I’m reviewing a rum from the Transcontinental Rum Line for the first time today. This release is in conjunction with The Whisky Exchange and is available exclusively via them (as the title of this review suggests!)

This seems a little strange as the Transcontinental Rum Line is actually the Independent bottling arm of La Maison du Whisky. Which is a French physical and online retail store. It is of sorts the equivalent of The Whisky Exchange in the UK. They have have ties to Velier as well.

I’m not entirely sure of the reasoning behind them teaming up with The Whisky Exchange.Transcontinental Rum Line’s offerings are quite readily available in the UK. I’m sure there will be some kind of reciprocal agreement of some kind which benefits all involved.

The TCRL, if memory serves me correctly initially started bottling quite young rums at reasonable prices. Rather than longer aged more expensive bottles. I also seem to remember them releasing similar rums at differing ABV’s. “Drinking strength” of around 40-46% ABV and “Cask Strength”.

Anyway, back to the case in hand. Transcontinental Rum Line Australia 2014 TWE Exclusive is an 100% Pot Still Molasses Based Rum which has been aged for almost 10 Years in Cask AU14SB01. The cask is an ex-bourbon barrel. There is none of your fancy wine cask finish for this one cobber. The rum has been aged for 4 Years in Australia and nearly 6 Years in Europe.

It has been bottled at 64.2% ABV, I would assume this is Cask Strength but as a very “rounded” 400 bottles have been produced, it may have been “watered down” slightly. Or someone had it away with some of the juice. Either way its still at a pretty punchy ABV!

The rum is from Australia’s Oldest Distillery. Which points us towards Beenleigh Distillery in Queensland even though TCRL can’t say. It retails direct from The Whisky Exchange at £89.95.

So without further ado lets get on with the fun part………..

In the glass we have a medium gold coloured rum. Nothing out of the ordinary here. As the ageing profile would suggest.

On the nose this has a lighter profile than you might expect of a 100% Molasses based rum. Thoughts of Foursquare and English Harbour come to mind. This is rum very much in that style. It is also a rum which for 4 years at least enjoyed an equally tropical climate.

Familiar aromas of Vanilla, Coconut, Banana and a lightly charred oak all come into play on the initial nosing. It is very much “English” style rum.

Further nosing really doesn’t bring much more to the fore this is very much a rum which is “as is”. No faffing around trying to do anything fancy or too complicated.

It’s a comfy old arm chair or a safe pair of hands.

SIpped at full ABV it is certainly more “beefy” than the nose suggested. However, although the flavour intensity has ramped up a little it still has a very nice balance.

I’m still surprised there is no column distillate in this one to “dial it back” a little. Such is balance – quite surprising for a single cask 100% Pot Still rum.

On the sip I am  initially getting a more concentrated version of the nose – so all the familiar notes are present and correct.

This rum does though develop as the sips progress. Certainly it gets more fruity with notes of Apricot and some candied peel coming into the mix.

As we move towards the finish the mid palate gives a slightly waxy mouthfeel and a oily kind note which is hard to explain. The vanilla and oak spices come to the forefront as we move toward the finish.

The finish is really very nice and a good length. The key with this rum is balance. It’s not going to offer anything new to an experienced rum drinker – sure. What it will do is open eyes towards Beenleigh’s offerings. Now whilst the distilleries own bottlings may sometimes contain some “special sauce” the Indie offerings don’t. It’s a good way to get an alternative to Foursquare or English Harbour.

As I mentioned the finish is really nice – the oak, vanilla and all spice really meld nicely together and it has a slightly leathery note.

A really solid rum which grows on you.