Very nice labels isn’t it? You can’t even notice that those rums are casks from S.B.S instead of bottle designs. If you didn’t read my previous articles about Watch Smell Taste bottlings, this is a Belgian spirit shop, the kind of shop that make you feel at home. Here are their last selections : the first one is a unaged Grand Arôme from Réunion (Savanna), the second one is a young Galion, both are molasses rums. There are only 72 bottles of each and the reason is that the casks were split between different shops, so you can meet same rums with different labels. Let’s taste the youngsters!
S.B.S Réunion Grand Arôme WST (57%, 72 bottles)
Colour: Clear.
Nose: Fresh mowed lawn! It’s fresh and herbal, it seems to be a Grand Arôme without the usual mutant strawberry. Fresh tar, mint, herbal notes, honey, white pepper, black and green olives, leather, brown sugar, toffee and polish. A well balanced nose, less exuberant than expected.
Mouth: We have toffee, green olives, olive oil, fresh tar, white pepper, chilies, herbal notes, brown sugar, polish, vinegar, salted black olives, tannins, rubber, leather, bitter grapefruits and tangerines. It’s fresh and well balanced, blinded I wouldn’t have say this one is a Grand Arôme. It becomes slightly too bitter after some time in mouth.
Finish: Mid-long and bitter. Burnt wood, green olives, cold ashes, brine and vanilla.
This is not the most extravagant Grand Arôme you’ll meet, a pleasant wihte rum but I need more to be really keen.
Score: 84
S.B.S French Antilles WST 2019-2021 (50%, 72 bottles)
Colour: Gold.
Nose: Powerful and expressive, with some complexities. Green and black olives, caramel, brown sugar, vanilla, mangoes, papayas, fermentation, passion fruits, strawberry candies, butter, eucalyptus, maple syrup, oak wood and blood oranges. This is complex and well balanced, impressive nose for a so young rum.
Mouth: Nice oily texture. Lemons, spices, ginger, oak, white pepper, strawberry candies, bananas, mangoes, pineapple juice, oranges, mint, vanilla, strawberry jam, brown sugar, chilies, green and black olives, grapefruits, maple syrup, acidulous candies, fermentation, brine, iodized notes and fish oil. That’s classy, round and as balanced as the nose.
Finish: Long. Iodized notes, vanilla, floral notes, blackcurrant, smoke, mint, biscuits, marzipan, roasted almonds and raspberries.
It’s very surprising for an only 2 years old rum, it’s expressive and well balanced with Galion DNA, far away from the Nectar release I didn’t enjoy at all. What a great value for money, good job for this nice selection!
Score: 88
This Galion sounded like a great surprise to me as I didn’t always enjoy bottlings from this distillery, this one is a true bargain. Two bottlings that could be considered as atypical rums, that was the goal of Gaëtan (WST owner) and it’s a success. Cheers!
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