With all the bottles the rhum world has to offer, it’s hard to choose a real top ten. Taste varies from person to person and therefore this list is not definitive, but rather a reflection of rums that have been tested and approved by Rumporter in each category.
[/mpc_textblock]APPLETON ESTATE 21 YO – 43%
Nose: rosewood, cacao, orange and clementine peel, white pepper, potpourri, Madagascar rosewood upon opening.
BOTRAN CASA BOTRAN 75E ANNIV. – 40%
Only 9,972 50cl bottles of this commemorative and newly released rum are available for sale. A masterpiece of meticulous Solera system aging, an assemblage of rums ranging from five to thirty-two years in old American whiskey, port, sherry and South America wine barrels.
BRISTOL CLASSIC RUM PORT MOURANT 25 YO 1990/2105 46%
Nose: fifteen years of aging in bourbon casks, plus ten years of finishing in Oloroso Sherry barrels give this rum a texture that is matched only by its complexity: first vegetal (mugwort) the nose leans towards the mineral (clay).
L’ESPRIT CARONI 1996/2016 SC BB4 – 64.3%
Nose: mescal in its vegetal notes that give it substance and precision. Without being aggressive, it resumes, on opening up, typical smoky notes.
HSE SINGLE CASK 2003- GRAND MILLÉSIME – 47,8%
Nose: this rhum, aged in 400 litres French oak barrels, offers up a nose that explodes with a richness of aromatics: at first, roasted coffee aromas lengthened by notes of Virginia tobacco, but also the lively freshness of a quince liqueur.
LA MAUNY LE NOUVEAU MONDE – 41%
Long ago, in the early 1990s, La Mauny already offered a Cuvée du Nouveau Monde. This time it’s Maison La Mauny’s turn … though the name has evolved, the tradition continues. A blend of twelve batches of four old vintages, it’s all about the delicate Cognac touch of Maison La Mauny, which is most evident in spicy woody notes, leaving the fruity and floral to take second place. The length is exceptional.
TROIS RIVIÈRES 1995 – 43%
You already have the excellent Triple Vintage 1998-2000-2007 at 42% (a real bargain for an old AOC rhum at less than 50€)? So cross the road and indulge in this exceptional 1995 vintage (bottled in 2014). A rhum agricole in the purest style of Trois Rivières, straight, concentrated, without excess of wood, rich in spices and fruit, yet still with a beautiful freshness.
RHUM RHUM LIBÉRATION 2012 45% ET 59,8%
Here is a pot still rhum “eau-de-vie” by Marie-Galante. This cuvée bottled in 2012 was aged in great old red Bordeaux and Burgundy wine barrels. The nose: exuberant and unique, very floral (geranium, acacia), fruity (blackcurrant, blood orange) and pepper. An equally surprising palate of clementine and blueberry, cardamom and rancio. The finish is very long, on bitter orange, quince, banana and anise. An exceptional rum!
WORTHY PARK ESTATE FORSYTHS 2005, HABITATION VELIER – 57.8%
This bottling originated from the first distillations of Worthy Park since its resurrection by the Clarke family. Non-chill filtered and bottled without reduction, it was aged ten years in bourbon casks.
ZACAPA XO – 40%
This blend of rums from 6 to 25 years, refined in old Cognac barrels is without doubt a great digestive. Very oily and fairly sweet, it is very balanced and expressive.
