I thought Liberté was a yoghurt brand with TV adverts from a few years ago?
Yet here in my local Lidl was a simple & sparsely labelled bottle of white rum bearing the same name.
Liberté Rum c/othewhiskeynut
Liberté is a nod to the French connection that still exists on the tiny island of Réunion in the Indian Ocean.
There are 3 rum distilleries operating on Rèunion; Isautier, Rivière Du Mât & Savanna – take your pick as to the source.
I like it neat myself. c/othewhiskeynut
A clear colourless rum with distinctively fat oily legs.
A very soft mild & mellow nose didn’t give much away – but there was a suggestion of overripe fruits glimpsing through.
Extremely easy on the palate – slightly oily mouthfeel with a gently warming heat.
Letting it linger gradually opens up those funky fruit flavours – not overpowering – just pleasantly attractive – followed by a touch of tingling spice adding some flair to this endearing rum.
The 300 year history of rum distilling on Réunion is quietly imprinted on this charmingly beguiling Liberté White Rum.
I don’t know if Lidl are ahead of the posse predicting a Rum revival – but they have another miniature selection I couldn’t resist.
Cuban Rums Ahoy! c/othewhiskeynut
Comprising of 4 x 40ml servings under the Ron Rumbero label – courtesy of Bimmerle KG, a German spirits producer & importer – with Cuban Rum being the source.
Spiced c/othewhiskeynut
Ron Rumbero, Spiced Spirit, 37.5%
An attractively well balanced spiced rum offering. A bit too sweet for my liking – but a dark chocolate start contrasts with a gentle chilli led spicy finish.
Cream Liqueur c/othewhiskeynut
Ron Rumbero, Cream Liqueur with Rum, 15%
An easy going creamy liqueur that provides an entertaining alternative to the whiskey derived offerings. Sweet, thick & creamy with a decent hit of rum on the finish too!
3 Anos c/othewhiskeynut
Ron Rumbero, 3 Años, 38%
Now this one surprised me! A definite vegetal funk on the nose. Slightly sweet yet smooth palate with a lovely flourish of spice on the finish. A great combination.
7 Anos c/othewhiskeynut
Ron Rumbero, 7 Años, 38%
Rich, warm & inviting. Slightly oaky. Smooth delivery. The dry oaky tannins are reminiscent of a good whiskey. Not bad.
Thoughts
A lovely little quartet of rums to whet your appetite.
The back label c/othewhiskeynut
When choosing my favourite I had a little surprise. Normally I’d go for the aged version – but with these – the wonderful balance of the funky start & gorgeously spicy finish of the 3 Años won out in this instance.
If only I could get a full size bottle for the shelf!
The opportunity to try out a range of styles – or in this case regions – before committing to a full bottle is always a treat.
Having said that. I’d already ruled out buying more supermarket own brand labels. They tend to be chill filtered with added caramel & whilst perfectly fine – they lack finesse.
But spotting these miniatures in my local Lidl.
A tasty trio! c/othewhiskeynut
I couldn’t pass them by.
Nosing the Speyside first – I choose to do Speyside – Highland – Islay starting from mildest to strongest flavours as recommended by many tasting journals – revealed a pleasant easy honeyed malt.
On a blind tasting this would sit well with any big label brand.
The palate was a bit watery & insignificant to begin with – common to all three malts – before a typical Speyside softly sweet & gentle flavour profile presented itself.
There was even a slight dry spice on the short finish.
Not bad at all.
Which region is your preference? c/othewhiskeynut
The Highland gave a bit more malt biscuity depth to the proceedings.
The Islay – which was my favourite – offered a straight forward satisfying smoky hit.
Each gave a perfectly decent snapshot of the regional styles – perhaps lacking in depth & complexity – but nonetheless an extremely enjoyable way of discerning your palates preferences.
The opportunity to taste and sample a variety of styles & flavours before committing to a large bottle.
Lidl are currently showcasing The World Of Rums – including offerings from;
4 Rums, 4 styles, 4 flavours c/othewhiskeynut
Panama – La Réunion – Cuba and Jamaica.
Rums are often categorised into styles based on their former colonial occupiers. It’s not particularly scientific or pretty – but neither is the use of Scottish Regions to define the flavour of whisky.
Which one suits your palate? c/othewhiskeynut
Being Lidl – it’s likely to be sourced private label brands too. As confirmed by ‘Imported & bottled by: ‘Pabst & Richarz Vertiebs GmbH‘ on the outer packaging.
But what interested me were the differences of flavours showcased by the individual rums themselves.
Sir Francis Drake 6yo c/othewhiskeynut
Panama. Sir Francis Drake. 6 Years Old. 40%
Spanish style. Light, buttery & sweet.
Pale straw. Vanilla sweetness followed by darker molasses & treacle notes. Soft & sweet palate – a bit too sweet for my liking – but develops a pleasant oaky spice from the cask ageing.
Easy & enjoyable.
Coeur Du Soleil c/othewhiskeynut
La Réunion. Coeur Du Soleil. White Rum. 37.5%
French style. Rich , fruity & complex.
Clear spirit. Pungent vegetal nose – reminds me of Mezcal. Palate was smooth & characterful. The earthy herbaceous notes give a slightly savoury yet sweet appeal that slowly fades.
Very alluring.
Ron Santero 3yo c/othewhiskeynut
Cuba. Ron Santero. 3 Year Old. 38%
Spanish style. Lean & clean.
Clear spirit. Soft subtle & sweet. After the other 2 rums, Santero’s delicateness just merged into a bland neutrality for me. Cries out for mixing.
Characterless.
Caribica c/othewhiskeynut
Jamaica. Caribica. Brown Rum. 40%
British style. Funky, heavy & bold.
Light brown. Noticeable funkiness on the nose – reminds me of burnt rubber. Syrupy palate. The funk is lost a little to a treacly dark sweetness, but re-emerges on the finish.
Is Jamaican funk the Islay peat of the rum world? Finding it challenging.
Thoughts
An interesting & entertaining taste experience.
I’d have thought there’d be a rum here to please every palate.
La Réunion’s Coeur Du Soleil was the one for me. The powerful mix of sweet, sour & savoury notes demonstrated the full bodied style of ‘Rhum Agricole’ using freshly pressed sugarcane juice bottled straight off the stills.
C’est très bonne.
What is your style?
Santé
A brief guide to styles of rum can be found at the handy Tenzing blog here.
I gotta hand it to Lidl for expanding my spirit drinking range.
This bottle of rum from Réunion – hence the French connection – emanates from the Indian Ocean via a Parisienne suburb.
Fantastique! c/othewhiskeynut
There is no Riviére Saint-Jean distillery on the island – but a Riviére du Mat distillery founded in 1886 – appears to be the source of this offering.
There’s also a ‘Saga du Rhum‘ museum on Réunion to further explore the rich history of distillation – including the sorry tale of sugar, slavery and colonial exploitation. Hopefully those days are long gone. Meanwhile – the rum is still here to enjoy.
A deep ruby brown colour greets you – followed by an attractive oaky tannic nose on a dark molassey underbelly.
The palate was quite delicious.
The smooth warming sweetness morphed into a gorgeously drying spicy explosion. Very reminiscent of some rye whiskeys I enjoy.
Not had a rum like this before!
I’m feeling Riviére Saint-Jean accentuates the cask influence with it’s 6 years in wood.
I was away for a few days taking advantage of the fine weather.
Random pub.
Entering a bar for the first time always engenders a sense of excitement.
Random whisky.
You never know what to expect.
Spotting the large green label of Hunter’s Glen on the shelf – it immediately stood out as something I’d not had before.
Hunter’s Glen Scotch c/othewhiskeynut
Establishing it was Scotch Whisky and not rum – either would have been acceptable – a glass was ordered.
Mmmmmm.
Standard entry level blend material.
Caramelly nose, sweet, smooth & soft with a hint of smoke enlivening an otherwise easy drinking experience.
But who or what is Hunter’s Glen?
The front label states ‘Clydesdale Scotch Whisky Company’, who are part of the Whyte & Mackay group specialising in supermarket blends for Lidl.
All the way from Greece? c/othewhiskeynut
The back label does mention Lidl, but of Greek origin.
Quite how it ended up in a bar in the West of Ireland is beyond me.
But as a whisky with no pretensions or provenance – I enjoyed it for what it is – a perfectly acceptable everyday sipper with a slightly smoky tingly dryness on the finish.
Sláinte
Header image courtesy of Irish Times article here.
What better way to enjoy breakfast than indulge yourself with Irish Whiskey Marmalade on yer toast?
How could I resist? c/othewhiskeynut
Erne Larder is currently available in the Lidl chain of stores and I happily spread a liberal amount all over my sourdough toast earlier.
Whiskey Marmalade! c/othewhiskeynut
The marmalade has a solid consistency – it doesn’t run over the toast – is fairly dark in colour and comes with orange peel in the mix to give added bite & texture.
The nose was rich & inviting, heavy with orange, a hint of malt & fresh zestiness too.
The taste was wholesome, bursting with flavour & full bodied.
If this was a whiskey I’d be saying it possessed character, depth & added flair.
A very satisfying way to start the day.
Sláinte
NB – Please note the 2% refers to the percentage of Irish Whiskey – source not stated – in the recipe, not the ABV of the marmalade.
I have a few sample jars that go back & forth among some fellow whiskey fans.
It’s a handy way for all to try out unknown bottles before committing to buying – or not as the case may be!
Going blind – in this instance with samples A and C – adds to the fun.
There are no preconceived ideas based on distillery, country, whether caramel has been added or not, or even if it’s a blend, a grain or a single malt offering.
It’s simply 2 measures of whiskey – and your palate.
How much more honest can that be?
A & C tasting notes before the reveal. c/othewhiskeynut
Sample A
I found this nice, clean & fresh. A little paler than sample C but an inviting nose with summer fruits tempted me in.
The palate was quite light, reminiscent of sherry cask influence, with a touch of spice & an enjoyably prickly finish which lasted a long time.
A straight down the line decent dram.
Sample C
Darker. Both in terms of colour as well as nose. More stone fruits than summer orchard with a slight funkiness I couldn’t pin down.
The taste was mellower. Charred cask influence perhaps, with a dark sweetness suggestive of rum or port cask maturation.
The finish faded rather quickly. Possibly a more youthful expression.
My choice
Of the 2, Sample C was more intriguing. It suited my palate better & I was keen to find out what it was.
The Abrachan from Lidl at €25 had me better entertained as to what was going on than the more cultured Chivas 18yo at €80!
For further info – the Chivas 18 is a blend of up to 20 different malt & grain whiskies.
The Abrachan is a blended malt aged in charred American oak barrels, sherry casks & port casks. As a non aged statement (NAS) whisky it’s undoubtedly a lot younger than 18 – but for a blind taste comparison it had me hooked.
It’s been well over a year since I first went out to purchase this whisky.
The idea of a budget supermarket branded single malt appealed to me. I had to find out for myself what it tasted like.
Inadvertently I walked into the wrong German supermarket store and came out with Aldi’s Glen Marnoch instead.
Now in this segment of the market you have to accept chill filtering & added caramel. There is no provenance – nor terroir. There isn’t even a Glen Marnoch or Ben Bracken distillery – let alone an actual physical Ben or Glen of the same name to visit. You get what you pay for – entry level single malt.
The Glen Marnoch Islay was fine – a decent hit of peat over a rather hefty dose of caramel.
I’d actually stopped looking for Ben Bracken.
It’s reach didn’t seem to make it across the Irish Sea – and there were far more entertaining bottles to bring back from the UK.
Ben Bracken Single Malt c/othewhiskeynut
But when it appeared in my local Lidl store in Athlone – I couldn’t really give it a miss. If only to show no favouritism towards either store.
To kick off with there’s that dark ruby mahogany shade of added caramel – but on nosing – a refreshingly clean & clear smack of peat smoke greeted me.
I found it very inviting.
The initial taste was rather soft, watery & almost insipid – but then a big waft of peat just blows in and makes it sort of alright!
My peat baby is coming back to me!
The experience left a softly drying ashiness. Like a warm & cosy seaside fire rolling around on my palate.
I’d rate this higher than Glen Marnoch.
I get peat! c/othewhiskeynut
The caramel quota isn’t as pronounced – which allows a more powerful & peaty punch to shine through.
There isn’t much else.
It’s rather one dimensional.
But if like me you enjoy a smack of smoke in your glass.
