We continue with the third part of the Advent Calendar Blind Tasting. For completeness, here’s the overview of the other parts.

• Advent Calendar 2017 Blind Tasting Part I (Door 1-6)
• Advent Calendar 2017 Blind Tasting Part II (Door 7-12)
• Advent Calendar 2017 Blind Tasting Part III (Door 13-18)
• Advent Calendar 2017 Blind Tasting Part IV (Door (19-24)

Whiskybroker Uitvlugt (Port Mourant) 1999 17YO (Guyana, 60,8%): And it is getting better again. A heavy, yet rather unobstrusive nose. It starts with spices, dry wood chippings and old, non-smelly cheese. I like it a lot, even though it doesn’t reveal all that much. I get an idea but we have to taste it for further information. At the palate, the rum offers much better quality. It is much more direct and on the point. Dry wood paired with spices and citrus is what comes to my mind. It is rather mild in fact and has a woody- and dryness which comes from the distillate instead of the cask. This all points to Port Mourant I’d say. The finish offers more of the same, namely dry wood and citrus notes. It is rather pleasant. This rum has to be among my favorites so far. 8/10

Velier Chamarel 2011 6YO (Mauritius, 55,5%): First some glue, then wood and the whole range of spices, mostly cardamom and muscat. Then salt and burnt elements in the background, a bit like a match that has just been lit or burnt wood. At the palate, we can find many of the aromas from the nose, but citrus is now clearly the dominating flavour. It is very good! The finish is long and fresh with citrus, but we can also find the burnt elements again. The nose has a lot of great fragrances but also the slightly disturbing matches, the taste does not leave too much to be desired however. That’s why I’ve settled “only” on 7 points. I am quite surprised that this is another Chamarel. It has nothing, absolutely nothing in common with the Chamarel VS 4YO that we’ve had in door number 4. Why does it always take an IB to demonstrate a distillery’s true strength!? 7/10

Rum Nation Savanna 2001 15YO (La Réunion, 52,8%): What is this, yet another Foursquare? It has the typical Foursquare profile but there are some other notes in there as well. The Foursquare brine and hot butter aromas meet spicery counterparts and eucalyptus. I can also detect bitter orange zest. Taste-wise, there are brine, spices such as pepper or nutmeg, fresh wood but also some fruity elements which tell me that this isn’t Foursquare. But I also don’t have a much better idea… Finish: medium long and not pleasant with (spicy) spices. I have already tasted this about a year ago I think but couldn’t really associate this rum with it. For other tasters it was way clearer apparently. If we are to trust some online shops this has not been diluted by the way but I have learned not to. It didn’t help a lot as Savanna seems to be one of the rare distilleries where I prefer the OBs, thus being the noteworthy exception to the rule mentioned above.! 4/10

A.D. Rattray Caroni 1997 18YO (Trinidad, 46%): Some rums and distilleries are so distinct that you always recognise them easily. Caroni is certainly one of them. The typical aromas of petrol and tar already approach me while pouring the rum. Then burnt rubber, plums and papayas. So Caroni is clear, the only question is which one exactly. The first sip tells us that it has a few unique traits, such as a very light smokiness which we do not know in this form from other Caronis. Tar and burnt rubber are still present, as is the petroleum. Later sweet, exotic fruits. The finish is long and dry, with dark chocolate and slightly tannic elements. A.D. Rattray is known for the legendary A.D. Rattray Caroni 1997 17YO but even their drinking strength selection is the nuts. I don’t think I have ever had such an aromatic Caroni at only 46%! Well done. 8/10

Dictador 1978 37YO (Colombia, 42,5%): Pleeenty of coffee and tobacco. Here and there some caramel, leather perhaps as well. It reminds me a lot of Dictador. It could be any messed-with rum though. It is rather sweet and tastes quite unnatural. Speaking of which, I can find the same flavours I have been smelling before, there’s no big difference to the aromas from the nose. Could it perhaps even be the spiced Stolen Coffee and Cigarettes Rum? It’s definitely not a good rum if you ask me, if you want you could even say it isn’t a rum at all but given my weakness for coffee and the occasional cigar I gave this one 3 conniving points. I liked this way better than the Dictador 1976 40YO though. 3/10

The Real McCoy 12YO (Barbados, 46%): Once again, this could be about anything. My first guess is Barbados (Foursquare) but there aren’t a lot of aromas to be found. This is excessive dilution par excellence. Then brine, butter and something akin to coleslaw. Actually, the nose is rather voluminous but not really complex. The palate is almost non-existent because of the dilution. I detect lots of water, hot butter, and neutral alcohol. I am not sure whether this would have been any better at a higher abv but this is just too plain and simple. Finish: Brine and herbs. Not much better than the taste unfortunately. This time the nose saves the rum from the utter trash category. I have tasted the “batch 2016” by the way. 3/10