Ultimatum Rum Selected Blend

Bythefatrumpirate December 30, 2017January 15, 2019

Ultimatum Rum Selected Blend. Ultimatum Rum as I was recently informed by a very kind commentator and reader of the site is “Ultimatum rum is the rum series of the Dutch importer and independent bottler van Wees who is mainly known for it’s independent whisky releases under The Ultimate label. The Ultimatum is the rum variant of that label and stands for single cask rums from a variety of regions and styles.”

Ultimatum have produced a number of single cask, but not cask strength rums from varying parts of the Caribbean and beyond over the past year or so. I first came across them at Dutch retailer Zeewijck. I’ve used this retailer on a number of occasions – often receiving my good faster from them than I have from domestic retailers! I recommend them highly (I even have a link on the main page of the site).

Ultimatum bottle their rums at 46% ABV. This particular offering is a blend of rums. 50% of the rums contained in the blend are Pot Still. It was priced at 28 euros (around £25) so I figured it was worth a punt. Like British Independent bottler Mezan Ultimatum make a point that the rums are Natural Colour, Non Chill Filtered and No Sugar Added. Like Mezan they do not have much control over what happens prior to them buying the rum from a broker/distillery but they are committed to only reducing the ABV down from Cask Strength to 46% ABV. They do not add anything else bar water.

Ultimatum Rum Selected Blend is a blend of 8 different rums. Unfortunately I do not have any information on what the rums are. It is sadly not disclosed on the label. Ultimatum state that 50% of the rums are Pot Still so I’m assuming that 4 are 100% Pot Still with the remainder either being all column or pot column blends. It states on the label the rum is 8 years old. Again I don’t whether this means all the rum in the blend is at least 8 years old or if it is a weighted average whereby some older rum compensates for younger rum giving an “average” age. As I say I’m just guessing on the make up. For the price I paid for this rum I’m really not to fussed to be honest.

Presentation wise the Selected Blend comes in the standard modern, stubby bottle used by Ultimatum. A synthetic plastic topped cork seals the rum. I quite like the presentation. The branding is pretty decent and I would be interested in these bottlings if I found them in a “real store”.

I’ve reviewed a few Ultimatum rums and like most independent bottlers they can be a bit hitty miss. Offhand I don’t recall having anything truly bad from them though. Just maybe sometimes not entirely my style of rum. This is one of those bottlings that just piqued my curiosity. Strange being that I am.

So lets get on with the fun part and see what this Ultimatum Rum Selected Blend has to offer.

In the glass Ultimatum Rum Selected Blend is a golden brown colour. The nose is pungent enough to detect some Jamaican Pot Still in the blend. Yet it has a creamy toffee note running through it which reminds me of blends such as The Duppy Share. Which combine Jamaican rum with other rums to create really nice balanced rum blends.

There is a very nice top note of burnt banana with a slight medicinal Hampden or Long Pond like sharpness to it. It delivers quite fiery kick to the nostrils but its tempered slightly by a lovely, almost soft, buttery quality. I could guess all kinds of rums are in this blend Worthy Park, Hampden, Foursquare etc. However with the amount of rums Ultimatum have released over the past year or so I won’t dwell to long on the likely make up of the blend beyond this.

This really is a lovely little blend. Enough Pot Still to keep it interesting and deliver a complex enough sip and enough “balancing” column rum to keep it all in check. At 46% ABV it isn’t going to knock anyone socks off but at the price I paid I’d certainly take this as an everyday kind of sipper. It displays a lot more complexity than many so called “Premium” rums on the market today.

I like the funkiness of this rum from the Jamaican Pot Still rum held within, but its key is its balance. It plays out very nicely. It’s a rich, warming rum. Dried fruits, a touch of milk chocolate a nice array of spices from the oak and just enough vanilla to impart some sweetness. All topped off with that Pot Still funk.

I did mix this as it wasn’t too pricey and it made a really good rum and cola. I’ve enjoyed this rum tremendously and I hope they continue to create blends such as these.

A lot of reviewers and rum enthusiasts seem to be shying away from “blends” particularly from multiple distilleries. In this instance they are really missing out.

Top stuff at a bargain price.

Aluna Coconut Rum

Aluna Coconut Rum
Bythefatrumpirate April 2, 2018April 5, 2018

Aluna Coconut Rum. A new addition to UK shelves in 2017 was Aluna Coconut Rum. For many Koko Kanu offers a more respectable alternative to the perennial pub and club favourite Malibu in the battle of the “coco-rum” wars.

Much like Malibu, Aluna Coconut Rum technically isn’t a rum under EU law. It is bottled at 35% ABV. Standard Malibu is 21% ABV in the UK. It is really a rum based spirit drink.

Now it is unlikely you will find many (if any) reviews of Aluna Coconut Rum on dedicated rum review websites. You are more likely to come across “micro reviews” and comments on Social Media such as Instagram and Pinterest.
You may come across the odd review on less specific “alcohol” blogs but you need to be wary of such sites. Often they only offer “reviews” based on the marketing material sent to them and are not in the business of offering a critical assessment.

It is unlikely that many other rum review sites will review this as it either won’t interest them or they look down on this kind of offering. I’ve always said I’ll review pretty much any “rum” I come across – good, bad and even ugly. At times very ugly. At times such as this it might not technically even be “rum”.

Aluna Coconut rum comes in a bar tender friendly tall bottle. The presentation is sleek and modern. Surprisingly not at all tacky. No palm trees, hula girls or other such nonsense. You even get a synthetic plastic topped cork. I did find the one on my bottle hard to dislodge though.

In the UK where it has been launched and is being distributed by Mangrove. It retails at around the £20-25 mark. Which is slightly more expensive than the completion of Malibu and Koko Kanu. I attended a Rum Festival last year where this was being exhibited by Mangrove. They were very keen to point out the lower calorie basis of this Coconut “Rum”. The rum is a base of Caribbean (I guess at Trini) and Guatemalan rums. It is noted on the bottle as being a “Toasted Coconut Flavoured Rum”. It is blended with “organic coconut water and natural toasted coconut flavours”.

At the aforementioned Rum Festival they seemed a little surprised that I wanted to try the Aluna. I was interested because they weren’t mixing it in a mini-cocktail, as is often the case with flavoured and spiced rums. I thought that was quite daring.

Now as with my review of Koko Kanu I am reviewing this as a £20 bottle of coconut flavoured rum. Koko Kanu I enjoyed, as it delivered the coconut flavour and just enough Jamaican funk to give it a little kick. It was very sweet though. I am not comparing it to a £200 – 20 Year Old Caroni rum or even 12 Year Old £35 Bajan rum. The star rating is based on how good I feel it works as a coconut rum. How authentic the coconut flavours are.

So without further ado lets get down to the (hopefully fun part).
The nose is surprisingly good. Really nice toasted coconut notes – like fresh Macaroons desiccated coconut and a slightly less sweet note of natural coconut water running over it all. It promises everything on the label. If you don’t like coconut – particularly in its natural fresh state then this isn’t for you. If you do then this does have a air of authenticity.

Running alongside the coconut notes is a nicely balanced vanilla and light toffee from the rum. With many “coco-rums” particularly those suspicious bottles you find in mainland Europe, the alcohol is overwhelming and rather unpleasant. No such problems here. This is really nice. It is sweet but compared to Koko Kanu and Malibu there is definitely a huge step down in the sugar levels. It measured on the Hydrometer at 25g/L whereas I couldn’t get a reading of Koko Kanu (suggesting over 100 g/L of additives).

I found with Koko Kanu that you got a real residue of granulated sugar around the screw cap. I have had this bottle of Aluna for some time now. I’ve not noticed any sugar granules forming either in the rum or around the closure.

Aluna Coconut Rum is surprisingly shippable and very enjoyable. The nose is transferred across into the sip. Toasted coconut, coconut water, vanilla, toffee and just enough alcohol to remind you this is 35% ABV. They suggest adding ice. Again its quite refreshing to see that they are confident to not just mix this drink.
It is a flavoured rum. It’s not an amazingly complex sipper but it does offer a sweet, tasty and refreshing “sorbet” like palate cleanser or occasional after dinner sip. Its certainly a lot better than some of the sugar laden “Premium” straight rums out there. There’s a lot less bullshit on the bottle as well.

Aluna mixes very nicely in a variety of cocktails. Makes a tasty Pina Colada, unsurprisingly and it mixes well with most fruit juices. I’ve also quite enjoyed a few rum and colas with Aluna.

Personally, I think this has a bit more to it than sugary coconut and I prefer it to Koko Kanu. Both offer a good taste of coconut but this offers a bit more complexity with a bit more variety in the coconut notes.

If (for whatever reason) you are looking for a Cocount rum or want to upgrade from Malibu then I would recommend trying this. It does what it is intended to do well. The coconut flavours are well-defined, without being sickly. The base rum whilst light adds just enough alcohol, vanilla and toffee notes to be more than just a neutral base.

Surprisingly good.

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Diplomatico Distillery Collection No1 Batch Kettle Rum

Diplomatico Distillery Collection No1 Batch Kettle Rum
Bythefatrumpirate March 1, 2018

Diplomatico Distillery Collection No1 Batch Kettle Rum. Diplomatico were a few years ago synonymous with what was seen as good “sipping” rum. They are still highly regarded in some circles and their Reserva Exclusive still regularly features in top ten rum lists.

Unfortunately much like Zacapa their over reliance on additives and the publicising of such tests has clipped the wings of the brand – but only very slightly. The brand to their credit are beginning to give details of added sugar on their bottles.

In late 2017 Diplomatico announced two limited edition (5000 bottles of each) rums. The Distillery Collection which is a means of highlighting two of the stills used at DUSA. This is the first of the bottlings and highlights the brands Batch Kettle Pot Still.

The Batch Kettle still was first brought to Venezuela in 1959 from Canada. It was previously used in the production of Canadian Whiskey. In their promotional material Diplomatico have suggested the use of such a still is unique in the rum world.

In the UK a bottle of this rum will set you back around £60 it is encouragingly bottled at 47% ABV (a strange choice) and comes in your standard 70cl bottle. The stubby type bottle will be familiar with any Diplomatico fan. The colour scheme is clean and modern. The rum is topped with a synthetic cork stopper.

Upon seeing the pricing of the two rums, I was a little surprised to learn that this rum was distilled in 2011 making it just 6 years old. Half the reputed average age of their flagship DRE. Interesting.

As is the fact that the Hydrometer does not pick up any additives. They really are letting us see the rums as they are. Which is good.

Diplomatico have spoken of “heavier” rums being in the blend of their rums such as DRE and Ambassador. So it will be interesting to see what a 100% Pot Still rum will taste like….

Despite Diplomatico’s ability to weave a nice story I’m not in the business of reciting press releases (I’ll leave that to others) so with little else to say we’ll move on to the tasting.

In the glass the rum is a dark/golden brown with orange flashes. For its age it may well be coloured but that is usually the least of my worries when it comes to Diplomatico’s rums!

Nosed the rum quite light but it does have a fair amount of “booze” on the nose. It’s flowerly – it has a bouquet. There’s a touch of sweetness – caramel and demerara sugar. The Kettle Batch Rum is quite biscuity – a bit like uncooked cookie dough.

Overall the nose isn’t bad but its a little “soft”. I’m pleased to say it doesn’t smell confected or adultered in anyway. There is perhaps a faint hint of tobacco and smokiness which does throw it off a little – bit like Havana Club 7.

Sipped it is much more interesting than the nose. It does taste a bit immature though. At 6 years old and all Pot Still this is perhaps not surprising. The youthful nature of the rum does seem to carry a heavy hit of sweet young (but fiery) alcohol.

It’s pretty smoky – wafts of leather and tobacco rather than oak and spice. In fact there is very little by way of any real oak ageing. It was aged in ex-Bourbon but it definitely hasn’t taken on the usual vanilla and sweet/sour spices.

The finish is fairly short and not very inspiring. It just kind of fades out till the smoke has completely gone.

It’s all pretty one-dimensional. It starts off with a hit of caramel but its quickly gets taken over by the smokiness and tobacco. It doesn’t really go anywhere after that except into a fairly short finish. Rather than highlight the nuances of the individual still it actually tells you more about why the brand “sweeten” their rums. I can’t imagine it will appeal much to the DRE, Single Vitnage and Ambassador drinkers either.

Which is a shame. Maybe more time in the barrel would have developed this rum. I personally find the Diplomatico Anejo and Mantuano to be more exciting than this offering.

And you can pick the pair of them up for less than the price of this!

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Articles

An Interview with Mads Heitmann – Romhatten.dk
Bythefatrumpirate August 10, 2015August 10, 2015

The Danish Speaking world has one of the better Rum websites to boast about. With reviews, articles and its own forum Romhatten is impressive and its design is sleek and modern.

A lot of websites could take a lot of pointers from the site. Unfortunately for English speakers such as myself the site doesn’t automatically translate too well from Danish into English. However, with a bit of persistence it is possible to pick up on the meaning of most of Mads’ pieces especially his reviews.

Rum is very popular in Denmark and Mads is an individual who is very active in spreading the word in his home country, organising rum tastings and other events.

Curious about the popularity of rum in Denmark and always keen to hear from other “rummies” I decided to ask Mads a few questions which he very kindly answered for me. Enjoy, there are some cracking answers here and I’m sure a lot of you will nod in agreement.

1. What inspired you to set up the Romhatten Group?

The “Romhatten Forum” group on Facebook is an offspring of Romhatten.dk. Romhatten.dk is a Danish website that I formed in 2010. The website only deals with rum and is based on the rum reviews that I make. I also write articles on rum for the web page

I set up the Facebook group in 2012 in order to gather all the users of romhatten.dk. On this platform, the Danish rum lovers can meet and talk rum. It’s a great forum where we all can learn more about rum – information is what it’s all about.

In 2015, the website has so far received over 80,000 hits and some of these users are looking to the forum on facebook. The forum has almost 2,000 members. Romhatten.dk also has a facebook page which so far has over 5,500 likes.

FYI: The word “Romhatten” is a Danish word that I have made up. The word covers a person who is crazy about rum. An English version could for example be “Rum Loony”.

2. How popular is rum in Denmark?

Rum is very popular in Denmark. My interest of rum began in 2007 and since that time I have seen a huge development in rum in Denmark. Rum was in 2007, something that people in the general public did not consider to be something you could drink neat as with cognac and whisky, but that is no longer the case. Today, when I travel around in Denmark I see that people have accepted rum as a sipping spirit.

Rum has found a foothold in Denmark. In the Danish wine and liquor stores, rum takes up more and more space on the shelves and many of these shops rely more and more on selling rum – they follow the increasing demand. Many shops are experiencing that sales of rum have long overtaken whiskey, cognac and gin. I have spoken with several owners of liquor stores who say that when they sell ten bottles of spirits then seven of them are rum where cognac, whiskey, gin, vodka and tequila are share the last three bottles. It is very impressive!

However, the sweeter rum are the most popular rum in Denmark. The bestsellers are Ron Zacapa and Ron Diplomatico but also Oliver & Oliver’s products (Puntacana Club, Opthimus and Quorhum) sell very well.

3. How expensive is alcohol in Denmark? Prices here in the UK are pretty high compared to other EU countries especially France and Spain but Scandinavia is notorious for its high alcohol prices and strict alcohol legislation. Is this the case in Denmark as well?

It is not the case in Denmark. Denmark is an alcohol friendly country when compared to Norway and Sweden. In Denmark, we don’t have the same state-owned alcohol monopoly as Sweden – in Sweden it’s called “Systembolaget”. In Denmark, we have a free trade in beer, wine and spirits. The prices are a little high, but is overall in line with those seen in England, I believe. Due to the high prices we unfortunately see that many Danes go to Germany to buy wine, spirits and beer. On the other hand, we also see that many Swedes buying their alcohol in Denmark.

4. What are the aims of the Romhatten group? Do you have any views which members are expected to be in agreement on?

Maybe some more events for the members. We have already held a series of events in Denmark with Skotlander Spirits, where all the users of Romhatten were invited to a free tasting event. All over Denmark (in Aarhus, Aalborg, Odense and Copenhagen) rum lovers showed up to select Skotlander Spirits next rum. All fully booked events and all in all 500 participants. Five different blends were showcased and the result of the votes was this Skotlander Cask Rum. It’s the users of Romhatten.dk who selected the blend for this rum – I am very proud of that.

5. Have you organised any events etc under the Romhatten name? (I note what looks like a rum tasting event on the site)

I started making rum tastings in connection with Romhatten.dk in 2012 and since then I have hosted about 100 tastings around Denmark. On Romhatten.dk I offer rum tastings for private gatherings and businesses and since 2012 I have held tastings for both large and small crowds – it’s has so far ranged between 4 and 120 persons.

Besides the rum tastings where one can book me to come and talk about rum, I arrange events to which people can buy tickets. These events include both tastings where I myself do the tasting, but also tastings in cooperation with rum brands. This year I have among other things, held tastings in collaboration with Ron Zacapa and later this year there will also be tastings in collaboration with Sprit & Co. who represents Ron Diplomatico in Denmark. Back in 2013, I also had the honor of arranging a master class with John Georges from Angostura, who was visiting Denmark. The attendance of these tastings are good – the events are usually sold out.

6. On a more personal level how did your own Rum Journey begin?

I had my first sip of “premium rum” back in 2007. At the time I was drinking Bacardi Black with cola at the high school parties, but decided to try two bottles in the more high end category. Without knowing anything about rum I chose a bottle of Matusalem 15 Solera and a bottle of El Dorado 12 Years Old Rum and I was immediately hooked.

This year I publish a book on rum. The book will be called “Rombogen” (The Rum Book) and is put out by Politikens Forlag. As I drank my first glass El Dorado Rum in 2007, I had probably never dreamed that I would go and write a book on rum. It’s a little crazy to think about actually!

7. What rums do you find yourself going back to time and time again? What rums can’t you be without?

My first rum love was El Dorado Rum from Guyana, and what is it they say about first loves? However, I am becoming more and more nerdy over the years. Currently, I am very interested in the independent bottlers. Bottlers like Bristol Spirits, Silver Seal, Velier and Berry’s Own Selection are just some of the bottlers that I think is very exciting. The other day I bought a Bristol Classic Rum distilled in 1985 at the old Versailles Still. When I find something like this in a liquor store it’s like finding an old treasure. I just have to have it!

That said, my rum collection (which now counts well over 150 bottles) always holds a few editions of El Dorado Rum – the 15 and 21 expressions are very nice Demerara rums. El Dorado’s 25-year vintage edition of 1980 and 1986 stands out for me as the ultimate rum – a rum which I unfortunately only have tasted three times… so far.

8. And on another notes are there any rums or producers/bottlers you actively avoid buying from? Any reasons?

There is products on the market that I think is less interesting than others, of course. And there are also rum products, which I not consider to be “real rum” but more as a result of a consumers market which demands certain things. You will find these products that I refer to in the category of rum because of lack of regulation. These products should perhaps rather be found in other spirit categories and not in the rum category as such.

9. Do you have a signature drink or cocktail you could share with us?

I love cocktails and I want to be able to taste the liquor used in my cocktail. I am especially fond of the Rum Sour made with El Dorado 15 Years Old Rum. It’s a simple cocktail that always impresses guests – I usually use this recipe:

You need the following:

50 mL El Dorado 15 Years Old Rum

50 mL lime juice

1,5 tsp sugar

1 egg white

Angostura Bitters

1. Put all the ingredients except the angostura into a shaker with LOTS of ice. Shake enthusiastically. Pour it into an old-fashioned glass.

2. Add a couple of drops of Angostura bitter on top. A mouthwatering cocktail!

10. And finally where do you see the Rum Category going in the 5 years? Where would you like to see it going?

Of course I hope that the popularity of rum continues to rise and with it, I also hope that the market is developing in the right direction. I would like to see more independent bottlers in the future, such as the newly established Compagnie Des Indes, which for the Danish market has made a series of single cask bottlings – delicious stuff. Bottlers sending rum on the market where the distillery, year of distillation, year of bottling, etc. is known is always exciting and it is not at least something that I feel that the rum category currently are missing. More products with more transparency.

And there you have it a very interesting and informative interview with a very interesting and driven individual. Cheers Mads!

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Dead Reckoning The Black Pit

Dead Reckoning Rum The Black Pit
Bythefatrumpirate September 20, 2024September 20, 2024

Dead Reckoning Rum The Black Pit. Had I not included “rum” in the title you might have thought I was about to review some kind of low budget/straight to Netflix horror/slasher movie. You can rest easy in that respect. I’m definitely not heading down that route. That said The “Real” Black Pit was indeed a bit of a horror story for anyone who became familiar with it.

Let me explain (via Justin from Dead Reckoning Rum)

“The Black Pit was the nickname given to a perilous area in the mid-Atlantic gap during the Battle of the Atlantic in WWII. It was here that German U-Boats would take the upper hand with the absence of protective air cover, making Allied convoys an easy target.”

So there you go I will say at this point that the liquid in this particular bottling is indeed “The Black Pit” in terms of colour, so that coupled with Justin’s maritime past and interest is how the name evolved. As with all Dead Reckoning releases I have quite a bit of information about this release so here we go…..

Dead Reckoning Rum The Black Pit is a Single Blended Rum (Rums blended from the same distillery) from the Diamond Distillery or Demerara Distillers Limited in Guyana. It is a blend from the distillery’s 3 “Wooden” Heritage Stills. So we have a distillate from the

EHP – Edward Henry Porter – A marque of rum taken from the Wooden Continuous Coffey Still. This still was originally housed at the Enmore Distillery.

<VSG> Versailles-Schoonord-Goed Fortuin – A marque of rum taken from the Single Wooden Pot Still. This still was originally housed at the Versailles Distillery.

PM Port Mourant – A marque of rum taken from the Double Wooden Pot Still. This still was originally housed at the Port Mourant Distillery. Rum from this still is often referred to as “Uitvlugt” on Independent bottlings.

This rums components have enjoyed 5 years ageing in Guyana in ex-bourbon casks. Before being further aged in the Adelaide in both a South Australian Muscat cask (from Woodstock Winery) and ex-Makers Mark bourbon cask for a further 2 and a half years.

Dead Reckoning The Black Pit was bottled at 50% ABV and originally released in Australia in a limited run of just 180 bottles. This run sold out almost immediately.
Fortunately, there is going to be an even more limited release of this bottling in the UK very soon…….

In the glass Dead Reckoning The Black Pit is a dark brown with a slight red/orange hue around the edges. I’ve found that most Independently bottled Demerara that come from the the Enmore and particularly the Versailles still, tend to be quite dark. In comparison the Port Mourant bottlings I have had, more often than not labelled as Uitvlugt, tend to be much lighter.

The nose is initially quite sweet with notes of raisins and plums. Reminiscent of Wood’s Old Navy Rum or the El Dorado range. Classically Demerara some might say. Further nosing reveals some orange/marmalade notes and something which reminds me of Christmas Cake.

This is all overlayed by a smokiness and a almost malt whisky like note. These are notes which I would associate with the Port Mourant still. The familiar aniseed/liquorice note is also quite prominent in the mix. The nose is complex and very inviting. It’s very good and I am being reminded heavily of this classic old style Velier Demerara bottlings. This bodes extremely well for the tasting……….

On the initial sip you get those traditional Demerara flavours – raisin, sticky toffee pudding, liquorice and some stoned fruits – plums and dates. Then the Port Mourant and Enmore influence comes in. Giving some smoky almost “old” musty notes and a wonderful hit of aniseed. These remind me of Aniseed Balls (English Boiled Sweets) rather than the sweeter hit liquorice.

The Muscat cask seems to have brought some sweetness to the fore and as we move into the mid palate I am getting some sweet Dark Chocolate notes, a little caramel alongside a nice hit of marmalade. This all marries alongside some slightly tarry notes and a nice hit of vanilla and oak spice. There is a slight bitterness but it is not at all unpleasant or out of place.

This is a very complex, rich (almost treacly at times) and very enjoyable rum. The only thing that could let it down now would be the finish…………

Which really doesn’t disappoint. It is long and wraps up everything we have experienced so far into a very long and complex finish.

This is definitely up there with some of the best Demerara rums I have reviewed. Take my old reviews of the El Dorado range with a pinch of salt – I probably wouldn’t rate those rums so highly now. Instead for comparison focus on my reviews of past Velier bottlings and other Independently bottled Demerara.

A comparison with those old Velier Demerara bottlings may seem a little like hyperbole. So I won’t say that.

I’ll just give it 5 stars instead. It really is that good!

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Diplomatico Mantuano

Diplomatico Mantuano
Bythefatrumpirate April 15, 2017

Diplomatico (or Botucal in Germany) Mantuano – meaning nobleman and also a cocoa producing town in Venezeula. Which is where Diplomatico rums are produced.

Diplomatico Mantuano was showcased at the London Rumfest in October 2016. It is a direct replacement for the companies Reserva rum. It has retained the orange parts of that rums colour scheme and the ornate rounded stubby bottle. I always feel these bottles look smaller than most 70cl bottles. Clearly this is an optical illusion as they hold the same amount of liquor.

Diplomatico have three dark rums in their core range – Anejo, Mantuano and Reserva Exclusvia. The Reserva Exclusiva is the most popular of these and the sweetest.

Presentation wise we get the familiar Diplomatico bottle which is a very dark brown for this release. A white, black and orange colour scheme sets the rum apart on the shelf. Unlike the Reserva Exclusiva, Diplomatico have opted to put the familiar face of Don Juancho more prominently on the bottle (I think this is a wise move on their part). Don Juancho was a much heralded spirits collector in Venezuela.

Diplomatico tell us that this rum is “Aged for up to eight years, Mantuano is a blend of Column, Batch Kettle and Pot Still rums and made from molasses and sugar cane honey”.

A 70cl bottle of this rum should set you back around £30. Only slightly cheaper than the Reserva Exclusiva. Which I think was the real issue with the Reserva. Not sure how this rum will change things? I rarely heard the Reserva talked about or reviewed. Most seemed to be drawn the Reserva Exclusiva and seemed to stick with that.

A few years ago Diplomatico’s Reserva Exclusiva and Ron Zacapa 23 were regularly held up as the “best rums in the world”. I’ve noticed a slight change in opinion lately – more and more enthusiasts seem to be becoming more interested in learning what is actually in the bottle. I hope in my own small way I have helped with this.

A hydrometer test shows that this rum has 8g/L of additives. This compared to the Reserva Exclusiva is pretty low. The Reserva which preceded Mantuano was measured between 7 and 12 during its life cycle.

In the glass you get a very dark reddish brown coloured liquid. For an eight year old rum it is likely that it has been coloured with caramel.

The nose is familiar it reminds me of other Venezuelan rums such as Pampero Anniversario and Cacique. It’s sweet with scents of brazil nuts and some butteryness like shortbread. There is a distinctive mix of coffee and caramel to the overall nose.

It’s light and approachable. It has an average complexity in keeping with the rums age. If you enjoy easy drinking uncomplicated sippers you will be reassured by the nose.

When sipped the rum isn’t as sweet as the nose suggests. In terms of flavour it doesn’t really have anything too distinct coming out when sipped. Overall it is a sweet rum but it exhibits a sweetness which is more common to a naturally sweet rum rather than a sweetened one laden with additives.

There is a little spice on the palate and a tiny slither of oak. The finish has a little coffee and a touch of caramel. It is smooth and very easy to drink. It does have a very slightly “grassy” vegetal note but after a couple of glasses that seems to fade away.

Its just not very exciting. Much like Cacique 500 it is all just a bit too soft. Too light, too fluffy. There are a few thngs going on with the rum but its like the elements are only half trying to get noticed.

I can’t really get too excited about this rum as I feel I’ve been here a million times before. As £30 there are a lot of other rums I could buy instead and enjoy a lot more.

Which is a shame because this rum does show that Dilplomatico do have a decent base product they just maybe need to up the Pot Still elements within to make it more complex and less safe.

It’s slightly above average but its overall “safe” profile means it is a bit of a disappointment. When I saw Diplomatico had re-issued their White Rum (Planos) at 47% ABV I though they might have done something a little more exciting with this.

It will no doubt sell well and lovers of this light Spanish style of rum will enjoy it. However, I’m not convinced many will opt for this over the Reserva Exclusiva. This has more “real” rum character but I don’t think many people buying the Reserva Exclusiva care too much about that.

It’s certainly more worth its price than some of the other rubbish they’ve pumped out, such as the dreadful Ambassador.

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J Gow Wild Yeast Series NMO 2020

J Gow Wild Yeast Series NMO 2020
Bythefatrumpirate March 13, 2022

J Gow Wild Yeast Series NMO 2020. We are back in bonny Scotland, well more accurately the Orkney Islands and the small island of Lamb Holm. Which is where Collin Van Schayk has decided to set up a rum distillery.

This may seem a very odd decision but Collin’s father Emile owns the award winning Orkney Wine Company so a career in the “booze” industry was perhaps his destiny.

As the title suggests this is a rum produced using “Wild Yeast”. As possibly the least geeky rum geek in the world I will at this stage hand over to Collin to give some background on this aspect of the rum

“J Gow NMO 2020 our first unaged release and the first wild yeast release from the distillery. Orkney doesn’t have a climate for growing sugar cane, but we wanted to use something local and unique. What better than a native yeast harvested from wild Northern marsh orchids that grow right beside the distillery.

Various mini ferments were setup with petals or swabs taken from the flowers. Successful ferments (and those that didn’t smell awful) were then isolated and scaled up from 50ml starter fermentations, all the way up, to grow enough yeast to then ferment 2,000L.

It even involved counting active yeasts cells under a microscope. To calculate how many litres of yeast were required to ferment a full size batch. It was a long process. Fermentation eventually took place in March 2021 and lasted 31 days, our longest fermentation yet. The yeast itself smelled completely different to the commercial yeasts we use for our main products.

This alongside the extra long fermentation created a high ester, fruity, naturally sweet spirit. We decided not to age in oak but to let the flavours created by the wild yeast speak for itself. It was rested for several months in a stainless steel tank and slowly cut down to an ABV of 58.8% (as we are at 58.8° North here on Lamb Holm).

This is the first release in our wild yeast series. We isolated a different strain from orchids again in 2021. Which was very mango forward, but much heavier this has been filled into ex-moscatel octave casks for a future release.

We’ll try to do an annual experimental batch with wild yeasts isolated from the island. We’ve also banked each of these strains and frozen them, so we should be able to replicate them again at any time.”

Collin has also added a little addendum as well, to help explain things that some people will find “unusual”…..

*Due to it being non chill filtered and the heavier flavour of this rum some flocculation may appear in the bottle at colder temperatures. These are flavour particles and heavier oils coming out of solution and nothing to worry about. Bringing the bottle back up to room temperature and giving it a gentle shake should disperse most particles present.

So there you go. Nice little background into the process behind this rum.

So that leaves me to pretty much set out the facts around my particular bottle. I have bottle number 13 of only 171 bottles. The front label of J Gow Wild Yeast Series NMO 2020, notes that it is a “Unaged Scottish Pure Single Rum” (they are trying to run with the Gargano classification). It has been bottled at 58.8% ABV.

The wild yeast was harvested 9th July 2020

Fermentation Date 9th March 2021. Fermentation lasted 31 days.

Distillation Date was 14th April 2021

Distillation is Single Pass.

I’m not sure what other information you might be needing at this point? Oh yes maybe how to get hold of a bottle. It was released to those signed up to the J Gow mailing list on Friday 10th March 2022. It will go on general release (for the remaining bottles) on Wednesday 16th March. A few bottles are going to Royal Mile Whiskies but your best chance it to try the official site for online sales at least. It is priced at £45 for a 70cl bottle. You could say that is pricy for an unaged spirit but I think we need to take into account the small scale of this release and as outlined above – the amount of work that has went into it.

With that in mind I think we should have a dive into this unaged rum and see if it merits the £45 price tag.

I always find pouring a crystal clear spirit into the glass – knowing its not vodka slightly amusing. I often give my wife a glass to sniff (she is a vodka drinker and really not very fond of rum) and she recoils with repulsion. Which for me is always a good sign. She pretty much tried to ban J Wray and Nephew from the house on account of its pungent aroma…

On the nose I’m getting thick, heavy, treacly molasses. It’s odd but the rum smells oily and heavy. It’s a real nose tingler. Beneath this I’m getting an almost Sugar Cane sweetness similar to an agricole or perhaps more accurately much like a Clairin from Haiti.

There’s a grassy element, a herbal touch of pine cones. What I am noticing more and more with time in the glass though is the fruity element.

Or more accurately the slightly fermented “dunder” like fruitiness. It’s almost Jamaican in many ways with masses of fermented pineapple, bruised almost spoilt banana and a lighter sweeter burst of raspberry and strawberry.

It really mellows in the glass – either that or its just wrecked my nostrils……….

I enjoy sipping unaged white rum. Not your supermarket rubbish and perhaps not your standard white “rum”. More a Clairin or a Cachaca or (especially) an unaged White Agricole Rhum. The sweet sugar cane and grassy notes really appeal. Despite this being made with molasses I am getting that kind of vibe alongside a good chunk of Jamaican funk.

Sipped J Gow Wild Yeast Series NMO 2020 is obviously not your well aged, sophisticated sipping spirit. It’s not sweet and smooth as many would want….

What it is though is a full on flavour bomb with lashings of molasses, caramel and toffee to begin with. Followed by sweeter, almost grassy notes mixed alongside some heavy fermented fruity notes – stoned fruits, pineapple, lots of pineapple, touches of banana and as you move towards the finish a sweet note of strawberry.

The mouthfeel is thick and oily and very satisfying. It coats every inch of your mouth and leaves a big “mouthsmack” kind of feel behind.

It’s big and quite boozy as well all the way through. As a mixer it will probably need to be used sparingly (he says nursing a huge rum and coke made with it) or it might well blow your head off.

There have been some really good unaged white rums come out of Scotland over the past few years in the shape of Ninefold and Sugar House. Nothing though has been bottled at this kind of ABV.

It certainly works and whilst Scotland might not be the best place in the world for ageing rum or producing sugar cane. In the care of a good distiller it can certainly produce an unaged product on a par with anywhere else in the world.

Finish wise due to the intensity of flavour on the initial entry and mid palate it does stick around for a while. Nice notes of molasses and pineapple linger for a long while.

You don’t want to try kissing the wife after a glass of this……..

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