Watt Rum Belize Rum Distilled at Travellers Distillery Aged 13 Years

Bythefatrumpirate

Watt Rum Belize Rum Distilled at Travellers Distillery Aged 13 Years rum review by the fat rum pirateWatt Rum Belize Rum Distilled at Travellers Distillery Aged 13 Years rum review by the fat rum pirateWatt Rum Belize Rum Distilled at Travellers Distillery Aged 13 Years rum review by the fat rum pirateWatt Rum Belize Rum Distilled at Travellers Distillery Aged 13 Years. One of my earliest disappointments in the rum world hailed from Belize. At the time paying over £30 for a bottle of rum was quite a big deal for me. I’m still not 100% sure why I opted for the bottle of One Barrel Rum.

If you’ve clicked on the link then you will see that my original review (published back in 2014) suggested I bought it based on demography. I think I probably meant geography as I basically had not tried a rum from Belize. I also recall seeing a review of One Barrel Rum on another rum blog which was quite favourable. It’s not a blog I follow now……

Alas I was far from impressed with the rum when it arrived. It was overly sweet and synthetic tasting. I had a lot to learn…………

As a result it was some time before I really tried anything else from Belize. In fact whilst I tried a couple of Independent bottlings it wasn’t really until 2020 where I reviewed a rum from Belize that really showed their true potential. That was an Independent bottling from Rum Exchange.

Now (and this may not be 100% accurate) in the main the output from Travellers Distillery as released under their oKate wn brands – tends to be sweetened. Thus aimed at the less “serious” end of the market, including tourists etc. Whereas the output sourced from the distillery by Independent Bottlers and brokers tends to be aimed towards the “enthusiast” so no additives.

For those unfamiliar with Watt Whisky/Rum it is a brand name of Campbeltown Whisky Company Ltd, which is ran by Mark and Kate Watt. Further information can be found on their very informative website.

Watt Rum Belize Rum Distilled at Travellers Distillery Aged 13 Years comes in a fairly standard “bar style” clear bottle with a slightly bulbous neck. Presentation is clear and uncomplicated. Mark Watt previously worked for Cadenhead’s and I would say that the presentation of his whisky/rum is a bit more modern and in “fashion”.

Information provided on the bottle and cardboard sleeve used to store the rum, relates solely to the liquid in the bottle. No fairy tales or other such nonsense.

Full information on the bottling as provided by a combination of their website and the bottle is as follows.

Watt Rum Belize Rum Distilled at Travellers Distillery Aged 13 Years rum review by the fat rum pirateWatt Rum Belize Rum Distilled at Travellers Distillery Aged 13 Years was one of the first batch of bottles released under the Watt Whisky/Rum banner back in September 2020. It is a single cask rum which yielded 326, 70cl bottles, bottled at 57.1% ABV. It was brought down to “Olde English” 100 proof.

The rum was aged for 8 years in Belize and a further 5 years in Europe in an ex-bourbon barrel. As the rum is from Travellers Distillery, it was distilled on a column still as they have no pot stills.

There are still a few bottles floating around at £79.95 should you wish to purchase one, they still have stock at The Whisky Exchange.

So lets take a look at this rum.

In the glass it presents itself as a Golden/Dark Brown an orange hue. The nose is sweet and light. There is a lot of vanilla and double cream on the nose.

It’s quite bourbon-esque and I’m a bit of a sucker for vanilla. Beneath this is a rich toffee and caramel aroma. There is a slight hint of something “minty” and a nice hit of oak spice from the barrel.

The rum is very reminiscent of lighter Barbados rum. That said it is perhaps more close to the rum from English Harbour Distillery on Antigua.

Sipped the rum is richer and more heavy bodied than the nose suggested. It has a nice weight of wood and oak spice which works nicely alongside the vanilla and toffee flavours. The role reversal is quite noticeable but it is still a nice balance and adds complexity to the overall experience.

It’s spicy with some white pepper heat and a slight raspberry tang to the initial entry. It has a slight char to it as well which evolves nicely into the mid palate.

Hazelnut and creme caramel develop on the mid palate alongside some oak and a slightly menthol/herbal note. Which reminds me a little of St Lucian rum.

Finish wise the rum builds up nicely in terms of oak and peppery heat and the finish is long and retains enough sweetness to be really enjoyable and very pleasant. The menthol notes increase towards the finish giving it a slightly refreshing, minty taste.Watt Rum Belize Rum Distilled at Travellers Distillery Aged 13 Years rum review by the fat rum pirate

I don’t think enough people understand just how much sweetness and balance column still rum can bring to blends. Nor how good a 100% column distilled rum can actually be. That said most of these column distilled rums are produced on more Traditional Coffey Column Stills, rather than some of the huge multi column stills, we see at more industrial distilleries (or alcohol plants).

I’ve really enjoyed this rum – very similar to the Velier release of English Harbour. It’s both “heavy” and “soft” at the same time. Giving it a great complexity. It’s balance is the key.

 

 

 

 

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  • Botran Ron Anejo Solera 1893 Sistema Solera 18

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Botran Ron Anejo Solera 1893 Sistema Solera 18. I’ve lost count the amount of times Botran have changed the presentation of their rums over the past few years. With the various different Solera ages and the re-naming of the various rums as well, I’m not totally sure where this one stacks up in the pecking order.

    I do know its pretty much nearer the top of the tree – though I’m not 100% if this bottling which I picked up in late 2017 is the current one…..

    Botran Ron Anejo Solera 1893 retails at around £45-50. The 18 on the label is quite prominent and it is often listed as 18 years old. Nearly as prominent on the label are the words Solera – which mean the oldest rum in this bottle is 18 years old – some of the other rum in the blend can be a lot younger. Their own marketing states between 5 and 18 years old. The ABV on this rum is 40%.

    I’ve covered a couple of Botran rums in the past. They are very much aimed at the pretty bottle brigade. Having said that although their rums have been found to have some additives (they make sure the Hydrometer can be fooled though) such as glycerol.

    I’ve always found them to still be “rummy” enough to still take them seriously. True they are very much in the Latin Style of Light Column Distilled rums but they do actually show some good signs of cask management and genuine ageing. They do however still insist on using the “Virgin Sugar Cane Honey” marketing nonsense though.

    Presentation wise as mentioned this is department store “Premium” rum. The gold and black colourway can be a little difficult to read (its not very easy to get a good photo either) but its kind of what you expect. I like the stubby 3/4 size bottle and you get a decenBotran 18 Solera Rum Review by the fat rum piratet synthetic cork stopper. I think this has been updated to the presentation in the picture further on this review but I’m not totally sure to be honest. It appears the 18 has been removed or is less prominent on the bottle now.

    Anyway despite the poor photography and me being unsure what bottle you might find – lets see how the bottle I have tastes.

    In the glass Botran Ron Anejo Solera 1893 is a dark mahogany colour. It will be coloured but most commercial bottlings are.

    The nose on the Botran Ron Anejo Solera 1893 is quite sweet with some strong notes of smoke and tobacco leaf. There is a decent amount of oak as well though not much in the way of spiciness. It’s light and slightly floral. A little chocolate and a touch of caramel. It’s not particularly fiery but its nicely balanced and not at all unpleasant.

    Sipping this rum you initially get a good weight of tobacco, oak and dark chocolate. It’s much spicier on the palate than the nose. It has a very nice bourbon like sweetness in the mid palate which is as nice as it is surprising.

    There is a note of Demerara sugar in this. Particularly on the entry. This does fade and reveal more of the tobacco and smoked notes. There is a nice oak note halfway down the sip which is good but unfortunately doesn’t last long. This moves into a gentle fade of bourbon like spice and a touch of slightly bitter red wine.

    Despite the lightness of the nose and the overall profile of this rum it does deliver quiteBotran Ron Anejo 1893 Sistema Solera 18 a lot of alcohol notes, especially compared to a lot of rums made in this style. It’s not been heavily dosed and been “muted”. At 40% ABV its not hugely boozy. It does have a kick, which so many Latin Style rums lack. For me this is a positive. I am not so sure how the target audience might see this “burn”. Some people have very funny ideas about what rum is!

    For a change of pace and a good example of a decent aged Latin Style rum you can do a lot worse than this. It’s not badly balanced overall. It may have a slightly floral note to it that doesn’t totally agree with me. I can still enjoy a glass or two or though.

    Not bad at all.

     

     

     

  • J Gow Fading Light XO

    Bythefatrumpirate

    J Gow Fading Light XO rum review by the fat rum pirateJ Gow Fading Light XO. I reviewed the original J Gow Fading Light way back before COVID in 2019. Doesn’t time fly? Since then I have reviewed a few more expressions from this tiny distillery on Lamb Holm, Orkney – all positively I must add. So, today I am quite excited to be trying this longer aged variation of Fading Light.

    The original release of Fading Light was aged for 12 months in Chestnut casks. This J Gow Fading Light XO has been aged for a whopping 6 years in a Chestnut cask. It is a Limited Edition, one cask release totalling just 260 bottles.

    It enjoys a 14 day fermentation prior to the Pot Still distillation. The marque’s used in this rum are SD/DS the same as last years Hall of Clestrian release. It has been aged in a 2nd fill Chestnut cask.  Which was filled on 04/09/2018 and bottled at Cask Strength 53.5% ABV on the 05/09/2024.

    You can still buy a bottle direct from J Gow here and also at The Whisky Exchange a 70cl bottle will set you back around £75. It received a very positive review back in October from Alex over at The Rum Barrel.

    Presentation wise J Gow Fadling Light XO comes in a very nice 3/4 stubby style bottle with a nice chunky cork enclosure.

    In the glass despite the 6 years of ageing the rum is still quite light. A straw/white wine like colour. It should be remembered that this isn’t being aged in a Caribbean climate. Nor has any spirit caramel been added. No additives are present in this rum, as is the way they do things at J Gow. Their Spiced Rum aside of course…..

    The nose is a touch sweet with a nice hit of caramel and molasses. There is also a more floral/perfumed note going on as well.

    Nail varnish and some light tar. Beneath this I am also getting some savoury notes. Cream crackers and some plain digestive biscuits perhaps. Definitely some Walnuts and a very definite aniseed note floats nicely above everything else.

    Sipped you get a fair amount of molasses and caramel initially. This quickly moves into a spicy heated entry. Chilli powder and black pepper, a touch of cardamon. There is a nice woody-ness to the rum but it seems a little fresher than the usual oak casks.

    Further sipping reveals more of the aniseed notes and some black tea. Hints of ginger float in and out of the mix. The mid palate really grows and becomes a big and very enjoyable experience.

    Some hints of banana provide a little sweetness alongside the molasses and aniseed. The woody notes are nice as is the mixture of spicy heat.

    Even at the full 53.5% ABV J Gow Fading Light XO never feels too hot and it certainly doesn’t have a lot of unpleasant alcohol burn. This is a well integrated spirit.J Gow Fading Light XO rum review by the fat rum pirate

    The development of this rum from the original 1 year old is clear. This is a much better sipping experience. It has a clean and pure kind of taste that reminds me of Scotch Whisky but without tasting too much like Scotch Whisky. (That might only make sense in my mind).

    Finish wise the rum is again very strong with a lovely long fade and lots going on. There is plenty of interaction with the cask and the long spicy finish is really lovely.

    All in all this is better overall than the original J Gow Fading Light and it really is an excellent rum.

  • McDowell’s No1 Celebration Deluxe XXX Rum

    Bythefatrumpirate

    McDowell's No1 Celebration Deluxe XXX Rum review by the fat rum pirateMcDowell’s No1 Celebration Deluxe XXX rum. A first for this site, in that I am reviewing a rum from a cardboard box…..The ethos of this site has always been that I’ll review pretty much anything that has rum written somewhere on the label.

    I know a lot of other review sites swerve from what they perceive as “inferior” spirits. At the end of the day the idea of this site is to try and inform your more average consumer. I like the idea that people can walk into a store and if they see something they are unsure of, they can search for a review online. Hopefully, they will come across a review from this site which will better inform them, whether to purchase or not.

    I’ve also got a ten point scoring scale and again, unike most reviewers I use the full scale on a regular basis. It is also worth pointing out that McDowell’s No1 Celebration Deluxe XXX Rum is one of, if not the best selling “rum” in the world. So, why have I put “rum” in inverted commas? Well I will explain exactly how this and many other dark spirits are produced in India.

    Indian-made foreing liquor or IMFL for short. This is the official government term which covers all types of “hard liquor” manufactured in India but not indigenous to India. The term also covers all bulk alcohol which is imported to India and then bottled in a licensed bonded warehouse in India.

    A common characteristic of “Indian Rum” is one which is consistent with IMFL. Most IMFL is produced from a neutral spirit which has been obtained from the distillation of molasses. This neutral spirit is distilled to 96% ABV. It is then reduced to 42.8% ABV (I have no clue as to why it is this exact volume).

    Then depending on the type of spirit being produced rum,brandy, whisky etc flavourings and sometimes other “real spirits” are added. It is then given a dose of caramel colouring.

    If you have tried Indian rums such as Old Monk and Old Port you may have notice they all have a very similar vanilla heavy flavour and very dark colour. I suspect a very similar process and ingredients are  used across the board. I think I may be updating those reviewMcDowell's No1 Celebration Deluxe XXX Rum review by the fat rum pirates soon.

    McDowell’s No1 Celebration Rum was introduced in 1991 and immediately began eating into the market share of it’s biggest domestic rival Old Monk. Since 2012 sales of McDowell’s No1 Celebration Rum have dwarfed those of it’s rival. This has lead to another rivalry with global powerhouse Bacardi for the official billing of top selling rum in the world. It’s worth pointing out that Diageo have over 50% of the shares in McDowell’s parent company.United Spirits of India.

    I’ve never come across McDowell’s No1 Celebratin Deluxe XXX Rum in the UK or Europe. If the production detail of IMFL is followed for this (and I strongly believe it is) then in line with the Croatian Domaci “rum” it would have to be labelled as something other than rum in line with EU law.

    That said Old Monk has no problem with distribution in Europe and whilst laws are in place. I must say enforcement is at times pretty lax.

    The 180ml carton of McDowell’s No1 Celebration Deluxe XXX Rum retails for 180 Rupees in India. This would equate to around £2 . Which by any standards is pretty cheap. This is the drink of the people. It is available in a number of carton/bottles sizes for the discerning alcoholic.McDowell's No1 Celebration Deluxe XXX Rum review by the fat rum pirate

    There is little information to be found about this rums. I’m guessing it is produced on a column still, most likely a multi-column.Age wise nothing is noted one review noted it is aged for 3 years in oak barrels but I can find nothing to back this up.

    With little else to say I may as well get my scissors out and get this little Tetra Pak opened.

    When poured I get pretty much what I was expecting. A very dark spirit with a very, very red tinge to it. It’s clearly not the barrels providing this colour unless they were fired with Cherryade.

    Nose – again I’m getting exactly what I was expecting. Wafts of vanilla coke and a sort of caramel/coffee aroma. It reminds me of Old Monk and Old Port. It is slightly different but it’s roughly similar. As silly as this sounds it isn’t actually unpleasant. It’s sweet but it’s not ludicrously cloying. I doubt I could drink much of it in one go but I’m not gagging. Not yet anyway.

    Sipped it’s actually a little bitter and nowhere near as sweet as I was expecting. The main “flavour” is just really neutral alcohol. It’s kind of like an aromatised vodka. I’m not getting any sense at all of anything approaching an aged spirit. It just tastes a little bit flowery very briefly and then it all just disappears into a very short burn with little else to distinguish itself. There is maybe a little toffee and caramel flavouring but it’s very hard to make out.

    I would imagine when this isn’t getting chugged down by tourists on beaches in Goa then it will be mixed. I’ve got some cola so I will see what I can do with the rest of the carton……McDowell's No1 Celebration Deluxe XXX Rum review by the fat rum pirate

    It tastes a bit like vanilla coke. To be honest it’s okay like this. It’s not cloying or overly sweet but it’s not quite as full flavoured as Old Monk. Whilst neither are really to my current tastes I think Old Monk is more flavourful.

    Another few mouthfuls and it’s all getting very flowery and perfumed.

    This isn’t good rum because truthfully this isn’t rum. As a drink it’s not something I would seek out either. It’s pretty poor really and in all fairness. It’s best if this stays in India.

    As Radiohead once said “No Surprises”

     

     

     

  • Virgin Gorda 1493 Spanish Heritage Rum

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Virgin Gorda 1493 Spanish Heritage Rum Review by the fat rum pirateVirgin Gorda 1493 Spanish Heritage Rum. Virgin Gorda is a rum brand from London. The rum is produced and distributed by The Poshmakers 

    I have to confess prior to trying this rum I had not heard of The Poshmakers and their other brands (two gins and a vodka) aren’t familiar to me. Maybe they just haven’t reached us up here in the Frozen North.

    Virgin Gorda has two variants of rum. This Spanish Heritage rum and a British Caribbean rum. Purely from memory of looking around the likes of Master of Malt and the Whisky Exchange I’m pretty sure the British Caribbean rum was released before this effort.

    The Poshmakers own website only lists the British Caribbean rum – unfortunately there is no information to be found on their own website with regard this particular blend. In all honesty I’ve never heard anyone mention this rum nor have I really seen it promoted anywhere. I don’t even know if it is still being produced. Bearing all this in mind I suspect it perhaps isn’t.

    However you can still pick up a bottle of this on The Whisky Exchange website. It is priced at £34.95 for a 70cl which comes bottled at 40% ABV. The bottle design is modern and contempory. I like the black bottle and the stylised silver writing on the bottle. The rum is closed with a synthetic plastic topped cork stopper. Presentation wise it says “Premium” rum.

    The actual juice in the bottle of this Virgin Gorda 1493 Spanish Heritage Rum is a blend of rums from Barbados, Guatemala, Jamaica and Trinidad, matured for a minimum of five years in American white oak. I presume the Guatemalan element is where the Spanish Heritage part comes in as the others were long established British territories.

    Virgin Gorda 1493 Spanish Heritage Rum Review by the fat rum pirateMore significantly in terms of rum those islands produced rum in the “British style”. In simplistic terms these means produced on Pot/Column still from molasses. Spanish style is similar but made mostly solely with Column and Multi Column stills.

    In the glass Virgin Gorda 1493 Spanish Heritage Rum is a very light golden brown to straw colour.

    The nose is extremely light. It requires quite a deep nosing to get much from the nose. There is little going on beyond some light spices – a touch of vanilla and a little bit of a smoky oak but not a great deal.

    It’s a light style of rum which reminds me very much of young Angostura rum – with perhaps a touch less “buttery-ness” on the nose. There’s nothing unpleasant on the nose but nothing to get excited about either. I’m starting to think Westerhall’s younger rums as well.

    Sipping reveals a lightly spicy rum with notes of oak and some sweeter notes of vanilla and a touch of all spice and very mild ginger. It’s very easy-going and slips down easily enough. It does lack any real body though. It even feels a touch too diluted at 40%. Maybe an ABV of 46% might have given it a touch more bite. It certainly needs something. Anything really. Around 8 g/L of “additives” are noted in this rum. To be honest this quite surprised me as, to its credit it doesn’t taste at all dosed in anyway. That said it doesn’t really taste that much of anything really.

    Virgin Gorda 1493 Spanish Heritage Rum Review by the fat rum pirateIt’s smooth and easy to drink but it lakcs any real impact on the palate. It has a non-existant finish and the mid palate just reveals very light spices and a touch of oak. The initial entry gives hints of vanilla and walnut but little else beyond that. It perhaps has a slight perfumed note on the entry but it doesn’t last long at all.

    Weak. Even by Spanish style rums which sometimes are bottled as low as 38% ABV as standard, this is “light” in profile. Almost to the point of being little more than slightly oaky tasting vodka.

    I would say it was disappointing but as I didn’t really know much about it when I got it, I had no expectations.

    Wasn’t worth the £35 though.

     

  • S.B.S The 1423 Single Barrel Selection Denmark 2014

    Bythefatrumpirate

    S.B.S The 1423 Single Barrel Selection Denmark 2014 rum review by the fat rum pirateS.B.S The 1423 Single Barrel Selection Denmark 2014. As 1423 are based in Denmark it is perhaps unsurprising to see a rum from Denmark being bottled by them.

    Whilst Denmark might not be the most obvious place to find rum being distilled, the rum scene in Denmark is booming. Bottlers such as Compagnie des Indes often release rums solely for the Danish market – often at Cask Strength. There are a number of notable rum enthusiasts hailing from Denmark – Ingvar Thomsen, Johnny Drejer and of course Mads Heitmann of Romhatten.com.

    I have experienced Danish rum in the past from Skotlander, so I have quite high hopes for this bottling from the micro distiller Enghaven. They have their own website here. The distillery is based in Mellerup, Randers. Their own “brand” rum has won a medal or three at the Berlin International Spirits Competition amongst others.

    The rum was distilled in 2014 and 239 bottles were produced in 2018 from a Single Cask. Bottled at Cask Strength of 50.6% ABV. It is a blend of Pot and Column distillates. The rum was matured solely in an ex-Port Cask. Aside from this rum you can find a number of Enghaven’s products (they distill whisky as well) for sale here.

    The rum is nicely presented in line with the other rums in the line up. You get a nice stubby bottle which has information about the actual rum – something a lot of producers could learn from. A cut out card sleeve helps store the rum and the cork stopper is to be expected, at this price point. In the UK you should expect to pay around £90 for a 70cl bottle. You can view all the rums in the 1423 range here.

    When poured, Denmark 2014 Enghaven Distillery is a vibrant orange/golden brown. The nose is quite familiar and it reminds me of the rums from Skotlander. The port cask influence is very apparent giving the rum a very rich and intense sweetness on the nose. Huge juicy raisins, cranberries and redcurrant jam come rush onto the nose. Slightly more acidic tannic notes of red wine also put in an appearance. There is a slight musty-ness on the nose as well which mixes in with some light baking spices and ginger.

    The nose also shows that this is a fairly young rum. It’s quite fiery – the nose does have a lot of alcohol fumes and some white pepper heat wafts up the nose once the initial sweetness has subsided.

    Sipping the rum it is very fiery. Hot chilli and black pepper hit you on the initial sip. There is a touch of curry powder in there as well. Further sips reveal some of the port cask influence and you get some more fruity notes – more blackcurrant than anything else and some pomegranate – with a slight bitterness – cranberries perhaps.

    50.6% ABV isn’t particularly strong but this rum feels a lot “hotter” than that. This is a full blooded bruiser of a rum. Real fire water in many respects.

    A couple more sips and you start to notice some treacly molasses notes but its still very, very spicy. I’m a fan of spicy food so I quite like this rum – it’s very different.

    The finish is best described as long and intense. I’m reminded of a very hot pepper sauce and vindaloo curry!

    With all these heat you might find a drop or two of water helps bring out some of the subtleties of this rum. It does indeed, it tunes this down from Vindaloo to Madras and you get an added layer of complex – yet still spicy flavours with a drop or three of water. Cardamon, turmeric and a lot of fresh ginger.S.B.S The 1423 Single Barrel Selection Denmark 2014 rum review by the fat rum pirate

    This is a very different rum and its a pretty strange one. As spicy as some of the Mexican Charanda I have tried (Los Valientes for example). Though this has more of an actual rum feel to it – you still get the  molasses and sugar cane.

    A real “marmite” of a rum I feel. I can’t help feeling, some of the 239 people who buy this rum, probably won’t enjoy it all that much.

    Luckily, I did and its a really different rum experience. Not an everyday sipper but it’s very interesting and quite challenging.

    Man it doesn’t half numb your tongue! It’s drinks like a 151 in many ways. I like it though, it really works for me.

    Booooommmmm.  A very good start to the 2019 S.B.S range

  • Plantation Original Dark Rum

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Plantation Dark rum review by the fat rum piratePlantation have become multi award winners in recent times and this entry level rum has been one of the companies success stories.  The Original Dark is a blend of rums from Trinidad given the unmistakable Plantation treatment.  Double ageing and “dosage”.

    This rum has recently been re-formulated and re-packaged.  It also forms the basis of their much hyped Stiggin’s Fancy which is a Pineapple infused rum which is due for release sometime soon……I haven’t seen anything definite as yet.

    The Original Dark comes in Plantation’s standard bar room style bottle.  As usual the bottle is nice with an embossed Plantation logo on the bottle and a nice synthetic cork closure.  This rum retails at around £22-25 in the UK and the rum is bottled at 40% ABV.

    I’ve reviewed a few Plantation rums so I won’t bore you all with more about the company.  I’m sure a lot of you have read up on Plantation.

    This Dark Rum has won numerous awards in unaged categories at festival such as the Miami Rum Renaissance.  Without wishing to totally pre-empt the review I have to admit I am quite surprised at this.  This review will explain that more as we go.  So without further ado I think we’ll progress to nosing my latest Plantation purchase.

    The nose is very sweet.  Its sickly sweet and to be honest quite cloying.  It doesn’t move me to want to try the rum.  It reminds me a lot of cheap Supermarket blends.  There’s nothing complex in the nose just sweet brown sugar.

    When sipped the rum is a little edgy.  It is young after all and this is exhibited when you sip the rum.  It is sweet.  Almost sickly so again like the nose.  It’s very sweet but its also extremely short and bitter.  It leaves a strong aftertaste in the mouth.  It doesn’t exhibit a great deal of alcohol burn and there are no oak or aged notes with this one.  Initially sweet, short and bitter with a bit of a nasty cloying aftertaste.  A sipper this is certainly not.

    Mixed (there is a recipe for a Planter’s Punch on the reverse label) it should come to life.  My usual 50/50 mix of rum and cola gives me a drink which to be completely honest I don’t enjoy.  The rum is sickly and bitter on the finish.  It really does remind me of supermarket rums such as Morrisons Caribbean Rum and Tesco Dark Rum.  I’d be very confident especially with the Tesco rum that this rum shares some very similar rum in its blend.

    I’m baffled at how this has performed so well in blind sipping tasting sessions particularly when I look at some of the names who have participated in those sessions.  I can only guess (as I have not been given access to the information) that the other offerings were very poor.

    This hasn’t impressed me at all and there is no way I would choose this over just about anything else I could find even on Supermarket shelves.  I know they have re-blended this (so maybe I do have a point) so I’ll have to try the newer bottling.  By Plantation’s standards this is not one of their better offerings.

    Really disappointing

    1 stars