Top 30 Rums Countdown # 25 – Rhum Barbancourt 15 Year Old Estate Reserve

Rhum Barbancourt is distilled and produced by Societe du Rhum Barbancourt,  in Port Au Prince on the Isle of Haiti. The word “rhum” is the French spelling for our English word “rum”. However, the differences between Rhum and Rum are often much deeper than just a twist in spelling. This is because the traditions of making rhum in the French West Indies differs from the traditions of rum production in the rest of the Caribbean. The major difference in the production of Agricole Rum is that it is distilled from fermented sugar cane juice rather than fermented molasses.

As far as Rhum goes, Rhum Barbancourt kind of breaks the mold and goes its own direction, but it is a direction which pleased the Judges and I so much that it landed at number 26 on the countdown list of the 30 Best Rums in the World:

#25 – Rhum Barbancourt 15 Year Old Estate Reserve

“… The initial scents in the breezes are of butterscotch and sandalwood oak. As the glass breathes the aroma becomes more complex with some light baking spices (vanilla, cinnamon and cloves) and both citrus (orange peel) and dry fruit (dates, apricot and raisin) evolving… “

This Rhum displays a very nice balance of flavour with a more mellow style of oak which allows the flavour nuances within to shine.

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Top 30 Rums Countdown # 26 – Jamaica Independence Reserve

Appleton Estate 50 Year Old Jamaica Rum – Jamaica Independence Reserve, is blended from rums which have been aged for a minimum of 50 years in hand selected, oak barrels. Only 800 bottles of this very rare, Limited Edition bottling were made available for sale around the world at a target Retail Price of US$5,000 per 750ml bottle. A few bottles trickled into my home Province of Alberta, and I was lucky enough to sample one with a friend from which I composed my initial review. I was also sent a media kit from Appleton Rum with a 100 ml sample. Using that sample my Judges and I tasted and scored the Appleton Estate 50 Year Old Jamaica Rum in our search for the best rums in the world.

The Jamaica Independence Reserve checks in to my countdown at number 26. It is as well, the most expensive rum on the countdown list:

# 26 – Appleton Estate 50 Year Old Jamaica Rum – Jamaica Independence Reserve

“… I sensed strong notes of oak and orange peel zest rising above the glass imprinted with deep dark brown sugar and baking spices. The dark brown sugar smells grow stronger over time as do the baking spices which display scents of spicy nutmeg, and cinnamon. I also smell walnuts and a strong impression of vanilla…”

The finish of this rum displays oak spice, orange peel, cloves and cinnamon that seems to linger forever.

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Top 30 Rums Countdown # 27 – El Dorado 15 Year Old Special Reserve Rum

According to the  Demerara Distillers Ltd. (DDL) website, The El Dorado 15 Year Old Special Reserve Rum is a blend of selected aged rums (some as old as 25 years), from the Enmore and Diamond Coffey stills, the Port Mourant double wooden pot still, and the Versailles single wooden pot still. It is blended and aged  in old bourbon oak casks. (You may read about these ancient stills here.)

The website also makes it clear that the 15 year age statement represents the youngest rum in the blend. This is quite different from those rums which feature a solero style age statement which highlights the oldest rum in the blend and usually includes a high percentage of rum which is much younger in the blend.

#27 – El Dorado 15 Year Old Special Reserve Rum

“… The immediate nose brings forward rich oak filled notes of spicy toffee, dark dried fruit, marmalade, and vanilla into the air. As I let the glass sit, I begin to notice sherried aromas of raisins and dates, some dark bittersweet chocolate and a welcome but delicate scent of pipe tobacco.”

The longer the glass sits, the richer the flavour and aroma become!
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Top 30 Rums Countdown # 28 – Santa Teresa 1796 Antiguo de Solera

The Ron Santa Theresa 1796 Antiguo de Solero is a Venezuelan rum which can trace its ancestry back to the year of 1796 when the Santa Theresa Hacienda was created. This is a true Solero rum with 4 rows of aging barrels set one atop each other. As the rum ages, a portion of the rum moves through each row until it reaches the final solero row at the bottom years later. The barrels are never fully emptied as only a portion of the rum from the previous or higher row is moved to the lower row each time.

The Santa Teresa 1796 Antiguo de Solera was well liked by my Panel of Judges making into the Top 30 Rum Countdown as the #28 rum.

#28 – Santa Teresa 1796 Antiguo de Solera

“… the initial aroma seems to be hinting that the spirit at some point in its journey passed through an exotic wine cask which has left an imprint of fruity dark cherries and plums upon the scent of the rum. Rich aromas of butterscotch and light smells of molasses join with these fruity scents and the result is most appealing. Wood spices abound, and they are tart like cinnamon and cloves…”

The appeal of this rum is to visit it when something special is in the winds.

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Top 30 Rums Countdown # 29 – Panama Red 108

Panama Red 108 is a Panamanian rum brought to you by PANAMONTE BRANDS. The rum is handcrafted by Master Blender, Francisco “Don Pancho” Fernandez. It is produced from the sugar cane that grew in Las Cabras de Pese, the same region where the Distillery is located. Although the rum is stated as overproof, when I received my first sample bottle two years ago in Miami, Don Pancho  assured me that the rum will feel much smoother in the mouth than a typical overproof rum. (He was right!)

It has as its base, a 3 year molasses based rum which is aged in used Bourbon casks at the distillery warehouse in Pese. That a three-year old rum makes the countdown list is impressive, that the rum is as well, an overproof bottling (bottled at 54 % alcohol by volume), is a testament to the blending expertise Master Blender, Francisco “Don Pancho” Fernandez.

# 29 – Panama Red 108

“… The caramel aroma is accented by hints of tobacco and leather, and the oak spices have separated into orange peel and light baking spices. Nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves and walnuts have all found their way into the breezes. There is also an underlying floral character to the nose which is very inviting…”

Note: For the record, I like overproof spirits. Not only is the alcohol content stronger, but flavours and aroma are also more concentrated. This gives me more versatility when I consume the spirit to find my own sweet spot of flavour. The Panama Red 108 gives me the versatility I desire. But, more importantly, the Panama Red 108 is an excellent sipping rum!

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Top 30 Rums Countdown begins with Cruzan Single Barrel

This year, when I was deliberating over my 2012 Rum Howler Awards, it occurred to me that the line-up of rum which I had tasted over the past year was impressive. When I further considered all the rums I had tasted since I opened this website, I realized this was indeed an impressive amount of rum that I have tasted and scored. Adding it all up, I have tasting and scoring notes for over 300 rums which I have had the privilege of sampling over the past four years. (Note: In addition to the nearly 175 rum reviews I have published on this site, I also have tasting notes and scores compiled for over 125 more rums which I encountered at various festivals and judging events which I have attended.) This gives me a broad perspective on the world of rum. And perhaps, all this rum tasting and scoring gives me at least some of the qualifications to embark on a very particular quest to uncover and list the Best Rums in the World.

If you are interested in such things, a detailed explanation of how I came up with this list is available here, (The Rum Howler 2012 Top 30 Rums). This web page also contains the complete list in reverse order. One catch, is that I will be filling that list out over the next several weeks, one rum at a time, countdown style. As I fill out the list, I will be providing my most up to date review for that particular Rum. Some of these rums have been reviewed previously, and those reviews will be updated if required to reflect my feelings on the most recent bottling. Some of the Rums on the list will be reviewed for the first time. Although the effort put into this project was very significant, I hope that those who read the reviews and follow the countdown have some fun. Disagreement with my Panel of Judges is welcome, and so are questions about the list.

I shall begin the list with the 30th Best Rum in the World as chosen by myself and my esteemed Panel of Judges:

#30 –   Cruzan Single Barrel Rum

I hope everyone enjoys my 2012 Top 30 Rums Countdown!

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The Year In Rum (Part 2 – The Best of Rum)

We have come to my final posting with regards to the 2012 Rum Howler Awards. This is The second half of my Rum awards where I determine the Best of the Best in the world of Rum.

White Rum, Spiced Rum, Flavoured Rums and Mixing Rums have all been examined to determine the best that 2012 has given us for our cocktail enjoyment. As well I have examined the best sipping rums aged from four years in oak all the way to fifty.  When it comes to sipping rums, age matters, but not necessarily as much as you might think. It has been a great year in rum for The Rum Howler, and it is time for me to reveal Part 2 of the 2012 Rum Howler Awards for Excellence in the Production of Rum. These Awards are for the Best and Greatest Rum Spirits which I encountered in the year 2012.

Here is the link:

The 2012 Rum Howler Awards for Rum (Part 2 – The Best of Rum)

The Year in Rum – Part 1

Today, I am continuing my 2012 Rum Howler Awards by selecting the best rum from the various rum producing regions of the world. After all, it is not just the Caribbean Islands which make great rum. Rum is produced in almost every part of the world where sugar cane is grown. And in some cold weather climes (like Canada), where they cannot grow the cane, there is a long tradition of buying rum in bulk from various rum producers and then blending their own unique styles. As with my other awards to date, all of the awards I am presenting today are based upon side by side tasting sessions held over a period of several weeks. I began over two months ago slowly tasting different Rums side by side bringing only the very best forward for the final tastings which took place over the past month.

Here is a link to my 2012 Rum Howler Regional Rum Awards:

The 2012 Rum Howler Awards for Rum (Part 1 – The Regional Awards)

Enjoy my award selections!

Revisiting Flor de Caña Rum

When I opened my website, my absolute favourite rums were the 7 and 12-year-old rums of Flor de Caña. And my initial scores for these two rums reflected that love affair. When I want to kick back and enjoy a nice drink, either one fits the bill nicely. However; I have noticed that my yearning for each of these rums has dimmed lately. Other sexy new rums have come across my palate, and I reach for the Flor de Caña less and less.

This Autumn, (as a treat for the Canadian Thanksgiving) my wonderful wife picked me up a new bottle of each knowing how I had raved about each of them in the past, and that night I opened the Seven Year Old and had a nice drink over ice. I noticed then (but I did not mention it to my wife) that the flavour wasn’t quite as I remembered it. I do not know if the rum has changed, or if after three years of reviewing rum, my perceptions and standards had changed. There was only (in my mind) one thing to do. I revisited each rum in my private tasting room (and with my friends on another day), and I rewrote my tasting notes and scores. From these I cobbled together two new reviews for my website.

I should point out before anyone gets concerned, that despite the changes I found, each rum still pleases me immensely. The Rums of Flor de Caña are still amongst my favourites. Here are the links to each of the new reviews:

Review: Flor de Caña Grand Reserve 7 Year

Review: Flor de Caña Centenario 12 YR Old Rum

Reviews: Captain Morgan Black Spiced Rum and The Kraken

Captain Morgan Rum has expanded their range of spiced rums to include a new “Black” spiced rum. I strongly suspect that the recent success of the Kraken Black Spiced Rum has motivated a move in this direction in order to garner a segment of this market. Of course just as was the case with the Kraken, the launch of the Captain Morgan Black Spiced Rum was accompanied with a slick media campaign to push the rum into the forefront of the rum aficionado’s consciousness.

I decided that I should revisit the Kraken, and at the same time review the Captain Morgan Black Spiced Rum. And what better day than Halloween to publish the two reviews. If you are familiar with my previous review of Kraken Black Spiced Rum, you will notice that the review has not changed much. (I did adjust the score a little to reflect my current opinion.) My Captain Morgan Black Spiced Rum review is however, freshly pressed and brand new.

Here are the reviews for your enjoyment:

Review: Kraken Black Spiced Rum

Review: Captain Morgan Black Spiced Rum

Happy Halloween Everyone!