A Trio Of Aged Rums From Tiny Tipple, Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva, 40%, Venezuela, Appleton Reserve, 40%, Jamaica & Flor De Cana 18 Year Old, 40%, Nicaragua.

I thought I’d take advantage of the last hurrah at Tiny Tipple & try out a trio of aged rums.

With the news global rum brand Bacardi are proposing to takeover Dublin whiskey distillery Teelings as well as rum now outselling whiskey in the UK – it seems a topical time to sample this trio.

Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva, 40%, Venezuela

Diplomatico are quite big hitters in the rum world – despite a reputation for added sugar – & are generally easily available.

Out of the 3 rums Diplomatico does come out the darkest shade of golden brown giving the nose a suitable dark, rich & sweet aroma of muscovado sugar.

Very smooth, sweet & easy on the palate.

Develops a rich & complex depth on the rear finishing with a touch of tannic spice.

A very peasant easy sipper.

Appleton Estate Reserve Blend, 40%, Jamaica

This is a non-age statement – NAS – release that previously proudly displayed an 8. Whether this is due to an increase in sales depleting stocks or simply a way for the distillery to utilise a broader array of rums for the blend I don’t know. Not having tried the 8yo I can only go on what is before me.

The palest light brown of the trio.

Soft hints of funk on the nose – I’d be disappointed if I hadn’t found funk in a Jamaican rum!

The palate didn’t give much away – smooth, easy & fresh.

A flourishing finalé of engaging spiciness interspersed with juicy fruitiness lifted the drinking experience.

Nice!

Flor De Cana 18 Year Old, 40%. Nicaragua.

I’ve not tried any Flor De Cana before – so this big 18yo age statement carrier is a bit of a leap into their Ultra Premium Collection.

Light brown colour.

Quite a shy nose only giving away a gentle fruity sweetness.

Found the palate a trifle non-descript & unforthcoming of flavour.

The long ageing in wood dominated the finish providing a drying tannic spiciness which tingled merrily away.

Left me a little underwhelmed.

Thoughts

These 3 rums can easily be appreciated by whiskey drinkers. All have been aged in wooden barrels – ex-bourbon are predominately used – although I must admit to finding the wood influence begins to dominate from the core rum flavours which can counterpose as an alternative to drinking whiskey.

All 3 demonstrate a rich sweetness not typically found in whiskey – with only the Appleton exhibiting a fruity funk – even if it was quite mild in this Reserve – giving it a lead above the other 2.

Perhaps my palate would have preferred the younger rums from these distilleries? They tend to showcase the flavours from the raw ingredients used to a higher degree.

Sláinte

Diplomatico webpage here.

Appleton Estate webpage here.

Flor De Cana webpage here.

Bottle images courtesy Celtic Whiskey Shop.

Advertisement

Method And Madness, Rye & Malt, 46%

After falling in love with Shortcross Rye And Malt I thought I’d order up a sample of Method And Madness Rye & Malt from Tiny Tipple for a comparison.

Image courtesy Celtic Whiskey Shop

Reassuringly pale in colour.

Where’s the rye on the nose? It’s rather timid & tame.

Mild & malty mouthfeel.

It’s only on the finish a rich peppery spice develops showcasing the rye that’s in there.

After Shortcross I must admit to finding Method And Madness a bit of a letdown.

Despite a 60/40 rye/barley mix there was a distinct lack of warmth from this whiskey.

Too much of the method & not enough madness for me.

Sláinte

Method And Madness Rye & Malt website here.

My Shortcross blog here.

Tiny Tipple website here.

Renegade Rum, Dunfermline Column Still & Pot Still Pre Cask Rums, 50%

Mark Reynier has made a big play of terroir in the whiskey trade with his Waterford Distillery.

Renegade Distillery in Grenada shaping up to do the same with rum.

I did purchase one of his whiskies.

Waterford Bannow 1.2 c/othewhiskeynut

Can’t say all the transparency, honesty & information won me over.

All I tasted was quite a young, feisty & very fresh whiskey that needed more time in the barrel.

Haven’t bought another.

I am curious enough however to try out a couple of his rums – the Dunfermline Column & Pot Still varieties.

Renegade use the term ‘pre cask’ – but essentially it’s unaged or white rum in normal parlance.

Unaged rum is a category I really enjoy.

The combination of raw ingredients, fermentation times & distilling techniques can produce exceedingly aromatic & richly tasting spirits that can captivate the senses.

My expectation is the Pot Still variety will be the more flavourful version – but it all depends on the skill of the distiller – so complying with custom I start with the Column Still.

Image courtesy Celtic Whiskey Shop

Renegade Rum Dunfermline Column Still, Pre-Cask, 50%

A lovely sweet pungency of sugar cane with a touch of sourness peeking through.

Smooth mouthfeel slowly grows in heat with more fruitiness coming through – but not much else.

Fades rather quickly with a serving of prickliness rounding off the show.

Image courtesy Celtic Whiskey Shop

Renegade Rum Dunfermline Pot Still, Pre-Cask, 50%

There’s an ever so slightly warmer embrace of pungent fruitiness from the pot still.

Definitely an oiliness on the palate of this one!

It’s just an overall fuller & fatter tasting experience for me & leaves with a warmer – even rounder – embrace.

Thoughts

I think Mr Reynier is onto a roll with his distilleries.

Attracting a loyal gathering of fans to snap up his offerings & extoll the virtues of terroir to all & sundry.

No doubt he’ll convince some whiskey drinkers into rum imbibing – which is no bad thing.

Both of these rums are enjoyable & engaging to sip, sample & explore the differences between column & pot still distillation & what they bring to the palate.

I’m just not convinced a single estate, pre-cask single variety trumps a well blended offering from multiple countries, columns & pots, sugar cane & molasses that can be produced time & again at an affordable price.

The art of blending is something Mr Reynier has written out of his agenda.

Sláinte

Waterford Distillery website here.

Renegade Rum website here.

My blog on Waterford Whiskey here.

The samples were purchased via Tiny Tipple here.

Flight Of The Earls, Irish Whiskey, 40% to 63.48%

When Red Earl first appeared with it’s cartoon like imagery it was somewhat overlooked.

c/o TinyTipple

Now available in 4 differing styles. – with varying images too – The Flight of the Earls make for a striking posse of whiskey.

It’s about time I discovered the flavours behind the brand – so ordered up a tasting pack from Tiny Tipple.

c/o KinsaleSpiritCo

Red Earl, 40%

A blend aged in bourbon, sherry & rioja casks.

Warm, inviting & fruity sweet nose. Juicy mouthfeel with a lip smacking finish.

A lovely well balanced flavoursome blend.

c/o KinsaleSpiritCo

Great Earl, 40%

A single grain aged in recharred & virgin oak barrels, finished in Sangiovese casks.

A dry, clean & clear nose. The wine influence makes it’s presence felt on the palate followed by a lovely frisson of oaky spice on the rear.

Nice!

c/o KinsaleSpiritCo

Spanish Earl, 43%

A single malt matured in bourbon casks & finished in rum & stout casks.

Yum yum – a juicy depth to this one! Rich maltiness on the palate with a solid backbone of darker delights. Opens up further on the finish with a spicy prickle, soft hints of roastiness & an engaging dryness.

Red Earl, Cask Strength, 63.48%

A cask strength version of the Red Earl blend.

Despite the high ABV the nose is still inviting – with just a suggestion of high alcohol presence. The triple cask maturation notes roll over each other in a wonderful flourish of flavour – before a drying hit of alcohol kicks in with an explosion of power.

I don’t subscribe to the notion cask strength is automatically superior to 40% – but Red Earl CS wears it well.

Thoughts

The Flight of Earls impressed me.

Full of flavour, full of style & a hearty bunch of characters too.

The pale colour of the quartet also points to a lack of added caramel.

It’s a delight to taste them all back to back to explore both the differences – & similarities – that run through the collection.

It’s hard to pick a winner from this flight of beauties – but for me the ease of drinking, clarity of flavours & enjoyable flair on the finish – I’m giving it to Great Earl.

What would you choose?

Sláinte

Images authors own unless stated.