Category: Rum

Spirits distilled from Sugar byproducts

Review: Plantation 2005 Jamaica

On By MajorHopIn 80-84, Jamaica, RumLeave a comment

Price: $60 for 750ml

Distilled/Owned by: Long Pond & Clarendon / Maison Ferrand

Region: Jamaica

45.2% ABV

Distillate: Molasses

Aged For: 12 Years in Jamaica, 1 Year in France

Cask Type: Ex-bourbon, Ferrand Cognac Casks

Additives used: May have up to 0.1% E150a coloring

Color: Chestnut

Drank: Neat, in a snifter

Nose: Strong, with papaya, kiwi, and pineapple with an estery funky background. Earth, oak, banana, floral, and butter.

Mouthfeel: Light to medium body

Palate/Taste: Buttery pastries, vanilla, funk, oak, peach, molasses, mint,

Finish: Medium warmth and long lasting, minty, earth, esters, oak, citrus, and walnuts

Thoughts: For me this is the right level of funk in my rum, present but now a completely overpowering experience.

Score: 84 out of 100

Review: El Dorado 8 Year

On By MajorHopIn 80-84, Diamond, Guyana, RumLeave a comment

Price: $25 for 750ml

Distilled/Owned by: Diamond Distillers

Region: Guyana

40% ABV

Distillate: Molasses

Aged For: 8-Years

Cask Type: Ex-bourbon barrels

Additives used: Yes

Color: Mahogany

Drank: Neat, in a glencairn

Nose: Molasses, oak, tobacco, funk, caramel, coconut, pepper, vanilla

Mouthfeel: Light bodied

Palate/Taste: Dry oak spice, brown sugar, molasses, cinnamon, ginger, and hint of smoke

Finish: Surprisingly warm for the proof, and medium length, caramel, oak, baking spice, chocolate

Thoughts: Again surprisingly good, spicy, and complex given the price and proof of this.

Score: Low 80’s

Review: Plantation 2001 Barbados

On By MajorHopIn 75-79, Barbados, RumLeave a comment

Price: $50 for 750ml

Distilled/Owned by: Sourced / Pierre Ferrand

Region: Barbados

42% ABV

Distillate: Molasses

Aged For: 10 Years (8 years in Barbados, 2 in France)

Cask Type: Ex-bourbon for 8 years, finished in cognac casks 2 years

Additives used: Yes

Color: Deep gold

Drank: Neat, in a glencairn

Nose: Banana, honey, oak, cinnamon, citrus, pineapple, butterscotch

Mouthfeel: Light bodied

Palate/Taste: Sweet, with lots of honey, butter, orange, banana, and nuts

Finish: Light warmth and shorter finish, citrus, vanilla, sugar, touch of mint and oak

Thoughts: Pretty uninspired compared to what plantation has been doing more recently. Simple sweet rum that’s not a sugar bomb like a lot of Rons, but not a lot of nuanced sipping complexity either.

Score: 78 out of 100

Review: Hamilton Demerara

On By MajorHopIn 80-84, Guyana, RumLeave a comment

Price: $20 for 750ml

Distilled/Owned by: Diamond / Hamilton

Region: Guyana

43% ABV

Distillate: Molasses

Aged For: Up to 5 years

Additives used: Caramel Coloring

Color: Old Oak (Fake!)

Drank: Neat, in a glencairn

Nose: Molasses, caramel, raisin, smoke, fig, pecan, very sweet with lots of fruit.

Mouthfeel: Light to medium bodied

Palate/Taste: Brown sugar, molasses, port soaked pipe tobacco, prunes, oak, figs

Finish: Between light and medium heat with a medium length finish, a oaky leather smoke backbone with bits of cocoa and vanilla. Touches of fruit here and there.

Thoughts: After having tried the Hamilton 151 neat (this is the same stuff proofed down with added coloring) this is a much better sipper, but doesn’t have as good of a punch for mixed drinks. It’s basically a young El Dorado without added sugars. For me a nice thing to have in rotation.

Score: 80 out of 100

Review: Foursquare 2007

On By MajorHopIn 85-89, Barbados, Foursquare, RumLeave a comment

Price: $70 for 750ml

Distilled/Owned by: Foursquare

Region: Barbados

59% ABV

Distillate: Molasses

Aged For: 12 Years, Distilled 2007

Cask Type: Ex-bourbon

Chill Filtered: No

Additives used: No

Color: Auburn

Drank: Neat, in a glencairn

Nose: Vanilla, molasses, brown sugar, coconut, oak, almond, pepper, and leather

Mouthfeel: Full bodied

Palate/Taste: Vanilla, cola syrup, pepper, molasses, coconut, oak, marzipan

Finish: Above medium warmth and long lasting, Coconut and fruit mix with sweet molasses and oak.

Thoughts: Has a more oily consistency than many of the other foursquare releases I have sampled, likely due to the fact this one has more pot still distillate in the blend compared to previous releases.

Score: 88 out of 100

Review: Richland Rum Single Barrel

On By MajorHopIn 80-84, Richland, Rum, U.S.A.Leave a comment

Price: $90 for 750ml

Distilled/Owned by: Richland

Region: Georgia, USA

57.9% ABV

Distillate: Pure Cane Syrup

Aged For: 4 Years, Distilled 2014

Cask Type: Virgin white oak

Barrel #: 230, bottle #202

Chill Filtered: No

Additives used: No

Color: Tawny

Drank: Neat, in a copita

Nose: Thick molasses, cherry, leather, pepper, star anise, licorice, hot and boozy

Mouthfeel: Medium body, dry, hot

Palate/Taste: Fresh cut sugar cane, molasses, grass, caramel, oak, chocolate, and a bit of pepper

Finish: Hot and medium to long lasting, dry oak, “fresh” sugar, vanilla, and licorice with slightly grassy vegetal note

Thoughts: Coming out of the gate this thing punches hard on the nose and palate. Sits at an interesting balance between traditional whisky flavors and rhum Agricole.

Score: 80 out of 100

Review: Santiago de Cuba 12 Extra Anejo

On By MajorHopIn 85-89, Cuba, Cuban Rum Corporation, RumLeave a comment

Price: $43 for 700ml

Distilled/Owned by: Cuban Rum Corporation

Region: Cuba

40% ABV

Distillate: Molasses

Aged For: 12 Years

Cask Type: Unspecified

Additives used: No added sugar

Color: Auburn

Drank: Neat, in a glencairn

Nose: Bannana, honey, kiwi, lime, oak, cinnamon, caramel, and molasses

Mouthfeel: Medium

Palate/Taste: Caramel, brown sugar, vanilla, coconut, pepper, butter, leather, and tobacco

Finish: Light warmth, medium length, butterscotch, brown sugar, molasses, oak, vanilla, toffee, and clove

Thoughts: Far superior to the Havana Club offerings from Cuba I have sampled, and pairs wonderfully with a cigar (I’ve tested). Its simple, but solid and while easy to sip, not boring.

Score: 85 out of 100

Review: Dictador 20

On By MajorHopIn 75-79, Columbia, Destileria Colombiana, RumLeave a comment

Price: $60 for 750ml

Distilled/Owned by: Destileria Colombiana

Region: Colombia

40% ABV

Distillate: Sugar Cane Honey

Aged For: 20 year solera

Cask Type: “Pre used oak barrels” as per their website

Sugar added: No

Color: Tawny

Drank: Neat, in a glencairn

Nose: Liquorice, anise, pepper, oak, bitter chocolate, coffee, sherry, and caramel

Mouthfeel: Light bodied

Palate/Taste: Vanilla, honey, oak, maple, toffee, hazelnut, and molasses

Finish: Light warmth, not a very long finish, caramel, hazelnut spread, liquorice, honey, light coffee, and maple.

Thoughts: Not a lot of fruit notes to be found here, but lots of honey, roasted nut, and coffee notes. Not overly complex and definitely in the easy sipper category.

Score: 75 out of 100

Review: Plantation Jamaica 2002

On By MajorHopIn 80-84, Jamaica, Rum, SourcedLeave a comment

Price: $40 for 750ml

Distilled/Owned by: Long Pond & Clarendon

Region: Jamaica

42% ABV

Distillate: Molasses

Aged For: 13 years, (10 Jamaica, 3 France)

Cask Type: 10 Years in ex-bourbon, finished 3 years in Pierre Ferrand Cognac Casks

Chill Filtered: Yes

Additives used: Yes

Color: Amber

Drank: Neat, in a glencairn

Nose: Funky esters, pepper, oak, vanilla, earth, herbs, copper, pineapple, basmati rice with raisins

Mouthfeel: Light bodied

Palate/Taste: Banana, pineapple, cinnamon, oak, orange, mint, coconut, plum

Finish: Light warmth, short to medium length, molasses, pineapple, esters, oak, nutmeg

Thoughts: Not the funk bomb a lot of Jamaican rums are, and it is sweet for Jamaican as well, but overall not a bad rum.

Score: 80 out of 100

Review: Dos Maderas 5+5

On By MajorHopIn 75-79, Rum, SourcedLeave a comment

Price: $30 for 750ml

Distilled/Owned by: Sourced / Williams & Humbert

Region: Distilled in Barbados & Guyana, Finished in Spain

40% ABV

Distillate: Molasses

Aged For: 10 Years (5 in the Caribbean, 5 in Spain)

Cask Type: American Oak (5 Years), Palo Cortado Casks (3 Years), and PX Sherry (2 Years)

Additives used: Yes

Color: Brown sherry

Drank: Neat, in a glencairn

Nose: Sherry, citrus, dried fruits, oak, chocolate, marzipan, coconut, brown sugar, sherry

Mouthfeel: Light bodied, slightly syrupy

Palate/Taste: Vanilla, chocolate, oak, sherry, maple, raisins, sugar

Finish: Light to medium warmth, medium length. A bit of oak and pepper, sherry, and vanilla

Thoughts: The sherry is very dominate on the profile, I actually think they add sherry to the rum at points in the solera. I taste bits of oak and dry spice underneath the super saturated sweetness. Very Similar to Your El Dorados and Diplomatico Rums if you enjoy those. I’m a sucker for PX sherry so this isn’t a bad rum for myself.

Score: 78 out of 100