Head held high
Cadenhead is the oldest independent bottler in the world (in business since 1842) and can boast of offering a very impressive catalogue of rums, among which you can find the oldest bottles… They actually hold the largest stock of Demerara rums (we are talking about more than 20,000 casks of rum dating from the 40s/50s and before). The reason is quite simple, they believed in rum before anyone else…
Price : 220€ for a 70cl bottle and 40.3° in the trunk. Note that there are other bottlings that differ slightly.
Age : 32 years old… Distilled in 1975 and bottled in 2007. Partially aged -and bottled- in Scotland by Cadenhead.
The bottling we will be looking at today displays an honorable 40.6°, because as previously noted there are several versions of this rum:
a 30 year old (1975 – 2005) at 40.5°, a 33 year old (1975 – 2008) at 40.6°, and a last one of 36 year old (1975 – 2012) reduced to 38.5°. So you are spoiled for choice when shopping :p
Don't ask me why Cadenhead wanted to release so many versions of this rum, I have no idea… it must be good?
The rum has a deep amber color, tending towards ruby . We can immediately see that the rum has spent a (very) long time in the barrel, with the presence of a green disk that could easily serve as a textbook case, a reference, so clearly visible is it. The tears that form in number reveal thick legs that fall rather slowly, even if we could expect an even longer dance to the bottom of the glass.
The color (and the entire tasting) of the rum reminds us, if need be, that at one time (before the 80s) it was very common to add directly into the barrels - and before aging - caramel or molasses which thus aged and worked in concert with the rum, giving Demerara rums this very special touch. Today we continue to add it, but more often before bottling (and therefore after aging) to play on the color, and sometimes the taste, of the finished product.
The nose is round and quite soft, with a woody note present but not at all stifling, dried fruits in abundance (figs, raisins), and very ripe, candied fruits (banana) and molasses . The nose gradually opens on warmer notes of spices (clove) and the woody note becomes slightly leathery (light touches of glue varnish, liquorice too). Then the empyreumatic side takes over with grilled nuts (walnuts) and sweet notes of cocoa.
Give him time, he will repay you! The opposite would be criminal and I wouldn't give much for your skin... The nose of this Cadenhead is rich and very well balanced...
The attack on the palate is soft and very smooth . It is dry and slightly acidic, and we easily find the dried fruits (the grape in the lead), the spices (very well blended and without excess). We could logically expect an omnipresent and insistent woodiness but it is quite the opposite: it is light and once again without excess, very well balanced for such an old rum. On one side we have a slight bitterness brought by the woodiness and on the other a fruity sweetness and the delicacy of molasses (caramel), so that nothing takes over and makes the tasting exceptional. The liquorice is quite present and rather beautifully (without being too heavy).
The finish is rather long and still well controlled : a beautiful aromatic intensity and an equally exceptional persistence. The molasses is rather well present but also the liquorice, for a taste that remains for a long, very long time in the mouth...
This is a very old rum but also very 'easy' to access. Whether on the nose or on the palate, it remains very accessible to the neophyte who would like to treat himself with a historic rum. It is neither too woody nor too strong, and even has a certain freshness for a grandpa! Very nice selection and breathtaking result... And even the price seems ridiculous...
Much fresher and fruitier than the Berry Bros rum already tasted on this site, which in comparison is much heavier and thicker (especially on the nose) and especially more concentrated in terms of aroma. The finish is also much shorter (the Berry Bros overwhelms you where the Cadenhead only passes through). Two superb rums from 1975, certainly a great year. Rating: 87.5
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Version 36 years (38.5°)
Here's a note on the 36 year old Cadenhead bottling (distilled in 1975 and bottled in 2012) which clocks in at a lowly 38.5°, but 4 years older than the version tasted above.
The nose is much fruitier . Fruits full of sugar and a more airy and suave smell. The nose is therefore less woody than the 32-year-old rum, which in comparison seems more 'raw' and heavy. We therefore have an even more complex nose and more maturity.
A sweet and gourmand smell of almond paste makes the nose rounder and more seductive.
The age difference maybe? In any case this one is older and that is verified on the nose, the woodiness is more melted and seems better controlled; let's now see on the palate...
The attack is even softer, really very easy and smooth . On the fruits first, then on the woody which takes a big place, much more important than the 32 year old rum. The liquorice is still there to structure the whole, more melted.
The finish lets out more tannins and brings a slight bitterness and a certain dryness at the end of the mouth , but the whole is still very well controlled. Less long and intense than the 40.3° version. The fruity comes back in the aftertaste in a beautiful way.
Slight advantage to the 32-year-old rum which is better balanced overall, while the 36-year-old rum delivers a finish that is too woody to hold up to comparison. The nose is nevertheless more than promising, more seductive, but its few more years betray it at the end. It is nonetheless an excellent rum that the amateur will appreciate. Score: 86
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.
From the folks behind DuRhum, Velier, and more, comes a premium online marketplace for rum enthusiasts by rum enthusiasts! Do check out www.rowspirits.fr for more great content and iconic rums!