The first session featuring the 2008 Port Mourant vintage gave us mixed feelings: The Rums weren’t there yet but they demonstrated signs of potential. While we still aren’t where I think these Rums should be age-wise, The Rum Cask released an interesting bottling that I wanted to taste for quite a while already. But we did need a sparring partner for the sake of comparison and now we have one.

Compagnie des Indes Guyana (Port Mourant) 2008 9YO (55%): This is a bottling for the Belgium market. Let’s hope it is the quality that those nice Belgians deserve. Nose: Clearly Port Mourant with its anise and woody notes but also this Obstler-character that is so typical for the young Diamond era expressions. It has a certain sharpness to it but not more so than you’d expect. All in all, it doesn’t seem to be anything fancy but at “just” nine years we could clearly do worse. Palate: Way milder than the nose and there are days on which I might have mistaken this with a drinking strength bottling. I get vanilla, ripe and candied apples, hot chilies, some ginger perhaps, wet wood, licorice and a few more spices here and there. Again, nothing new, but the barrel did do a great job within its limits. Finish: Short with salty licorice, wood and spices such as anise, pepper or cumin. A solid one, with a maturity that’s higher than its age suggests. (80/100)

The Rum Cask Port Mourant 2008 12YO “Hampden Finish” (60,3%): A young Port Mourant with a Hampden finish. Now that’s something. Let’s hope it worked. Nose: Yeah! We can really find notes of both Rums, Port Mourant and Hampden. There’s anise and wet wood but also pineapple, citrus, acetone and more herbal notes. At least in the nose it works surprisingly well but I am afraid that the finish has already taken over the Rum. Palate: Well, not entirely, as there is still this exceedingly dry PM note that could be described as a mix of salty biscuit, old cardboard and anise. However, and that’s cool about this Rum, there’s also this potpourri of exotic fruits that Port Mourant rarely ever has. I am not saying that this is exactly what the profile is missing, but it is a cool and unique match. Finish: Pineapple, salted mango and banana, anise, oak and spices stick around for a bit. It is not an amazing Rum but a lot of fun and just like the first session demonstrated, these young Port Mourants work best with interesting finishes. (83/100)