Tastes

Gold Rum Tasting - Quatro, mostly Spanish-style Havana Club Anejo (USA) Don Q Gold Bacardi Gold Koloa Kauai Gold Havana Club Disclaimer: bottle open for a while, still ~2/3 full A - Medium gold hue, like German bier N - Fairly strong ethanol, hints of caramel and… crème brûlée? P/F - Hollow impression of Carmel and vanilla, like from a dried out old rum cork, but somewhat light; slight earthy bitterness like young oak; subtle sweetness but still not really fruity, ethanol is restrained, bitterness builds on the palate Follow-up - Smells like sophisticated carmel candy, tastes like toffee bar after returning. Verdict - possibly doesn’t belong in this category, but surprised with better-developed “usual suspects” type flavors, and stood out in terms of color to the last sip. Might remain more noticeable in a mixed drink than others. Don Q Disclaimer - nearly a bottle kill, and mostly empty for quite a while, months probably A - Pale straw, like a dry white wine N - Light ethanol, toffee and some fruit, papaya maybe? P/F - Light but inoffensive, barely a burn, caramel; burnt sugar, some burn, some wood tannin; brown bread, subtle vanilla, no fruit really Follow-up - Smells like a fruit bowl, tastes like agave nectar after returning. Verdict - lovely fruitiness compared with the others, almost shockingly so. Likely a more harmonious mixer, and pleasant enough to sip on its own. Inviting nose and rewarding palate. Bacardi Disclaimer: Freshly-cracked small 2 dcl bottle, but sat on dram store shelf who knows how long… A - Medium light gold, like domestic beer N - Cleaning products as first, but then ethanol, steeped black tea? Then finally some sweetness, like vanilla latte syrup P/F - Smooth entry with some light vanilla carmel; more subtly sweetness with almost-bitter woody pine-wood lingering; vaguely sweet, somewhat ethanol, light bitterness Follow-up - Smells like sawdust, tastes like dregs of watered-down vanilla iced latte after returning. Verdict - bad nose with smooth taste, oddly enough, although a less-enticing flavor palate than others in the category, can see why this might be a friendly go-to for mixing, if one sought a less filtered experience than the ubiquitous BCB. Koloa Kauai Disclaimer: from a sample bottle bought at the distillery store, and not opened right away upon returning home. A - Light gold, like oaked Chardonnay N - At first, savory, almost bready, like a fresh baked homemade loaf, then oddly sweet, like cleaning products, and almost a cucumber vegetal note, odd. P - Light flavor, some burn, some lingering wood; not fruity, somewhat earthy, barely sweet; faint but round flavor of some nutty dessert Follow-up - Smells like hay, tastes like buttered pancakes with a hint of dried maple syrup upon returning. — So this probabbly doesn’t fit well in the category, but what else to compare this with? Verdict - the different process shows in the product, with unusual notes making their way across the nose and palate. Curious to try a small daiquiri, but makes me think more of a cane juice spirit than molasses from the unusual and unexpected notes.

Gold Rum Tasting - Quatro, mostly Spanish-style Havana Club Anejo (USA) Don Q Gold Bacardi Gold Koloa Kauai Gold Havana Club Disclaimer: bottle open for a while, still ~2/3 full A - Medium gold hue, like German bier N - Fairly strong ethanol, hints of caramel and… crème brûlée? P/F - Hollow impression of Carmel and vanilla, like from a dried out old rum cork, but somewhat light; slight earthy bitterness like young oak; subtle sweetness but still not really fruity, ethanol is restrained, bitterness builds on the palate Follow-up - Smells like sophisticated carmel candy, tastes like toffee bar after returning. Verdict - possibly doesn’t belong in this category, but surprised with better-developed “usual suspects” type flavors, and stood out in terms of color to the last sip. Might remain more noticeable in a mixed drink than others. Don Q Disclaimer - nearly a bottle kill, and mostly empty for quite a while, months probably A - Pale straw, like a dry white wine N - Light ethanol, toffee and some fruit, papaya maybe? P/F - Light but inoffensive, barely a burn, caramel; burnt sugar, some burn, some wood tannin; brown bread, subtle vanilla, no fruit really Follow-up - Smells like a fruit bowl, tastes like agave nectar after returning. Verdict - lovely fruitiness compared with the others, almost shockingly so. Likely a more harmonious mixer, and pleasant enough to sip on its own. Inviting nose and rewarding palate. Bacardi Disclaimer: Freshly-cracked small 2 dcl bottle, but sat on dram store shelf who knows how long… A - Medium light gold, like domestic beer N - Cleaning products as first, but then ethanol, steeped black tea? Then finally some sweetness, like vanilla latte syrup P/F - Smooth entry with some light vanilla carmel; more subtly sweetness with almost-bitter woody pine-wood lingering; vaguely sweet, somewhat ethanol, light bitterness Follow-up - Smells like sawdust, tastes like dregs of watered-down vanilla iced latte after returning. Verdict - bad nose with smooth taste, oddly enough, although a less-enticing flavor palate than others in the category, can see why this might be a friendly go-to for mixing, if one sought a less filtered experience than the ubiquitous BCB. Koloa Kauai Disclaimer: from a sample bottle bought at the distillery store, and not opened right away upon returning home. A - Light gold, like oaked Chardonnay N - At first, savory, almost bready, like a fresh baked homemade loaf, then oddly sweet, like cleaning products, and almost a cucumber vegetal note, odd. P - Light flavor, some burn, some lingering wood; not fruity, somewhat earthy, barely sweet; faint but round flavor of some nutty dessert Follow-up - Smells like hay, tastes like buttered pancakes with a hint of dried maple syrup upon returning. — So this probabbly doesn’t fit well in the category, but what else to compare this with? Verdict - the different process shows in the product, with unusual notes making their way across the nose and palate. Curious to try a small daiquiri, but makes me think more of a cane juice spirit than molasses from the unusual and unexpected notes.

Gold Rum Tasting - Quatro, mostly Spanish-style Havana Club Anejo (USA) Don Q Gold Bacardi Gold Koloa Kauai Gold Havana Club Disclaimer: bottle open for a while, still ~2/3 full A - Medium gold hue, like German bier N - Fairly strong ethanol, hints of caramel and… crème brûlée? P/F - Hollow impression of Carmel and vanilla, like from a dried out old rum cork, but somewhat light; slight earthy bitterness like young oak; subtle sweetness but still not really fruity, ethanol is restrained, bitterness builds on the palate Follow-up - Smells like sophisticated carmel candy, tastes like toffee bar after returning. Verdict - possibly doesn’t belong in this category, but surprised with better-developed “usual suspects” type flavors, and stood out in terms of color to the last sip. Might remain more noticeable in a mixed drink than others. Don Q Disclaimer - nearly a bottle kill, and mostly empty for quite a while, months probably A - Pale straw, like a dry white wine N - Light ethanol, toffee and some fruit, papaya maybe? P/F - Light but inoffensive, barely a burn, caramel; burnt sugar, some burn, some wood tannin; brown bread, subtle vanilla, no fruit really Follow-up - Smells like a fruit bowl, tastes like agave nectar after returning. Verdict - lovely fruitiness compared with the others, almost shockingly so. Likely a more harmonious mixer, and pleasant enough to sip on its own. Inviting nose and rewarding palate. Bacardi Disclaimer: Freshly-cracked small 2 dcl bottle, but sat on dram store shelf who knows how long… A - Medium light gold, like domestic beer N - Cleaning products as first, but then ethanol, steeped black tea? Then finally some sweetness, like vanilla latte syrup P/F - Smooth entry with some light vanilla carmel; more subtly sweetness with almost-bitter woody pine-wood lingering; vaguely sweet, somewhat ethanol, light bitterness Follow-up - Smells like sawdust, tastes like dregs of watered-down vanilla iced latte after returning. Verdict - bad nose with smooth taste, oddly enough, although a less-enticing flavor palate than others in the category, can see why this might be a friendly go-to for mixing, if one sought a less filtered experience than the ubiquitous BCB. Koloa Kauai Disclaimer: from a sample bottle bought at the distillery store, and not opened right away upon returning home. A - Light gold, like oaked Chardonnay N - At first, savory, almost bready, like a fresh baked homemade loaf, then oddly sweet, like cleaning products, and almost a cucumber vegetal note, odd. P - Light flavor, some burn, some lingering wood; not fruity, somewhat earthy, barely sweet; faint but round flavor of some nutty dessert Follow-up - Smells like hay, tastes like buttered pancakes with a hint of dried maple syrup upon returning. — So this probabbly doesn’t fit well in the category, but what else to compare this with? Verdict - the different process shows in the product, with unusual notes making their way across the nose and palate. Curious to try a small daiquiri, but makes me think more of a cane juice spirit than molasses from the unusual and unexpected notes.

Gold Rum Tasting - Quatro, mostly Spanish-style Havana Club Anejo (USA) Don Q Gold Bacardi Gold Koloa Kauai Gold Koloa Kauai Disclaimer: from a sample bottle bought at the distillery store, and not opened right away upon returning home. A - Light gold, like oaked Chardonnay N - At first, savory, almost bready, like a fresh baked homemade loaf, then oddly sweet, like cleaning products, and almost a cucumber vegetal note, odd. P - Light flavor, some burn, some lingering wood; not fruity, somewhat earthy, barely sweet; faint but round flavor of some nutty dessert Follow-up - Smells like hay, tastes like buttered pancakes with a hint of dried maple syrup upon returning. — So this probabbly doesn’t fit well in the category, but what else to compare this with? Verdict - the different process shows in the product, with unusual notes making their way across the nose and palate. Curious to try a small daiquiri, but makes me think more of a cane juice spirit than molasses from the unusual and unexpected notes. Havana Club Disclaimer: bottle open for a while, still ~2/3 full A - Medium gold hue, like German bier N - Fairly strong ethanol, hints of caramel and… crème brûlée? P/F - Hollow impression of Carmel and vanilla, like from a dried out old rum cork, but somewhat light; slight earthy bitterness like young oak; subtle sweetness but still not really fruity, ethanol is restrained, bitterness builds on the palate Follow-up - Smells like sophisticated carmel candy, tastes like toffee bar after returning. Verdict - possibly doesn’t belong in this category, but surprised with better-developed “usual suspects” type flavors, and stood out in terms of color to the last sip. Might remain more noticeable in a mixed drink than others. Don Q Disclaimer - nearly a bottle kill, and mostly empty for quite a while, months probably A - Pale straw, like a dry white wine N - Light ethanol, toffee and some fruit, papaya maybe? P/F - Light but inoffensive, barely a burn, caramel; burnt sugar, some burn, some wood tannin; brown bread, subtle vanilla, no fruit really Follow-up - Smells like a fruit bowl, tastes like agave nectar after returning. Verdict - lovely fruitiness compared with the others, almost shockingly so. Likely a more harmonious mixer, and pleasant enough to sip on its own. Inviting nose and rewarding palate. Bacardi Disclaimer: Freshly-cracked small 2 dcl bottle, but sat on dram store shelf who knows how long… A - Medium light gold, like domestic beer N - Cleaning products as first, but then ethanol, steeped black tea? Then finally some sweetness, like vanilla latte syrup P/F - Smooth entry with some light vanilla carmel; more subtly sweetness with almost-bitter woody pine-wood lingering; vaguely sweet, somewhat ethanol, light bitterness Follow-up - Smells like sawdust, tastes like dregs of watered-down vanilla iced latte after returning. Verdict - bad nose with smooth taste, oddly enough, although a less-enticing flavor palate than others in the category, can see why this might be a friendly go-to for mixing, if one sought a less filtered experience than the ubiquitous BCB.

Context: served after a little Maker’s Cask Strength, and (full disclosure) paired with a mini Romeo y Julieta cigar… Serve: small pour, neat, glencairn. Dark mahogany in the glass Nose: somewhat typical rum nose, with some woody molasses and sweetness around the edges, maybe a hint of maple syrup even. Palate: fairly rich (again, note the context ;) with a bit of dried fruit and rich sweet candy all tied together with a rich syrupy molasses, and again a hint of maple. Surprisngly rich and round, enjoyable if not conplex. Finish: short and sweet, with just a touch of the wood influence but not much in the way of earthiness or richness to speak of. Pleasant on the palate, but certainly didn’t linger long on the finish. A bit surprising for the proof and reputation, really, perhaps reminiscent of popular and pricier Guatemalan offerings marketed for sipping. Could also be a good mixer where a fairly long-aged rum is called for. Overall, good value and a decent representative of the aged rum category, but a rum connoisseur might find it leaves something to be desired. 3.5 for the rich round palate and overall value. I’ll be trying to keep this in stock for mixing and the occasional sip.

Tasting this neat in a snifter. For better or worse. Nose: All ethanol, but sweet, like you’ve been huffing fumes a bit too long and it’s catching up with you. Palate: Here’s where this gets interesting. Hot entry, but creamy on the palate right away. I get creamy vanilla, some rummy sweetness, then it gets earthier with raw turbinado sugar and some honey toward the back palate. Quite interesting for what this is. Yes it’s hot, but not nearly as much as one might expect at this proof - and this price point. Finish: Medium for the flavor and long for the warmth and earthiness. It’s a smooth flowing transition from the earthy flavors to the honey sweet and bitter oaky finish. The flavors linger somewhat but finally the tannic oak remains, leaving my whole tongue somewhat bitterly coated and wanting another sip. Summary: Well, this is surprisingly good for what it is! I’ve mixed with it plenty, and it provodes a strong rum backbone at an affordable price. In a pinch, if you’re not a rum junky, this might even be able to replace other overproof offerings in a cocktail recipe. I won’t choose to sip it neat, but I’ll enjoy the rest of this pour, and gladly buy again. I think this goes to show, the spirit’s character is all in the proof. And rum, sadly, tends to be bottled at pretty low proofs or very high ones. Not a lot in-between. This is nearly twice the rum of the 80 proofs on the bottom shelves, and with it, you get authentic flavor, not just fumes and fire-tongue. Recommended.

First impression, first pour from the bottle, into a glencairn. Nose: Subdued funk with candy shop sweetness and something like brine, with a sort of savory saltiness hiding behind the sweeter aromas. Palate: Hot initially, giving way to sweet caramel, some old-world fruit like figs, maybe some other dried fruit, some licorice, and some indistinct earthier flavors lurking in the background. Finish: Long, fairly nice, with long-lingering earthiness throughout and some anise tingling on the palate briefly. An aside - head-to-head: I tried a pour of Appleton 12 yesterday evening and this seemed significantly more interesting. The proof certainly helps… Overall: This didn’t appear to be priced correctly, and I jumped on the opportunity to try a single barrel cask strength rum from Jamaica - the 15 years is icing on the cake. Wish the distillery were disclosed, but ah, well. Excellent value, curious to spend more time with this. Might try to find another before they’re gone…

First take at a review of this special bottle of rum. It’s rested a while and is approaching halfway gone, should be open and interesting. Nose hits first with some subdued sweetness, but then I get a buttery note that reminds me of the butter on top of a stack of fresh hot pancakes with syrup - but it’s the butter really coming through, syrupy sweetness distantly behind it. Continues into some candied nuts, probably the sherry coming out. Interesting and enjoyable nose, not particularly strongly “rummy” notes, just a bit of ethanol. First sip is an unusual combination of sweetness and… foreign, unusual flavors. Thick and strangely sweet, almost like old cough medicine, maybe past its best by date? Palate needs adjusting. Second sip starts with caramel sweetness and ebbs to more of the sweet syrupy herbal flavors, almost like I’m drinking sweet vermouth neat. The heavy sherry influence probably at play here. Third and subsequent sips yield more of the same, but the strange notes at first grow familiar, so the progression is caramel to subtle medicinal sweetness to drying herbal notes a la vermouth. The finish actually dries out somewhat, first a bit of sweet heat and then black pepper, finally fading somewhat to a bit of nutmeg and depth… tobacco smoke maybe? Yes… the more I sip, the smokier the finish gets. Interesting. Medium long finish, enjoyable for adding a dimension and drawing me back in for more. The sweetness is not building on my palate like some lament happens with plantation products, especially those with a high dosage. However, this bottle is probably what some might call a “sherry bomb” - the influence from the sherry cask is fairly heavy. The sweet vermouth notion keeps coming back the more I sip, as does the smoke. The first crack of this bottle was enjoyed with a fine cigar and even finer company. The pairing was fortuitous but turned out to be quite good. The unique sweetness and smoky finish perhaps align rather well to a cigar pairing. Overall, the heavy sherry influence leads to a unique and distinctive rum, but one that doesn’t carry many typical rum notes. I personally enjoy rum for being rum, and so while I can appreciate this brings something different, it leaves me wondering what qualities the 10 year rum might’ve had to bring to the bottle at all. I guess I could do with a little less sherry. Oh, well. 3.75/5