Tastes

Nose - dark molasses, caramelized banana, toasted marshmallow, coconut, brown sugar, vanilla, powdered sugar, toffee, honey, grass, pineapple, orange zest, allspice, apple, mild to moderate ethanol burn. Taste - molasses, honey, pineapple, ginger, pear, overripe banana, brown sugar, caramel, orange zest, vanilla, grass, tobacco, white pepper, allspice, clove, bubble gum, mild to moderate alcohol bite, finishing medium length with molasses, citrus zest, banana, and baking spice flavors. As I embark on the final stretch of my rum review series and tackle some of my favorite Foursquare offerings, it’s fitting to begin with their little brother, the Doorly’s 12 Year. The nose is rather confectionary with caramelized banana, powdered sugar, marshmallow, and toffee. The palate is sweet and rich with more citrus than on the nose. There’s even a hint of bubble gum in the mid palate. There’s little I can say about this gem that hasn’t already been said. It’s without a doubt my favorite rum at $25 a bottle or under. As long as Total Wine continues to stock these, there will be one on my shelf. I came very close to rating this a 4.0, but it’s just slightly too underproofed and watery for me to get there.

Nose - sugarcane juice, vanilla, lemon zest, grass, mint, anise, agave, white pepper, moderate to high ethanol burn. Taste - light molasses, vanilla, spearmint, chili powder, lemon oil, almond, anise, hay, pineapple, bell pepper, moderate to high alcohol bite, finishing medium short with light molasses, citrus oil, and earthy, zingy mint flavors. Well these past three days of Privateer reviews have really put my taste buds to the test. What few haven’t been completely fried are screaming for mercy. These are high-test rums, and this white overproof offering is no exception. The nose is grassy. Not quite in the same way as an agricole, but it’s herbaceous. The strong, lemony citrus note I’ve come to associate with Privateer is present as well. Interestingly, there’s an earthy sweetness that leans toward a cooked agave, tequila quality. The palate hits hard with molasses and citrus oils on the arrival. Almond and tropical fruit sneak in with some vegetal, bell peppery sweetness manifesting toward the finish. Overall, I think the aged Privateers are better, but this is a white overproof rum that’s not meant to be sipped neat. Compared to the other overproofs I’ve tried, I like this more than Wray & Nephew and about the same as the aged ones I’ve tasted like Lemon Hart, OFTD, and Smith & Cross. Thank you to @jonwilkinson7309 for yet another sample!

Nose - molasses, butterscotch, almond cake, sugar cookie, vanilla, honey, floral perfume notes, orange zest, strong oak, cinnamon, allspice, banana, tobacco, grass, moderate to high ethanol burn. Taste - molasses, caramel, lemon oil, sweet floral notes, vanilla, hazelnut, vanilla, allspice, orange zest, spearmint, tannic oak, apple, leather, banana, brown sugar, white pepper, ginger, cocoa, moderate to high alcohol bite, finishing medium length with molasses, citrus oil, and oaky, nutty, minty flavors. Another Privateer offering and this one is just as powerful, if not more. The alcohol is extremely present throughout the entire experience. The nose particularly confectionary. Butterscotch, sugar cookie, almond cake, and sweet floral and citrus aromas. The palate is hot! But it’s also full-flavored and rich. More of those same citrus oils I noticed on the Sea Smoke release are here, along with tobacco, leather, nuts, and tannic oak. Overall, I like this just as much as the Sea Smoke, and it’s actually rather similar, obviously sans the smoky quality. The extra age helps, but there’s still a rather strong citrus note that I feel detracts slightly from the enjoyment. Nonetheless, this is great rum that’s also priced particularly well at under $60 a bottle. Another big thank you to @jonwilkinson7309 for the generous sample!

Nose - light molasses, salted caramel, floral notes, milk chocolate, earthy mint, vanilla, almond cake, apple, toasted marshmallow, banana, barrel char, moderate ethanol burn. Taste - molasses, brine, butterscotch, oily peat, sour apple, cherry, allspice, cocoa, spearmint, lemon oil, spicy oak, tar, tobacco, leather, moderate to high alcohol bite, finishing medium long with dark molasses, peaty citrus oil, and spicy spearmint flavors. This is my first of three Privateer rum reviews. Privateer is a new distillery for me. They are a craft producer located in Ipswich, Massachusetts and pride themselves on producing rums without added sweetening, flavoring, filtering, or spicing. A distillery after my own heart! This particular bottling is cask strength, slightly younger than three years old, and finished in Laphroaig barrels. The nose is creamy, with molasses, salted caramel, sweet almond cake, and toasted marshmallows and bananas. The palate hits hard with oily, rich molasses, deeply sour citrus, tobacco, mint, and leather. The Laphroaig influence is present but not overbearing, although the citrus quality is rather strong. The finish lingers nicely with lasting citrus oil, mint, leather, and tannic oak. Overall, this is a hell of a rum. The flavors are surprisingly dark and rich for a rum so young, although the youth is certainly present. It’s undeniably great rum. It could be outstanding rum if it were slightly more mature and the citrus component wasn’t so overwhelming. A big thank you to my friend @jonwilkinson7309 for the sample and for introducing me to this quality distillery.

Nose - molasses, overripe banana, herbal and vegetal notes, buttercream frosting, clove, lemon meringue, mango, pineapple skin, caramel, honey, mild to moderate ethanol burn. Taste - molasses, chili pepper, ginger, lemon oil, overripe banana, pineapple, coconut, powdered sugar, raisin, macadamia nut, mint, clove, orange zest, tannic oak, moderate alcohol bite, finishing medium length with deep citrus, molasses, and dried tropical fruit flavors. My Plantation series ends with this 2003 Trinidad offering. The nose starts rather subtly but opens up significantly with time in the glass. Molasses, cakey buttercream frosting, and a whole host of tropical fruit aromas. The palate is rich and spicy. Strong citrus oil notes dominate with more tropical fruits, nuts, and marked wood flavors. Overall, this is the best of the bunch. It tastes less saccharine than most Plantations, and it’s certainly more interesting. It’s deeply citric, almost too much so, but stops before becoming off putting. Actually as I’m nearing the end the review, I’m realizing this has grown on me over the past hour. This is really good stuff, great even. I’d happily purchase a bottle of this, but am grateful for the generous sample @ContemplativeFox sent me to review.

Nose - molasses, honey, brown sugar, banana, vanilla cream, mint, coconut, clove, grass, dry oak, moderate ethanol burn. Taste - molasses, overripe banana, ginger, clove, allspice, vanilla, toasted coconut, pineapple, mint, cherry, honey, brown sugar, graham cracker, mild to moderate alcohol bite, finishing medium length with molasses, overripe tropical fruit, and baking spice flavors. A Plantation with some decent age on it. That’s a change from the past few days. The nose isn’t so different from the younger Plantations’, but it’s richer and deeper. Molasses, banana, tropical fruit, and baking spice are in the mix. There’s a note like Old Spice deodorant that’s hard to place as well. The palate is similarly richer than its younger siblings, with a noticeably more whiskey-like profile. The finish is also better, and it has a medium full, pleasant mouthfeel. Overall, this is a step above the other Plantation offerings I’ve tried. It’s not great, but it’s a really solid dram that I’d happily sip neat. Tomorrow, my Plantation series ends with one I’m hoping will reign above the rest of the group. A big thank you to @ContemplativeFox for providing the generous sample!

Nose - light molasses, pineapple skin, apple, black pepper, decomposing grass, banana, mint, floral notes, clove, ash, honey, mild ethanol burn. Taste - light molasses, vanilla cream, pineapple, toasted coconut, banana, allspice, sweet floral notes, honey, lemon zest, grass, ginger, mint, brown sugar, mild to moderate alcohol bite, finishing medium short with molasses, pineapple, and baking spice flavors. Yet another Plantation meant for cocktails that I’m drinking neat. I’m expecting a pineapple bomb, but I’m not getting one. Pineapple is in the mix, but it’s a bitter, pithy version of it. It’s fairly herbal and vegetal as well, certainly not as sweet as I was expecting for a flavored Plantation, although the sugarcane and tropical fruits balance the experience adequately. Overall, I’ll put this about on par with the 5 Year. It’s a passable sipper, but obviously that’s not its intended purpose. I’m sure it holds up well in cocktails, but I haven’t experimented much with it outside of the occasional daiquiri and pina colada.

Nose - light molasses, sweet floral notes, vanilla, orange, cinnamon, pineapple, banana, honey, coconut, grass, mint, mild to moderate ethanol burn. Taste - light molasses, orange pith, grass, honey, allspice, mint, pineapple, banana, sour apple, sweet floral notes, mild to moderate alcohol bite, finishing medium short with light molasses, bitter citrus, and grassy mint flavors. Another cheap Plantation offering, but is it better than the 3 Stars I reviewed yesterday? The nose certainly has more depth than its white rum relative. It’s less like an agricole and more like a prototypical rum. Molasses, tropical fruit, citrus, and honey. The palate is sweet, sour, and bitter with many of the same qualities as the nose. Overall this is a small step up from the 3 Stars as a sipper, but it’s no stud. It’s markedly less funky as well. The profile isn’t very different from the Bacardi 8 Year’s, and I enjoy it about the same. I haven’t devoted much time to finding drink matches for it, but may consider swapping this with 3 Stars if it holds up well to the standard cocktails I make at home.

Nose - light molasses, grass, mango, pineapple, vanilla cream, overripe banana, orange, black pepper, mild to moderate ethanol burn. Taste - light molasses, ginger, pineapple rind, black pepper, vanilla, overripe banana, earthy grass, simple syrup, sweet floral notes, yeast, clove, lemon pith, mild to moderate alcohol bite, finishing medium short with vanilla, simple syrup, ginger, and overripe tropical fruit flavors. This happens to be my standard rum mixer. Let’s see if it holds up well to sipping. The nose is very light, sweet, and grassy. It’s not too far from an over-sweetened, funky rhum agricole. The palate is very sweet, almost cloying, with some bitter and citrusy notes accompanying vanilla and tropical fruits. The finish is short and unremarkable, with some sweet, citrusy, and bitter notes quickly fading into the abyss. Overall, this is a good mixer but not a great sipper. It verges on cloying territory, as it doesn’t have enough depth to support the bland sweetness pervading the entire experience. While I plan to continue using it as my house rum mixer since it’s cheap and mixes inoffensively, I’m open to suggestions for better, more versatile white rums to stock.

Nose - molasses, honey, apple, sweet floral notes, earthy mint, clove, pineapple, cinnamon toast, vanilla, butterscotch, burnt brown sugar, orange, moderate to high ethanol burn. Taste - sweet molasses, cola, honey, ginger, black pepper, spearmint, cardamom, clove, banana, chocolate, pineapple, dry oak, brown sugar, burnt toast, vanilla, orange zest, powdered sugar, sweet floral notes, moderate to high alcohol alcohol bite, finishing medium long with molasses, honey, baking spice, dry oak, and mint flavors. This is my first of six Plantation offerings I’ll be reviewing in the coming days. I figured I’d start with this one, as I unintentionally strung together a few overproof rums. Compared to the Lemon Hart yesterday, this tastes downright docile at 138 proof. The nose is much lighter than Lemon Hart’s. Molasses, honey, and minty, floral aromas present on the nose. The palate is similarly fresher and sweeter. There’s more honey, cola-like molasses, and earthy mint flavors. This is certainly more sippable than Lemon Hart, but I wouldn’t call it a sipper. It tastes more like a better, overproof version of Bacardi 8 Year, with the strong floral and honey notes. And I think I like the darker, richer profile of the Lemon Hart better; I just wish it wasn’t quite as hot. Each of the four overproofs I tried are solid and will likely have a permanent place on my shelf. However, they don’t drink neat particularly well and my ratings reflect that. This came closer to reaching a 3.5 than the others, but I can’t quite get there.