Christmas is almost upon us, which is a good occasion to enjoy some rum. I've picked up some bottles which ensure a white Christmas (Neisson Blanc 52.5 and Rhum Rhum PMG Blanc + a cachaca). White rum has grown on me the past year - mostly straight but I can only imagine these would make a killer ti punch.
I hosted a rum tasting back in August for some friends. Among the favorites were Hampden LROK, Savanna HERR, and Rhum Clement Non Plus Ultra, the latter being by far the most exclusive of the lot.
I personally also really loved the Hampden HLCF and the Clairin La Rocher - which most of all made me think of BBQ sauce - was also quite the experience.
Went to an agricole rum tasting a few weeks ago and it was a blast. From not liking agricole the first times I tried it, it appears I grow increasingly fond of it every time I have it. If my affection for the stuff continues to grow at the same rate I'll have to move to Martinique or Guadeloupe in the not too distant future..
1. Rhum JM Blanc 50% (€30)
A staple agricole blanc from Martinique. Quite earthy and gritty, much wilder than some more elegantly blancs such as Clement's Canne Bleue.
I own this rhum and for the money, it's a steal (although that could be said for a vast number of white agricoles). 7.5/10.
2. Montebello 8 years, 42% (€90)
From Guadeloupe, aged in ex-bourbon casks (as almost all agricole).
Tasty, but a bit bland. Pear and some other fruit. Reminds me of brandy, calvados and a bit of Rhum JM XO but a bit milder. It's enjoyable and I could drink lots of it with ease but it does not intrigue me. 7.5/10
3. HSE St. Etienne Vieux XO 43% (€90)
Blend including 10% vintage Rhum from 1960, Martinique.
First sip somewhat bland but gets better and better. Rather dark, more spices and some fruitiness and wood emerges. It's the first Rhum of the day that has me wishing I had more so I could delve deeper into it. Definitely the most complex so far. 8/10.
4. Rhum JM - Romhatten Cask Select #7, 43% (€100)
Now it gets interesting. This rhum was selected by the host of the tasting as his 7th cask selection. Mads knows his r(h)um and this is no exception. This rhum is 11 years old. Martinique.
Incredible nose, so rich and deep. Wonderful taste as well, similarly broad and just so much going on, dried fruit and cask. It's surprisingly powerful given the relatively low ABV. I've had the older JM Ping (21 years) before, also with a "low" ABV where the flavor profile was too concentrated in relation to how "mild" it was. But this is incredibly well balanced. Wonderful. 9/10.
5. A1710 Cheval Bondieu Rhum Extraordinaire 51,5 % (€140)
Martinique. Just 18-36 months but in fresh American and French oak.
Really rich and refined for how young it is. Powerful, fresh fruitiness, easily the "wildest" yet, much less "tamed" than the previous one. I definitely sense the youthfulness but the fresh casks and high angels share work rapidly to take the edges off and this tastes like it could easily have been 5-6 years. Lots of fruit. Quite a different expression compared to the previous one which was more "controlled". 9/10.
6. Flora Antillarum Bologne Rhum Vieux Agricole 54,9 % (€240)
A blend of three rums from Guadeloupe, 7 years.
Just wow. It is so so rich and dense, the nose is floral and fruity with dark berries, marmalade. The taste is unbelievably deep, it feels like you could walk in 1000 different directions with this rhum and yet it remains balanced. Just sensational, I wish I had more. One of the best rums I've ever had. 9.5/10.
7. Rhum Clement Agricole 17 Ans Single Cask Non Plus Ultra 54,4 % (€135)
17 years and 8 months - some ancient stuff for an agricole.
Very oaky and incredibly cask heavy, some at the tasting found it to be too much. I think it's nearing the tipping point but it remains on the right side. It really is a punch in the mouth and some of the most extreme agricole you can have, not because it is incredibly complex, but it is super well made, very deep and then also cranked to 11. 8.5/10.
8. Damoiseau Rhum Agricole Brut de Fut Millesime 2009 66,9 % (€105)
7 year old very potent rhum from Guadeloupe.
The nose is deceptively mild, but in the mouth it is bordering on being overpowering. Waves and waves of fruitiness, berries, marmalade, it feels like a Big Bang of taste expanding through my mouth. Fantastic rhum, a cacophony of everything I love in a rum, just sheer madness but not in a chaotic and arbitrary way, it just works even straight. When I looked it up after the tasting I was surprised to see that it's so (relatively) cheap, I thought it'd be twice that cost. Definitely a steal. 9/10.
After this excellent tasting, we went to another rum bar and had two other rums that could definitely hold their own.
Velier Caroni 21, 57% (€560)
Trinidad, 21 years. Caroni is the holy grail to many enthusiasts, but I must confess that while I like it and find it interesting, I find it maybe a little overrated.
Rich nose, very vinous. Such a deep rum, cascades of druid fruit, marmelade, licorice, far different from the "gritty", industrial and gasoline-like notes I associate with Caroni. That's not a bad thing, and this is probably my favorite Caroni, although it feels less characteristic and unique than the other(s) I've had.
We paid less than retail price per cL as the bartenders had lost the price tag and didn't know the cost - which doesn't hurt for a rum in this price class. 9/10.
The final rum of the evening was from another legendary distillery, arguably the most renowned in operation.
Foursquare Sovereignty, 62% (€200)
14 years from Barbados. Both ex bourbon and ex sherry casks.
Very Foursquare (which is a compliment). Deep, dry fruit, vinous as well, sherry, vanilla. Dark fruits and berries.
Foursquare have an unparalleled ability to make rums that always taste quite similar (something many distilleries do) but which are nonetheless always a novel (and great) experience. They just don't miss the mark. There's no Foursquare rum that I've found redundant despite how quintessentially Foursquare they all seem to be - and this may be the best of all that I've tried. 9/10.
