For those unfamiliar with the term, it’s pronounced ‘marks’; in the rum world, marques differentiate between different styles of rum made on the same still and/or at the same distillery. It is not perfectly relevant to today’s tasting, but I enjoy a little wordplay. I’d like to mention that the direction of today’s tasting was shaped by a few keen folks on my Instagram page.
As this is the beginning of a new blog, I decided to choose a few rums that are also young and fresh. Keep in mind that white appearance does not indicate an unmodified spirit and unless specifically mentioned, one should never consider a white spirit to be the same as coming straight from the still.
A lightly aged spirit can be ‘made’ white through charcoal filtration (charcoal whitens more than just teeth!). A spirit can also be white and totally unaged, but have still undergone some post-distillation processing, such as spending a little time being slowly diluted and/or oxygenated, which is the case with some French agricole.
Other than doing some slow breathing in my sample bottles as I nursed them, none of these should have been modified at all.
I didn’t mean to do this tasting blind, but I mixed up the glasses almost immediately in excitement. However, with such powerfully distinctive spirits, they should be impossible to mix up.
Habitation Velier – Hampden LROK (62.5%)
This is one of the eight different marques that Hampden makes, this specific one being number 3 of 8. You can think of it like the stick-shift in a car, this rum being a low gear for when you’re just getting going; I’m no car expert, but this would be some beast of a high end car.
What a bouquet! Ripe and fermenting pineapple, mango, brine, nutmeg oil and eucalyptus; the unmistakable ester-y goodness of Hampden that makes your tongue salivate at the proposition.
This is what is meant by Jamaican funk and as much as I can give tasting notes, it really is impossible for me to fully describe without actually smelling it. From my first small taste, it is a little raw, green, and acidic on the palate, then a little ripe plantain, under-ripe mango, and scalding-hot butterscotch. Impressions of cocoa powder, nutmeg, beeswax, candied ginger; then some nail varnish and kerosene, a little pink rubber school eraser (I really saved the best for last). Texturally, it is incredibly oily, with a nice lasting heat on the finish.
A very small sip or two is nice, but I wouldn’t drink much more of this outside of a cocktail. A striking profile and for me, the most enjoyable and enticing nose of the three. To ingest more of this neat, I personally need some softening, either by wood or further oxygenation and dilution, as there is a little harshness and for me a slight off-note that puts me slightly on edge; then again, this likely wasn’t intended to be drunk neat. A clean, sharp, razor blade of funk.
84pt
Neisson L’Espirit (70%)
A limited, yearly release that began with the distillery’s 70th anniversary; they apparently keep some of their best quality white rum in steel over a six month period and then bottle it all at the end of the season.
Right off the bat, incredibly fruity, grassy, wet, and juicy with the unmistakable aroma of fresh cane juice, even jaggery/gur (essentially evaporated cane juice); I feel like I’m near a cane press and getting some ambient juice squirted in my face. Further aromas waft up of stone fruit pits, coconut oil, a little salinity, and under-ripe papaya.
I must say it is also quite clean and masterfully assembled, which is to me, indicative of the French style. It is much more vegetal than the last one, just slightly reminiscent of an agave distillate. Tasting it brings some basil and pine nuts (yes, I’m craving some pesto now), with some ripe red bell peppers, nuttiness, and creamy, fleshy tropical fruits. It is far more easy going than expected, though there is a bit of sharpness on the mid to back palate. I have the impression of biting into a hot piece of cane, cut fresh from the field, with a little mustiness from wet leaves and mineral, stony earth. The finish is really just the whole flavour profile slowly diluting, but it stays very consistent.
I actually prefer this to most aged Neisson rum I’ve had, but maybe that’s my own peculiarity. It’s certainly hot, but delicious to sip on. There is so much intention in this bottle; the maker created something that knows exactly what it is and leans heavily into it. A glorious, oily cane juice and I have no shame in admitting I licked the glass clean.
87pt
L’Espirit Diamond (Port Mourant, 85%)
Here’s a unique one, I only know of one other unaged Port Mourant that was released by Habitation Velier; whether I end up loving it or not, this is an incredible opportunity. At this point, I know no fear and dive in [it would prove to be a brash idea]. Intense heat, brown sugar, and soft, moist fudge. There is more, but I cannot get past the heat on the nose; to me, it feels like the most industrial of the bunch. A quick taste provides…molten caramel; one does not simply walk into Mordor.
It is certainly more interesting than the High Wine I have from the same distillery, but that should be expected since that is industrial column distillate. An addition of a little water muted the nose and made the ethanol more intense; this one might bring a quick end to me and this blog. However, the palate is now a little more manageable. It now certainly reminds me of some higher proof European aged Port Mourants; herbal, with anise, steamed apple, milk chocolate, white glue, a whiff of white raisins, cherry pits, and a little fried plantain and banana bread.
Oddly enough I want to describe the texture as crisp and bready. It’s a weird note, sue me. I don’t mind the flavour, but the intensity of molasses and brown sugar is hard to get through to find the rest of the complex nuance beneath; I certainly did not pick up as much as Lance, but that correlates to my relative inexperience and not to his exuberance. Having said that, I’ve certainly had spirits 20 degrees cooler that hit as hard as this one, so kudos to the bottler. The finish is juicy, but I’m also a little drunk now.
81pt
Final Thoughts
– The Hampden is lovely, but to me, marginally inferior to Rum Fire, Hampden’s distillery release which contains a slightly more potent marque and at a more reasonable price.
– The Neisson is the winner here and I can’t wait to add it as a permanent fixture to my shelf.
– The Diamond is the most geeky of the bunch as unaged Port Mourant rum is a rarity. This one was unique, interesting, and certainly worth trying, but a sample will satisfy most.
I’m grateful to John and Karl out in Western Canada, as well as the Lance, who have each wrung out some remaining drops from their bottles to provide me with these incredibly interesting samples. Tasting unaged spirits is always educational and quite enjoyable once you get the hang of it. I’ll definitely add a few more parts to this series as I have a fair amount of whites to get through and will certainly be on the lookout for more.