Turmalina da Serra Carvalho

Bythefatrumpirate

Turmalina da Serra Carvalho Rum Cachaca Review by the fat rum pirateTurmalina da Serra Carvalho is the latest cachaça to be reviewed on the site. Hailing from Areia in Parariba state. Turmalina da Serra is produced at the Cachoeira Sugar Mill. The property spans over 60,000 m2 in the Atlantic Forest.

At one point there were over 120 cachaça producing sugar cane plantations in the town of Areia alone. Today this stands at around 30 – still quite a lot of cachaça to be producing. Especially as this is a swamp area…..

Turmalina da Serra Carvalho is produced in small batches on Copper Pot stills. Production of this cachaça is around 10,000 litres per year. So for a cachaça it is pretty much a “limited edition” release. All the sugar cane used in the production of Turmalina da Serra is harvested by hand at the Cachoeira sugar mill.

This cachaça has been bottled at 42% ABV and has been aged for 9 years in Carvalho – French Carvalho to be specific (French Oak).Turmalina da Serra also have a Ouro, Freijo and Jequitiba cachaça, in their line up. From what information I can find this cachaça retails at around the R$100 mark. Which is around £/€25. Again don’t expect to see it priced like that in Europe. More likely £5o plus, I would imagine.

Presentation wise the bottle in particular is a modern 3/4 stubby style rounded look. The branding is really strong and overall the cachaça would sit nicely alongside other rums and cachaças were it to reach Europe. It’s good to go and would need no updating. The plastic topped cork stopper is a nice feature as well! All very modern.

For the curious amongst you they do have a Facebook page. Which does show a listing for a website but sadly I couldn’t get that link to work.

In the glass this is a straw/light brown colour.

The nose is zesty and slightly peppery. It reminds me a little of a molasses based rum. It seems to have less grassy and vegetal or even smoky like notes, found more so in other cachacas.

Further nosing reveals some slight grassy aromas that do remind you that is a product of sugar cane rather than molasses. Some light notes of red wine, raisin and some almost licorice like aromas.

Sipped, it is very flavourful with an almost port like note to it. It has a lovely lemon zest running through it, alongside some notes that are reminiscent of pastrami (?) – peppery and slighty meaty.

This is quite a distinctive and full flavoured cachaça and one which I am enjoying very much.The mid palate continues to evolve with notes of maple syrup, raisins and some rosehip. It’s a really complex and rewarding cachaça. Further sips reveal more complexity as you get a slight smoky note moving into the finish. The 42% ABV does give this a cachaça slight edge I feel over some of the 38% ABV offerings. Not a great deal extra but just a slightly more boozy kick, which I enjoy. I like to enjoy a bit of the ethanol when I’m drinking!Turmalina da Serra Carvalho Rum Cachaca Review by the fat rum pirate

Finish wise it’s really pleasant and warming – slight smokiness mingles alongside more  of the rich fruity notes, fading out into a really nice warming burn of mild ginger.

With this being such a limited product it is, sadly unlikely we will see it in the UK or Europe. That said if demand were sufficient they maybe could expand production. I fear however the ball is very much in the producers court!

If you are lucky enough to travel to Brasil or no someone who will act as your cachaça mule, this is well worth picking up.

 

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  • The Real McCoy Aged 12 Years Limited Edition

    Bythefatrumpirate

    The Real McCoy Aged 12 Years Limited Edition Rum Review by the fat rum pirateThe Real McCoy Aged 12 Years Limited Edition. Yet another rum up for review from the prolific Foursquare Rum Distillery, Barbados. This rum has been “around” for quite some time I first tasted it at the Boutique Rum Festival in London in October 2016. And then I waited………

    And waited some more………

    Sadly, despite what I was told at the time of tasting it, The Real McCoy Aged 12 Years Limited Edition, never made it to our shores here in the UK. Nor was it found much in Europe. It was first released in the US and has stayed there.

    I was finally able to taste the rum again by way of a Twitter Tasting kit I was sent amongst other The Real McCoy rums.

    With the sheer amount of rums Foursquare have released over the past few years you may (if you are in the US) still find a bottle of this 2016 release. If you shop around. The Real McCoy are an independent company who distribute and promote the rum. It is however, produced and bottled by Foursquare. It’s not an “official” Foursquare release but there is more control over this product, than say, the independent bottlings that are partly Continental (European) aged.

    The rear label of the bottle tells us that this rum was a “small batch” of 500 cases. If I am right and a case is 6 bottles then there will have been 3,000 bottles of this rum available. Please correct me if I am wrong.

    So what distinguishes this Limited Edition rum from the standard The Real McCoy Aged 12 Years? Lets find out.

    Both the regular and Limited Edition The Real McCoy Aged 12 Years, are a blend of Pot and Column still rum. The original 12 was released at 40% ABV. This Limited Edition takes it up a notch or two at 46% ABV. The original 12 is aged entirely in ex-bourbon. The Limited Edition release is a mix of rum aged solely in ex-Bourbon Barrels around 90% with 10% aged entirely in ex-Madeira casks.

    In the glass the rum is a vivid golden brown with orange flashes.

    The nose is encouragingly familiar. Traditional Foursquare like aromas. Vanilla, coconut, caramel, toffee and some sweet stoned fruits all come to the fore in a very nicely balanced, slightly floral nose.

    The Madeira case ageing has added a subtle sweetness to the rum’s nose. Adding notes similar to those found in the Port and Zinfandel cask ECS rums. Red wine, strawberries, almost sherry like notes. Rather than compete with the more traditional Foursquare notes they work in harmony alongside them, to give an excellent balance on the nose.The Real McCoy Aged 12 Years Limited Edtion Rum Review by the fat rum pirate

    Like Port and Zinfandel cask it is a rum you could nose for hours.

    Sipping The Real McCoy Limited Edition is quite a woody, oaked affair. Like the Real McCoy 12 Year Old, it is produced using charred barrels and this really shines through to the sip. You don’t get as much of the sweetness as on the nose. Especially not in the first few sips.

    It has real zestiness to it and a lot of spiciness going on in the mid palate. Ginger and white pepper combine with a real chunk of oak. Some quite fat tannin like notes, add a slight bitterness making it a little tart. Especially on the finish. Which is long, full of lemon and lime zest, alongside more charred oak and wood influences.

    Further sips and you begin to appreciate the richness of the Madeira cask maturation. Once the spiciness subsides a little you begin to appreciate the influence of the casks more. Rich warming notes of plums and red wine shine on the initial delivery and mid palate. Fading only into the zesty and spicy finish which is long and very enjoyable.

    The Real McCoy Aged 12 Years Limited Edition is another really great rum from Foursquare. One I wish I could get a full bottle of.

     

  • Dràm Mòr Single Cask Rum Fiji Distillery Aged 12 Years

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Dràm Mòr Single Cask Rum Fiji Distillery Aged 12 Years rum review by the fat rum pirateDràm Mòr Single Cask Rum Fiji Distillery Aged 12 Years. I suppose saying this rum comes from “Fiji Distillery” isn’t really all that inaccurate. Whilst the actual distillery is perhaps better known, to those who actually know about Fijian rum, as South Pacific Distillery it is the only rum distillery on Fiji.

    I always try and make sure the titles of my reviews reflect best what the producer has stated on the label. My thinking being you will find it easier searching for them online or find it less confusing should you encounter a bottle in the “wild” so to speak.

    So today we have the first in the two Spring 2022 releases of rum from Dràm Mòr Group. I have already reviewed their two releases from last year and will also review the other Spring release as soon as I can.

    The thing I like about reviewing Independent Bottlings, is that because they aren’t focused on a “brand” or concocting an elaborate back story for a particular rum. They tend to focus more on the actual liquid in the bottle. You find that you get facts. Which from what my feedback tells me – you as rum enthusiasts actually want to know. With so many Independent bottlings floating around, such information can make a huge difference when making a decision to purchase. Obviously if I give this a high score you will all rush out and buy a bottle regardless of course……

    Dràm Mòr Single Cask Rum Fiji Distillery Aged 12 Years has been bottled at 60% ABV and this particular bottling is from Cask Number #28. It has been matured in an ex-bourbon barrel and “finished” for 5 months in an 1st Fill Buffalo Trace Cask (which is also a bourbon in case you are wondering). This is a Single Cask Rum and there were 212 bottles available upon release.

    South Pacific Distillery operate 2 Pot Stills and 3 Column Stills. Unfortunately I don’t have any information on what still(s) the rum was distilled in. I’m not sure of the split between tropical and continental ageing either.

    Dràm Mòr Single Cask Rum Fiji Distillery Aged 12 Years is available from the Good Spirits Co. in Glasgow (and other retailers) and retails at £64 for a 70cl bottle. Presentation wise the rum comes in a standard “bar style” bottle with a synthetic cork stopper. The overall presentation is clean and sleek certainly more up to date than some indie bottlers that’s for sure!

    Pricewise for a 12 year old Independent bottling the rum seems to be very keenly priced. So lets see if it is worth buying……..

    In the glass we are presented with a light golden spirit. On the nose you are struck by overripe pineapple. It’s fruity but beneath the pineapple is a herbal note reminiscent of St Lucia Distillers rum. It is a mix of fruity sweetness and some herbal notes like pine cones and pot pourri.

    Further nosing reveals a smokiness and a medicinal hit of Calpol, some aniseed and some light tar/engine oil.

    Unlike some younger Fijian rum I have tried the less “appetising” sounding notes from the nose don’t overpower the rum. They just add extra layers to the fruity pineapple and notes of raisin and white grape.

    Sipped the rum is big and bold with lots and lots of flavour. It’s spicy and a little fierce. The initial hit of herbal spices come in with a hit of chilli and black pepper. Once the palate adjusts the fruity notes begin to come out to play.

    Pineapple, banana and some raisin come along as we move into the mid palate. At this stage the rum becomes a little smoky and you begin to taste the tarry/medicinal notes.

    I do think that Fijian rum, much like Caroni very much benefits from being tried at a higher ABV. This rum is no shrinking violet and has lots and lots of flavour and complexity to enjoy.

    Dràm Mòr Single Cask Rum Fiji Distillery Aged 12 Years rum review by the fat rum pirateAs we move towards the finish you get a second wind of pineapple and banana alongside some more soothing herbal spices and a nice hit of oak. The higher ABV means the finish is long and very pleasant. This is a rum which you will likely take slowly as there is so much going on. Its a shame to rush it.

    Fijian rum can be hitty miss but I find once you get into double digits in terms of age the rum seems to mature and take on more of the cask it has been matured in. Make no mistake though Fijian rum is “challenging” and is certainly not a rum which will be appreciated by all.

    If you want something halfway between a Saint Lucia Distillers offering and a Caroni Fijian rum is something to consider. If you like either (or both) these styles of rum then I think you will find this bottling in particular, very much to your liking.

    This is a complex, challenging and very tasty rum and I highly recommend it.

     

  • Dead Reckoning Port Broadside

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Dead Reckoning Port Broadside Rum review by the fat rum pirate Dead Reckoning Port Broadside. Today we have another review of a rum from Australian Independent bottlers – Dead Reckoning. They have recently expanded distribution into Europe and the US. However, this is Single Cask release for the Australian market only.

    This is a blend of rums from three different “secret” distilleries. It should be noted at this point that some Rum Producers have requested that Independents do not use the distillery name on their bottlings.

    I am not entirely sure if all three of the distilleries used in this bottling have such informal arrangements in place. Dead Reckoning Port Broadside does have identifiers though. In the shape of rum marques which can be used to determine which distillery the rum hails from.

    First of all though we will consider the name used for this release – Port Broadside. Rather than being an actual Port the term is actually a reference to firing all guns/cannons from one side – Port (left) of a warship. Which suggests this is quite going to quite a “fiery” number.

    So it is a little bit of surprise to see which rum marques have been used in this release. You might expect this rum to be made up of the higher ester Rum Marques. It isn’t. Dead Reckoning Port Broadside is made up of marques at the lower end of the ester count. That said this is Jamaican rum so it is by nature more “funky” than just about everything else on the planet.

    I’ll give a quick run down on the marques used in this release

    LFCH – First up we have a marque from the Hampden Estate. This is a more recent marque – Lawrence Francis Close Hussey a member of the Hussey family who own Hampden Estate and the grandfather of current Marketing Director Christelle Harris who is often the “face” of Hampden Estate. The ester range is between 85-120 gr/hl AA.

    For context Hampden Estate’s ester level marques range from 40 gr/hl AA OWH (Outram W Hussey) to 1600 gr/hl AA DOK (Dermot Owen Kelly-Lawson).

    This is a Pot Still distilled rum.

    WPL – Secondly we have rum from Worthy Park Estate. Worthy Park Light which has between 60-119 gr/hl AA. Worthy Park are a different kind of distillery to most of the other Jamaican producers. It is a much more modern, more technologically advanced distillery.

    Worthy Park operate a Pot Still only set up and there rums do not go as high ester-wise as the likes of Hampden, Long Pond and New Yarmouth. The highest ester rum produced by Worthy Park is Worthy Park Extra (WPE) which can go up to 800 gr/hl AA.

    NYE/P – The New Yarmouth Estate has only recently become more well known thanks mainly to Independent bottlers. New Yarmouth is situated in Clarendon Parish (not to be confused with Clarendon Distillery) and was acquired by Appleton Estate (Campari) in 2012. It operates both pot and column stills.

    The distillery produces rum for various Jamaican blends and is also where the worldDead Reckoning Port Broadside Rum review by the fat rum pirate (in)famous J Wray and Nephew White Overproof Rum is produced.

    From what I gather the rum used in this release is a column distilled rum. NYE/P – New Yarmouth Estate Plummer is the marque. I have also seen this marque attributed to Pot Still rums. It will also be familiar with anyone who has had a bottle of Smith & Cross Jamaican Rum.

    The ester count for this one is between 95-150 gr/hl AA. Again for reference New Yarmouth Estate rums can run up to 1600 gr/hl AA with their NYE/WK – New Yarmouth Estate Winston Kennedy marque.

    So that is the information on the juice in the bottle. I am not sure in what quantities the rum has been blended. The bottle notes this is Single Blended Rum, As it is from multiple distilleries this should just be labelled Blended Rum. Justin at Dead Reckoning has acknowledged this error. It’s not a big deal for me as we get plenty information from Justin and co at Dead Reckoning so there is no real confusion over what we are getting here.

    As noted this rum is a Australia only release with just 360 bottles available. ABV is 50%. The overall ester count is noted as 96.5 gr/hl AA. It has been aged for 4 and a 1/2 years. 3 Years in ex-bourbon casks in Jamaica and 1 and a 1/2 years in a 120 year Australian Dry Tawny (Port to all intents and purposes) Cask “Dry Aged” in Adelaide.

    The cost of this rum is around $125. Information on this rum can be found at The Rum Tribe.

    As with all Dead Reckoning releases – no added sugar or any other additives and non-chill filtered.

    I think we have enough information on the contents of this bottle so now lets see how it goes down…….

    The nose is quite mellow, fair bit of influence from the Tawny casks giving it a sweet, slightly floral aroma initially. There is a hint of “funk” lurking beneath.

    Further nosing reveals more tropical fruits – pineapple and coconut in particular. There is also a hint of stewed prunes, breakfast tea (no milk) and a mix of allspice and some slight woody/aged notes. I am also getting hints of nail varnish and some charred banana skins.

    All in all the nose is complex and inviting at the same time. Even at 50% ABV this is very approachable.

    Sipping Dead Reckoning Port Broadside offers a quite different experience initially. On the first sip their is a real “tang” and a hit of sour notes. There is a lot more Jamaican funk going on now. After a couple of sips the tangy sour notes begin to give way to more traditional, familiar Jamaican notes. I’m getting more of the nail varnish and pineapple. It’s a kind of sweet and sour note now.

    As the palate becomes more accustomed to the rum you will begin to notice some stoned fruits, banana bread and a touch of icing sugar.

    The mid palate really begins to open up and you will start to experience the black tea notes again. Alongside a nice mix of vanilla/bourbon and some spicy oak. There is a slight herbal note to this as well. Mango, Passion Fruit – the list goes on…..Dead Reckoning Port Broadside Rum review by the fat rum pirate

    There is so much going on with this rum. By the time you reach the finish you will have went through a real array of flavours and aromas.

    Length wise the finish is a good length, nice and dry with a good amount of spiciness. Even a touch of ground coffee. Sweetness from the Tawny cask comes through leaving a nice taste of what I can only describe as funky blackcurrants.

    With this rum Justin at Dead Reckoning has achieved a complex sipper. One which will appeal to more experienced rum buffs but  won’t have more casual or less experienced rum drinkers running to the hills.

    It might not be the liking 100% of the more extreme 1% of rum drinkers who only drink perfume, sorry DOK (Dermot Owen Kelly) marque rums but hey ho.

    I think this is a great piece of work again from Dead Reckoning.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Ancient Mariner Navy Rum

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Ancient Mariner RumAncient Mariner Navy Rum.  To be honest if I had been told such a rum existed I would have immediately expected a very cheap “West Indies” blend of rum.  I would have expected such as rum to have been available in a local convenience store as their own brand rum.  A horribly designed label (complete with sailors and ships) standard cheap bar bottle, awful cheap screw cap and a price tag to match.

    What I certainly wouldn’t have expected is what this little Scottish rum enterprise attempts to deliver.  Conceived in 2011 the Ancient Mariner Navy Rum was produced to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee.  (Queen Elizabeth’s 50 years on the throne in 2012)

    The rum is bottled by the Hebridean Liquor Company.  For those unfamiliar this is a Western County of Scotland.  The address given on the bottle is in Argyll.  Argyll and the Bute is the county.  The region will be familiar to whisky drinkers as it contains the isles of Islay and Jura.

    Ancient Mariner Navy Rum is designed to recreate the traditional British Navy Rum which was issued to all sailors as part of the their Daily Tot up until 1970 when Black Tot Day occurred.  Part of the rum’s literature states that a sample of the original Navy Rum was sourced (I assume this was some of the Black Tot rum which is available for anyone with £600 going spare).  Following, a search of the best distilleries in the Caribbean a match was found.  It is interesting that the Navy Rum was/is traditionally a blend of rum’s from differing islands in the Caribbean.  However, this rum is from just one distillery and one island.

    The rum is sourced from the now defunct Caroni Distillery which is now sadly closed.  The Caroni Distillery closed in 2002.  As you can see from the photo the blue sticker on the front of the bottle states this rum is 16 years old.  By my maths if this rum was bottled in 2011/12 the rum must be from 1995/96.  On the neck of a bottle is a little tag which gives some contact details and a lovely little “Rime of the Ancient Mariner”.Ancient Mariner Navy rum Caroni

    Ancient Mariner Navy Rum comes in a very nice square, squat and thick glass bottle.  It is quite a heavy bottle considering it hold only 50cl of rum (500ml or 1/2 a litre, just under a pint in old money).    The price tag of this rum is not cheap either I was lucky enough to get a bottle for £35 but on their own website the rum retails at £45 per bottle.  It is bottled at Navy Strength 54%.   It is worth noting that whilst this may seem expensive, rum’s from Caroni bottled by the likes of Velier and Samaroli retail for much higher mark up’s often exceeding £100 per bottle.  It should not be forgotten that what you are getting in this bottle of Ancient Mariner cannot be repeated.  You will probably be lucky to get a bottle of this in 2 or 3 years time.  Maybe even less.

    When nosed the rum is initially very oaked and slightly musky.  It kind of smells a little old.  It also has a sweet spirit like nose it really gets into your nostrils a little like whisky can.  It has a medicinal note as well.  As this is a 54% rum I wasn’t expecting anything else to be honest.  The fact this is Navy Rum also made me expect quite a full on experience.  Once the Ancient Mariner has rested in the glass a little while you do begin to get some fruit flavours in its profile, sweet plum’s and grapes.

    Ancient Mariner Navy Rum CaroniAs a sipper I would not recommend a sip as soon as you have poured a glass.  Instead enjoy the intricacies of the complex nose, let it get warmed up to room temperature.  If you sip it immediately it can be too intense and quite rough.  Once warmed a little it is much more inviting.  Even still this is still a 54% ABV and it is still very spicy when taken neat.  A drop or three of water makes the rum less hostile and easier to drink.  The water also opens up new flavours.  The Ancient Mariner is actually quite tart, there is a marmalade like sharpness to the rum almost bordering on bitter.  There is a little sweetness still coming through and that old musky oak also sits prominently on the taste buds. The rum has quite a long finish which is a little odd and difficult to fathom.  There is a hint of soapiness to the finish.  Overall the sipping experience is complex but quite odd.  This is definitely a rum which you need to re-visit.  It could end up being one of your all time favourites.  A grower of a rum.  It’s very different and overall not at all unpleasant.

    I’ve tried this rum on a good few occasions now.  If I compare it to Pussers as a Navy Rum then it definitely has a lot of similarities.  It is slightly whisky like and a kind of love it or hate it type rum.  However, it doesn’t have that Demerara note which I so enjoy.  Which rum is closer to what our sailors actually drank is questionable.  The rum which this is based has had its heritage questioned (it was allegedly found somewhere in Germany) and Pussers has been discredited by many a sailor (rightly or wrongly).

    As a piece of history (a 16-year-old Caroni) I have found tasting this rum a pleasant experience.  It has certainly warmed by cockles and left me wondering what my 12 Year Old Caroni will taste like.  It is interesting to try these heavier Trinidadian rum’s as the rum’s produced by Angostura (the only surviving distillery on Trinidad) produces very light almost floral, buttery rum’s.  This rum is a very different beast.

    How I enjoy my Pussers and Woods 100 is with cola.  Whilst the Ancient Mariner might be a higher end experience I am still going to give the rum a whirl with some cola.  The Ancient Mariner carries itself very nicely into a mix of roughly 40/60 cola. The muskiness subsides and the fruitier side of the rum’s profile begins to come through.  It has a taste which I have not really experienced before.  There are notes of raisins and sultana’s but again like the nose there is a quite pungent floral sweetness to the drink.  On the nose is a little like after shave.  It’s almost as if the rum is warning you not to pour too much into the glass, be careful respect me.  I’m dangerous if you have too much.

    With cola the rum becomes very moreish.  The brashness and oaked nature of theimage drink sits beautifully alongside the sweetness of the cola.  It is a quite addictive drink.  It leaves that musky oaked almost tobacco like profile on the palate.  I don’t usually enjoy notes of tobacco but this just has a very slight touch of it.

    I would recommend trying this rum to anyone who enjoys Pusser’s rum, whilst it does have similarities (mainly the whisky like notes) it is different enough to be enjoyed in its own right.  Likewise I would recommend it to anyone wishing to experience the heavy old style Trinidadian rum’s (it will be cheaper than most other routes to doing this!) or someone wanting to try a little bit of history.  I also feel a rum such as this would appeal to a whisky drinker.  It isn’t a sweet sickly rum and represents perhaps how a real rum can taste.

    4 stars

     

  • 1931 St Lucia Distillers – 3rd Edition

    Bythefatrumpirate

    1931 3rd edition Rum Review by the fat rum pirate1931 from St Lucia Distillers.  This turquoise coloured offering is the 3rd edition in the series.

    Originally released to commemorate 80 years of rum production by St Lucia Distillers this rum or to be more accurate these rums – as they are all entirely different blends have become something of a flagship rum for St Lucia Distillers.

    When I’m not prattling on about Chairman’s Reserve – (all incarnations apart from the Spiced) to anyone that will listen (I promise not to mention that rum again in this review) I am also a champion of all things St Lucia Distillers.

    Again I was a little slow off the mark in buying this 3rd (to celebrate 82 years of rum production in 2013).  The cost was around the £55 mark and for once I bought in store rather than online in late 2015.

    All 1931 releases are individually numbered this is batch 03A (the first 1931 was batch 01, the second batch 02 and so on) bottle number 11376 and it was bottled on the 28 ,July 2014.  It is bottled at 43% ABV in a 70cl decanter style bottle.  This release is actually the best seller (so far) in the 1931 series and 3 batches were produced.

    Again like the 1st and 2nd edition the presentation is identical apart from the change of year number on the neck and the colour scheme.  A rather interesting choice of turquoise or teal for this release (for older members or those who enjoy Classic Rock I am always left thinking of Cream’s Tales of Brave Ullysees when I see turquoise wrote down).

    Unlike the first 2 editions St Lucia Distillers have not give any information on their website about the blend of this rum.  Which is a disappointing as the information provided for the first two was really informative!

    From digging around the internet it is noted that this is a blend of rums from all of the distilleries four stills.  The Vendome pot still, two John Dore pot stills and the the Continuous Coffery Still.  The rums are aged between 6 and 12 years.

    Now before we go any further I must explain the Elephant in the Room relating to this rum.  This is not something I expected and like many others I found this slightly disappointing. 12g/L of added sugar in this rum.  Quite deliberately added by the Master Blender.  To basically, see what the reception would be.  Result – their best selling 1931 so far!

    1931 3rd edition rum review by the fat rum pirateIt’s not a huge amount of added sugar but its been done and it is evident when you taste the rum.  It makes the rum slightly smoother, slightly sweeter and less dry.  Whether it improves the rum is open to debate, I haven’t tried it without the sugar!  For me it tastes pretty similar to the 2nd edition albeit just a little sweeter.

    Poured the rum is a classic amber colour.

    The nose reveals the now familiar St Lucia pot still/Bourbon cask influence.  It’s rich and deep.  Very fruity with some sour mash like notes.  A nice waft of oak and a hint of smoke.  I has the distinct almost salty St Lucian twang, which is as distinctive as the Jamaican funk found in that islands Pot Still rums.

    I will get the influence of the added sugar out of the way to not labour the point too much.  The added sugar will be detectable by those who have tried a lot of rum but might not be quite so obvious to most.  In terms of overall profile it makes the rum a little bit sweeter and definitely makes the rum a little smoother than previous 1931’s.  I don’t think it has a huge impact on the rum – it still tastes like rum unlike many more doctored “rums”.

    The third 1931 differs to the previous two in that it has a slightly minty like note too it.  (Which may explain the colour scheme?). An almost toothpaste like minty freshness is apparent especially in the initial taste and the finish.  It is sweeter than the first two 1931’s and has less of the sour mash notes found in the first two.

    To me it lacks an extra layer of depth and complexity that particularly the 2nd 1931 has.  I would probably rate it on a par with the first 1931 which whilst very good had a very slight imbalance or maybe just too much going on.  This rum is slightly more straightforward.

    I’m noting particularly online the rums of St Lucia have been getting many plaudits recently.  Certainly awareness of them is growing  I’d like to think I was slightly ahead of the game (I’ve been banging on about Chairman’s Reserve since this blog started two years ago) as I have a number of other St Lucian rums up for review shortly.

    4 stars

     

     

  • Santa Teresa 1796 Solera Rum

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Santa Teresa 1796 Solera Rum. This is a re-review. I originally reviewed this back in 2015. At the time it was my 100th review. To be honest I’ve since stopped counting but we must be approaching 500 by now.

    Anyway Santa Teresa are a rum producer from Venezuela. This 1796 rum was originally released back in 1996 to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the Hacienda Santa Teresa distillery.

    Since that review, like so many of the rums I reviewed a few years the presentation has been updated. I say in this case updated as they have kept a lot of the old presentation (blue and red cylinder, wax sealed bottle and general colour scheme). The main changes are to the font used on the front labels.

    I like the presentation and at around £40-45 it is certainly more than in keeping with other rums at that price point. Santa Teresa 1796 Solera Rum is bottled at 40% ABV. Many commentators do not like the use of the term Solera in rum production. In many instances an actual Solera (as is popular in sherry making) is not in place. It is merely a blend of rums and the age statement used is the oldest rum in the blend. Regardless of how much of this is actually present.

    Santa Teresa do not employ age statements on any of their rums. So they do not use big numbers to deceive their customers – unless you think the rum in this bottle was distilled in 1796. If that were the case it might be a little more than £45 a bottle!

    Santa Teresa 1796 has recently been picked up by Bacardi International for global distribution outside of its homeland. Initially Bacardi are looking to the travel retail market (Airports) and have introduced a new 1 litre bottle to that particular segment of the market. Quite why Bacardi have opted not to carry the rest of the Santa Teresa range may have something to do with the strength of their own brand in the entry-level section.

    Interestingly Bacardi have also decided to publish nutritional information on their website which shows that Santa Teresa has some added sugar. The original test of Santa Teresa I carried out in 2015 showed a reading of 0-5 g/L as per the Hydrometer. A re-test sees the hydrometer bobbing at 38% ABV. This would give a reading of 8g/L which is slightly “lower” than Bacardi’s stated 0.5 g/L per 1.5 oz serving. Which would work at around 12g/L. Bacardi have listed information on a lot of their other rums and the lowest I can for an actual reading is 0.5 g/L. It seems to be either 0.5 or 0. Though I have not checked all their results.

    Santa Teresa 1796 Solera Rum Review by the fat rum pirateSanta Teresa 1796 is a molasses based rum. Most (though not all) the sugar cane is harvested on the Santa Teresa Estate. The rum is produced on a multi column still – Santa Teresa do have a Pot Still and it has been said that there is some Pot Stil rum, in this blend and the Bi-Centenario rum they released a few years back. However, I have never seen anything concrete beyond this claim. The rum is aged in both Ex-Bourbon and French Limousin Oak which will likely have been used to age wine or cognac. You can find some more information – particularly on the Solera method used here. It has also been noted that some of the rum in this blend is 35 years old.

    So lets see how I find this rum or “ron” a few years further down the old rum journey.

    In the glass Santa Teresa 1796 Solera Rum is a dark brown with very vivid orange flashes and edges.

    Nosing reveals a sweet, light and very fruity style of rum. I am immediately but in mind of sherry and madeira. Plump juicy raisins, plums, redcurrants an a touch of raspberry. A slightly tart note at the end. Red wine and a hint of cinnamon.

    Further nosing reveals.some dark chocolate and some smoky cigar like tobacco notes. All in all the nose is sweet yet complex with a very nice overall balance.

    Sipping Santa Teresa 1796 Solera Rum is a very pleasant little drop. It’s not as sweet as the nose. Some slightly tannic red wine like notes are present alongside the sherry and madeira like notes. It is fruity initially but this fruitiness develops into a drier almost smoky mid palate.

    Red and white grapes, raspberries and some juicy plum move into a beautifully balanced array of dry red wine, tobacco and some smoke. Present throughout is some dark chocolate and just enough woody oak to add an extra layer of complexity.

    Santa Teresa 1796 Solera Rum Review by the fat rum pirateFinish wise Santa Teresa 1796 Solera Rum is perhaps a little on the short side. It’s lighter wine influenced character leaves the finish a touch on the short side. Such is the lighter profile of this rum the finish never quite gets going.

    That said this is a much more authentic sipping experience than many of today’s “ron’s”. I would rank it alongside Botran and Flor de Cana 18 in terms of a lighter column Spanish style rum.

    Whilst it may not be to everyone’s current tastes I wouldn’t knock this rum without having first tried it.

    As Bacardi have recently taken over distribution of this except to see a lot more of it. If all “ron” was more like this, it perhaps wouldn’t be looked down upon so much by rum enthusiasts.