Short tasting notes : Very fresh with lot of fruits and citruses. I’m not a huge fan of white r(h)ums but I really enjoyed this one from another era. We have citruses, tropical fruits, herbal notes, old waxy furnitures, ashes and some pepper.

Very nice starter, unexpected.

Score: ⭐⭐⭐½

Short tasting notes : Another kind of J.M, this one is 15 years old and bottled at cask strength. That’s really old school with a very present leather, candle wax, vanilla, dark honey, wood and cocoa beans. It’s more intense that you could believe when you read the label, it could be slightly more complex but it’s a very pleasant old school rum.

I heard a lot of good words about the old J.M releases and I’m not disappointed.

Score: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Short tasting notes : It has a very pleasant roundness with also some freshness. Sulfur, canon powder, honey, dried fruits, plums, wood, tannins, lemons, oranges, mangoes and some floral notes with a nice length for this ABV.

A surprising Bielle I really enjoyed. We faced it with the Guildive 2008, you can find the result of the clash right below.

Score: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Short tasting notes : More austere first but it needed some time to opens up and show his potential. The fruits are even more dried, more bitterish. We also have citruses, eucalyptus candies and a lot of spices.

The alcohol integration is overall a bit under the previous one. Honestly the more time passed, the more the gap of level between them two was tightening but my personal preference clearly goes to the Old Brothers.

Score: ⭐⭐⭐

Short tasting notes : Really?! That was my first reaction when I saw this bottle in the line-up. I could read lot of very good feedbacks about it and I’ll do a full review soon but tasting this legend before was totally unexpected.
The alcohol integration is perfect, that’s refined, complex and intense in the same time. Candle wax, plums, vanilla, dried fruits, almonds, caramel, noble wood and tannins first, then it turns to something more fruity with caramelized pineapples, apricot jam and some spices.
The texture is also very pleasant, very thick, unusual for an only 7yo rum.

Big slap in my face! It clearly has all the qualities of a very-very nice old rum and even more. A magical rum, that surprises you to be afraid of empty your glass.

Score: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Short tasting notes : The nose has a nice body for this reduced ABV but the mouth clearly lacks of body. It seems to be a low-esters Long Pond but it’s refined as Samaroli bottlings used to be. Apples, cinnamon, vanilla, spices, smoked beef, black olives and brine.

This one need to be tasted alone, that’s difficult to integrate this kind of rum in a such heavyweight tasting. I didn’t enjoy it that much honestly, I’ll review it properly in the next months.

Score: No score.

Short tasting notes : Another legendary bottling to me, a ghost bottle, that’s how I call it. I really enjoyed the Berry Bro’s 1990 at the same ABV so I had high expectations for this one.
Ester bomb with a lot of delicacy. Green bananas, acidulous candies, smoked bacon with some honey, mangoes, candied lemons, green and black olives and some smoke. It could have been more complex but what a delicacy inside this aromatic strength, who said high esters means brutality?

Another magical moment that reached my (high) expectations. The contrast between the esters level and the reduced ABV works perfectly, a true tangy candy.

Score: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Short tasting notes : That’s warm and powerful, a bit too sharp. I’m not a huge fan of Savanna but honestly this one’s profile pleases me more than usual. Plums, sultanas, marzipan, nuts, citruses, wood, butter caramel, dark chocolate, mineral notes, almonds, white pepper, ginger, vanilla and coffee.

Great selection, slightly too cask-driven but I enjoyed his aromatic profile however.

Score: ⭐⭐⭐½

Short tasting notes : Probably one of the most famous cow in the world, another monument of the rum history. Powerful and refined in the same time. Caramelized and candied pineapples, mangoes, honey, chilies, burnt caramel, noble wood and some floral notes. The typical oily and rubber notes are in the background of a very-very complete and intense profile. It’s well balanced with an evolutive mouth and a very nice alcohol integration, all boxes are checked.

What to say except that its reputation is clearly justified. Probably the best Caroni I’ve taste to date. Hats off, Luca!

Score: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐