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.