Monthly Archives: November 2015
Rum Mezan Guyana 2005
The Rum: Mezan Guyana 2005
Origin: Diamond Distillery Guyana
Abv: 40%
Distilled: 2005
Bottled: 2015
Still: Double wooden pot still from the Port Mourant Estate
Nose: a rather light and tropical nose with the molasses being lighter than to be expected from a rum made in the famous Port Mourant wooden pot still. A touch of oak and some green bananas. Give it a good 10 minutes, and you have a basket of overripe tropical fruits. Guave on top! Let it breath some more, and swirl it in the glass, and the green bananas are all over the place now. Also a slight hint of citrus.
Taste: Less sweet than expected, with a fair amount of oak coming through. Soft molasses and some spices. The official tasting notes mention ginger…but honestly: no ginger to be found in this rum! Just like other Mezan rums, this one is bottled at 40 abv; and I think that’s a shame. I’m pretty sure if you get this same rum at let’s say 46 abv, it’ll be playing in another league. Reducing it to 40 abv makes it a bit dull. So pretty please good people at Mezan: next time bottle at a higher strength !!
Finish: Nice oak with sweeter undertones; especially on the cheeks. Medium long finish, coming back with a delicate fruitiness. The official tasting notes mention citrus in the finish, but again: only with a lot of imagination maybe !
Our Score : ***
Jamaica 2005 – Mezan
The Rum: Jamaica 2005 – Mezan
Distillery: Worthy Park
Distilled: 2005
Bottled : 2015
ABV: 40%
Matured: ex-bourbon casks
Stills: copper pot still made by Forsyth’s in Scotland
Varia: uncoloured, unsweetened, slight filtration
First a word or two on Worthy Park – info gained from the Ministry of Rum check out their website, some great info to be found there!!). Currently Worthy Park is 3,600 hectares, mills 210,000 tonnes of cane annually including 90,000 tonnes produced by the Estate (the remainder purchased from Farmers) with an average annual sugar production of 24,000 tonnes and 7,000 tonnes of molasses. The Estate produces 83 tonnes of sugar cane and 10 tonnes of sugar per hectare. Since 2005, Worthy Park has been distilling molasses-based rum in an 18,000 liter copper pot still. Most of this rum is sold to blenders and bottlers. The distillery is also aging rum at the estate for sale in the future. Several different yeasts are used to make light, medium and higher ester rums.
The Nose: Soft, with stewed fruits and refined molasses. Tropical fruits with even a hint of coffee coming through. Warming and very pleasant nose, rather subtle. After a good 20 minutes more citrus influences.
The Taste: unlike some other Jamaicans, this one is definitely not too sweet. Again these rather subtle fruity notes, stewed fruits, rather vegetal with nice hints of honey. Also some vanilla.
The Finish: soft, slowly getting a bit sweeter. Medium long with just a touch of wood at the very end.
Our Score: a good sipper indeed – ***
Alcane Aguardente Velha
The Rum: Alcane Aguardente Velha
Origin: Santo Antão – Cabo Verde
Distilled by: Alcane Ltd
ABV: 43 abv
Distilled: n.i.
Bottled: ca 2015
Our first rum from Cabo Verde – with a thank you to my parents who brought this with them from their holidays. No idea whether this is agricole or melasses; but let’s find out !
The Nose: White pepper, floral and soft sugarcane. Rather vegetal with a slightly sour undertone that doesn’t bother at all. Give it 5 minutes however, and the aromas already fade away. What stays is fruity with some bourbon vanilla. Somehow this reminds me a bit of cheap Armagnac with a somewhat industrial character. 30 minutes later: iodine (yes!), a soft sea breeze. Mineral notes – wet slate.
The Taste: soft sweet start with a vegetal touch that reminds me of cachaça. Fresh sugarcane juice. Vanilla playing in the background. It’d be surprised if this isn’t an agricole.
The Finish: medium long and slightly drying. OK, but a bit too one-dimensional. Lacks a bit of character and depth. At the very end slightly bitter with butterscotch.
Our Score: ** – Mind you: for € 10-15 definitely not to bad !!
Follow the distillery at https://www.facebook.com/Alcane-1587738348154703/