The 5 Best Rums We Tasted in June 2023
There is an enormous amount of rums on the market; for newcomers and established rum lovers alike, it can become an overwhelming selection. Here at Rum Raiders, we taste and rate rums and give a standard convenient score to help pave the way for discovering different rums. So, at the end of the month, we like to reflect and highlight the best rums we tried recently whether they are new releases or have been around for some time. These are our five favorite rums that we had a chance to taste in the month of June 2023.
Mount Gay Master Blender Collection PX Sherry Cask Expression
Review Here
Mount Gay Rum Distillery is based on the island of Barbados, where the brand distills, blends and ages all of its rums. The PX Sherry Cask Expression is the sixth limited edition in Mount Gay’s Master Blender Collection series which was released on the first of June 2023. The collection is added to each year in limited quantities as a celebration of Mount Gay’s long-standing tradition of rum making.
This expression is a blend of both pot and column still rums that have been aged in ex-American whiskey casks for an astounding 20 years on the island. The rum was then aged for an additional year in unseasoned Pedro Ximenez (PX) Sherry wine casks. The sherry casks provide hints of raisin bread on the palette but it’s well balanced with notes of sweet caramel, rich apple butter, and a touch of tobacco. The PX Sherry expression is surprising in that it is not what one would expect from 20 years of aging in a Caribbean climate. Our Spirits Critic Jay West said, “Consider my fears of over-oaking assuaged; this is an awesome pour.”
Don Q Double Aged Zinfandel Cask Finish
Review Here
Don Q Is a Puerto Rican rum produced by Destilería Serrallés. The Don Q Zinfandel Cask Finished rum is one of the newer additions to the Double-Aged Cask Finish rums collection. The collection focuses on finishing rums in a variety of spirits barrels to give different and unique flavor profiles. Previously, the brand introduced a cognac double-aged rum as well as a port-finished rum as part of the collection.
The Zinfandel Cask Finish used a double maturation process. The rum was first aged in American oak for five to eight years. Then, the aged rum was transferred into Zinfandel wine casks from California, to age for a further three years at minimum. The wine cask finished rum is fruity with red berry notes alongside sweet honey and caramel. The zinfandel wine cask maturation makes this expression from Don Q a very unique pour.
Kuleana Hawaiian Rum Agricole
Review Here
Kuleana Rum Works was established in 2013 near the northern tip of the island of Hawai‘i where heirloom Hawaiian sugarcane is grown.
This offering from Kuleana is a single estate Hawaiian Rum Agricole made from fresh pressed Hawaiian heirloom sugarcane called Hawaiian kō. This unaged pot still rum was distilled to an ABV between 60% and 74% and proofed down and bottled at 40% ABV. There are no added sweeteners, flavors, or colors just pure Hawaiian Agricole rum. The rum has notes of lemon grass and green banana intermingling with the grassy funky notes found in some agricoles.
“It’s savory for an agricole but it’s a delight and the folks at Kuleana certainly are no strangers to great flavor,” commented West.
Kuleana Huihui
Review Here
Kuleana kept the hits coming with another great white rum. Kuleana Huihui is a blend of white rums. The blend uses a base of molasses rum from Papua New Guinea alongside fresh cane juice rum from its Hawaiian distillery. There is also an accent rhum from Martinique to round out the flavors of the blend. Bottled at 40% this rum like the previous does not contain additives.
The Huihui has a fun flavor. Sweet and funky it has bright notes of citrus and guava with a sweet buttercream frosting touch. The light salinity brings out the flavors and carries the finish with a honeyed pepperiness. It might be safe to say we are becoming new fans of the Hawaiian distillery and are excited to taste its other offerings.
Flor de Caña 18 yr
Review Here
Flor de Caña is a sustainably produced rum brand from Nicaragua. The distillery is certified Fair Trade and maintains a carbon-neutral footprint. All of the rums are molasses based which is made from sugar cane harvested in fields adjacent to the distillery in Chichigalpa. The distillery resides at the foot of a volcano providing a unique element to the rum production.
The Flor de Caña 18 year is part of the Centenario collection. The rum is aged for a minimum of 18 years in bourbon barrels that are sealed with plantain leaves which presumably helps with evaporation in the tropical climate. The result is a rum that is sweet but not artificially so. The flavor is heavy with maple and honey combined with oaky tobacco, peppery and vanilla notes. The 18 year is a great introduction to what Nicaraguan rum has to offer.
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