been able to pick up a few bottles at knock down prices.  I tmentioned already whilst the V/X is sippable I would imagine that the Appleton 8 or 12 year old would probably be better bets for this purpose.  I have seen the 8 year old online for little over £20 and the 12 can be picked up for less than £30.  More than reasonable for rums of that age.  Well worth the money for a good sipper. The V/X seem’s to come into its own when mixed.  I enjoy a rum and cola.  Whilst the V/X doesn’t give me the greatest rum and cola I’ve ever tasted, the rum’s peppery-ness does give it a bit of a nice kick.  I find adding some lime adds a little balance a cuba libre if you may.  I’ve mixed this with Ginger Beer as well, for a Jamaican Mule (much better than with Morgans Spiced).  That made for quite a good drink.  I enjoyed that.  The Appleton has a very strong rum/molasses taste.  For anyone who has much experience of drinking rum you would not mistake an Appleton for anything other than rum.  The same cannot be said for some more premium efforts.

    I’ve yet to experiment too much with cocktails but upon reading up on the V/X it seems that a lot of bartenders and mixologists (amateur and professional) seem to like using the V/X. Especially in Jamaican rum cocktails and tiki cocktails.  Whilst the Smith and Cross Jamaican Rum (57% abv) offers an even stronger “Jamaican” taste it seems that, in terms of taste and possible potency the Appleton rum’s are the preferred option.  Myers is also a popular Jamaican rum.  I have only really tried this when out socially and to be honest its never really excited me too much.  I would go for an Appleton over a Myers.

    I can understand why this is so popular and is so many people’s “go to” mixing rum.  It is a strong fiery rummy rum.  It doesn’t shy away when mixed.  At the price point it certainly offers more flavour and complexity than most entry level rums.  Another bonus is it is easily available in the UK supermarkets so maybe next time your doing the weekly shop, instead of the Lambs, Morgans or Sailor Jerry you could perhaps try an authentic Jamaican rum?

    3 stars

     

     

  • John Frum’s Cargo Cult Spiced Rum

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Cargo Cult Spiced Rum Review by the fat rum pirateJohn Frum’s Cargo Cult Spiced Rum. This is a Spiced Rum which has been making a few waves in the UK. This is partly due to it being available in Marks and Spencer. It is also available at the travelling “The Rum Festival” events – where it is proving very popular with consumers.

    A cargo cult is a millenarian movement first described in Melanesia which encompasses a range of practices and occurs in the wake of contact with more technologically advanced societies. The name derives from the belief which began among Melanesians in the late 19th and early 20th century that various ritualistic acts such as the building of an airplane runway will result in the appearance of material wealth, particularly highly desirable Western goods (i.e., “cargo”), via Western airplanes.

    John Frum’s Cargo Cult Spiced Rum hails from Australia (Melenasia is a subregion of Oceania). The story behind it being called Cargo Cult is a little different to the information I found on Wikipedia – so if you want to read the story the website is here. It explains for a start who this John Frum fellow is.

    On the website they also identify Cargo Cult as being a “dry Spiced Rum with no sugar added”. It’s always interesting when a Spiced Rum states no added sugar as they are generally sweet. Whether they are sweetened by actual sugar or by the combination of essences, spices etc used I’ve never really worried to much about. As a default I approach any spiced rum expecting a sweet take on rum.

    In the UK a bottle of Cargo Cult rum will set you back just over £30. It is bottled at 38.5% ABV – so definitely qualifies as a genuine Spiced Rum as per EU rulings. The rum used is a blend from Fiji and Papau New Guinea. The spices used are not identified on their website. It is “Small Batch” (whatever that actually means).

    Cargo Cult Spiced Rum Review by the fat rum piratePresentation wise we get a standard bar style tall bottle. The branding is good – with a typeface similar to those used on Cargo boxes etc. A synthetic cork stopper is also a nice touch along with the label used over the cork. It looks all very nice and I can see why M&S stock it.

    So lets give it a run out. It’s been a while since I tried a new Spiced Rum and my expectations of this one are slightly higher than usual. I haven’t seen Vanilla used anywhere to describe this………..

    In the glass the rum is a slightly uninspiring standard gold colour. It lacks any real sparkle and looks just a tiny bit cloudy or slightly muddy.

    The nose is spicy but not as in hot and spicy. It genuinely smells a lot like when you are in a market surrounded by various spices. It’s very “exotic” and slightly floral.

    Notes of Ginger, Cinnamon, a little Cardamon. There is a lot going on and a lot of the notes I’m not all that familiar with to be honest. Hints of lemon zest and peel. There is a slightly curried note to it but its balanced by some sweeter notes of (dare I say it) Vanilla.

    It all smells very “genuine”, very clean and well “real”. I don’t think we are dealing with essences or artificial flavours with this. It is more of a true Spiced rum like say Foursquare’s effort (though this is less subtle). I stil think a less experienced rum drinker might think this is a regular rum. Especially if there experience is at the “sweetened” end of the spectrum.

    Having said that, this isn’t an overly sweet rum – even by Spiced standards its pretty subtle. Sipping Cargo Cult is a real surprise. It’s quite peppery and spicy. You can taste the base rum though. You get quite a lot of oak and more regular rum notes. Initially it seems sweet but that quickly gets taken over by the spiced notes. It has a real ginger kick to it which I like. The finish is a little like an Indian Curry – there is a lot of all spice, ginger and maybe some fennel? I’m getting a little Garam Masala.

    Mixed I fear it may fade a little with Ginger Beer – some of the rum does disappear as its to similar to the Ginger but the other notes really stand out and give an extra spicy kick to the drink. A lover of Spicy food will probably really enjoy Cargo Cult this way.

    Cargo Cult Spiced Rum Review by the fat rum pirateMixed with cola it works pretty well and it does a good job with Lemonade as well. I would imagine it could be interesting for a bartender to use and work with cocktails with it.

    I like the fact you can actually taste a half decent base rum a the bottom of this and it isn’t full of fake Vanilla Essence. Cargo Cult Spiced Rum is spicy though – a lot of ginger and pepper – it does have some sweeter notes of lemon, vanilla and a hint of chocolate. I think if I want a Spiced Rum I might actually want something sweeter. This is maybe like drinking Lucozade light rather than regular Lucozade. You know its not the real thing and it maybe just lacks the oomph you really need or want.

    I like what the producers are trying to do though and it is a well put together product. It’s not quite at the top table for me though. An admirable effort though.

  • Savanna Grand Arome Lontan LMDW 60th Anniversary

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Lontan Savanna Arome Grand Rum Review by the fat rum pirateSavanna Grand Arome Lontan. Savanna or Rhum Savanna are a rum producer from the Reunion Island.  This particular Savanna bottling is a “Grand Arome”.

    The Savanna distillery has been established since 1992 on the sugar refinery site of Bois Rouge, located in the North-East of the island of Reunion. It is one of the only ones in the world to market a rum from a very long fermentation (15 days) called “Grand Arome”.

    Reading up about this rum on the La Maison du Whisky website it seems that this is a molasses based rum not an agricole.  Which I find a bit of a surprise. I do concede though I know little about the Savanna rums.  This is the first rum from the Reunion Island that I have reviewed.

    This “Grand Arome” Lontan was released earlier this year as part of LMDW 60th Anniversary celebrations.  Only 1000 bottles were produced I have bottle number 494.  I paid just under £40 for this rum which is bottled at a healthy 57% ABV.

    Presentation wise the bottle is sleek presentation whilst fairly minimalist does give you a lot of information on the rum. I do like Savanna’s clear modern branding.

    Plantation Rum have recently bottled a rum from the Reunion Island and there has been some talk about Savanna’s distinctive offerings, amongst some rum enthusiasts.  They are still fairly low key though in the greater scheme of things.  As far as I am aware this is an unaged Pot Still produced molasses rum.  If anyone has any further information please let me know.  A lot of this is just guess work at this stage.

    Anyway lets move onto the fun part and get down to nosing and tasting this particular rum.

    In the glass the rum is crystal clear.  In the bottle it might have had a slight yellow tinge but when poured that disappears so must have been the label/bottle.

    Savanna Lontan Grand Arome is a punchy rum at 57% ABV and it hasn’t been aged for very long. No need for any fancy glassware to nose this!Lontan Savanna Arome Grand Rum Review by the fat rum pirate

    I’m immediately put in mind of funky white unaged Jamaican Pot Still Rum – Wray and Nephew and RumBar Overproof, especially.  The nose is big and quite funky.  Burnt black bananas and fermenting Pineapples.  Throughout the nose is a strong menthol/minty note and a big hit of floor polish and varnish.  It has a slight vegetal edge to it but it is not like unaged agricole or the Clairin’s of Haiti.

    Whilst drawing on some elements of Jamaican Overproof and to a lesser extent white Rhum Agricole the Savanna Lontan Grand Arome has its own identity.  It has a minty almost absinthe like aroma that runs right through the nose alongside a slight spiciness and a richness – maybe a touch of clove.

    Sipped the Lontan is initially very spicy and quite herbal.  This fades and you get a very medicinal minty rum.  It’s quite unique in many respects.  Despite the big nose when sipped it is actually quite refined and really pretty smooth.

    Further sips reveal a slight soapiness and a sweetness – melon and some sweeter grape add some nice complexity to it.  It’s still pretty spicy though which is to be expected really.

    I presume this rum is unaged (or aged briefly) so it has little interaction with a wood cask.  As a result there isn’t a great deal of oak spiciness.  The spiciness is more of a minty alcohol burn with a hit of curry powder.  It’s very different.

    Like the Clairin’s from Haiti this isn’t really a “beginners” rum.  You would probably have to come from a spirit background to really appreciate this initially.  A tequila or mezcal drinker may appreciate this.

    Lontan Savanna Arome Grand Rum Review by the fat rum pirateIt works nicely sipped even at the full ABV it doesn’t come across too aggressively. Mixed it works really nicely in a Ti Punch and with fruit drinks – a Tingwray made with this is very good.

    With cola it doesn’t work so well – I don’t really enjoy any of the funkier/more medicinal white rums with cola to be honest.

    This is a rum I would say is for the enthusiast or someone who is really far gone on their Rum Journey.  I wouldn’t for instance serve this at a Rum Tasting unless it was very specialist.

    If you aren’t familiar with “funkier” white rums this will terrify you.  I was in a bar a couple of weeks back and the bartender was complaining that people were ordering Ting Wray Cocktails and then returning them as they “didn’t like them” even after he had warned them about the rum used in them.

    This won’t be for everyone but if you have looked into buying this then I would recommend you do.  It certainly has some unique facets to it and whilst similar to other high ABV whites it has enough going on to be different.

    I enjoyed this more than the Clairin’s I must say I think it’s much more refined. Though its still a bit of a beast.

     

     

     

     

  • Clarkes Court Old Grog Rum

    Bythefatrumpirate

    OLD GROG RUM CLARKE'S COURT REVIEW GRENADAThe name “Old Grog” dates back from the early days when the finest of Grenada’s Rum was shipped to his Majesty George III England.  In order to identify the King’s Rum, the casks were marked G.R.O.G. which is the abbreviation for Georgius Rex Old Grenada. Or so the story on the bottle goes.  Whether this is true or not is another matter.  It does sound feasible though.  The term “grog” is usually used to describe a mix of rum, water and limes which was given to sailor’s to prevent them getting too intoxicated drinking solely rum.

    Clarkes Court (see website at http://www.clarkescourtrum.com) the brand is used by Grenada Distillers who are based in St George, Grenada.  As with most rum Grenada is a Caribbean island and is part of the West Indies.  In the UK Old Grog is available at the larger online retailers and is distributed by www.caribbeanspirit.co.uk and www.windwardspirits.co.uk. Old Grog is on of the companies more premium rum offerings.  It has won numerous awards (many not noted on the bottle) since 2003.  It is available for around £25 mark in the United Kingdom.

    The rum comes in an attractive stubby style bottle.  The label on the neck of the bottle states Extra Old G.R.O.G. I have been informed that the rums in the blend are between 4 and 10 years old.  The main label has the Clarkes Court logo and a little tale (which I’ve re-produced at the start of this review) about the rum’s origins. The label notes that the rum is 40% ABV.  The label also denotes that the rum is “Aged to Perfection” and is “A Taste of History”.  Well I certainly hope that doesn’t mean it tastes old!

    Onto the actual rum in the bottle.  The rum is a beautiful golden amber colour.  Indeed my picture to the left really is representative the rum does literally gleam in the bottle! Upon pouring the rum, the rum maintains its golden colour, it does not thin out in colour like some rums do when poured into the glass.  The Old Grog smells extremely sweet.  I’m getting a mix of tropical fruit juice and banana milkshake.  Quite a sickly sweet combination.  However, it seems to work well.  The Old Grog smells very inviting.

    Upon tasting, the rum tastes similar to a banana milkshake or perhaps more like those candy bananas you used to get in 10p mix ups (showing my age now).  The taste of the tropical fruit comes through along with apples and a little bit of smooth vanilla.  The rum despite all the sweetness has quite a pleasant kick to it.  It is a sweet rum its molasses based so that is to be expected.  In some ways the overall taste of banaa will alienate quite a few rum drinkers.  In my opinion it is similar in some respects to Patron’s Pyrat Reserve XO, however I don’t think the banana flavour is as overpowering as the Pyrat’s orange flavouring.  The rum is still pleasant and rummy enough to be enjoyed mixed with Cola or other fruit juices.  In cocktails this could be a very nice change.   I find it very enjoyable with cola, which is my preferred way of drinking rums.  It makes a nice change.

    I decided to try this rum as I hadn’t tried a rum from Grenada.  I’m pleased I did.  I like trying rums from different countries and islands as its amazing how much variation can be found.  One of the main reasons I am so fond of rum, is that I can have 5 or 6 different rums per night and genuinely be tasting so many different drinks.  Old Grog definitely comes into the category o one of my instantly recognisable rums.  When blind tasting I can struggle to tell the difference between Rum Sixty Six and Cockspur 12 for example or Havana Club 7 and Ron Abeulo 7 Year Old.  When poured a Old Grog I instantly know what it is, like Pyrat or Old Monk.

    Old Grog Rum won’t be to everyone’s taste.  If banana isn’t your thing then I would perhaps avoid.  However, as a distinctive versatile rum this is one which I will definitely be being again.  I can’t really compare this to many other rums.  The closest I can think of is Angostura 1919 in terms of smoothness but this is much more flavourful.  In some respects it is like a good Bajan rum, reminiscent a little of Foursquare Spiced.

    I’ve enjoyed this rum a great deal and to be honest I’ve had to review it a little earlier because I keep having another little drink of it! I simply had to fit a review in before the bottle was gone!

    3 stars

     

     

     


     

     

     

  • Ron Bengalo Rum from Barbados

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Ron Bengalo Rum from Barbados review by the fat rum pirateRon Bengalo Rum from Barbados. In todays climate most people out there will be hunting for the odd rum bargain. Especially, when it comes to something to use as a casual weekend mixer.

    Most supermarket own label Dark and White rum tends to be unaged rum from Trinidad. It’s cheap and nearly every supermarket stocks, it along with a Spiced Rum or a “Spirit Drink”. At a pinch its a go to for a cheap mixer to get a little merry with. You just have to know you’re not getting a great deal for your £10-£15

    German retailer Lidl, are looking to buck the trend slightly and have recently introduced the Ron Bengalo range.

    These are all island/country specific bottlings. In Germany these rums are known as Ron Pelicano. It is on that website where you will find some information on the various rums they have released. Quite why they have differing names, I am not sure but Diplomatico rum is known as Botucal in Germany. Due to some naming conflict or something with another established brand, so it may be something to do with that.

    If you have looked on the Ron Bengalo website you will see that there is very little information regarding the distillate in the bottle. Just a few complimentary notes about Barbados and a footnote suggesting the rum has been blended and aged in ex-bourbon and bordeaux casks. The rum is blended and bottled in Germany for Lidl. Again by whom I do not know exactly. Rob Bengalo Rum from Barbados is bottled at 40% ABV and a 70cl bottle will set you back £17.99.

    The bottle is equally as unhelpful information wise and I have briefly tried some internet searches but have not uncovered anything useful. So I am going into this review witRon Bengalo Rum from Barbados review by the fat rum pirateh very little to go on. As a result this review will likely be quite short and I will have to speculate about what I am actually drinking………….

    Presentation wise the Ron Bengalo range all com in this plastic wrapped 3/4 stubby style bottles. The colours used relate to the flag or familiar national colours for each island/country. So we have a very striking blue and yellow colour scheme here.

    Trust me you can see the Ron Bengalo bottlings on the shelves when you are still in the car park! For a £17.99 rum you get a nice wooden topped synthetic stopper as well. It does overall look a bit gaudy though. The font used is particularly weird as well on the Ron Bengalo part. Reminds me of Halloween.

    In the glass Ron Bengalo Rum from Barbados is a rather anemic looking, white wine colour. In some ways this is good in that it hasn’t been artificially coloured. Alas, though it also suggests very little ageing. At £17.99 I wasn’t expecting anything flash and I won’t judge on the colour at this stage. The website did suggest ageing in ex-bourbon and bordeaux casks so I was maybe expecting a bit more colour. Not to worry.

    On the nose it smells sweet and pretty much unaged. Theres not any signs of oak or anything that you might expect from an aged rum. It’s very similar to the supermarket Trini rums I mentioned earlier. It is difficult to say which distillery this is from but bearing in mind the metrics needed to supply Lidl I fancy this is from West Indies Rum Distilery (WIRD).

    Light vanilla, some toffee and caramel and some “booze”. Little else really on the nose. I’m not getting much more than I would from standard supermarket white rum. The lack of excessive caramel colouring is good though as its not adding that nasty bitter note the supermarket dark rums often have.

    Sipped, it’s pretty sharp with a not a great depth of flavour at all. Thin and quite listless. Bit of caramel, vanilla and some hints of spice but its all very short. It quickly fades. There is little to speak of as a mid palate or finish. It’s hot, unaged and reasonably boozy.

    Ron Bengalo Rum from Barbados review by the fat rum pirateIts not anything I would advise as a sipper. Again I wasn’t expecting much at this price point. I’m probably more skeptical than most and I do often buy bottles solely for reviews rather than my actual enjoyment. Yes I know that may seem strange…..

    Mixed, Ron Bengalo Rum from Barbados does a so-so job but even at £17.99 for a 40% ABV 70cl bottle I doubt I will return to it.

    It’s just not noticeably better than any other standard supermarket white rum. Bear in mind, such bottles are available in the same supermarket for around £10. Yes the ABV is slightly lower and I’m not suggesting anyone buy such a rum but it’s certainly better value then this.

    I will be trying more Ron Bengalo as they have a very interesting range. But I won’t be repeating this purchase.

    I was hoping to get something which would at least compete with Doorly’s 3 or Mount Gay Eclipse. If anyone is looking and thinking they will be getting a quality aged Foursquare product – I think their enthusiasm may turn to suspicion when they pour the first serving……..

    Don’t get your hopes up.

  • Mainbrace Premium Spliced Rum

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Mainbrace Premium Spliced Rum review by the fat rum pirateMainbrace Premium Spliced Rum. Look again – read the title again. Don’t make my mistake. All is not as is first seems. Especially when you started drinking at 7am……

    I was first introduced to Mainbrace at the Boutique Rum Fest, London in October last year. I say introduced what I mean is that I first completely ignored Mainbrace Rum at Boutique Rum Fest. Why? It’s Spiced Rum innit?

    No Wes, as Peter Thornton kindly pointed out on the Saturday of Rum Fest proper (where they were also exhibiting), it’s a SpLiced rum. As in splice the mainbrace.

    Ahhhhhh it all makes sense now……….kind of.

    Anyway I tried it as the stand wasn’t as busy as some of the others and I quite enjoyed it. It was different. So I got myself a bottle and tried it again when I got home. Eventually I got around to writing a review and here it is!

    Mainbrace Premium Spliced Rum is a blend of rums from Guyana and Martinique. It is as far as I am aware the first “brand” of rum to splice agricole rhum and molasses based rum together. Yes I have seen blends from other bottlers include agricole rhum – I’m sure one of Compagnie des Indes blends has molasses and agricole in it’s make up? The thing is no brand has ever come out with this as their raison d’etre.

    So I am hopefully correct in saying that this is unique. Failing that it’s a pretty interesting experiment nonetheless. Mainbrace Premium Spliced Rum is a blend of unaged rhum from Martinique producer La Favorite and a unique blend of Guyanese rum from 3 of Demerara Distillers Limited famed stills. These rums are aged between 2-5 years. So essentially we have a kind of Navy rum mixed with a White Unaged Agricole.

    Mainbrace Premium Spliced Rum retails at around £35 in the UK you can currently find it on DrinkFinder for £36.99. It is bottled at a respectable if not earth shattering 40% ABV. Presentation wise as you can see the rum is bottled in a very naval style bottle. Bottom heavy with a long neck so it would be difficult to “knock over” on high seas. I like the bottle and will be making good use of it once the contents have been drank.

    So lets move on and see exactly how a Agricole/Molasses hybrid works.

    In the glass Mainbrace Premium Spliced Rum is a rich golden brown. The nose is full of toffee, caramel, milk chocolate and a hint of raisin and dates. I’m not getting much of the agricole side of things on the nose.

    Mainbrace Premium Spliced Rum review by the fat rum pirate

    Further nosing reveals a good weight of oak spices and some aniseed. There is a fair amount of spicy ginger and a hint of white pepper.

    The nose is nice and reminds me more of independently bottled continental aged Demerara rum than Navy style rum such as Woods. The agricole rhum in the blend seems largely redundant at this point.

    Sipping on Mainbrace Premium Spliced Rum is a very clean experience. I get the feeling the “cleaner” notes coming from the white unaged agricole are working against the slightly “oilier” flavour profile of the Guyana blend. I’m getting a fair amount of Port Morant like aniseed notes and some Enmore/Versailles “tarry” notes. It maintains a nice degree of sweetness with the caramel notes and the white agricole gives it a slightly fresh mouthfeel. A tiny touch of mint perhaps.

    This is a very easy drinking rum but not one which is lacking in complexity. The initial entry is quite easy going with a nice balance of sweet sugar cane, toffee, caramel and some nice aged oak spices. Vanilla and a touch of green olive arrive on the mid palate.

    There is a lot going on. The finish is quite peppery and has a slight chilli note to it. It is certainly the spiciest part of the drink. It is a good length and it’s quite rewarding.Mainbrace Premium Spliced Rum review by the fat rum pirate

    This is a kind of soft entry into Independently bottled Demerara rum. Whether that is down to the Agricole influence I am not sure. It does have a certain lightness though which makes this pretty accessible.

    This is not a bad drop of rum at all for the price – it also makes a good addition in cocktails requiring both Demerara and Agricole. Rather than compete with each other the two styles of rum work very well together. I’d be interested to know the ratio of Guyana to Martinique.

    This is a rum which could perhaps be dismissed as a bit gimicky. At the price I feel it’s definitely worth a punt. I do worry though about how adventerous consumers might be. On the face of it seems a bit strange but it tastes really good!

    Worth it if you are feeling lucky…….