Rum Forum

[Harry in WashDC]

17 minutes ago, The Black Tot said:

The K+L Enmore 25yr was very well-received at this past sampler weekend.

 

I was much relieved because I went in pretty hard on this one. It was my first taste of it too!

 

It had the usual (well, there is quite a range, but instead we'll say "a familiar") vegetal cane note that you get from a typical barrel-select older Demerara, but it also had a touch of sulphur which really added to things. The finish was nice and long and there was a bit of molasses tar in there, which is likely from the El Dorado coloring caramel.

 

For me, there's a difference between adding sugar and ED's coloring caramel process, which is traditional (but whatever, everyone says theirs is traditional where most totally aren't). Note I'm not talking about regular El Dorado releases, which have a BUNCH of sugar added far beyond the coloring stuff. But their coloring caramel adds a very cool viscosity and a charred molasses effect which couples nicely with the vegetal cane notes which survive their pot still distillations.

 

Sugar, it should be mentioned, does not survive the distillation process. People in the US think rum is sweet and that the sweetness has come from the fermented molasses through the stills, but in reality it's because sugar has been added after the fact to most rums in US distribution. Sweetness in proper artisinal rum comes from barrel extractions, just like whiskey.

 

ED's coloring agent adds a bit of molasses sweetness, but it's far from overbearing, and in this one, it just worked to add something to the whole flavor progression. A real winner for me.

Thanks to your posts, I no longer limit rum purchases to a handful of (uh, three) well-known premiums and have now expanded my list to include names that appear on this thread.  Also, per your tagline, I signed up to support more rum disclosure.  If I get junk email from [an incredibly large rum producer], I am forwarding it all to you.

Harry

[The Black Tot]

Haha awesome Harry, thanks for signing. I haven't had any email yet myself, but I'll totally take that!

 

 

[Kpiz]

3 hours ago, The Black Tot said:

The K+L Enmore 25yr was very well-received at this past sampler weekend.

 

I was much relieved because I went in pretty hard on this one. It was my first taste of it too!

 

It had the usual (well, there is quite a range, but instead we'll say "a familiar") vegetal cane note that you get from a typical barrel-select older Demerara, but it also had a touch of sulphur which really added to things. The finish was nice and long and there was a bit of molasses tar in there, which is likely from the El Dorado coloring caramel.

 

For me, there's a difference between adding sugar and ED's coloring caramel process, which is traditional (but whatever, everyone says theirs is traditional where most totally aren't). Note I'm not talking about regular El Dorado releases, which have a BUNCH of sugar added far beyond the coloring stuff. But their coloring caramel adds a very cool viscosity and a charred molasses effect which couples nicely with the vegetal cane notes which survive their pot still distillations.

 

Sugar, it should be mentioned, does not survive the distillation process. People in the US think rum is sweet and that the sweetness has come from the fermented molasses through the stills, but in reality it's because sugar has been added after the fact to most rums in US distribution. Sweetness in proper artisinal rum comes from barrel extractions, just like whiskey.

 

ED's coloring agent adds a bit of molasses sweetness, but it's far from overbearing, and in this one, it just worked to add something to the whole flavor progression. A real winner for me.

Sounds like a tasty bottle! Thanks for the notes and the great info as usual. I picked up one of these when it went on sale at K&L so I'm excited to crack it open once I drink down the 14yo Hampden that was released at the same time at K&L.

 

And as Harry just did, I signed the petition. 

[BigPapa]

On May 6, 2012 at 6:40 AM, WhiskyToWhiskey said:

I didn't know Ron Zacapa made a straight 23yr old rum. The Ron Zacapa 23 Solera is popular around here being a blend of rums between 6yr and 23yr. Is this the Centenario or Black Label 23 anos everyone is referring to? Where is it available?

 

I thought if the label states 23 yr that has to be the youngest in the bottle?

[The Black Tot]

17 hours ago, BigPapa said:

 

I thought if the label states 23 yr that has to be the youngest in the bottle?

 

In US whiskey or scotch, yes. In rum, the rules don't apply (unfortunately for us).

[BigPapa]

6 hours ago, The Black Tot said:

 

In US whiskey or scotch, yes. In rum, the rules don't apply (unfortunately for us).

 

Good to know, thanks 

[Kpiz]

On 5/5/2016 at 6:00 AM, BigPapa said:

 

I thought if the label states 23 yr that has to be the youngest in the bottle?

I don't think the Zacapa label says it's 23 years old, does it? From what I recall, it says 23 Sistema Solera or something similar. I don't remember "years" or anos" being in there.

[sailor22]

I have been hearing from experts recently that the rules DO apply to Rum also....they just aren't enforced.   Note that when Diagio bought Zacapa is when they switched from 23 anos to 23 solara.  The juice was unchanged but Diagio was not comfortable marketing a product  so obviously fraudulently labeled.

[sailor22]

Had a fat pour of the new Don Q 2005 single vintage. I applaud their attempt to elevate the class by specifying vintage, unfortunately I'm not a fan of what's in the bottle.  Some thoughts on the Rum;  Simple, sweet, weak, featureless, smooth, watery, unremarkable.  To me, this one come across like a overly watered  rum flavored vodka.  OTOH it is likely right up the ally of a beginning spirits drinker as it's so tame it can't possibly offend or burn. 

[tanstaafl2]

28 minutes ago, sailor22 said:

Had a fat pour of the new Don Q 2005 single vintage. I applaud their attempt to elevate the class by specifying vintage, unfortunately I'm not a fan of what's in the bottle.  Some thoughts on the Rum;  Simple, sweet, weak, featureless, smooth, watery, unremarkable.  To me, this one come across like a overly watered  rum flavored vodka.  OTOH it is likely right up the ally of a beginning spirits drinker as it's so tame it can't possibly offend or burn. 

 

Always good to know what I can add to the "ignore" list!

 

Really enjoying the Duncan Taylor 1998 Bellevue rum I picked up recently. Keep meaning to try its sibling, another Duncan Taylor purchased at the same time but that one is a 1998 from Uitvlugt before the still moved to DDL. I didn't buy the older K&L 20yo Uitvlugt that would have probably been an interesting comparison so if I like this Duncan Taylor version I will probably regret that I passed on that one! 

[garbanzobean]

Been burning through the Foursquare Port Finish release that Ralfy reviewed awhile back.  This really is a whiskey drinker's rum.  The structure of the whiskey reminds me a lot of bourbon, but the flavors are a melding of rum and single malt.  If that makes sense, congratulations, you're as weird as I am.  At any rate, I have really enjoyed this bottle, though there were some heavy vanilla fumes at first that took a couple weeks to mellow out.

[sailor22]

Have been enjoying pours of Appleton 21 this week.  Such a solid Rum. Similar barrel notes as a well built Bourbon.

[sailor22]

Foursquare 2004 Barrel Proof was in the glass a lot this past weekend. This is some crazy good juice - highly recommended.  A short run limited edition currently available at Binny's, Mission Liquor, and Hi Time.  Every Bourbon drinker I pour this for is impressed.

[sailor22]

Some friends and I did a comparative Caroni tasting Saturday. Caroni is typically pretty funky and can be a bit of an acquired taste much the way a heavily peated scotch can be. The funk, described as a petrol note on the nose and perhaps a pinch of coppery sulphur n the palate can be off putting. All of these have a bit of that but since we expected it going in it hardly made a mention in our notes. But if you typically only drink sweet sugary rums you should understand these are.....different. 

Notes and impressions:

Rum Swedes 15yr 61% - Lovely mix of sweet and funk Surprisingly light in taste and mouth feel for a Caroni. Long interesting finish and drinks like a much lower proof.

Velier 12ry 50% - Nice bite on the palate w/o being overly funky, not much in the way of sweet notes, but nothing objectionable. Not much going on here with the exception of dryness and a bit of bite.

Velier 15yr 52% - Wonderfully woody nose, almost a Bourbon nose, complex and engaging. A nose worth lingering over. Complex flavors with a sweet, woody, dry character and tantalizing notes of sweet tropical fruit ghosting through. Very nice. Finish is a tropical tango with the sweet and drying notes in step. Complex and balanced . The Caroni funk is muted and adds a tasty pinch to the overall mix of flavors.

Velier 17re 55% - Darkest in the glass. Termites Rejoice!! Some funk on the nose but lots of wood and smoke too. Just going by the nose there is so much wood this could be an overaged Bourbon. Sipping shows dryness then sweet in sequence which leads gracefully to a long finish where the dryness reappears. Balanced, big and confident this is a rum for contemplating as you sit by the fire on a crisp fall evening. 

Ian and Kellie liked the 15yr as best overall while I picked the 17. Behind those two the Rum Swedes offering close behind. The 15yr is the best balanced and the most complex. If you enjoy heavy wood notes you will likely prefer the 17.

[tanstaafl2]

Nice notes! The 15 sounds lovely. Might be too much woody character in the 17 for me but you never know without trying.

 

Might just be a trick of the light (and a nice picture as well with a pretty low f-stop on that lens to get the tight focus on the bottles and nice soft haze to the foreground and background!) but there looks to be some serious red color in those rums, especially in the 12yo. The older two may be impacted by the darkness of the rum in the bottles behind them. The Rum Swedes looks totally different.

[sailor22]

The Rum Swedes was totally different and the colors in the photo have been tweaked for added saturation and vibrancy.  They are somewhat less red than they appear.

[smokinjoe]

6 hours ago, sailor22 said:

...the colors in the photo have been tweaked for added saturation and vibrancy.  They are somewhat less red than they appear.

Oh good.  I thought that 12yr was refilled with Campari!  

[sailor22]

Red Stagg

[MTNBourbon]

A pour of this, it's been awhile for some Rum, Pusser's Rum (Blue Label).

[MTNBourbon]

The place is dead!  A couple of pours of the same tonight, Pusser's Rum (Blue Label).

[LCWoody]

I was in the mood for some rum tonight, having a nice glass of Debonaire 21 year rum. A good sipping rum. 

Lots of wood. 

[MTNBourbon]

A pour of some, Pusser's Rum (Blue Label).

[tanstaafl2]

11 hours ago, LCWoody said:

I was in the mood for some rum tonight, having a nice glass of Debonaire 21 year rum. A good sipping rum. 

Lots of wood. 

 

What is the "Old Bones Bomb Run"? Don't think I have seen that before!

 

[LCWoody]

12 hours ago, tanstaafl2 said:

 

What is the "Old Bones Bomb Run"? Don't think I have seen that before!

 

It's Old Bones 10 year Bourbon, put out by the master distiller at MGP. I think about 2200 bottles. Very good, a lot like the Old Scout SB line. 

[tanstaafl2]

Went to one of the local spirits show put on by one of the distributors in town and there was the usual vodka, gin and sourced/young whiskies on display. But the highlight of the afternoon was undoubtedly the Foursquare rums that were there to see if there was an "interest" in bringing to the market.

 

Included were the 9yo Port finished at 40pf (ok), the 11yo Zinfandel finish (5 years bourbon, 6 years zin at 43pf - better) and the 2004 11yo cask strength at 118pf (excellent!).

 

Yes please, bring it into the market!

 

The zinfandel finish cask strength was very whiskey forward (it took a drop or two of water which helped it to open up even more) and one to look for while the Zinfandel finish had some lovely red fruit character and was a bit sweeter (although by no means sweet) although I think it could have really been helped with at least a little more proof.