Recognized as the birthplace of rum and the oldest distillery in history (that of Mount Gay), the island of Barbados is home to 3 other distilleries, all of which have in common the fact that they have retained the use of potstills, in addition to continuous columns, to produce powerful rums with strong aromas.

Alongside the authentic Mount Gay, there is the very young Saint Nicholas Abbey distillery (which produces Pure Single Rum, i.e. a rum made exclusively from potstill), the West Indian Rum Distillery (WIRD) which distributes Cockspur rum, and finally Richard Seale's Foursquare distillery (with RL Seale rums, formerly Old Brigand, in addition to Doorly, Sixty Six, and Real McCoy rums).

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Cockspur VSOR 12 / 40°

A 'Very Special Old Rum', the oldest of the Cockspur brand, which also includes the Fine Rum and Old Gold rums, all blends of column and potstill rums. This 12 year old is the one that contains the most rum from alembic still.

Beautiful amber color, bright and oily.
On the nose it is a little astringent, on a toasted and caramelized wood, vanilla, opulent exoticism (banana, orange marmalade), coconut and a smoky/tobacco side. Pleasant, on the border between rum and Bourbon.

On the attack, it is quite round and even mellow, on banana and orange marmalade, clove and cinnamon; the rum is dry, we find the smoky side and caramel for a very easy, warm mouth. The finish is moderately long, on spices and fruits, with notes of coconut and pepper.

Between rum and bourbon, this Cockspur is without a doubt a good starting point for discovering Barbados rums. We talk a lot about Mount Gay, very present, but Cockspur deserves just as much, if not more, attention. Note: 80

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Doorly 5 years / 40°

A brand produced by Foursquare and Richard Seale, this is a blend of rums aged for 5 years. Another Blended Rum combining column and pot still, continuous and discontinuous distillation.

The color is amber, golden, and the legs are quite wide.
On the nose it is very fine, almost erased at first, but that will change quickly: orange (zest), apricot, apple; it is vanilla with a woody on the leather, tobacco. Simple but natural. A smell of coconut grows in the glass, grilled coconut in quantity which  makes this nose gourmet in a pure Barbados style.

On the palate, it is very mellow, on the exoticism and the very (very) present grilled coconut, caramelized, vanilla and gently spicy (cinnamon, gray pepper), and leather. A very easy and gourmet rum. The finish is moderately long, again and again on this grilled coconut, a spicy woody, and a slight metallic taste on the end.

A shy nose at first, but the mouth has the good idea to show once again all the interest of combining a column rum and a more concentrated rum from a still. Beautiful balance of aromas and very gourmet (on the coconut). Another alternative to all these sweet rums, and another great gateway for the novice. Note: 78

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Mount Gay 1703 / 43°

A blend of rums aged “from 10 to 30 years”, this is the brand’s oldest rum, alongside the no less famous XO.

Beautiful coppery, orange, very oily color.
On the nose, it is very fine and delicate, harmonious. There is fresh almond, wax, tobacco; a complex and exotic rum: banana, orange, melon, but also fig; and always this orange which definitely comes back often. We find chocolate with rest, and salted butter caramel, very pretty! Add vanilla, grilled spices, and you get a complex and slightly creamy nose, jammy, gourmet but classy, ​​without a false note. The palate is very round, without being soft (but oily), and complex; The aromas develop in a beautiful balance mixing without disgust candied fruits, spices, liquorice, orange, and never without falling into overbidding. A sophisticated and well thought-out rum, very fair. We even find salted caramel and this little smoky side. The finish is long and persistent, on coffee, ripe fruits and a smoky woodiness.

Very nice rum from Mount Gay, well above the rest of the brand. The Rolls Royce of Barbados? Balanced, complex and harmonious, elegant. Rating: 87

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Foursquare Port Cask finish 9 years / 40°

First aged for 3 years in Bourbon barrels, this rum then spent another 6 years in Port barrels. Blend of over 10 years old (minimum) .

A bronze/copper color, for a very shiny, fat dress that quickly takes on huge legs.
On the nose, it is soft and round. A little heavy with a slight rancio, a kind of acridity surely brought by the finish in a Port barrel. We find the characteristics of a Barbados rum, with notably toasted coconut, marmalade, vanilla, caramel, apricot (and mango), all encompassed in a balsamic and woody atmosphere. With rest, we find dried fruits (raisins), and coffee beans.

The attack is soft and woody, but quickly caught up by the caramelized (and toasted) coconut and the fruits (orange, apricot) which considerably soften the mouth. Sweet but not too much, the rum remaining rather dry in the end, with a little chocolate, cinnamon, nutmeg and dried fruits (raisins again). The finish is moderately long, with citrus fruits, spices, oak and always this coconut which has its little effect and softens the angles.

The Foursquare distillery surely offers the best value for money rums, and here we have another excellent example. Around €40, less than a Diplomatico, Zacapa or other altered rums that are very present in stores. However, with this Foursquare you have a rum that goes down just as well (and even better), without nausea, and that will surely make you want to continue the rum adventure beyond, to push the adventure a little further. Note: 8

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Mount Gay Tricentennial / 43°

Released in 2003 (in 3000 copies) to celebrate the 300th anniversary of Mount Gay (1703-2003), here is a blend of several vintages of the brand: 1969, 1974 and 1976. Around €200 at the time, the carafe is worth a few thousand today.

The rum is mahogany in color, with reddish highlights; the color is oily and we can clearly see a green disk on the surface, a sign of maturity. A sad spirit, which cries torrents of nonchalant tears.

On the nose, it is very fine and delicate, and very complex from the start. No usual luxuriance but restraint: notes of smoke stand out, coffee (roasted bean) accompanied by vanilla and grilled nuts (hazelnut, almond), but also dried fruits (raisin, prune) and exoticism (banana, apricot tart). Classy and deep, we can clearly feel the years spent in the barrel, and while the first nose is shy and delicate, the rest gives the full measure of the rum and its intensity. Notes of grilled fruits, caramel (buttered), and coconut stand out, this time giving a deliciousness to the whole. A hint of metallic smell, copper, floats above the glass. We are definitely in Barbados, and what complexity.

On the palate, the attack is smooth and oily, and immediately quite woody. We find a mixture of coffee, tobacco, leather, burnt molasses, for a tannic approach; a good shot of black licorice arrives in the mouth for a rather dark and melted rum. And it continues: bitter almond, grilled nuts, dried fruits… and a tangy side thanks to citrus fruits, or maybe it's red fruits. In all that, it surely shows its (advanced) age. The bitter notes are minimized by sweeter notes for a very nice balance of flavors. The finish is long and warm, with a return to everything that is black, from the piece of leather to the prune, and a trace of smoke that persists in the mouth, and which will remain long after the rum is gone. No need to tell you that the empty glass is also talkative (cigar box, chocolate), including the day after tomorrow.

Definitely an old rum, and surely the oldest offered by Mount Gay, even if to say that it is 30 years old (as we can read here and there) would perhaps be too much, this blend is no less magnificent. Note: 91

How to conclude, if not by saying that Barbados produces very accessible rums, pleasant and flattering to the palate, provided that you appreciate coconut (a marker that comes up quite often), as well as notes of orange marmalade. The opportunity to taste Single Blended Rums, these assemblages of rums from a distillation column and a still, a mixture of more or less aromatic rums. And if that's not enough to convince you, you can always try a 15-year-old St Nicholas Abbey to see...

To help you (and me) find your way around, regarding the notes:

90 and + : exceptional and unique rum, it is the best of the best
between 85 and 89 : highly recommended rum, with that little something that makes the difference
between 80 and 84 : recommendable rum
75-79 POINTS : above average
70-74 POINTS : in the low average
less than 70 : not very good

Review courtesy of DuRhum.com.

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