Months into the first Canadian Covid lockdown, with no work and plenty of time on my hands, I decided to do some online tastings with some other Canadian enthusiasts, focusing on education and procuring uncommon and rare bottles. After a few successful sessions, I realised the possibility of a monthly rum club, which I started officially in January of 2021. Although I took a few months off from running it during the summer, we have continued going the last couple of months and will hopefully be able to continue consistently into the future. Although I occasionally change the format for sake of variety, the standard is four different samples with an aim for diversity.
Plantation Trinidad 2009 – (12 y.o., 51.8%, 24 cask blend)
I don’t often purchase products from Plantation, mostly because I’m always looking to understand terroir in spirits. This is difficult to perceive when a spirit goes through multiple maturations in different climates and barrel types, not to mention the addition of sugar, all of which is the typical practice for this bottler. In my opinion, it’s like taking a photo and then heavily adjusting it with filters; the end product might be visually appealing, but you’re on poor footing to understand the original photograph.
I picked this one up on recommendation of a friend with a similar palate. It was aged 11 years in ex-bourbon in Trinidad, then finished a year in a Cognac cask in France, with no added sugar. On paper, this reads well, though I generally don’t go for modern Trinidadian rum, preferring heavier, more flavorful spirits; we’ll see how this one fares. It is a limited release and was produced on the multi-column still at Trinidad Distillers Ltd.
Golden in the glass, with a pronounced nose that is both sweet and savoury, it has a rubbery, industrial vibe alongside some fruits. Is this a Caroni imitator? There’s a whiff of toffee and vanilla, then lots of dried raspberries, plump sultanas, prunes, and currants, basically a fruit cake or fruit leather. There’s a great herbality to it as well, with a fair amount of lemon peel and mint, fresh cut ginger, a touch of sage, pine needles, and a splash of olive brine.
The palate is a little tart and fruity, more orange than lemon peel, the sweetness dries out and goes spicy, into a long mint and black pepper sensation. The dilution is well-done, I can imagine the spice and menthol taking over this profile without it, and it still maintains a lightly oily texture. The fruit and menthol stay on the palate for a long and very complex finish.
Regarding the cognac cask, I can’t say I notice the influence, especially with a profile this pronounced. I believe there should be reason for the creative choices bottlers make and I really don’t see it here. Perhaps not an everyday pour for me, but overall is still an absolute stunner that is both a great example of what TDL can produce as well as being incredibly unique.
(88pt)
Valinch & Mallet: Panama 2006 (12 y.o., 58.6%, 279 bottles)
A Panamanian rum of unknown origins, selected by our friends at Valinch & Mallet, another European indie bottler. I know looks don’t make liquid taste better, but their bottles are certainly eye-catching, with a map of the country on the label as well as a metal plate acid-etched with relevant details, even including individual bottle numbering; a classy touch. However, I digress; similar to Trinidad, Panama is another country that lacks much real estate on my shelves, as they are also known for light, industrial column-distilled rums. However, especially after the last pour, I’m coming to this one with an open mind, especially as it has a nice, punchy proof.
In the glass, the liquid is amber, and the aroma is of medium intensity. Cacao, coconut, coffee, tobacco, and caramel are dominant, with a bit of hot buttered grits in the mix. Some aroma of toasted malt bread (something like Tiger Malt for my Caribbeans). There is a little fruit; cooked pear, a little banana, and some cherry pit, as well as a little spice, specifically cardamom, ginger, and vanilla essence. Some sawdust and char from the barrel is quite apparent as well.
It’s rich on the palate, thick and almost sweet, essentially an alcoholic Werther’s Original. The barrel char is even more apparent in the mouth, as well as just a touch of tobacco. Unfortunately, most of the complexity of the nose seems lost here and it remains sweet and hot into the finish, like melted caramel from a pan.
This would be a great recommendation for someone who prefers sweet rums but is looking to gently experiment in drier territory; it would also be an excellent recommendation for someone who enjoys bourbon or Canadian whisky; in any case, the unbalanced integration of alcohol here will be off-putting to any who aren’t acclimated to higher proof. Perhaps some more time in wood could balance this a little more, however it may further dilute this somewhat one-dimensional profile.
(78pt)
Clement Brut De Fut: Bottled for La Confrerie Du Rhum (3.75 y.o., 60.9%, 750 bottles)
A few years ago, Benoit Bail and Jerry Gitany of La Confrerie Du Rhum (the world’s largest rum-focused Facebook group) were in Martinique and met up wit the boys from Quebec Rhum, where they tasted some barrels of Clement in heavily toasted American oak barrels. They loved it so much, they convinced the cellar master to bottle it at cask strength for La Confrerie Du Rhum. Cask strength rum from Clement is a real rarity, certainly not something I’ve ever experienced, so I am very excited to try this one! According to RhumAttitude, this is a blend of 10 barrels, but I take this with a grain of salt, as they also mention this being the first cask strength from Clement, which simply isn’t true. Interestingly enough this is not an AOC-certified rum and my guess would be that the heavy influence of the American oak has hindered the rum from meeting those strict qualifications. However, legality cannot tell us what is tasty or not.
In the glass, this is a rich copper hue, certainly darker than the last one! This is to be expected, especially from a heavily toasted barrel that is also spending all its time in a hot Caribbean warehouse.
The nose is full of grass and wood, though only of a medium-minus intensity. Vegetal, sugar cane and coconut husks (think dried grass and leaves), chewy caramel, whole grain bread, some dried apricot and a little cantaloupe, hint of cinnamon, and a fair amount of wood shavings. Honestly, there isn’t a whole lot going on here, but what is here is quite lovely.
The palate is rich and sweet, with exceptional alcohol integration and a silky, chewable texture. More caramel, vanilla, and dry sugar cane. This shares a lot of territory with a high-rye bourbon (which I also happen to be a big fan of, I’m a big fan of wood juice, what can I say), however, the agricole profile is still very apparent. By the way, the spirit is very dry, but the impression of sweetness is what I’m really talking about here. Similar to the nose, there isn’t a whole lot going on with the palate in terms of complexity, however for what it does have, it has in spades.
While delicious, the palate is heavily taken over by the cask profile, and isn’t the best example of the category, which is further made clear by the lack of AOC on the label (the marker that denotes a spirit to be following the strict rules for French agricole rum). This does not take away from the fact that this is incredibly well-made and structured and will certainly not stop me from tucking away multiple bottles for future enjoyment.
(88pt)
Rom DeLuxe Jamaica “White DOK” – (Batch III, 85.6%)
The reigning queen of high ester rums, Hampden distillery’s highest marque (for the uninitiated, essentially a rum recipe), the infamous DOK, the result of muck, dunder, spontaneous fermentation, and a whole lot of other unique practices that lie between magic and science; this funky liquid is straight from the still, with no room for mercy, hence my leaving it for the finale of the tasting.
This specific batch was purchased from Hampden and eventually bottled ‘as is’ by the Danes at Rum DeLuxe, yet another indie outfit (sensing a pattern here?).
I nosed this at full-proof now, and then nosed (and tasted) it again the next day with some dilution, as nosing this fiyah-watah straight is the equivalent of looking directly at the sun. #GreatWhiteMarques
Of course the liquid is clear as it is straight off the still; DOK at this proof is a contender for the most pronounced nose I’ve ever experienced.
Lots of ripe (and over-ripe) tropical fruit and brine, such as pineapple, mango, pear, fluorescent glacé cherries, a little marzipan, rounded off with a little eucalyptus, varnish, and red wine vinegar. It’s smells savoury and tangy, like preserved meat and rotting fruit in a steamy compost bin.
The palate is hot, even with a little water, but incredibly sweet and thick, before evaporating like water in a hot oven. Flavourful, but intense and challenging. Hot pineapple-chili oil (is that a thing?), the brine comes immediately, salty and sweet, as well as a few resinous notes.
Overall, delicious, but wildly unbalanced. A treat (or a trick, depending on your outlook), but not something I need to revisit often, though it is decidedly a liquid of immense uniqueness. Funnily enough, I rate this only as high as its proof percentage.
(85pt)
The Wild Parrot: Hampden 2009 (11 y.o., 63.8%)
I offered a sample of this rarity as an accompaniment to the tasting, as it is a solid comparison to our final sample, as it is also DOK.
The liquid is a pale gold, having spent most of it’s life aging in Europe. Similarly, lots of over-ripe fruit like before, but a touch more of a pickled character here, with some gherkins and a lot more marzipan. Conversely, there is less varnish and eucalyptus. A thin veneer of baking spice helps reign in this beast, giving an overall warmer impression.
The decade in wood gives a light touch to the spirit, acting more to mellow, rather than flavour. Absolutely delicious and decadent, like drizzling hot caramel over our ripe fruits that already had a little creamy balsamic vinegar on it. My analogy is perhaps a bit too spot on, as we lose a bit of the fruity brightness to the sweetness. However, I think the trade off is worth it as this overall is much more elegant and drinkable. I’ll be treasuring the remainder I have left of this bottle.
(92pt)