Different kind of Rums from the West Indies Rum Distillery today.

Plantation WIRD “Arran Whisky Cask” 2013 10YO (51,2%): We mostly have issues with these Whisky cask finishes but maybe something like Arran will not overtake the Rum, let’s see. Nose: Rum with a Whisky finish, Whisky with a Rum finish, this could be anything. I get malted barley, grapes, hops,dextrose, a hint of cherry and coconut, pretty much exactly what you expect but definitely not the catastrophe we feared. Palate: Not too shabby. The Rum is fruity at first (coconut, cherry, orange) but quickly makes the turn towards those Whisky notes of barley, cold ash (nothing overly smoky though) and hops. I clearly don’t mind a dram of this. Finish: A little bit too much on the Whisky side of things, as barely any elements of the Rum are sustained throughout this somewhat lengthy finish. I guess the polite thing to say here is that we will probably never fully understand these Whisky finishes/ maturations. (72/100)

Pellegrini Blackrock (WIRD) 2000 10YO (46%): This is a Rockley-style Rum. Nose: Oh yeah, a very raw form of that. Honey, beeswax, herbal notes, honey dew melon and slightly smoky are my main associations. Usually, these smoky notes come in the form of medical herbs and iodine, but here it is closer to not too smoky agave spirit. Palate: Once again this mix of sweet honey and beeswax and the smokey notes. This time, they are much more pronounced and closer to medical notes than in the nose. With the second sip I also get ruccola, licorice and ginger. It is interesting tasting these young expressions as they can provide a different perspective on the actual distillate and demonstrate the true impact of a cask. Finish: Medical herbs and smokey notes stay for quite a bit. A solid Rum, but time might have improved it even more, I think. (83/100)

Cadenhead’s Green Label Barbados (WIRD) 2000 12YO (46%): Another Rockley style, i.e. WIRD’s raison d’être. Nose: This is clearly coming from the same batch as the Pellegrini as honey, beeswax and the medical/ herbal notes are all there. It suffers from the same issues however since we know how much more aromatic and intense these Rums can be. I am not sure if that’s a matter of age or dilution but it definitely is an issue here. Palate: Once again too watery, which really is too bad. Pepper, forest honey, beeswax, rosary, sage and lavender are my main associations, but I also get greek yoghurt, biscuit and milk coffee; but the light version of all of these. I believe that this Rum could have been so much more with another two to three years and an additional five to ten points of abv but it is what it is. Finish: Medium long with firewood, caramel vla, rosary and honey. I think everything has been said. (82/100)

Swell de Spirits WIRD 1996 27YO (61,9%): We’ve had one or two 1996s from WIRD before but they were nothing to write home about, merely dull column still distillate. I wonder what that looks like at 27 years, however. Nose: Relatively flat and herbal. I get dill, vanilla, some wax, remoulade, fresh fish (codfish for sure), more peppery notes which have to come from the cask and a slight woodyness, even though the cask must have been very inactive I think. Palate: Let’s start by saying that the integration of the alcohol is superb, this is soft as a baby’s bottom. Flavourwise, we are in similar territories as in the nose, but I do not get these codfish and remoulade notes anymore. That said, dill and pepper aside, there isn’t really much that makes the Rum stand out in any way. Finish: Medium long with pepper, vanilla, oak and herbs. This is mostly a reference Rum I think, demonstrating what light and unadulterated WIRD can taste like at this age. (73/100)

Let’s have a small bonus, a sample of an unreleased Rum we got from Alexander Gabriel as a part of a tasting organized by Rum-X.

Planteray B-Monster (56%): This is an experimental Rum with with an ester count of 2600 gr/hlaa! Yes, you did read correctly. Sadly it has not been released so far. Anyway, it is aged, but I do not know for how long. Nose: Right when pouring this you notice that this is crazy stuff – bubble gum galore! Sniffing it, the bubble gum has vanished and made Rum for a high ester profile as you know it from New Yarmouth and to a slightly lesser extent Hampden. This Rum is so full of varnish, solvents and sugary baklava, it is not even funny. That said, it always stays somewhat elegant and pleasant, which is quite remarkable. Palate: Oh my minty, strawberry-flavoured toothpaste for children-esque astringency. This is insane but it definitely does have its place, I’d say. The main probblem here is that while the flavours are ultra concentrated, they seemingly vanishes within a few split seconds, leaving notes of blueberry, mint and strawberry. That also describes the finish, which makes me believe that this cannot be really old at all, a couple of months, at best. Just give it a try if you get the chance. (no score)

So after having Mount Gay last time and WIRD today, I think it is time to finally welcome back Foursquare next time, as we have already indicated in a post a while ago. At least I do have a few samples now.