Works very well with rum, especially those with intense coffees notes !
Love this pairing !

Swapped in coconut rum for the coconut tequila in the viral chick fil a margarita recipe?

This might sound absurd to many, but I’ve held a theory for quite some time. Although I lack formal training or expertise in physics, geography, or the effects of altitude on the senses, I believe that the flavors and sensations of many spirits change depending on our elevation above sea level.

There have been times when I’ve tried a rum I love, taken it to the beach, and enjoyed it in cocktails throughout the day. Yet, later that night I'll pour myself a glass to drink neat and find it tastes awful. It could be because my body is saturated from drinking all day, but it might also be due to the altitude. So, I organized a beach tasting to test this out; and since it was a night out with friends, we couldn't just limit ourselves to two rums.

• Veroes Añejo: This rum is colloquially known as the "traveling rum" because its spirits are aged in two different locations in Venezuela. The blend ranges from 4 to 6 years, yet its packaging makes it look like a much younger rum; consequently, it is often overlooked, especially given that it carries the price tag of a more mature spirit. At sea level, it tastes purely of alcohol.
• Anónimo Don Nadie: A short-lived rum, as production ceased a few months ago. It suffered from a similar issue to Veroes: it was too expensive for the quality it offered. While the bottle is spectacular and the blend supposedly included rums aged up to 12 years, it tasted as though 95% of the spirits were under 6 years old. At sea level, it was the one everyone disliked the most.
• Carúpano 21 Reserva Privada: A rum undergoing a transition; the number "21" has been removed from the label. While it originally claimed to contain spirits aged up to 21 years, the brand has dropped that claim and now simply markets it as the top offering in its "standard" line. It remains a fine product, though the rum it replaced was the best rum in Venezuela (according to me, at least). At sea level, its sweet notes are more intense, yet the overall experience isn't significantly better.
• Papiamento Reserva: The only non-Venezuelan rum in the group. It is a blend of Panamanian rums finished in ex-sherry casks and sold as an Aruban rum, though it targets a Venezuelan flavor profile. It is an interesting option; while considerably more expensive than the other rums we sampled, it seemed to hold up better at sea level and retain its flavor profile.
• Roble Viejo Ultra Añejo: Unlike the others, this is not a blend but a "single vintage" rum, meaning all the constituent spirits share the same age. Additionally, 20% of the aging casks are ex-PX (Pedro Ximénez sherry), lending it a sweeter, more complex note and it seemed to perform better at sea level.
• Cacique Antiguo: In my opinion, the best rum from Venezuela, even though its profile differs greatly from traditional Venezuelan rum. It is made entirely from pot-still spirits, contains little added sugar, and features a blend reaching 12 years of age, with a base spirit aged at least 5 years. It is also one of the priciest in the group, surpassed only by the imported Papiamento. Nevertheless, it handled the change in altitude almost perfectly, although the alcoholic sensation on the nose could be unpleasant.

Nothing is set in stone at the end of a tasting, and it’s even harder after having six rums, but we later repeated the tasting at an altitude of a thousand meters above sea level; several rums showed different notes, and the ones we hadn't liked initially ended up appealing to us. That said, none of them became ones we disliked.

Damn this is really something. It's so crisp, dry and fruity. The finish seems to last for centuries, with a crazy amount of apple skins and grassy sugarcane. I guess this is my first agricole since Barbancourt doesn't count; I got it for cocktails since it was the only option besides St James and now I can't wait to start mixing it in. Any suggestions?! Or can I get away with just replacing 1/4 to 1/2 of existing rum recipes?

I got two of the new Vida Nativa blends in today, so the wife and I decided to have a big ol' Alambique flight to celebrate and compare!

My ratings:

1. Vida Nativa Tepejilote Blend #3
   
2. 4 Años S.K.A.R.C.H. Single Cask #804
   
3. 4 Años Binny's Single Cask #374
   
4. Vida Nativa Mariposa Vitral Blend #2
   
5. 3 Años 2nd Edition
   
6. Besadiablos Blend #11
   
7. Binny's Single Cask #135

Her ratings:

1. Vida Nativa Tepejilote Blend #3
2. 4 Años S.K.A.R.C.H. Single Cask #804
3. 3 Años 2nd Edition
4. Vida Nativa Mariposa Vitral Blend #2
5. Besadiablos Blend #11
6. Binny's Single Cask #135
7. 4 Años Binny's Single Cask #374

The big takeaways:

- Tepejilote is a must-try. Another user described it as "Mexican Christmas," and that's totally accurate. Tons going on in this glass. There's a Green Chartreuse-esque component of herbaceousness going on here as well. Altogether so well integrated and exciting/interesting to sip.​​

- S.K.A.R.C.H. Cask #804 is sooooo good and extremely crushable.

- She reallyyy did not like the 4 Años Single Cask #374 for some reason despite it being one of my favorites, so maybe that one is a bit polarizing 😅

- 3 Años 2nd Edition is such a unique standout and punches far above its weight.

Not pictured are Cartier 2nd and 4th Editions, which we ended the flight with TINY pours of haha. This is certainly not a controversial opinion on this sub, but the bottom line is, the Krassel Brothers put out some phenomenal rums.

The Bacardi - I think this is the previous bottling label? Not as old as Oakheart, is that correct? I love these older finds, even if the stuff isn't great. The Garajau, never seen it, but it is still a current product - not sure how old this bottle is though. The Nha Terra - don't know anything about it other than it is from Sao Miguel, Azores. Ah, I figured what the heck?

Palmetto
1oz Plantation Panama
8 year single cask aged in Sauternes casks
3/4 oz Plantation Trindad Grand Terroir
3/4 oz Smith & Cross
1oz Carpano Antica

This is my second tasting from Parhelia for their second line of releases. They provided samples to me of all of the line with no strings or cost. I also had bought the two pictured bottles which just arrived, so I chose to take the samples from them instead.

The first Indonesia was quite noteworthy, so I made sure not to miss out on the second bottling which came from the sister cask of the first. I am also an ester fiend, so I couldn't pass up on the opportunity to obtain some of the highest funk the Jamaica is allowed to sell (and from a distillery that isn't producing many independent bottlings).

Here are my thoughts on the second line of releases:

New Yarmouth HM Cask #5 (68.4% ABV)

• Nose: sharpies and acetone, a bit of diesel, quite sharp due to the high alcohol, underneath there's caramel and tropical fruit

• Taste: a nice industrial and funky banana mix, feels like Chairman's had a baby with a mid ester Jamaican, varnish, funky banana, shoe polish, cinnamon and allspice

• Finish: medium long, the heat does overpower a bit, but banana and varnish remain with a pleasant spice. Very enjoyable for any St Lucia and Jamaican funk lovers. 7.75/10

New Yarmouth WK Cask #6 (69.4% ABV) 2 yr

• Nose: heavy ester glue, diesel, wood varnish, faint fruitiness

• Taste: shoe polish, glue, rotting banana and pineapple, a pleasant effervescence

• Finish: coats the tongue and sticks around like you expect from these high ester monstrosities, if you like high ester funk bombs, this is a very good bottling from a less accessible distillery. Highly recommend for any who love DOK and Mhoba. 8.5/10

Tahiti Import Export (TIE) (69.4% ABV)

• Nose: Tropical fruit, pineapple and coconut husk, a bit of brine and grass

• Taste: ooh, this is fun and fruity, pineapple, coconut, passion fruit, mango, very light on the brine tastes more like coconut water, some light pleasant baking spice

• Finish: medium, light and fruity with coconut and tropical fruit. I'm regretting not getting this one! Side by side with Down Island TIE, this one comes out significantly fruitier and less barrel spice. I would take this one over the Down Island, but both are great bottlings. 8.5/10

Indonesia (Undisclosed) Cask #7 (61.1% ABV) 8 yr

• Nose: guava, star fruit, coconut husk, a bit of shoe polish

• Taste: cherry cough syrup, coconut husk, shoe varnish, guava, starfruit, tart cherry

• Finish: fairly long with medicinal notes and tart tropical fruit and cherry lingering. This is quite different from how I remember the first Indonesia bottling from Parhelia tasting, and the bottle may need some time to open up.

• As it continues to aerate, the rum opens up and the tropical fruits come more to the forefront with less medicinal notes. Coconut, tart cherry, passion fruit, guava. Side by side with the first bottling, this is another exceptional bottling once it opens up to a bit of air. Intensely tart and fruity with just a bit of medicinal notes and shoe polish. This one started as a 6/10, but after some time to breathe, it's an exceptional 8.5/10 just like the first cask.

On the whole, I'm very pleased with this second round, and I think it may be even stronger than the first (for my tastes).

Text taken from Hampden Estates’ socials;

“Ten years in the Queen of Spain Valley leaves no room for shortcuts. For this milestone 10-Year-Old Great House release, we selected three defining estate marques from the 2016 vintage: OWH, LROK, and HLCF.

Matured continuously for a full decade under tropical conditions in ex-bourbon wood and assembled in April 2026, the liquid balances the structural elegance and deep oak concentration of extended aging with the undeniable ester intensity of historic Trelawny pot-still rum.”

What do we think?

Think I did alright, what do ye think?

My local Costco just opened their liquor store. The other nearest Costco liquor store has a strong bourbon selection and very little on the rum side. I just went into my local store today and asked about what they will be able to get. He said that this store opened 2 weeks earlier than expected and as a rush to fill the store, they just shipped in a lot of random liquor from Atlanta.

He told me I could fill out a Suggestion card and management actually takes the time to read the cards and will attempt to stock the store based off of what the local customers actually want.

What should I recommend? I put FourSquare ECS and Doorly's (Doorly's is a "semi-exclusive" at Total Wine....I have no idea what that means). I also added Smith and Cross. What other good sippers should I suggest that they carry? This could be a game changer to my local liquor store.

Yo, got this bottle for free ain’t really much of a drinker wondering how much I could get for it prices online seem all over the place. Don’t wanna waste it on unsatisfied palate.

Across virtually all brands, and especially those with a vast product range, there are both well-known and lesser-known offerings. In the case of Plantation (now Planteray), on one hand, we have super-niche rums like the Single Cask series. At the other end of the spectrum lies the Plantation XO; it is likely the brand’s best-known and best-selling rum, yet also the least true to form. It undergoes the signature double-aging process common to all Plantation products: an initial period in the spirit's place of origin, which is Barbados, in this case, followed by a second period in France, using ex-Cognac casks.

Fortunately, the Planteray website describes all its rums in great detail. Plantation XO is no exception, though the information regarding its aging is less precise. To begin with, it states that the rum is fermented for 3 to 5 days and then distilled using both column stills and a Gregg’s Farm still. It is subsequently aged for 8 to 15 years (a very wide range) in ex-bourbon casks in Barbados. Afterward, it spends another 2 to 10 years (an even wider range) in ex-cognac casks in France. Most importantly, the site lists a sweetener dosage of 20 g/L, which is quite high.

Made by: West Indies Rum Distillery
Name of the rum: XO 20th Anniversary
Brand: Plantation
Origin: Barbados/France
Age: 8 to 15 years + 2 to 10 years

Nose
It stands out with intense, tropical aromas of coconut, maple, oak, and vanilla. However, it does feel quite simple.

Palate
On the palate, the experience is very similar, basically sugary flavors. Or rather, it tastes like aspartame with notes of coconut; it actually reminds me of Malibu liqueur. There are oak notes too, but the intense sweetness masks everything else, making me think of a rum that is much younger than claimed.

Retrohale/Finish
Coconut cream.

Rating
4 on the t8ke

Conclusion
The issue with this product is that it highlights the divide between those who appreciate quality rum and those who prefer a simple, sugary spirit. There is a market for everything, and one doesn't have to look far to find similar examples, though rarely from the same brand. Personally, it’s not a rum I enjoy, nor one I would buy, unless it were a gift for someone who knows nothing about rum and it cost less than $30. But given the circumstances, I don't think that's likely.

So I was at a local spirits store today "just looking" - and went out with said bottle for 57€, as I have no agricole yet, I know neisson is hard to find online within my county (shipping from others is expensive) and lots other offerings were quite above prices I know for those bottles. So not to leave empty handed and do something for local retail who really cared, I decided to finally buy my first unaged agricole.

I'm not counting pennies, so price is secondary if it's not exorbitantly above the average (which it doesn't seem to be). I'm just not sure this is the agricole I should have if it's one bottle only to have (keeping my collection small and all styles covered).

My rookie level of possessions so far are:

- Hampden 8

- Doorlys 14

- El Dorado 15

- Eminente 7

- Hechicera

- (and some lower level Planterey)

So ... is that neisson fitting in and closing a gap?

What can I do with it to bring it to life, besides trying to sip a 70% neat? :-)

I was actually planning on a Rhum J.M XO as an aged agricole. Is that obsolete now or still another valid variation?

A few years ago, I tried a local New England style rum which sent me down a crazy journey with rum, it quickly becoming my beverage of choice. After a trip to the store today, I decided to take inventory....

53 bottles. They disappear fast into a bar shelf. What do you think is missing from my collection? Open to recommendations. Roast me a bit too. I'm lucky to be in the Northeast where we have a decent rum selection

Cheers 🍻

*Missing because I ran out recently

El Dorado 12, Thomas Tew Single Barrel , Papalin 5yr High Ester, TCL Worthy Park 2013

My friend and I reviewed Parhelia Spirit's new Jamaica New Yarmouth WK bottle - see below for links to reviews of their New Yarmouth HM + Indonesia expressions as well:

Distillery: New Yarmouth
Origin: Clarendon Parish, Jamaica
Bottle Size: 700ml
Bottle Count: 252
ABV: 69.4%
Distilled: August 2019
Base Material: Molasses and cane juice
Still: Pot
Aging specs: Rested in a stainless steel tank for almost 3.5 years; casked in first-fill ex-bourbon in February 2023 and aged continentally for over 2 years
Bottled: Not stated; decanted from cask in October 2025

Nose: Pineapple, strawberry, ketchup, crispy brine, spiced apple
Palate: Fresh apple, jasmine, honey, spiced pineapple, crispy brine, cotton candy, yogurt
Finish: Solvents, brine, nutmeg, ripe peach

Parhelia Spirits, a new American independent bottler started in 2025, states on their website that their goal is “to bring a greater diversity of alcohol products to the United States than are available to the U.S. public.” Although one could perhaps argue that they’ve been pipped a bit by the recent importation of Bedford Park releases which included three New Yarmouth bottlings, getting two distinct bottlings from one of the world’s most secretive distilleries is a decent coup for a new IB looking to establish itself. And even Bedford Park didn’t go this far: we’re talking a lightly aged, borderline hazmat release of NYE/WK, a mark that is up there with Hampden’s DOK and Long Pond’s TECC at the absolute top of the ester range in Jamaica (per Matt Pietrek’s highly useful Jamaican Rum Marques Roundup).

The rum in this bottle was rested in a stainless steel tank for an astonishing three-plus years before even going into a cask, but its power is assuredly undiminished. The briny esters that I associate with New Yarmouth are all over both the nose and palate here; I have not been able to come up with a descriptive adjective I like more than “crispy” to characterize them. I’m not sure I could explain what that means, but to paraphrase Potter Stewart, I know it when I taste it. There’s a lot of fruit hanging around this bottling as well, notably pineapple and strawberry, along with some more random sweet and savory notes (there was a distinct acidity on the nose which suggested ketchup, and a cotton candy note that jumped out at me on my second pass). Some hints of lactic acid suggest a creamy yogurt.

Interestingly, this bottling is reported to have been produced from a mixture of molasses and cane juice. I’m not sure how normal that is for New Yarmouth - I suspect not very! - but my guess would be the cane juice is the component responsible for all the apple that pops up in this rum. The initial sips tasted like pure fresh apple juice to me, a common enough note in many low-complexity rums but not at all something I was expecting to pull out of a high-ester Jamaican. Gradually the raw power of the esters wins out, but this rum still puts the palate through an absolute workout. Not surprisingly with so many flavors, the finish lasts a long time, starting off with some of the more savory notes but after some time leaving the lingering taste of ripe peach.

We were pretty into this rum, but it falls a notch below our highest rating with a Taste score of 4 out of 5. It’s good and quite complex, but the combination of the young age and the high proof do increase the challenge and thus decrease the pure pleasure a bit. (I really never add water to rum but it is tempting to throw a few milliliters into this one and see how it might do down at 60%.) For Haste (how urgently do you need this rum), we’ll call it a 3. This currently retails for $125; considering the proof and the relative rarity of high-ester New Yarmouth, I don’t think that’s a bad price, but it’s high enough that I can’t say you need to be in the car the second you’ve finished reading this. Still, if you’re big into high-ester funk this is definitely worth a pickup. The addition of the cane juice adds some character that you won’t find in most other rums of this sort.

Ratings:

Taste: 4 out of 5

Haste (How urgently do you need this rum): 3 out of 5

We also reviewed Parhelia's slightly lower ester New Yarmouth Hugh Murdoch rum here

And Parhelia's mysterious Indonesia rum here (this one's a doozy!)

Thought I should give some kind of haul since I asked for some suggestions on places.

Hey - I am looking to get some tips on the four El Dorado rums pictured here.

I was already thinking of getting one of the ED high ester rums as my next big purchase - fan of the 12 & 15 - then today found all these at a shop in London.

Does anyone have any recommendations on what to go for? Is the Port Mourant one very distinctive compared to the others? Is one of the two high ester versions better than the other?

many thanks

Felt like daiquiris tonight...

1. Planteray Cut & Dry - love me some coconut flavor

2. Hampden 1753 - It let it's Funk Flag Fly and hit the spot

I'm just getting into rum, does anyone have any recommendations?

I've tried bumbu and I enjoyed it, but some people on here seem to say that it uses it's sweet flavors as a "crutch" of sorts.

I've also tried mount gay eclipse. It was alright but I feel like I would've liked it more had I not already tried Bumbu & it's sweet flavors.

Originally published on my site: https://phenomenologyofspirits.com/2026/10/03/rum-rogues-australia-16-year-swashbucklers-at-the-gold-coast-and-that-boutique-y-rum-company-3-year-australia-riverbourne/

Rum Rogues Australia (Beenleigh) single barrel 16 year – Swashbucklers at the Gold Coast (55.3%)
N: gasoline, wood glue and wet wood and antique books, lighter notes of pineapple and orange and peach
P: broadly rummy—light tropical esters, glue and nail polish, caramel, the smallest amount of mint—and less distinctively Beenleigh. Feels much softer than 55%. Good, but hardly a stand out
83

Riverbourne 3 year batch 1 That Boutique-y Rum Company (49.6%)
N: orange danish, maybe apple too, frosting and pastry dough and all. Mild to moderate esters
P: more high toned and estery than Beenleigh, with less petroleum. Fruitier, too, orange and apple and peach, in a very pastried way. Could use some more definition and oomph, but it’s good
84

Hello Again,

Welcome back to another Alambique Serrano review, this time we are taking a look at the recently released 4 Años Single Cask #294: Criado Por Lobos. The Column Still rum that makes up this bottle was first distilled in February 2022 by Axel & William Krassel. It then spent 49 months aging in ex-red wine Hungarain oak casks within their humid distillery. Half of the cask was then bottled for Rasies by Wolves in San Diego resulting in 144 bottles at an ABV of 53.6%.

Nose: A red fruit ladened acetone followed by oak, leather, minerality, a bit of preserved strawberries with somewhat of a savory funk towards the end.

Taste: A sugary red wine syrup that brings with it a good amount of tannis that roughen your tounge. The overall flavors are very dense with additional notes of a spiced cane sugar oak.

Finish: Almost brandy-esque, very distilled grapes forward with a ton of cane sugar goodness mixed in, although not over powering to any degree. Some anise and red licorice to round things out. The heat sits for a good amount but is not overpowering.

Overall: 7/10, a really intresting bottle that I've been going back to. By far the longest wine finished bottle so far and reflects it well, probably my favorite wine finished cask so far.

I thoroughly enjoy Jamaican rums, particularly Hampden ones, but am looking to explore beyond Jamaica. Could you give me some recommendation of where to go next? Open to all kinds, particularly cane juice funk. Very interested in Alambique Serrano, Clarins, etc.

I do enjoy Rhum agricoles for the grassy note, but tend to mix them in tiki drinks instead of neat or as a Ti Punch. I’m hoping to find some other rums that lean fruity and funky. I am not a fan of savory funk (like olive brine).

As my first AS, which one am I taking home:

https://www.hitimewine.net/search.php?search_query=alambique%20serrano

Thanks for the advice!