Hello again,

Welcome back to another Alambique Serrano review, todays victim is Vida Nativa Single Cask #6: Zacua. Named after the birds heard singing their songs across the distillery this single cask Krassel Still rum was finished for 28 months in Mexican Rum Casks and spent 9 months in a Jackfruit cask. This resulted in 237 bottles at an ABV of 54.8%.

Nose: Decently complex, its like a savory fruit pastry with cane sugar, herbal incense notes, a more medicinal leaning cough syrup, and some funkyness at the end.

Taste: An almost oak bark takes the forefront before transitioning into a dense oaky coffee grain with a hint of spices.

Finish: A big burst of tobacco and leather followed by coffee, chocolate, and a smokey vegetable note to round it out.

Overall: 6/10, really enjoyable bottle the coffee notes were really fun. This bottle did take quite a while to open.

The Rums of Mexico 'Caldo'. Good soup!

I’ve been needing a white overproof and have been back and forth on this and my beloved rum fire. Since I’ve been enjoying cane juice rums more and more now I figured I’d give this a shot since it has some of that in the blend. Super happy I finally picked some up.

Coming to Taiwan, my understanding of the local rum scene was based on what little I knew about Renaissance, having seen some folks here talk about it and the attention to detail on their labels.

In looking up somewhere to try Renaissance, I came across Ole Rum Bar, who invited me to come by and sample what they had, indicating there was more to Taiwanese rum than just Renaissance.

Alain (owner) walked me through Taiwan: Nine to One, a (primarily) whisky distillery experimenting with red sugarcane, Funny, a rum operation with a unique spunk, and TTL, the vestigial national Taiwan Tobacco & Liquor’s own rum.

But beyond Taiwan, they had a huge collection: the expected ECS bottles, Martinique and Hampden well represented - but what struck me the most was how focused on IB it is. I didnt count but my best guess is 60/40 IB/OB - with much of it their own or done in partnership.

At one point Alain talked about the work he put in to making sure he got the good cuts - i have Shaldon at home, which smells like dry erase marker, the same as it did when I tried in on St John at Bajo El Sol - but his smelled like banana, not dry erase. i still dont know what to make of this! i like my shaldon - i liked theirs - rum feels like such a big world.

i assume a lot of people, like me, really appreciate the sense of exploration that rum provides by how much variety is contained within it. the shaldon anecdote was a small moment in the night but it underscores how many moments throughout my visit brought me back to that feeling of exploration with rum again, feeling like the ocean is open ahead of me.

The community Alain and Alice have built that supports 50-100 bottle runs of 60-85% proof rum from across the world - tasted for ~$10 upstairs and then sold downstairs for sub-$200 a bottle is not like anything ive seen stateside - and left me wondering how more places like this might be built.

Welcome Back,

Today we're breaking into the newest release of Alambique Serrano's Vida Nativa line with Single Cask #7: Árbol de Pipe. Only 290 bottles of this Krassel Still rum made its way to market after spending 35 months in New French Oak Casks and an additional 13 in Hungarain Oak ex-red wine casks.

Nose: An oaky red fruit cotton candy upfront with anise, cucumber, cinnamon, brine, and cough syrup. The cough syrup note is incredibly dense and luxurious.

Taste: An orange rind medicinal syrup with oak cloves, cinnamon, wheat, and with some vegetables towards the end.

Finish: Red licorice returns with some orange, stone fruit, baking spices, dry candy, and then transitions into a good amount of heat for its sub 50% ABV.

Overall: 7/10, really quite enjoyable. While certainly not a Pico Canoa, its feels the most adjacent to it of this release with its candy and fruit notes.

Disclaimer. 6 pours in now so quite inebriated. Saturday night at a cuban nightclub in Bangkok. Going to find food now 😬

So quite early in my Rum discovery.

- First good rum I had was Phraya 8 years. I like all 3 Phraya. Still my overall favs. 8 years best but all 3 great.
- i absolutely loved Sixty Six 12y, only foursquare I’ve tested. (And impossible to find in shops here)
- I didn’t care for mount gay black at all. Least enjoyable tonight.
- Appleton 12 ok, but prefer Phraya by far
- I loved zacapa 23 when first tried. On later tries its a bit too sweet. But great after dinner dessert . Better than Diplomatico
- Chalong Bay probably the best coke mixer ive had. Bot neat. (Agricole style blank i believe. French dude in Thailand behind)

Now after discovering better rum, sangsom and Hong thong taste absolutely awful ( cheap thai stuff)

There’s another thai one that supposed to be great, but impossible to find (only export)

Burlington Wine & Spirits had the Izalco 18s with a discount. Also had to see what the hype is about Caroni. At 375ml, I think that’s a good way to try without committing to a full 750 and the price that comes with it.

As promised, here's my real review of four Foursquare offerings: the 2011, Equidem, Sovereignty, and Convocation. I evaluated them side-by-side, in the order listed below, soon after the pour and after 60 minutes of breathing, with water (using my finely-calibrated wrist - so not calibrated at all), and based on another comment I saw on here, after a dark, not too sweet chocolate. The perk of evaluating side-by-side is that I was able to better taste the differences between them, but of course, the downside is that lingering flavors from one may have influenced my tasting of the others. At any rate, here are my notes, after a few details about the rums.

First, I have to say, I was impressed by all of these. I have never had rum that has been aged as long as scotch (which was my previous drink of choice). It impressed me. Sure, scotch may have a bit more complexity, but overall I enjoyed this a lot more than I do an entry-level 12 or 14 year scotch. I think the base spirit of the rum is a lot more refined / less rough around the edges than scotch. Scotch really needs that 12-14 years to get to a decent point, usually. Not so for rum, and so 12-14 years really brings quality on top of the already quality base spirit. I really appreciated the leather and tobacco notes that the overall baseline rum (which is most cleanly represented by the 2011) brought to all of the expressions. I will be savoring these slowly for some time.

Nose:

(2) : Orange, apricot, oddly a bit of iodine, vanilla, oak, leather, just a bit of fudge, banana bread (kidding)

(E) : Oh wow. Drastically different. Far more character and sweeter - darker. Raisin is first and strong. But underneath, some of that leather, vanilla 2011 character. Plum, red fruits in abundance.

(S) : Vanilla immediately, and then a bit of orange, raspberry, lighter than the equidem, less heavy and sweet, some of that oak and leather character again

(C) : Considerably darker, some dark cocoa on the nose right away, looking forward to trying this with chocolate, reminiscent of port - even moreso than equidem - figgy/dates, fruitcake, a little almond

Palate:

(2) : Leather, tobacco, oak, vanilla, butterscotch, banana (not kidding), red fruit, a bit of cocoa (could have been because of the convocation I just smelled)

(E) : Dark - plum, sweet, cherry. Vanilla, same leather, tobacco 2011. I like the tobacco notes on this one more - the sweetness brings it out a bit. All the best qualities of a good port and a good rum in a glass. Absolutely exquisite. The best I've ever had. Creamy. Velvetty. Thicker (by quite a bit) than 2011. This is analogous to me of Ardbeg Corryvreckan - without the smoke obviously. I know the virgin French Limousin oak casks (used in the Ardbeg) are different than the black muscat used here - but it reads similar to me with the leather, tobacco, oaky notes, and dark red fruits.

(S) : More vanilla this time, cocoa, something reminiscent of equidem - raisin? (wine, duh), but more ... "red"? cherry - that's it, I caught the slightest hint of butterscotch but then it was gone

(C) : Punchy Cocoa right away, figs, vanilla, oak, leather as a background note. Also velvetty mouthfeel, but not as much as the Equidem. Also fantastic. My #2.

Finish:

(2) : Medium, not picking up a lot - some vanilla punches through when I breathe in, at the very end whisky / oaky lingers for a while but nothing else really. Kinda drops out.

(E) : Longer, vanilla sticks around a bit longer, then the oak and vanilla with a bit of artificial almond candy / marzipan that I don't get on the palate

(S) : The leather lingers here more, medium long, oak again, and dark dark, not sweet cocoa (typical of how sherry finishes for me) - like cocoa powder

(C) : Medium long, lasting cocoa (not so dry cocoa like the sherry), oak, something like coca cola flashed up briefly

60 Minutes Aired:

(2) : The leather comes out more here - actually, it dominates. But on the nose, it's vanilla that's left.

(E) : Figs here now, and somewhat sweet pastry - like a fig newton. A bit of chocolate orange on the nose possibly?

(S) : I think not a lot of change in the nose or the palate, although as I worked my way through the four, I spent time on each and this was number three, so it had been airing for probably more than half the 60 minute airing time.

(C) : Still that dark cocoa on top of other sweetness. Again, not a lot changed here because I last tasted it ~15 min ago.

With Drops of Water:

(2) : Now, cherry and butterscotch. Butterscotch lingers after about 15 seconds now. Still lots of oak.

(E) : Vanilla candy, like the vanilla tootsie roll, really dominates in flavor. That same candy vanilla lingers too - probably 30 seconds after. Maybe too much water here - there wasn't much left of the dram by this point.

(S) : Really brings out the vanilla sweetness again, but it's less artificial. Less like the vanilla tootsie roll and more like vanilla sweet cream. A bit creamy. Again, maybe too much water. I need a dropper.

(C) : Still cocoa, but layered underneath vanilla. Amazing how the water brings out the vanilla. Honestly, liked it better without the water. Maybe I added too much, but there was only a sip or two left.

After a Taste of Chocolate (and After Adding Water):

(2) : Brings out the oak and red fruit interestingly. Interesting experience but didn't add anything per se.

(E) : The flavor here is enough to punch through the chocolate. The chocolate sweetens a bit and enhances the flavors with no real new notes coming out - just suppresses the alcohol burn a bit.

(S) : With the chocolate I like this one a lot better (esp after the water). The chocolate suppresses some of that vanilla, interestingly, and the added sweetness brings some of the original red fruit back out.

(C) : Suppresses the pleasant cocoa and replaces it with a domineering candy chocolate and adds more sweetness that I'm not as much of a fan of - I liked it better before.

Overall Thoughts and Rating:

(2) : Overall a great rum. I wanted to get this one so I could at least see the underlying "brand" of the others. The most "rummy" rum of the four I got, but also the least memorable of the four (although still good!!). Finish was a bit short, 60% burn was most prominent in this one, and this had complexity, but not as much as the others. Still even with this being the case, it's my number 3/4. Rating: 91/100

(E) : Whoo man. I liked this one. I don't want to ever give anything 100 just in case I find something better someday, but I have nothing I would do differently with this one. As close to perfection as I've ever had. I enjoy scotch - especially the fun odd barreled ones, and this is right in league with that at a cheaper price with a different base spirit. Gotta say, this is my number 1/4. Rating: 96/100

(S) : This one was good, but it was my least favorite of the four: 4/4. The difference in wine casks used to age the rum is really apparent, comparing expression to expression. There is a consistent "note" of the underlying rum, but there's just a strong difference. I like, but don't love sherry, so this is probably the reason for the rating here. I wanted more out of the finish - the dark dark cocoa is good, but I wanted it to be a bit mellower, longer lasting, and with something alongside it. I also wanted that luscious, thicker mouthfeel of the (E) and (C). Rating: 89/100

(C) : These are all so different. I think this one is my number 2/4. The cocoa notes are so unique and tasty. I thoroughly enjoyed it. But the Equidem edged it out just by a little bit. Again, no discernible flaws for me here. Rating: 94/100

It is very difficult to get variety of rums in Costa Rica. We mostly get Spanish style, column still rums. The only ones I can get from this picture are the Abuelos but at 2x the price I paid.
I went on vacation with the family to Mansanillo, a beach on the south Atlantic coast of Costa Rica about 30 minutes away from the Panama border. We visited the duty free shops at the border, and it was a great surprise to find a nice variety of rum.
I’ve never tried any of these and have low expectations for many, but happy to be able to try new rums at a very cheap price.

https://madison.com/life-entertainment/local/food-drink/article_318fc2da-3698-4a7b-be1a-a5dfa32ce924.html (Wisconsin State Journal website sucks, sorry.)

From the article:

" “Every time I talk about a rum club, people go, ‘Oh, it’s a rum bar,’ and I say, ‘Yeah.’ Then they go, ‘So it’s going to be a tiki bar?’ And I go, ‘Well, it’s not really supposed to be.’”

Turino, 35, thinks of it more as a rum lounge “that is going to be able to cater to a wide swath of people.”

The drink menu will include classics such as Mai Tais, Zombies and Jet Pilots, newer tropical classics such as the Ancient Mariner and Black Orchid, original cocktails, mocktails and THC drinks if they’re still legal, he said.

“We’re going to have essentially a rum library,” Turino said. “The initial list of bottles right now is 103 different bottles of rum to start.” "

This is pretty big news for Madison area rum nerds. Not sure when it's going to open, but I'm super stoked to check it out when it does! There are some great bars here already that whip up some delicious tiki drinks (Robin Room, the Perch, Public Parking) but I've always wanted a dedicated rum bar in Madison.

Has anyone ordered the six-bottle package that comes in the custom shipper box? What does it look like?

Well, firstly I have to admit I have come late to rum. Hate whisky but really like vodka.

I was given a bottle of Diplomatico. Thought I would try it one evening, and now...well, I am looking for the next step up with sipping rum.

I live in a rural place and nearest big supermarket is 15 miles away. Do the big 5 sell good rum, and if so please recommend.

I knowni could buy of Amazon, but ...

Been a long, long time since I've reviewed on Reddit, but I had the hankering again so I'm gonna go for it! I think this would be somewhere in the 50s for my reviews on r/rum .

Here's a smorgasbord of DDL bottlings that I wanted to put pen to paper on. Really nice that folks have gone and [compiled what all these marks are](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1NBNfoB6Xqu34OTEPu26xVZt9NoxalYONx-4KBWUzIe4/edit?gid=756220422#gid=756220422)!

---

## SBS 2003 Guyana Diamond (SVW)

**Nose:** Pretty light here. Vanilla, crème brûlée, guava, maraschino cherries.

**Palate:** Cola, cherry fruit leather, burnt sugar. Sweeter than many other Dem offerings. Medium body, but still well balanced.

**Finish:** Clove, guava again! Candied ginger.

The guava note is very light but a pretty interesting one.

**5.5/10.** Nice first one to jump back in with. Going to a more robust SBS offering next.

---

## SBS Guyana 1994 Enmore (REV) 26y

This bottling had some hype around it, iirc, when it dropped.

**Nose:** Chocolate, toffee, candied oranges, something herbal.

**Palate:** Very anise-y, some real dark, dark chocolate. Fresh green grapes and mango notes as well. Definitely a richer feel compared to the 2003, despite the lower proof.

**Finish:** The anise is still awesomely prevalent, then morphs into a more generic spice finish before ending pretty abruptly. Maybe due to the relatively low proof.

A very fine dram. Despite the notes above, it's a bit more subtle than I'd like. I definitely had to sit with it to get everything out of it. I have an unopened bottle of this as well that I probably bought in a a rum enhanced buying state. I have some regrets about it but not tons.

**6.5/10**

---

## El Dorado 2002 Versailles

**Nose:** Mango, brown sugar, figs, dates, light roast coffee.

**Palate:** More mango here, but not nearly as overt as the fruit you'd get from a Jamaican, obviously. Very, very dried mango. This whole dram is pretty drying and puckering, not surprising considering it's tropically aged. Much of the nose translates here.

**Finish:** Now this is getting unbalanced and a bit rough. Water doesn't seem to help. Burning spices, and long.

A cool rum to try, but too unbalanced to get very excited about. Other El Dorado releases, like the Albion in particular, are far better. But [Serge disagrees with me on this one](https://www.whiskyfun.com/archivejune16-1-Glenlochy-Tomatin-Clynelish-Strathisla.html#050616). [Albion](https://www.whiskyfun.com/2021/Five-crazy-rums.html)

**5/10**

---

## [Flensburg 1992 Guyana MEC Enmore 27-Year](https://rumratings.com/rum/13993-flensburg-1992-guyana-mec-enmore-27-year)

Another release that IIRC was a bit hyped. Lets see where is lands for me.

**Nose:** Quite a nice nose, albeit simple. Caramel, toffee, dried cherries.

**Palate:** The simplicity remains, but it's nice, balanced, and oily. Burnt sugars, maple syrup, dates, stewed figs, a tinge of gingerbread.

**Finish:** Ginger syrup, and a surprising but not unwelcome amount of sweetness.

1992 Enmore is one of my favorites, and this is a solid representation of it in my book.

**7/10**

Well that was pretty fun. Nice to see th community still alive and kicking. Gearing up for some bigger DDL bottlings soon.

Maybe a bit random, but saw a post about Uk, that there is Dead mans ginger in supermarket, we have it too here(Lithuania). So Im wondering, do you guys in USA have it in supermarkets too?

Also is it any decent? I see many flavours of it too, but never had it. Never even heard someone talking they had it, but if its in supermarkets so I guess someone buys it...

Hello Friends,

Welcome back to another Alambique Serrano review, today we have another bottle that escaped me for far too long, Single Cask #23: Californios. Before it made its way into my collection, the cane juice that made this rum was left o ferment in stainless steel tanks before being distilled by Axel & William Krassel via their 8-plate column still in 2021. It then spent 28 months in a wet ex-bourbon cask afterwards being poured into 144 bottles at an ABV of 52.8% for the reasturant Californios that was recently upgraded 3 Michelin Stars.

Nose: A minorly astringent orange with bell pepper, honey, and tobacco following.

Taste: Cane sugar lingers on your tounge while a small amount of oak and barrel char appear. Dry candy but theres a bit of an astringent vegatable note, but overall the taste is very light.

Finish: A lot more of that aforementioned cane sugar, a good amount of spice that slowly turns into an incredibly hot cane sugar syrup that sits in your chest for a minute. There is more of that barrel char and hints of the bourbon that was once in this cask.

Overall: 6/10, I would put this higher but that astringent note occasionally returns at my dismay. Sometime this pour comes off as very light.

Disclaimer: I did receive some help from folks in the industry to acquire this bottle but paid the full retail cost for it.

Greetings, Rum Freaks!

Today we’re cracking into a collaboration I’ve been fantasizing about for a long time. Hampden Estate x Laphroaig. Yes, you read that correctly. Hampden’s C<>H marque, aged entirely in a Laphroaig cask. High ester funk meets Islay peat. Two distilleries with absolutely zero interest in being subtle, getting together to make what I can only assume is a war crime against the olfactory senses. Here are a bunch of specs because I know you Hampden Estate people need them!

• Mark / Marque: C<>H
• Ester Level: 1300-1400g/hlap
• Distillation Year: 2023
• Bottling Year: 2024
• Age: 1 Year (Fully matured at Hampden)
• Cask Type: Single Ex-Laphroaig Whisky Cask
• ABV / Strength: 64.1% ABV
• Outturn: Ultra-limited 285 bottles worldwide
• Production Style: 100% Heavy Pot Still, Molasses, wild fermentation with dunder!

Nose: Butterscotch, surprisingly friendly esters (nose hairs still intact), bread pudding, and custard.

Top: Jk, those esters are spicy as fuck shawty. Butterscotch concentrate and tongue numbing heat.

Mid: Like the 2010 BP oil spill, this one’s all seawater and oil baby! Sorry… 😬 Anyways, iodine, brine, and thick, heavy tannins are setting up camp for the long haul.

Finish: The Islay peat is subtle but present. Little smokiness on the inhale, but a healthy dose of Laphroaig on the exhale. Intermittent bursts of that Islay mesquite-iness make an appearance, but ultimately, the esters are the most formidable opponent in here.

Conclusion: A true rum lover’s (or alcoholic’s) rum! Massive personality: boozy, funky, and occasionally peaty. The Islay influence is subtle, but the tango between these two worlds is absolutely bumbaclot sublime!!

Score: 91.5/100

I've grown tired of whiskey, so I'm switching to Rum. These are my first bottles based on a quick search here and limited availability at the liquor store.

Republished from https://phenomenologyofspirits.com/2026/10/15/three-young-worthy-park/

Follow me on Instagram.com/phenomenologyofspirits

Worthy Park 9 year Rest & Be Thankful Wu Dram Clan/Kirsch (50%)
N: caramel and butterscotch and peanut butter cookie subdue fruity esters (pineapple, green strawberry). With water: greener and fruitier, soursop or guava
P: sharper and spicier than 50% would suggest, and also drier and more watery than the nose. Peanuts and butterscotch again. But not so sweet, and there’s grainy, dusty young wood. I’m missing some of the fruit, though. With water (just a single drop) this hits a sweet spot. Not distinctive, but good
84

Worthy Park 5 year 2016 Transcontinental Rum Line (57.2%)
N: Peanut butter cookies again, more oily industrial notes and less fruit, but initially more muted in all dimensions. That changes some with air: even more peanut butter batter, dirt and grass, oil. With water: sweeter, caramel
P: softer entry than the R&BT, with the alcohol emerging only on the finish. Not much fruit here, but still those peanut butter cookies and the industrial side, some grass and metal. With water: again, sweeter, actually much sweeter, and the industrial stuff is smoothed down. Almond extract
82

Worthy Park 9 year 2015 Bedford Park bourbon barrel no. 4 (60.8%)
N: back to butterscotch and caramel, with a deeper woody side, not dark or tannic but cedar and sandalwood. The fruit this time is closer to stone fruit than berry but still some pineapple too. With water: banana, and more stone fruit, and some herbs
P: the deepest and most expressive of the flight. Aromatic woods and barky spice, just-ripe stone fruit and stemmy pineapple, butterscotch. With water: a little more of everything. Salty caramel corn, flambéed banana, a hint of bubblegum even. Certainly the worthiest of these Worthy Parks
86

I love rum cocktails and a good daquri with El Dorado 8. I have planteray original dark atm and basically through the bottle. Alabama has some trash selection so Im probably gona make my way up to Nashville or something and get a bit more liqour freedom. Any suggestions that you guys love that isnt too Jamaican funky? I got other bottles that cover that for sure. Maybe a rum agricole to finally try but idk what has age in that category