The Real Rum Co No1 Blend Cask Strength 13 Year Aged. If Companies House is correct then The Real Rum Co have been around since 2013. Up until this release they have focused on Spiced and Flavoured rums.

The Real Rum Co is ran by Freddie Hart, who has also brought brands such as Todka and Bombo to the UK market. I can hear the collective groans amongst you all…….bear with me.

However, as the title suggests this is the first “straight” blend of rum from The Real Rum Co. So lets give this bottling a chance.

As this is a blend it is not a Single Cask rum – it is still quite limited though with only 500 bottles being available. It has been bottled at Cask Strength 62.1

% and is free from any additives.

The blend comprised rum from Panama and Venezuela. I tend to shy away from “commercial” bottlings of Panamanian and Venezuelan rums nowadays, as the producers mainly focus around the 40-43% ABV mark and like to add a little special sauce to their rums. Which can make them a bit “homogenised” and slightly muted.

The Real Rum Co No1 Blend Cask Strength 13 Year Aged is currently available at Master of Malt priced at £84.95 for a 70cl bottle. Bearing in mind the way rum prices are heading – I don’t think this is a bad price at all in todays market. If it’s any good of course. Maturation has taken place in ex-bourbon casks.

I’ve not got a lot of information on the actual rums in the blend – likelihood is the Panamanian element will come from Varela Hermanos – who produce the Abuelo brand amongst others. So the rum will be distilled in a multi column set up.

The Venezeuelan element will mostly likely have come from the DUSA (Destilerias Unidas S.A.) which is responsible for the Diplomatico brand.  As a result this rum could be multi column, column, pot distilled or a blend of column/pot.

 

I’m not someone who obsesses about the type of still used – many people wrongly (in my opinion) think that Pot Still equates to best and column and especially multi column is worst. I do not buy into this viewpoint. In all honesty I’m quite comfortable judging rums based on limited information. I feel often people seek out rums based on to many facts and figures.

Anyway that is all the information I have at present on this bottling so we may as well dive into the nosing and tasting and see how this blend of Central and South American rums works out.

First up the rum is “clean” and the Hydrometer shows no signs of any additives. Which is pretty much essential as far as I’m concerned when you are paying premium for aged rums.

In the glass The Real Rum Co No1 Blend Cask Strength 13 Year Aged is a medium to dark brown liquid with an orange/yellow hue.

Nosing the rum is quite fruity with notes of orange peel/marmalade and some sultanas. Further complexity is provided by a slightly perfumed note which runs alongside heavier smoky notes – cocoa and some leathery elements. There is also a milk chocolate note which mingles with the sultana/raisin giving Milk Chocolate covered raisins.

Which can never be a bad thing…….

Sipped at full strength it is full bodied and very rich. Lots of smoke, leather, dark chocolate, raisin and other dried fruits. Dark plums, a touch of apricot and that tangy orange note with a hint of citrus.

The initial entry is quite smoky but the chocolate and fruity sweetness lead nicely into the  mid palate which shows more of the barrel ageing. Warming oaky notes mingle alongside trace of tobacco, sandalwood and some almost bitter dark chocolate.

The finish builds with the oaky notes giving way again to some more of the fruity notes and the chocolate. It is a really nice length and is very rich and warming.

Whilst the type of rums are often seen as “lighter” as this rum hasn’t been “dosed” I do feel I’m getting more character and less of a homogenised product than is produced by the big producers. I do feel this likely does have elements of Pot Still distillate in the mix as it reasonably heavy.

It reminds me quite a lot as a darker, heavy version of Santa Teresa 1796.

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed The Real Rum Co first foray into this type of blended rum and I have to say that I’m really glad I have tried it. A really excellent start from them.