Until recently I wouldn’t have known much about this distilled spirit.
Geographically Protected (GI) to Brazil, made using sugarcane juice and according to some sources – the 3rd biggest selling spirits category in the world.
Presented in an attractively embossed bottle – common throughout the range – Bacoo offers ‘Made with Fresh Cane Juice’ & ‘Aged in Ex-Bourbon Barrels’ as temptation.
Yummy! c/othewhiskeynut
Fresh & fruity notes greeted me, touches of sugarcane grassiness, slight funk & dollops of demerara too.
Vanillas & caramel dominated the palate over that sweet sugarcane base.
A flourish of welcoming spice wrapped up this smooth – if rather sugar heavy offering.
Bacoo back label c/othewhiskeynut
A fun, easy going rum vying for sweet dessert status.
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.