That Boutique-y Rum Company Travellers Distillery Belize 10 Year Old

Bythefatrumpirate

That Boutique-y Rum Company Travellers Distillery Belize Rum Review by the fat rum pirateThat Boutique-y Rum Company Travellers Distillery Belize 10 Year Old. I haven’t covered an awful lot of rums from the Travellers Distillery, Belize. This is mainly due to the fact that the distilleries own brands such as One Barrel are more often than not “dosed” with additives in some way.

So although I have seen a number of rums from Belize being bottled by Independent bottlers such as Boutique-y Rum Company I have never felt the urge to pick one up. I really didn’t like Travellers One Barrel rum and its really tainted by view of rums from that part of the world.

However, I like to give everything a second (or even third) chance so I thought I would give this rum a spin.

As mentioned already this is a rum from the Travellers Distillery in Belize. Which is a Central American country on the edge of the Caribbean sea. It is bordered by Mexico and Guatemala.

The rum in question today is noted as being a “Traditional Column Rum”. So it has been produced on a column still but not I assume a huge multi column industrial style still. A more authentic column still?

Travellers produce rum from molasses and age their rums in charred oak barrels. This particular rum was distilled in October 2007 and it spent 8 years ageing in Belize. It was moved to Europe and re-filled in a ex-bourbon cask for the final two years of ageing. The rum has an ABV of 56.1% which must be Cask Strength or very near to it. It is available in the UK for £52.95 from Master of Malt. As with all the Boutique-y Rum range this bottle is a 50cl style allowing for more bottles – 477 in total for this release.

In the glass the rum is an orange/golden brown colour. The nose on this one is very light and full of toffee and caramel. Charred oak give the rum a bit more depth and the rich oak spices are nicely integrated with aromas of ginger and white pepper.

Vanilla closes out what is quite a nicely balanced – yet light nose.

Sipped at full strength this is quite a flavoursome rum. More so than the nose suggests. The initial entry is sweet with lots of toffee, caramel and white chocolate. This is followed by a very spicy mid palate full of stem ginger and some rich warming notes of tobacco and vanilla.

It’s quite an easy sip and it’s not hugely complex. Much of the flavour fades out into a slightly short finish. It’s not a bad finish it just quickly fades into little more than charred oak and some bitter wood. Which is nicer than it sounds!

It’s quite sweet though the hydrometer tells me it isn’t dosed. The sweetness does seem authentic though – rather than synthetic like the One Barrel. This is streets ahead That Boutique-y Rum Company Travellers Distillery Belize Rum Review by the fat rum pirateof that bottling and this is making me re-consider rums from Belize for future purchases.

I don’t think this is the greatest rum I have ever tired but it mixed up nicely a Barbados style of column rum with some more “ron” like notes. So its quite interesting to have tried this rum.

It has just the right amount of sweetness but even with the high ABV it’s still a little light overall. Maybe a finish in a sweet wine cask might have given this a bit more character and made it a bit more unique.

Not bad though and much better than I had expected

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  • Mount Gay XO – Cask Strength

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Mount Gay XO Cask Strength Rum Review by the fat rum pirateMount Gay established in 1703 report that they are the oldest rum brand in existence.  Which is arguable.  What cannot be argued is that they are one of the top producers of authentic rum in the Caribbean.

    Alongside Eclipse – Mount Gay Extra Old (Mount Gay XO or even MGXO) is their most recognised and most respected rum.  A blend of Pot and Column molasses it is seen as a benchmark in the birth of true sipping rums.

    In recent years Mount Gay have revamped and revitalised their rum line up.  New logos and new expressions have hit the market.  The culmination (to date) is this, Limited Edition Cask Strength Extra Old rum.

    Coming in at a hefty 63% ABV and carrying an equally hefty £140 price tag the rum is housed in a luxury wooden box.  Complete with a booklet and notes written by master blender Alen Smith.  Limited to only 3000 bottles worldwide.  If you are after value for money against the regular XO you may feel its too expensive.  In fairness you are paying for it being limited and attractively packaged.

    Released exclusively into the UK market in November at Selfridges, the rum is now available online at other retailers.  Just in time for Christmas.  As one of the more recognised rum brands in the UK, I am sure more than a few XO lovers will wake up to find their better halves have treated them to a bottle of this.  What glorious timing Mount Gay!

    I reviewed MGXO around 18 months to 2 years ago if memory serves ( I should check but its not that important).  I recall giving it a slightly stingy 4 star rating.  There are still a fair few rums I need to re-appraise as my knowledge and tastes have improved over time.

    In the glass the rum is lovely copper colour.  Much like the XO and most Bajan rums.  I don’t worry too much about colour these days, as most commercial blends are coloured with caramel.

    On the nose you notice straight away that this not your usual 40-43% Bajan rum.  Like the Cask Strength Velier Foursquare from earlier this year, this is much more intense.  I would make a comparison between a European aged Demerara and a Velier one.  Everything seems more concentrated – all the flavours which existed before are present but just in much more clarity.  Standard Definition TV versus HDTV maybe?Mount Gay XO Cask Strength Rum Review by the fat rum pirate

    The nose is classically Bajan – very pronounced spicy oak notes.  You can almost taste the Bourbon that was in these casks prior.  Vanilla, a nice creamy nuttiness and a slight hint of banana, toffee and caramel.  Despite the ABV there is very little “menace” as I like to call it.  It’s still a very nice well balanced, skillfully blended spirit.

    Sipped even at 63% it is a surprisingly mellow and pleasant experience.  I would recommend a little water but not much – just to bring out all the flavour.  Not too much or you might as well stuck with the regular XO.

    There is a lot of flavour to savour.  Everything which was on the nose transfers to the palate.  Which gives you a very satisfying and complex sipping experience.  The initial sip is quite spicy and very oaky but as you progress and your taste buds acquaint themselves with the rum these move quickly into sweet toffee, caramel and chocolate notes.  There is also a nice fruitiness in the rum which runs right through to the very long spicy and tingly finish.  Peaches and a hint of banana?

    Like the XO my only real criticism is that I can find it a little dry at times and perhaps a touch too oaky.  However, this is quite dependant on my mood and what food etc I’ve eaten.  Sometimes I can drink the XO like pop, other times I can only have a glass.  R L Seales 10 I find similar.

    Mount Gay XO Cask Strength Rum Review by the fat rum pirateFor a seasoned XO drinker this will be a no brainer of a purchase.  After trying this the XO does seem a little “watery” but only immediately after drinking this at nigh on Cask Strength.

    A very well made, well balanced and blended authentic rum.  Highly recommended.  If the price is a problem then just go for the regular XO an perhaps a bottle of Black Barrel.

    4.5 stars

     

  • Ron de Jeremy Reserva

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Ron de Jeremy Reserva Rum Review by the fat rum pirateRon de Jeremy Reserva is the flagship rum of One Eyed Spirit’s Ron de Jeremy portfolio.  It has been widely available for a number of years. It’s success is down to a mixture of clever (if slightly smutty) marketing and a respectable product.

    For those who don’t know, Ron Jeremy is an adult film star – the hardest working man on the planet. As a result the marketing of this rum is full of puns and double entendres.  The name of the rum is a play on the Spanish word for rum – “ron”. No matter what you might think about marketing a rum with a short, fat ugly pornstar as its figurehead. It certainly seems to be working!

    Originally (if online research is to be believed) Ron de Jeremy Reserva was a 7 year old Panamanian rum blended by master blender “Don Pancho” Fernandez.  Such a busy man!  From the information contained on my bottle, that is no longer the case. The rum is a completely different beast nowadays.

    Ron de Jeremy comes in a very good quality stubby bottle.  Presentation wise it is slightly muted and not to OTT.  If you didn’t know who Ron Jeremy was you might not realise the joke.  Reading the notes on the bottle though, will reveal to all but the most naïve people.

    The rum ticks a lot of boxes in the “Premium Rum” category – nice synthetic cork enclosure and some very nice solid branding throughout.  Ron de Jeremy Reserva is bottled at 40% ABV and is firmly placed in the “premium” market.  Novelty value alone ensures this rum will sell.  The price point of £30-35 means it is keenly priced.  I would imagine a lot of rum lovers get this as a Christmas gift.

    Reading between the lines Ron de Jeremy Reserva is a custom blendRon de Jeremy Reserva rum review by the fat rum pirate of rums from the Dutch Rum brokers E.A Scheer.  The bottle denotes that rums from Barbados, Trinidad, Jamaica and Guyana are blended, to produce this no age statement Reserva rum.

    Unlike the revolting XO this rum actually passes the Hydrometer Test.  Though I do detect a hint of some kind of artificial sweetener.  Nothing overpowering though.  Helpfully the rum has a warning that it includes caramel colouring.

    In the glass Ron de Jeremy is a very vivid light to golden brown with little flashes of red.  The nose is pretty sweet.  Big hits of brown sugar, butterscotch some cashew nuts. Younger notes of sweet alcohol, carried along with a little honey.  The nose is a little too sickly sweet for me.

    Sipping this rum, its difficult to really pin point quite how the different rums are complementing one another.  A lot of the the flavour seems to come from the Trinidad rum which seems to be quite sweet and have an almost “supermarket” rum feel to it.  I’m getting none of the Jamaican element to this blend.  It must be a very inoffensive Jamaican.  I get some light Bajan notes such as vanilla and light oak.  Unfortunately, it all comes over as a just a touch too sweet.  Maybe the Demerara which I felt was fairly present on the nose, is coming into to play and supplying these sweet flavours.  Though I suspect it may be something else sadly.

    Ron de Jeremy Reserva Rum Review by the fat rum pirateAll in all its not really a great sipper.  It’s certainly not a particularly complex one.  It does display some aged notes and genuine rum spirit but it has a honey-ed like flavour. It leaves the drink a little one dimensional.  It is also a very short drink with little taste after the initial burst of sweetness.  It very quickly moves into a spicy heat which quickly fades leaving little behind at all.  The aftertaste is strangely bitter and slightly astringent.

    Mixing the Reserva seems to suit it better. It goes okay with cola giving a sweet mixed drink.  Sadly it doesn’t really offer any oak or “rummy” bite.  The honeyed notes are back again becoming almost cloying.  The drink is too smooth and it lacks any real character.

    It probably isn’t worth the £30-35 – the novelty aspect is adding around £15 onto the price of this rum.  I don’t think it is a particularly long aged blend of rums.  If it is then they aren’t the best rums in the world!

    Not the worst rum in the world and much better than the horrendous XO.  Even saying that without the novelty value I doubt this alone would sell very well – not at this price.

    2 stars

     

     

  • Dictador Distillery Icon Reserve Aged 20 Years Solera System Rum

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Dictador Distillery Icon Reserve Aged 20 Years Solera System Rum review by the fat rum pirateDictador Distillery Icon Reserve Aged 20 Years Solera System Rum.  Quite a mouthful but thats what they’ve put on the label.  Quite how Aged 20 Years and “Solera System Rum” works is anyones guess, however.

    Dictador are a rum brand from Colombia. They also have lines of coffee, cigars and gin.  I’ve not been around the rum scene for that long but Dictador 12 was one of the first “premium” rums I bought.  I reviewed it in the early days of this blog. As was one of the aims of this blog I have learnt a great deal about rum since then.  I won’t revisit that review until I have completed this one.  I don’t recall being blown away by Dictador 12 though.

    Dictador rums are the kind of rums you will find in high end department stores that like to stock designer “gear”.  You’ll find them along side the likes of Zacapa XO, DIplomatico and Don Papa.  Presentation wise the Japanese made squat opaque bottles are very attractive and the black and blue colourway on this particular bottling is striking.  Presentation wise these are very much “designer” rums.  If there is indeed such a thing.

    A 70cl bottle of Dictador Aged 20 Years Solera System Rum will set you back around £50 it is bottled at a rather standard 40% ABV.  Dictador rums are pretty easy to pick up in the UK.  They have definitely tapped into the market.  Having said that I don’t really hear that much talk about them in rum circles.  Except when the Solera System gets brought up or we begin talking about the origin of rums…..

    Or when we start talking about “Virgin Sugar Cane Honey”.  The Dictador website is as slick as the bottles. Taking the information from the website you would believe this rum is a 20 year old aged in a Solera System.  Which doesn’t make a great deal of sense to me.  Dictador note that is a blend of rums distilled in Copper Alembic (Pot) and a Steel Continuous Column.  Which produces a “medium bodied” rum.  It seems to me Dictador are using the finest Grade A marketing tactics as used by Zacapa and Diplomatico with their descriptors.

    Dictador are a brand who claim to have been in existence since 1913. The following slideshow gives you more information on the brand.  The brand hails from Cartagena de Indias.  Dictador Distillery Icon Reserve Aged 20 Years Solera System Rum review by the fat rum pirateInteresting Dictador have a master blender rather than distiller Hernan Parra.

    When I originally tried the Dictador 12 I did think it had been adultered in some way.  I still hold this view.  True it “passed” the Hydrometer test but that can be easily fooled by other sweet alcohols such as sweet wine and other less invasive additives.  I’ve not seen anything which explains how the flavour has been produced. They do not mention anywhere I have seen what the rum in the Solera is aged in ie what type of barrels/casks.

    My thoughts on the flavour profile of Dictador will be revealed more over the next few paragraphs as I nose and taste this rum.

    Dictador Distillery Icon Reserve Aged 20 Years is a rich, dark brown colour. Without knowing the exact age of the rums in the blend (it is not a full 20 years) I’d still be surprised if the colour was entirely natural.

    A quick nosing reveals a very sweet, light almost Cuban style rum. It’s slightly floral but it does have a quite surpising hit of alcohol fumes. It’s reasonably spicy but it all seems a little “candied”. Overall the nose isn’t bad and there is quite a bit to come back to and far amount of complexity.  Licorice, cinnamon and some sweet boozy notes – like a younger rum sometimes exhibits. There is a hint of tobacco and a touch of tar. Overall though its mostly sweet.

    Sipped you get coffee, a lot of coffee. Sweet sugary coffee. It’s actually a lot more spicy than I had expected. I do believe quite a portion of rum a LOT younger than 20 years is in this blend. I’m not getting much of the pot still rum – its not doing much in this blend. Blind I would have assumed this was all column. It’s light and inoffensive. It has a reasonable amount of alcohol burn to reassure you it is a 40% spirit. Unfortunately it doesn’t have a lot of what I would determine as “rummy” characteristics. It’s more like a kind of sherried flavoured vodka. I’m sure such a drink exists somewhere.

    Sweet, light bordering on floral and with that strange coffee like hit especially on the finish. Which is very short. It’s an interesting spirit but I wouldn’t want to be forking out £50 on this if I wanted a bottle of rum.

    It’s agreeable and easy enough to drink. Whether it is really a rum I’m not so sure. It didn’t hold my interest. It’s certainly different to a lot of rums on the market. I’m not sure that is a good thing though.

     

     

  • R.L Seale’s Old Brigand Barbados Rum

    Bythefatrumpirate

    RL Seales Old Brigand Rum Review by the fat rum pirateR.L Seale’s Old Brigand Barbados Rum.  This rum was formerly known as Alleyne Arthur’s Old Brigand Barbados rum. The rum is quite a staple on the island. Though you will be quite fortunate to find it outside of Barbados. I’ve been fortunate enough that a few very generous friends have brought me back bottles from Barbados.

    I was also fortunate to get some information on the brand from Foursquare Rum Distillery’s Master Distiller and Blender Richard Seale. Foursquare now own the brand.

    “In Barbados all of the rum “brands” were originally independent bottlers. Not unlike all of the Scotch Whisky blends. It was the law after 1906 as rum distilleries were then only allowed to sell in bulk.

    So back in the day there were dozens of brands. All wholesale traders bought rum from the distilleries and bottled in their name. Names like John D Taylor, ESA Field, Alleyne Arthur, Johnson & Redman (survives today as J&R rum), Martin Doorly, R L Seale etc.

    So there was and still are Alleyne Arthur rums. But back in the 1960’s? (could be later), Alleyne Arthur created a new brand – Alleyne Arthur’s ‘Old Brigand’ rum with all the features of a modern brand – a nice label, map of Barbados and a pirate. R.L Seale's Old Brigand Barbados Rum Review by the fatr rum pirate

    Alleyne Arthur acquired Martin Doorly in the 70’s and we (Foursquare) acquired Alleyne Arthur in 1993.

    So we dropped the title name and made it R L Seale’s Old Brigand. We still sell Alleyne Arthur rum. It’s full name is ‘Alleyne Arthur’s Special Barbados Rum’.”

    So there is a little history for you. I am very pleased to give a bit extra background to the Old Brigand rum as I also have the “Black Label” Old Brigand Rum to review as well. So any extra information is always welcome. Especially historical information such as this.R.L Seale's Old Brigand Barbados Rum Review by the fatr rum pirate

    Back in the present R.L Seale’s Old Brigand Barbados Rum is bottled at (what seems to be quite common on the island) 43% ABV. It is available in just about every bottle size from 50ml to 1 litre. Widely available across the island and extremely popular. Commonly known as the One Eyed Man and is regularly consumed neat or with cola.

    It is a mix of pot and column distilled rums from the Foursquare Rum Distillery. Although it has no formal age statement it is largely thought to be a 5 year old rum. I would say based mainly on how inexpensive it is on the island it may be more likely a blend up to 5 years old. But I am often wrong.

    In the glass Old Brigand Barbados Rum is a dark/golden brown colour. The nose is very familiar and very Foursquare. From the off I will say that I find the Old Brigand has a bit more bite to it than Doorly’s 5 Year Old or even the XO. I’d say this is more the Foursquare equivalent of Mount Gay’s Black Barrel or perhaps more like their now discontinued Eclipse Black.

    As familiar as the nose it – it is still very good. I’m getting quite a lot of charred barrel, which sits alongside a lot of coconut. Sweet, soft, light toffee alongside banana, a touch of ginger and a touch of cocoa and coffee.

    Whilst it sounds quite light it does have a certain heavier feel to it. A certain menace lurking possibly from the slightly higher 43% ABV.

    Sipped it is fairly hefty for a Bajan rum. It’s not a huge bruising heavy rum but it does have a decent amount of “booze” to it. The charred flavours return alongside some dark chocolate and there is a nice amount of bourbon like zesty spice. It is maybe a touch on the bitter side for a regular sipper. Probably something which you might buy in these little “hip flask” size bottles and have an occasional swig of. Like a proper alcoholic…..

    In Barbados they seem to have no inhibitions of snobbiness when it comes to mixing rum with cola. Which is good because this particular reviewer has never made any claims that he doesn’t enjoy a really good rum and cola.

    I think this rum makes the best rum and cola I have ever tried. The kick and slight char work really well alongside the cola. It is also a very “smoothing” rum which flattens some of the carbonation in the cola. I don’t like overtly fizzy cola. So this works wonderfully for me. When you begin mixing Old Brigand you realise that all the notes that were on the nose – coconut, banana, toffee etc return.

    I dare say some people might scoff at my score for this rum. I know at least one of my friend who visited Barbados and initially passed on this rum as it looked to “cheap” to be any good. For the price it is available for on Barbados it is probably the biggest rum bargain in the world. I personally think Foursquare should look to put this out to the export market. I’d have this over Doorly’s 5 and 8 every time.

    I’ve not asked Richard much about this rum as I didn’t want to have any preconceptions. I will however be more than happy to add some more notes to this review to explain exactly what the blend/age of this rum should he read this.

    Please note: Richard did indeed read the review and confirmed that the rum in the blend is between 2 and 3 years old. Thanks Richard

     

     

  • Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva. In many ways my days of reviewing these “kind” of rums should perhaps have been pretty much numbered.

    However, this website is now over 12 years old. Now I’ve seen plenty websites come and go in that time. So I’m having quite a good innings to use a cricketing (or rounders, sorry Baseball) analogy.

    During my 12 years of reviewing rum their have been quite a few changes. None which have impacted buying habits as much as I would have liked, unfortunately. Perhaps the most fundamental change in the past 10-15 years is the “truth” around additives in rum.

    El Dorado, Bacardi, Ron Zacapa and Diplomatico are all multi award winning rum producers who have been “found out”. Their Gold Medals tarnished in some peoples eyes due to their use of post distillation additives. In particular the use of sugar and glycerin (amongst others) to sweeten, soften and smooth out their rums.

    Perhaps the most noticeable effect of this has been the tightening of EU Rum Regulations. Previously up to a staggering 99 g/L of additives could be used and something could still be labelled “rum”. Anything over became a liqueur (not liquor!). This is the equivalent of over 25 level teaspoons of sugar.

    This has now been tightened to 20g/L (still around 5 level teaspoons per litre). Anything over this and below 100g/L is labelled a “Rum Based Spirit Drink” or words to that affect. See Don Papa and Bumbu for reference.

    Diplomatico had (prior to the EU changes) been recorded at around the 30/gL range in independent testing.

    So I was curious to see how Diplomatico have reacted to the EU ruling.

    I’d seen Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva on sale on Amazon on numerous occasions over the past 18 months. I finally saw it drop down to just over £30. I figured that even with Amazon’s huge stock levels it was likely that by this time I would be getting a more recent bottling which would reflect any changes made post the EU 20g/L ruling.

    I’ve bought rum from Amazon before, which has been more than a Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva rum review by the fat rum piratecouple of years old….just floating around in their warehouses.

    Upon arrival I was immediately taken by the cylinder the rum came in. Whilst in the photo it may look largely the same as the bottle, the colours are considerably darker and the overall quality of the print is much lower than the older bottle I got (some 13 years ago now!). It looks a bit screen-printed and cheap.

    That said the classic “postage stamp” stubby bottle with their mascot “Don Juancho” still proudly the centerpiece, still remains. Sadly the rear label (as pictured) spoils the aesthetic slightly with the Brown/Forman Import information and the calore content. I don’t suppose the HMRC sticker helps either…..

    I’ve stopped commenting so much on the bottle presentation but for these type of rums……..the presentation is still key. Very important for the pretty bottle brigade.

    Perhaps the most important thing about the presentation is that Diplomatico Reserva Exclusive is still labelled as a rum. So it must have under 20g/L of additives……..

    I’d noted on Rum Revelations that Ivar had measured this in 2022 and found only 18g/L of additives.

    I whipped out my Hydrometer and found the same reading – this is a 40% ABV reading and the Hydrometer shows 35% ABV suggesting 18.8 (I’lll call it 19) g/L of additives.

    So additives have been reduced (or changed to something less noticeable with the Hydrometer), I wonder how much effect this has had on the actual rum?

    Well lets visit the Diplomatico website and see what information they have on the rum in the bottle?

    Well, not a lot it is part of their “Tradition Range” and is bottled at 40% ABV. The rest is just marketing flannel, awards and tasting notes.

    So what is Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva? I’m going to have to go with what Diffords Guide tell me but I make no claims that this is 100% factually correct. The information is pretty old as well

    20% light column distilled rum with 80% Pot Still Rum aged up to 12 years blended by Master Blender Tito Cordero who admits to adding a “little” cane sugar prior to blending.

    This is as good as we are going to get I am afraid. In fairness Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva does not have an age statement nor does it hide behind any random fake number of any overly prominent XOXO style labelling. Even at its priciest it rarely comes in above £45 and hasn’t seen a dramatic price increase over the years.

    This rum was featured as one of The Lone Caner’s “Key Rums of the World” not because he particularly rates it. He gave it 74/100 on his 50 point scoring system 50-100 which is middling at best. He noted it as Key Rum more due to its omnipresence on the scene and the nuDiplomatico Reserva Exclusiva rum review by the fat rum piratember of times it is referenced and recommended. Not so much in more serious enthusiast/geek circles but amongst less serious more casual rum drinkers.

    So lets get down to it.

    In the glass the rum retains the dark hue of old. It is a very deep dark brown colour with a reddish hue.

    The first thing I am noticing is that the legs on this rum do not seem as viscous as I previously remember. I don’t normally comment on the “legs” but this is very obvious and must be due in part to the reduction in additives?

    Interesting. On the nose it doesn’t seem as sweet or intense as I remember either. Not so much raisin and coffee as before. Definitely less interesting as well.

    It seems a little muted. It’s much lighter and the sweetness whilst still carrying a fair amount of weight to the profile has a slightly artificial note to it.

    In all honesty I am a little surprised than long term drinkers of this haven’t noticed the shift? I’ve certainly not seen much by way of commentary around the shift in profile. There definitely is one from the 2014 edition. Not a subtle nuanced one either.

    This seems thinner, less complex, less interesting – more like a fairly average Spanish style mixer. Nothing more. The nose is completely unremarkable.

    Sipped it is agreeable enough. Light, sweetness with a slight saccharin note. Very little burn (next to none) and no real oak or aged profile at all. There is a bit of vanilla, some faint aroma’s of milk chocolate and a very sugary overall taste. Easy going, inoffensive, unsubstantial, muted and pretty boring overall.

    Mixed it adds sweetness and a little fruitiness but its not pulling up any trees.

    Whilst my taste shifted quickly away from Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva the first time around, I do feel that the reduction in the “additives” is really noticeable. I’d imagine for its fans its probably not a good thing. Which is why I am a little puzzled there has been no backlash from.Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva rum review by the fat rum pirate

    Have they even noticed? They surely aren’t that basic in their tastings as to not have? Have their palates caught up a little and are they preferring this in its less sweet guise? I’d be very surprised. The casual end of the rum drinkers spectrum has barely shifted in 20 years.

    I recall when reviewing their “no additive” Distillery Collection that I could kind of see why they used additives. I feel the same with this.

    It’s very, very average and in all honesty I can no longer see its lasting appeal even to those who prefer sweetened spirits. I feel this is living on a past reputation. Nevertheless it still seems to be selling.

    Anyway I’ve added a fancy photo using AI the type that helps sell this kind of thing. You like?

  • Captain Morgan White Rum

    Bythefatrumpirate

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    3 stars

2 Comments

  1. Hi Wes,
    Reading your review made me reach for Disraeli Gears instead of a drink this time!
    Anyway, I was impressed with Mezan’s Belize Travellers Rum, but especially so with Cadenheads, coming in at 64.4% for £52. Was such a nice surprise to drink another Bajan type rum as it is my favourite style.

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