Thanks to our buddies from Rum Artesanal, we finally got access to a pair of rums from New Yarmouth that are not part of the 2005 batch, which means that we get the chance to dive deeper into the style(s) the distillery is, or much rather has been, producing. After all, we are essentialy always looking into the past with these aged expressions. However, we also have a so far unreviewed pair of New Yarmouths from said 2005 batch laying around.

Rum Artesanal New Yarmouth 2009 10YO (66,9%): The rum has been distilled on 31.12.2009, so it just barely isn’t a “New Year’s New Yarmouth”… Nose: Jamaica me crazy. While it is not the ester monster the 2005s are, the esters are very dominant and just lovely. I get glue, acetone, nail polish remover, buttery croissants, marzipan, cherries, some herbs here and there, and a maturity that doesn’t really scream ten years old. In fact, it is kinda grown-up, yet still powerful and playful – just what we are looking for. Excellent! Palate: Super mild, way more so than it should. It really doesn’t taste like a 60+% distillate. Also, the profile is just great! That’s the good news. The bad news is, that it doesn’t offer much more than the nose but if both of them are this good, I do not have much to complain about. With the third or fourth sip I am starting to get more and more of the cherries, as well as different red berries, which is just great as well. Finish: Medium long to long but once again, without any additional notes. For me, that’s not really an issue though. It really is a rum that’s pretty much exactly to my liking and while I just cannot give an even higher score here, there aren’t any problems with the rum. It knows what it is, what it wants to be, and does just that!  Well done! (91/100)

Compagnie des Indes New Yarmouth 2005 13YO (55%): On paper, this is something we should be familar with but let’s see. Oh by the way, I will never understand the different strengths. That said, nose: Much sharper than the Rum Artesanal, despite the lower abv, but it also comes with much more esters. I get grapefruit and other citrus notes, pineapple, acetone and then slightly more vegetal notes. So far, so good. Palate: The dilution is clearly noticeable, but it is within bounds. Of course we get the fruity esters at first, but it are the vegetal notes (eggplant, Baba Anoesch) that are the interesting nuances here. Then also parsley and other herbs, as well as pepper, mild oak and perhas even chili. Finish: Medium long with the vegetal notes and chili. Then some oak and sweet almond paste. It is a good one, but it kinda feels like a fain version of the rum it could have been. The water might have made it more accessible, but it also tamed it considerably. For us, that’s unfortunate. (85/100)

Compagnie des Indes New Yarmouth 2005 13YO (64,1%): Of course this is another Denmark edition ;). Nose: Like a much fuller, more intense version of the 55% one above. Esters, brush cleaner, pineapple, marzipan and ground spices are the name of the game, at least that is the “standard” profile of the batch. Then cocoa/ chocolate, banana, plenty of pepper and something close to cold coffee. Not bad at all. Palate: We start with the pepper – I’ve never had anything quite like this with any other rums of the batch. Then more spices such as nutmeg or allspice, next to muscovado, grilled pineapple and ripe banana. Quite cool. It is crazy how much the water has destroyed with the previous rum, here that’s just not the case. Finish: Rather long with pastry, cherries, marzipan, some wood and the spices here and there. It really enhances the palate, just as it should. A very good one, just like the other cask strength rums of the batch. (88/100)

Rum Artesanal New Yarmouth 1994 25YO (67,7%): The oldest New Yarmouth to date and the first column still expression. Word on the street is that this is closer to an Appleton-blend component than it is to the other New Yarmouths we know. By the way, it is fully tropically aged and a blend of two casks. Nose: Very mature and more Demerara than Jamaican if you will. It really reminds me of some good Uitvlugts… There’s iodine, salted coconut, caramel, a few spices here and there (anise, fennel seeds, cinnamon), a tiny amount of glue, quite some wood and deeper in the background also fruits such as papaya or tangerine. Later English curry and banana chips. It is really, really good and despite an obvious presence of the alcohol, I wouldn’t say that it is badly integrated. Briefly worded: An amazing nose. Palate: A bit sharp at first, but that’s no surprsie at almost 68%. I get the coconut again, paired with a hint of caramel and tobacco, but then plenty of salt, iodine, papaya and overripe banana. At first I was afraid that there’s also quite some sulphur to be found here, but that basically amounts to zero. It isn’t very complex, yet not easy sipping either. What I really love about this one is how it starts out like a good column still Demerara (think Uitvlugt/ Albion) but then manages to tickle out a few of these fruity Jamaican notes. That’s really rare/ unusual, and can only be found in rums that are long gone by. You’ve got to enjoy a (very good) column still distillate from time to time though, in order to fully understand this rum. Finish: Medium long and somewhere between fruity, dry and woody. It is here that we get the first real “Spanish” associations; there are a few notes that really remind me of (the better) CACDs. Definitely check this one out, even if you say that Jamaica and column still do not sound like a good match!  (90/100)