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Dwelling
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| Hello, that is one in every of our (nearly) each day tastings. Santé! |
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September 28, 2024
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Return of the rums on Whiskyfun
After armagnacs and cognacs, a few of intergalactic calibre, let’s return to rums this Sunday, and I am positive a couple of will ship us to the celebs as effectively (do not make me say what I did not say!).
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Trois Rivières 2007 (42%, OB, Martinique, agricole, cognac cask, cask #M2-15) 
Not totally positive when this single cask was launched, although it’s clear it spent an excellent spell in ex-cognac Limousin oak. Color: gold. Nostril: unmistakably with pencil shavings, gorse, and recent cane juice, adopted by a contact of cinnamon cookies. The cognac affect comes by gently, providing simply three sultanas and half a ripe peach, which is ok by me. Mouth: a lot the identical impression, with liquorice, cedarwood, and cinnamon main the cost earlier than ripe plums, peaches, and apricots make an look. It leans closely on the oak, however I’d say that works fairly effectively for this fashion of rum. End: there’s that delicate salty be aware you typically discover in Martinique and Guadeloupe, accompanied by oak, tea, pepper, and a bit extra cinnamon within the aftertaste. Feedback: totally aged on location, and you may inform, particularly with a cask as energetic as this one. Nonetheless, it feels true to the native fashion.
SGP:571 – 82 factors. |
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Isautier 13 yo 2008/2023 ‘L’aventurier’ (58%, OB, La Réunion, LMdW, 581 bottles) 
This one’s a ‘rhum traditionnel’, which means molasses-based from column stills, not cane juice like agricole. We’ve seen some cracking Isautier these days, which is a shock as we used to assume they primarily dabbled in ‘organized’ rums (flavoured or infused). Color: full gold. Nostril: there’s a pleasant ‘bourbon’ really feel to this, in the very best sense, with vanilla, oranges, and only a trace of varnish, adopted by superbly ripe bananas and apricots. A contact of grated coconut, although with restraint. With water: orange cake and vanilla cake—an ideal little breakfast, I reckon. A contact of gray pepper too. Mouth (neat): an absolute explosion of unique fruits and honey. Pineapple, banana, and apricots all drenched in honey and maple syrup. Although to be truthful, it’s a bit sizzling to take pleasure in neat. With water: it turns into spicier and extra floral, with a mild curry paste vibe—preferrred to your poultry, be it rooster, guinea fowl, goose, duck, and even capon (they’ve bought it, S.). End: pretty lengthy, mellow, with well-behaved spices, honey, and gentle liquorice lozenges. Feedback: a beautiful steadiness of sweetness and energy, which we’re very keen on.
SGP:651 – 85 factors. |
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Ten Cane 12 yo 2012/2024 (58.6%, Whisky Concerto, Trinidad, Recital 8.1)
We bear in mind Ten Cane as a distillery launched in 2007 by LVMH in Trinidad, however it was closed quite rapidly. Nonetheless, that is pure cane juice distilled in pot stills. Color: gold. Nostril: it’s surprisingly gentle and even gentle for a pot nonetheless rum, however the fruitiness is beautiful, with the standard bananas, a little bit of white chocolate, and a contact of oiliness within the background. I doubt they had been aiming for an ester-forward rum, probably not, because it appears they had been focusing on the American market. With water: not a lot change right here. Mouth (neat): it’s sharper, extra mineral, and salty, with extra esters this time round. Jogs my memory a little bit of a low-marque Worthy Park. Beautiful notes of mangoes. With water: it finds an exquisite steadiness, changing into extra agricole-like, with an rising presence of citrus and even a little bit of seawater. It’s enhancing, and I’m liking it increasingly. End: extra vegetal and mineral, and also you may even say black olives are exhibiting up… Feedback: a really good growth, however it does want a little bit of time. Maybe LVMH ought to’ve known as in Beyoncé—or perhaps Naomi Chin Wing.
SGP:542 – 85 factors. |
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Brazil 13 yo 2011/2024 (55.5%, FRC for Sea Shepherd, Kirsch Import, American oak + Imburana)
It appears this noble providing (proper, 100 factors for the trigger) is made out of each molasses and cane juice. As for imburana, I imagine it’s the identical as amburana (Amburana Cearensis), generally utilized in artisanal cachaça, and let’s hope it has no connection to Amazon deforestation. Color: gold. Nostril: the wooden is overwhelmingly current, however to be truthful, cherry or wild cherry wooden is very fragrant. Belief me, I used to promote furnishings once I was a pupil. Actually. Loads of varnish and cherry stones, which on the nostril are nearly the identical factor. With water: glue and polish, like the most recent batch from Ikea, or a recent wetsuit… Mouth (neat): extremely authentic, which in fact makes it immediately likable. Rubber, kirsch, bitter almonds, varnish, bitter cherries… With water: we’re crusing by all types of stone fruits, from cherry to plum. Putty, varnish, trace of cleaning soap, and pine resin, which is changing into extra distinguished. End: lengthy, with an enormous burst of lemon lastly stepping in to take cost, plus heaps of bay leaves. Feedback: it’s bought a medicinal edge and is downright mad. Very mad, truly. Maintain on, was it cachaça?
SGP:372 – 86 factors. |
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Mhoba ‘Strand 101’ (58%, OB, South Africa, +/-2023) 
They point out it’s a ‘excessive ester and glass cask mix’. Glass cask? Have our desires lastly come true? That is distilled from native Nkomazi cane juice. Color: gold. Nostril: I completely love this. Half-rotten bananas and petrol—imagine me, there’s nothing extra stunning, and for as soon as, I’m not joking. With water: cauliflower and leek! All in a vanilla sauce. Mouth (neat): I like it. Varnish, overripe yellow fruits, brine, petrol. Who hasn’t siphoned their mate’s automobile after working out of gas in the midst of nowhere? With water: that is so bizarre, and so good. Along with that loopy Brazilian rum, they make fairly the pair. End: lengthy, acetic, and downright bacterial. I’m a giant fan of this. Feedback: it’s like a glue spirit, and I’m nearly embarrassed to say I completely find it irresistible. Hats off to the South Africans—they make their rum like they play rugby: with no pointless frills.
SGP:563 – 89 factors. |
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Since we had been speaking about rugby…
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Fiji 2015/2024 (60.90%, Zn09, 195 bottles)
From South Pacific, naturally, typically known as the “Jamaicans of the Pacific.” A lot respect for the Fijians, and naturally for Zéro 9 Spirits, who provide us what is probably going a splendidly extreme rum. Color: pale gold. Nostril: ah, not an ultra-estery Fijian, it’s truly quite mild, with notes of vanilla and apple, older wooden, and yellow flowers. You get the image. With water: certainly, a couple of faint hints of outdated putty, however that’s about it so far as phenols or esters are involved. Mouth (neat): let’s say it’s a Fijian midway in fashion, considerably paying homage to the Ten Cane we simply tasted. It actually appears to want water. With water: pretty, well-balanced, apples and oranges, with a little bit of blond tobacco. End: medium size, with a barely candy aftertaste. Orange liqueur. Feedback: very nice, however with out the standard tough edges. We’ve bought extra Zn09 to style, so we’ll see how these go very quickly.
SGP:640 – 82 factors. |
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Jamaïque 2013/2023 (65.5%, L’Esprit, Maison de l’Hédonisme tenth anniversary, cask #MDH 2013-1, 246 bottles) 
Maison de l’Hédonisme? Love that! Color: full gold. Nostril: basic esters, however of the lighter, rounder Jamaican selection, so we have already got an thought of what this isn’t. Sensible, with a couple of dry, bushy notes, adopted by surprising wafts of geranium flowers, rose jelly, and a candy Tokaji-like high quality. It’s completely balanced and delicate, nearly like a high white Irouléguy (only for the wine geeks who might have wandered onto WF by mistake). With water: glue, recent plywood, wallpaper paste, beeswax, and a few all-purpose automobile polish (does all of it, however greatest to not drink it). Mouth (neat): absolute magnificence, tense, easy, final. Winery peach, petrol, seawater, and mango. Nothing to discard on this probably Worthy Park. With water: I’m flat on my abdomen now, which makes typing on a MacBook fairly difficult. End: lengthy. Oranges, seawater, petrol, papayas, and tar. Feedback: what a powerful spirit. Such a disgrace the origin can’t be disclosed—too dangerous for the distillery.
SGP:653 – 90 factors. |
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Caroni 1999/2024 ‘Rum Bullion’ (58.9%, Jean Boyer, Trinidad, cask #223, 262 bottles)
Nonetheless fascinated by you, Jean Marie. Color: amber. Nostril: that is unreal. Each sort of wooden possible (beech, oak, fir, walnut, cedar, thuja, cherry…) plus glue and polish. It’s like a symphony orchestra that Walt Disney himself wouldn’t have disowned. Throw in some tar, pitch, ski wax, and extra varnish. With water: solely barely fruitier, with a contact of stone fruits, particularly cherries. A little bit of lanolin. Mouth (neat): a great deal of resinous wooden, which theoretically shouldn’t be nice, however on this particular context, it really works a deal with—particularly because it ties in with peach pores and skin, resulting in recent peach. You get the drift. With water: rubber, plastic, tar, chervil, and grapefruit. As we are saying in French, ça bastonne—it’s an actual brawl. End: lengthy, resinous, tarry, and more and more bitter. Feedback: greatest to not add an excessive amount of water right here. The wooden’s nearly taken management, however it’s Caroni, so in fact it’s a bit mad.
SGP:373 – 89 factors. |
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 Test the index of all rums we have tasted thus far
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