Are multiple Chairman’s chairmen? Anyway, we have more Rums from what might be at least one of the best contemporary distilleries.

Chairman’s Reserve 2011 9YO “Master of Malt” (58,8%): This is a cane juice based Rum (rather than molasses) distilled by the mighty Vendome pot still. Nose: I am not sure if I would have been able to identify this as a juice based Rum blindly (read: definitely not!) but then again, how many juice based Rums distilled in a pot still did we have so far!? Anyway, I get slightly grassy notes, honey, rubber, some vanilla, quite some herbs, more rubber and olive oil. I don’t know what it is but it is really tough to get a good understanding of this Rum’s profile. Palate: Cool! Since we know it, this combination of juice and pot still is quite apparent and extremely interesting but I am sure that it would have been a completely different story blindly. Honey and sugar cane are clearly the most dominant notes here but they are nicely enhanced by rubber, olive oil and the herbs. Finish: Sufficiently long with herbs, honey, oak and olive oil. All in all it is an extremely cool and fun Rum that demonstrates how diverse Saint Lucia Distillers are. However, it doesn’t really ‘click” entirely. It reminds me of certain Savannas by the way. (82/100)

Chairman’s Reserve 2011 9YO “Cigar Shops” (59%): John Dore pot still. Nose: Relatively sweet and fruity (pineapple, grapefruit) with a large amount of smoke (think agave spirits and medical supplies). Deeper in the back I can also find some herbs but the smoke here is omnipresent and overpowering. It is kinda fitting that this is a “Cigar Shops” selection, don’ you think!? Palate: Plenty of smoky/ grilled pineapple (do you know Plantations Stiggin’s Fancy smokey formula?), roasted herbs, fresh pineapple, sweet lemon and a subtle amount of oak and cask aromas. It is rather simplistic but also unique, and it works for me. Finish: Grilled pineapple, smoke, fresh pineapple, smoke… you get the idea. A cool Rum where I don’t really see myself finishing an entire bottle. A bit less smoke and it could have been even better, I think. (85/100)

Chairman’s Reserve 2011 9YO “Royal Mile Whiskies” (60,9%): Another Vendome, but this is one is molasses based. Nose: Right away it ticks all the relevant boxes for me. It is fruity, intense, somewhat dirty and at the end of the just lovely. We get this familiar honey and rubber combination, paired with herbs (though less than you’d get it from either of the John Dore stills, sour cherries, mango, goat milk and sweet blood orange. Great! Palate: A thick and creamy texture with a pronounced cannabis note, followed by rubber, olive oil and herbs but almost nothing fruity whatsoever anymore. While the alcohol is clearly present, the Rum doesn’t feel boozy at all, even though I believe that it would have been even ‘smoother’ with another year or two in the cask. The general maturity is already fine however, mind you! Finish: Long and lasting, with rubber, oil and herbs, but also oak, honey and a whiff of green tea. This is why we love Saint Lucia and the Vendome still. (88/100)

Chairman’s Reserve 2006 16YO “Rum & Co” (59,2%): A Coffey still Rum with a port finish. Nose: Even right after pouring you can smell this Rum already from afar and it is hard to believe that this is a pure column still Rum, it is incredibly aromatic. I get fresh grassy notes, old wood, dry leather, ripe plum, a hint of sulphur and sweet chestnut. It is surprisingly good, even though I am not exactly sure why I am so surprised. Palate: It is clear now that this Rum is absolutely cask-driven. The finish did a lot of good here, especially by providing such a creamy and opulent texture. Flavourwise we get the typical port cask flavours, namely plum, leather, ripe berries and dark stone fruits, old wood, dark chocolate, some pipe tobacco and spices such as cinnamon. Finish: Mostly a rather lengthy extension of the palate, with an emphasis on dry wood, tobacco and spices. A fine Rum. My only criticism is that it is too much cask-driven. (84/100)

Chairman’s Reserve 2004 18YO “Rum & Co” (59,2%): Another Rum & Co bottling but this time it is from the Vendome still. Nose: Extremely intense and demanding. At first it comes across as rather simplistic and almost too powerful, with notes of roasting aromas, forest herbs, pronounced medical notes and even a good dose of that Rummy smoke you can find in some expressions. After a while we can also find more subtle aromas including raisins, rubber, charcoal, caramel vla and lavender. Let’s take a sip. Palate: Very powerful and somewhat dirty, with fresh and old rubber, charcoal, cocoa and related roasting aromas (think dark chocolate, coffee), dark raspberry and with the second sip even something along the lines of mango and papaya. What is more, the Rum is increasingly bitter and adstringent, which works very well in this case. It is a good demonstration that the maturity limit for these Rums is at about twenty years however. Finish: Long and just as rich, without really offering anything new once again. Similarly, the emphasis is on the roasting aromas and bitter notes ( think black tea). A relatively simple, but wonderful Rum. (89/100)

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