That Boutique-y Whisky Company had intrigued me from the get-go, with their eloquent cartoon-like labels and often interesting combinations of spirit and cask they grabbed my attention, but the availability outside the UK was quite poor. Fast forward a number of years, and there are now both rum and gin off-shoots, bolstering the same cartoonesque… Continue reading That Boutique-y Rum Company Foursquare 10y Batch 04
Cabo Verdean Grogue
Cabo Verde, off the west coast of Africa, is an archipelago that used to be under Portuguese control. Since they produce sugarcane, it’s no wonder they’ve also jumped on the rum-wagon and have started to export some of their own rum, or “grogue” as they call it. Sodade Cana Rocca Ouro Blanco 2022 The Sodade… Continue reading Cabo Verdean Grogue
Peaty Plantation
In my exploration of rum, I’ve tried some expressions which had matured or been finished on ex-Islay or other peated whisky casks. Even though I very much enjoy a peated whisky, the combination with rum has never been terribly successful in my experience. The two rums I have in my glass today will try and… Continue reading Peaty Plantation
WIRD – Svenska Eldvatten – 2000/2013
The Rockley still has quite a fabled history, but has just very recently been restored and should be operational at West Indies Rum Distillery, yet it’s much too soon for us to taste anything produced by that still. This release then was made to resemble what came out of the Rockley still in the 1800’s.… Continue reading WIRD – Svenska Eldvatten – 2000/2013
Some American Grain
As a European, I find the popularity, and moreso the prices people are willing to pay for American whiskey/bourbon/rye/… baffling. Don’t get me wrong, I like having a nice bourbon from time to time, both neat and in a good cocktail, like an Old-Fashioned. However, I find the overall variety in flavors to be a… Continue reading Some American Grain
Sweet Empire
Sweet Empire was a Dutch punk rock band that…Oh wait, I’m not reviewing music here. Well, Sweet Empire is a rum released by the Dutch punk rock band of the same name. They released 2 batches. Batch 1 was releases in 2023 as a celebration of their 15th anniversary. Batch 2 was released a couple… Continue reading Sweet Empire
A1710 Tricentenaire
The Tricentenaire is an assemblage of different rums that were purchased by the distillery, but not necessarily distilled by them. 11 different rums aged between 6 and 20 years old were married in large French oak barrels, to be bottled at 43.9% ABV. Age: 6-20 years ABV: 43.9% ABV RumX: RX538 Nose: Peaches, and lots… Continue reading A1710 Tricentenaire
A1710 Cheval Bondieu
A1710 is a fairly new distillery located in Martinique. Their first aged products were primarily blends of rum distilled by other distilleries, but my first encounter with the distillery was through their range of unaged rums. Distillery: A1710 ABV: 51.5% Age: 18-36 months Cask: French + American Barrels RumX ID: RX1431 The Cheval Bondieu (Good Lord’s… Continue reading A1710 Cheval Bondieu
The Nectar of the Daily Drams Jamaica + Trinidad
Last year, Belgian importer The Nectar bottled this blend of 7 year old T.D.L and 5 year old Worthy Park. The blend was finished in a PX cask and bottled at a hefty 70% ABV. Nose: It’s quite a dark dram, and smells the like. Cola, cherry pits and a heavy, almost burnt caramel. Hints… Continue reading The Nectar of the Daily Drams Jamaica + Trinidad
Famille Ricci 7th Symphony
Famille Ricci is one of the newer bottlers, having started in 2019. While they do occasionally bottle single casks, their main focus is on blends and experimentation with various cask-types that are not seen all to often, creating interesting concoctions. At the recent Spirits in the Sky festival, I was finally able to try out… Continue reading Famille Ricci 7th Symphony