Magical Barbados

This is a house that has a long history in the production of rum (some 300 years) and which was reborn in 2006 when the Warren family bought the business, with the leitmotif of maintaining an ancestral tradition, in addition to renovating the place which, judging by the photos, just looks magnificent. The help of Richard Seale (RL Seale and Foursquare) is surely not unrelated.. .

Price: between €200 and €230, 70cl and 40°. Hand-bottled in a sumptuous engraved carafe (note to collectors).

Age: aged 15 years in Bourbon barrels, this is a 'Single Barrel' rum, meaning from a single barrel. This is why different bottles (drawn from different barrels) can have a more or less dark liquid, and have some differences in terms of aromatic intensity.

St Nicholas Abbey have the particularity of controlling the entire manufacturing process of their rum, and voluntarily refuse mass production: from the cultivation of their sugar cane (organic) to the manual harvest, they favor freshness and proximity and grind the cane only once in their steam mill; this juice is then introduced directly into fermentation tanks to guarantee freshness and quality before being distilled in their copper still, always in the traditional way. Methods often reserved for agricultural rums only...

This 15-year-old rum has a classy golden and slightly amber color, and quickly reveals long, thick legs on the walls of the glass after a light work. At this point in the tasting, the rum has already begun to reveal its aromas and the least we can say is that it is full of promise.

A nose that smells of Barbados, magnificent! Exotic fruits galore with, at the top of the list, coconut, vanilla, almond, but also white-fleshed fruits (banana, peach) that let out a light and captivating floral note. The woodiness is precious, smoky (lightly cooked). A very round nose and of a rare elegance, of a beautiful consistency (and well concentrated).

After resting, the wood and spices come out, giving the precious liquid the appearance of Demerara rums accentuated by a beautiful presence of liquorice. I am quite surprised by this feat, and it doesn't take more to make my mouth water...

The attack is mellow, almost creamy, and strikingly intense. The concentration of aromas is such that this rum does not go unnoticed and allows itself the luxury of calling out from the first moment. The impression of a perfect balance between acidity, fruitiness and woodiness, a rum that we enjoy chewing so much does it deliver information. The exotic fruits announce themselves, as if melted in a sort of spicy caramel (clove, cinnamon) and vanilla. The liquorice already perceived on the nose is very present and warms the whole thing a little more. A very well-balanced, delightful mouth, and of a rare concentration.

The finish is rather short, and slightly 'breaks' the magic perceived in the mouth. We would like it to last longer and with the same intensity as at the beginning, but isn't that asking too much? The exotic fruits and vanilla still come back one last time to leave a trace of their passage. The palate ends up drying out slightly at the end.

A rum with a sumptuous nose, a magnificent mouth, but in the end a bit too brief. But a very nice discovery that will unfortunately not be accessible to all budgets… the product has recently been distributed in France, alongside a 10 year old that is also remarkable and slightly less expensive (120/150€). A rum that is positioned in the very high end, and which deserves it (unlike others). But we would still like a higher degree for an even more enjoyable tasting. One day perhaps… Rating: 87

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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