Compagnie des Indes Savanna WST&HF 2008-2020 (58.3%)
Today let’s talk about the brand new bottling from Compagnie des Indes for my friend Gaëtan (Watch Smell Taste & Having Fun). This one is his second rum selection with CDI. This time he selected a Savanna Grand Ârome which was aged for 10 years under the Réunion tropics before it came back to France and lasts 2 years in an ex-Hampden cask.
Glenallachie 5 yo 2014-2020 (52.3%, LGA)
Secret Highland 9 yo 2010-2019 (53.3%, LGA)
Ardmore 22 yo 1997-2020 (50.6%, LGA
Blended Malt 18 yo 2001-2019 (46.4%, LGA
Croftengea 10 yo 2009-2020 (53.5%, LGA
I once heard some positive feedback about « Les Grands Alambics » (LGA), a good french independent bottler. Today I try their new « Birds Serie », a release of five different bottlings. It’s the first time I taste something from LGA and I was looking forward to try it so let’s get started!
Longueteau Parcellaire La Confrérie du Rhum 2014 (50%)
Longueteau Parcellaire La Confrérie du Rhum 2014-2020 (48.6%)
« La Confrérie du Rhum » (CDR) is the biggest Facebook french rum group which has actually more than 40.000 members.
I had the chance to get two samples of these Longueteau’s by Benoit Bail, the CDR founder.
Ben Nevis 23 yo 1996-2019 (51.3%, Elixir Distillers)
Ben Nevis 21 yo 1996-2018 (52.9%, Cadenhead)
Ben Nevis 22 yo 1997-2019 (48.8%, EVWC)
Ben Nevis 21 yo 1998-2019 (50.3%, EVWC)
Today I’ll test two nice Hogshead ’96 Ben Nevis and I added two bonus bottlings to the dance which are not from ’96 because… why not?!
Mortlach 25 yo 1995-2020 (45.8%, Le Gus’t)
The french independent bottler « Le Gus’t » releases another bottling and it’s a Mortlach 25 yo with a pretty fair price tag to say the least. I can’t wait to try it to be honest and I heard it’s not a typical Mortlach profile so we will see.
Rum Artesanal TDL 2001-2020 (56.5%)
Compagnie des Indes TDL 2003-2019 (63.5%)
The German bottler Rum Artesanal recently released a T.D.L rum from 2001 and it quickly grows into rumours of it being eventually a Caroni. I also had another great T.D.L from Compagnie des Indes to face it. So now let’s solve the mystery.
Whitlaw 5 yo 2014-2020 (60.1%, SV)
Glencadam 9 yo 2011-2020 (46%, SV)
Caol Ila 8 yo 2011-2020 (46%, SV)
Deanston 13 yo 2007-2020 (46%, SV)
Ledaig 9 yo 2011-2020 (60.2%, SV)
Glen Elgin 13 yo 2007-2020 (55.4%, SV)
Edradour 10 yo 2010-2020 (56.9%, SV)
Edradour 10 yo 2010-2020 (46%, SV)
Ballechin 10 yo 2010-2020 (58.9%, SV)
Bunnahabhain 5 yo 2014-2020 (59.2%, Daily Drams)
Glen Elgin 12 yo 2008-2020 (46%, Daily Drams)
Royal Brackla 11 yo 2009-2020 (Daily Drams)
Cragganmore 20 yo 1999-2020 (55.8%, OB, 2020)
As you may know the Massen 2020 festival still takes place but the usual tasting is of course cancelled. I managed to get my hands on some samples from different bottlings that should have been present at this event.
Compagnie des Indes New Yarmouth 2005-2018 (55%)
Wild Parrot New Yarmouth LMDW 2005-2019 (66.6%)
SBS New Yarmouth 2005-2018 (67.7%)
Cave Guildive New Yarmouth 2005-2017 (68%)
We will have an explosive review today, as 2005 New Yarmouth are well known to be ester bombs! Let’s benchmark the four main references.
Ben Nevis 21 yo 1996-2018 (55.5%, OB for LMDW)
Ben Nevis 23 yo 1996-2019 (52.2%, Thompson Bros.)
Ben Nevis 19 yo 1996-2015 (50.1%, Whisky-Fässle)
Everyone hears about some new or old Ben Nevis 1996, that millésime seems to be really good and the number of cask nearly infinite! So I will grab some of those fantastic BN’s and see what happen!
AD Rattray Caroni 1997-2012 (46%)
Arturo Makasare Caroni 1997-2017 (49.1%)
Berry Bro’s Caroni 1997-2018 (60.4%)
Spirits Shop Selection Caroni 1997-2017 (61.5%)
1997 is one of the most common Caroni vintage you can find, let’s try out four from few independent bottlers!
Tasting Bro's 