As 2022 finds its stride, we are blown away by the quality of rums coming out of Australia so we decided to do a month of “Exceptional Aussie Rum” and as such we are proud to introduce two exceptional Aussie rum producers to the ‘Tribe’. Both are small, artisanal distillers with a passion for rum and a commitment to producing quality spirit.

To kick it off we have a Single Cask Expression, exclusive to The Rum Tribe from a legendary distillery in regional NSW – The Black Gate Overproof Dark Rum!

This is a BIG RUM! Bottled specifically for our members at a higher than standard 54.6%, matured in a single, first fill Tawny (Australian Port) cask since June 2017, making it only 3 months shy of 5 years old. The Black Gate Overproof Dark Rum is truly the work of a distillery (and distiller) that is ‘doing it right’. Big – but rounded, full on – but not sharp or harsh…the Black Gate Overproof Dark Rum is fantastic for sipping neat but just as comfortable thrown in with a mixer or as part of a cocktail.

The Overproof Dark Rum is from the NSW husband-and-wife distilling team at ‘Black Gate Distillery’ in Mendooran, NSW. Brian and Genise are both distillers – Brian handles the whisky and Genise the rum. We have enjoyed their Whiskies previously and their rums are absolutely world class as well, so we wanted to share them with the Tribe.

It seems a pretty fair statement that we’re currently (or at least right on the verge of) living in a golden age of rum production in Australia. In a few short years, the interest in Rum has exploded in our lucky country. Now it’s fair to say that we’ve always been a nation of rum drinkers – in fact rum has played a major part in the lives of Australians since the first settlement in Botany Bay.

Historically, that love of rum has manifested itself in the fact that we, as a country, have been happy to drink lots of rum – but historically our rum producers have been large concerns focussed on quantity and efficiency of production. WWII saw huge demands placed on our producers for bulk shipments to service the commonwealth navies daily ‘rum tot’ (interestingly, all but our own RAN, which has always been a dry navy) and also for our diggers in the field.

Over the last 5-10 years, we’ve seen a change happening in the attitude of many of our countries rum drinkers, with more emphasis put on quality of rums consumed, rather than quantity and low price. A steadily growing percentage of rum fans in this country are seeking out rums that don’t count on sugar or caramel or ‘spices’ to make them palatable. ‘Pure rums’ are becoming more and more in demand every day it seems.

This change in attitude, accompanied by the explosion in the number of small Australian distilleries means we are on the verge of a tsunami of fabtastic new Australian rums entering the market. That’s not to say we don’t already have great producers (both distillers and independent bottlers) releasing products regularly now – and this month we are proud to feature two more Aussie rum producers that are delivering fantastic, pure rums to the Australian (and hopefully soon the world) market.

For March we’re shining the spotlight on two Australian distilleries. One from Mendooran NSW that has been established for around 12 years now, the other, a younger distillery from Yackendandah, Victoria. Both molasses based rums, both completely natural with no added sugar, colour or additives of any kind. Pure. Australian. Rum. Just how we like it!

Our Tasting Notes:

Colour: Fresh bright copper

Nose: Sultanas, roast bananas with caramelised sugar and homemade ginger-nut bikkies

Palate: Wow! BIG and Spicy and Juicy and DELICIOUS! A massive explosion of fruity notes with burnt caramel, ginger and pepper there in spades.

Finish: This finish keeps swinging until the very end. Chewy caramel and fruit sweetness , liquorice too! All tempered with spicy pepper – the finish just rolls on and on, then on some more!

This rum is a gobsmacker. It’s just so big and ‘in your face’ – in a totally good way! It’s surprisingly easy to drink neat – but at 54.6%abv it certainly stands up to a chunk of ice if that’s your style. Heaps of ginger and pepper mean it’s brilliant in an ‘adult’ dark and stormy.

• PRICE : $105


• ABV : 54.6%


• BOTTLE: 700ml


• REGION: Australia (New South Wales)
• NO Added Sugar/ NO Added Colour / Non-Chill Filtered

FROM BLACK GATE

We were established in 2009, rum was the first spirit we produced and we released our first bottling in 2014. Since then, Genise has taken over rum production while Brian continues with the whisky side.  Everything we produce is doubled distilled in a direct fired copper pot still. We use refinery molasses, as we like the richness that it delivers to the final product, we use the pot ale from our earlier wash runs which gives our rum a much bigger, bolder flavour and we have a long fermentation period which translates to a drier style of rum. This rum is from a large format (225 Litre) ex Aussie tawny cask and is bottled at 54.6%abv. We think the subtle cask influence and the higher ABV allows the spirit to retain the big bold flavours that people have come to expect from us. .

Black Gate Dark Rum –  “A sophisticated Australian rum, but not as you know it.”

ABOUT BLACK GATE

Situated in Mendooran, 45 mins from Dubbo in Central West NSW, Black Gate Distillery is a small, husband and wife operation established in 2009. We enjoy a rural setting and a climate conducive to aggressive spirit maturation. We produce Australian Single Malt Whisky and Dark Rum which are both brewed and distilled on site. The distillery capacity is around 3000 litres of whisky and about 1000 litres of rum annually. We use direct-fired copper pot stills of 630 litres and 300 litres capacity that produce spirit on the richer end of the flavour spectrum. We stick with traditional methods, use the highest quality ingredients/casks available and encourage visitors.

After a COMPLETE SELLOUT last year…It’s back..but different! We are absolutely giddy to offer YET ANOTHER Australian first – this time a LIMITED RELEASE from North Queensland rockstar distiller (he even has the leather pants to prove it!) Mark Watkins and his acclaimed Mt. Uncle Distillery. The Iridium X

Last year we sold out completely within hours of Mark’s Iridium X release. This month, we proudly feature the second of these ultimate ‘barn find’ rums, this time a 10 year old molasses-based rum. With the sugar cane grown in the rich, red, volcanic soil of far north Queensland (FNQ), distilled at Mt. Uncle Distillery then forgotten about to tropically age for 10 years in ex-red wine barrels on the tablelands outside Cairns.

This is most definitely the last of the ‘barn find’ barrels from Mt Uncle – Mark has done a big stock take and tidy up since he stumbled across these barrels 18 months ago, and he confirms that there are definitely no more unexpected surprises!  Like the first Batch (the Iridium X ‘Gold’) – this 2^nd release of a molasses-based Iridium X is bound to become a collector’s item.

The Mt. Uncle Distillery is an award-winning rum (and other spirits, including single malt whisky) producer, famous for their dual gold-medal winning 5-year-old Iridium Rum. Early last year, Mark found some barrels of rum that had been forgotten about for 10 YEARS! in the back of his bond-store. Some were made in the Agricole style (the first Iridium X) and some into Molasses-based rum (this Iridium X).

Back in July 2020 we were thrilled to be asked by Mark to release the rums he’d casked up and forgotten about for so long! The first of the Iridium X releases (the Agricole-style rum) was bottled and released to the Tribe exactly 12 months ago – and what an enthusiastic reception they got! Sold out in hours and we still get letters from members who have just opened theirs and can’t believe they waited so long to do so.

10 SIGNED BOTTLES TO GIVEAWAY!

As a HUGE bonus we’ve got 10 bottles of the Iridium X signed by the legend, Mark Watkins himself, to give away! 9 winners will be selected at random (check your bottles for Marks autograph) and the first diligent member of the Tribe to spot the glaring mistake on the back label will win a signed bottle as well! (Post on our FB page when you spot it!)

After the multiple awards for the Iridium 5 year old, and the sellout of the last release of the Iridium X…you are going to want to grab these for your collection.

Our Tasting Notes:

Colour: Rich Reddy-brown

Nose: Faint rummy hogo notes slip between the old oak staves with a big pineapple influence there as well as some jasmine-y floral notes.

Palate: Coats the mouth instantly with a spicey piquant-ness that instantly splits apart to allow pineapple, coconut and also jaffa flavours to poke through.

Finish: Waves of spice  and slightly over-ripe fruit (a little funky) take turns  with some nail polish and other floral  esters.

I liked the Iridium X Gold – a lot. This one seems even more rounded with more effect from the oak in evidence. Sweet, yet spicey and fruit-ey to boot-ey – this is destined to be a shooting star from the Mt Uncle stable.

• PRICE : $145


• ABV : 47%


• BOTTLE: 700ml


• REGION: Australia
• No Added Sugar/ No Added Colour/Non-Chill Filtered

FROM MT. UNCLE

Nose: Sweet light molasses and sugar cane nose

Palate: delicious sipping rum with flavours of sweet oak and vanilla, dark chocolate, tropical fruits and subtle spice

Finish: Smooth and lingering with subtle spice on the back end.

ABOUT MT UNCLE

The Mt.Uncle Distillery must be about the best kept non-secret in the Australian spirits scene. I’m willing to bet that only a scant handful of our members have ever heard of it – I’ll bet even less know they make the world-famous Iridium Rum. Like I said – it’s not as if Mt Uncle distillery is a secret – it won Distillery of the Year in 2017 at the International Wine and Spirits Competition. In 2018, it won medals for all spirits it entered in the IWSC.  Mt. Uncle Distillery did receive some notoriety in 2015 with it’s ‘Big Black Cock’ single malt whisky (with the obligatory, explanatory picture of a rooster on the label) – but the Mt Uncle brand seems to remain just under the radar of the average Australian spirit’s fan. We hope we can help change all that.

Built in 2001, the Mt. Uncle Distillery is the brainchild of Mark Watkins and it remains Far North Queensland’s only distillery. Mark originally hails from Tasmania where his dad and grandad (and great grand-dad) engaged in some “fairly dodgy stuff” (his words!). Of his ancestor’s nefarious activities, it is distilling which remains a firm childhood memory for Mark. Now a legitimate and licensed distiller, Mark has continued to involve family and his wife Claire handles the distilleries sales and marketing for Mt. Uncle.

Nestled in a banana plantation and surrounded by macadamia and avocado orchards – Mark set out to build a distillery that could showcase the local produce within the gins, rums and liquors that it creates. One would think the climate too hot that far north to age spirits. However, being on ‘the tablelands’ means slightly milder highs (but still quite warm) during the day but cooler nights. That constant cycling of temperature aids the maturation process by causing more ‘movement’ of the rum in the casks – thus exposing more directly to the wood. The ‘Angels Share’ is surprisingly low at 3-8%. “Our locality allows us to get very fast successful ageing of spirits due to the warm days and cooler nights here in Walkamin,” he said. “We only use the best quality products and processes and that’s why our products shine.”

For March we go completely left (sugar cane) field and have an amazing drop for the Tribe that defines ‘farm to bottle’ from one of Australia’s leading distilleries. A spirit that is as pure as it looks in the bottle and has to be made with only the freshest sugarcane, hence is only made and released once a year.

Be warned, the crystal clear nature of this belies the absolute flavour monster that it is. Once you crack the top, the nose will instantly let you know you’re in for something very special – even lifechanging! We are absolutely tickled pink to be offering the very latest release (Batch 3 – 2020 Cane Harvest) of Husk Distillers legendary ‘Pure Cane 50’ – even before the distillery itself does!

For those who haven’t tried a pure, unaged agricole before – be prepared to be amazed! This is a sweet, sweet treat that exudes funk and cane sweetness.

The Pure Cane 50 is the big (and I mean BIG) brother to Husk’s Pure Cane. The ‘standard’ Pure Cane is 40% – but the ‘Pure Cane 50’ is (as the name suggests) sold at 50% ABV giving the otherwise delightful ‘Pure Cane’ the kick in the pants it needs to really get that sweet and funky vibe!

The Agricole style of rum (based on the fermentation of fresh sugar cane juice rather than molasses) is the lesser known brother to most of the rums we Aussies tend to drink en masse. It must be made from fresh sugarcane juice and so is seasonal to produce. We’ve featured Agricole style before (the fabulous ‘Iridium X’ from Mt Uncle  is one example) but we’ve not released an un-aged agricole before. Apart from being rested for ‘several months’ – the Pure Cane 50 is pretty much as it comes out of the still (100% column still for this release). In this context, unaged means it has spent exactly zip, zero, nada time in a barrel.  No time in wood means no colour transferred to the spirit – hence it’s totally clear and without colour. The Pure Cane 50 is distilled, then left sit to ‘rest’ a month or so in totally inert containers before being diluted to the required strength and then bottled. SIMPLE!

Yep, unaged Agricole is definitely a blast right out of left field for those who have never experienced it before – and this Husk Pure Cane 50 is an absolutely brilliant example of the style.  What’s more – the Rum Tribe has got the scoop on yet another fantastic product – yes, we’re proud to be the first in Australia to offer this 2020 harvest Pure Cane 50. We’ve even got to market before the distillery itself! :)

Check out the HUSK Cocktail Booklet!

Our Tasting Notes:

Nose: Fresh cut cane at first with a funky over-ripe tropical fruit note that really stands out. A touch of lipstick there as well in-behind it all plus a ‘mystery note’ that I cannot quite place! 

Palate: Sweet, fruity, with some spice. Coats the mouth nicely with a big sweet burst of tropical fruit, a little spice and a weirdly (in a good way) astringent note that really gets in behind the tongue. 

Finish: Sweet and long, rolling through a tropical orchard with older fruit left on the ground. 

• PRICE : $86


• ABV : 50%


• BOTTLE: 700ml


• REGION: Australia
• No Added Sugar/ No Added Colour/Non-Chill Filtered

FROM HUSK

This paddock to bottle spirit was made from sugarcane harvested towards the end of the 2020 season.

Pete harvested the sugarcane from the paddocks behind Husk Distillery and brought it to our sugar mill where Anthony and the team were waiting to extract the first press juice.

The fresh, vibrant juice was pumped straight into the distillery where our yeast got to work turning the highly concentrated sugars into alcohol.

The rich aromas and complex flavour compounds that developed in the fermentation reflect our unique terroir and the specific growing conditions of 2020.

These flavours concentrate in the distillation – for this batch, Pure Cane 50 was column distilled in our Forsyth still.

The distilled spirit was collected and slowly reduced, rested and gently stirred for several months to marry and preserve those bold characteristics.

Rum lovers will best enjoy this full flavoured cultivated cane spirit in a punch, a daiquiri or a piña colada.

Those who enjoy the sweeter things in life can also mix Pure Cane 50 with ginger beer and a squeeze of lime.

We hope you enjoy Pure Cane 50 – the new taste of Australian rum.

ABOUT HUSK

Husk distillery is a little different from most distilleries in Australia in that it practices a ‘farm to bottle’ philosophy. Sugarcane is grown at the distillery specifically for their rums. It’s this attention to detail that makes Husk a truly exceptional producer of quality spirits (most importantly… RUM!).

In 2012, Paul and Harriet Messenger decided that diversifying their cattle and sugar farms income streams would be a sound business idea. The fact that both of them are in love with Caribbean rums, and they were already growing cane on the farm made the decision to move into distilling a pretty easy (although nerve-wracking I’m sure) one. And so they set up a small distillery in a farm shed to begin learning their new craft. (See pic of small green shed in pics form Husk)

Only a few years later is was readily apparent that their distilling business had outgrown the tiny shed that started it all – and they decided to ‘well’ get on with expanding. Not only making rums at this stage – but also gins. In fact, their ‘Ink Gin’ has become a best seller in Australia (and with good reason). And so in 2016, construction of a whole new distillery (complete with cellar door, bar and barrel house) was begun.

After 2 and a half years construction – the new distillery centre was finally completed in 2019 and is not only a wonder of modern distilling – but an absolutely lovely building to boot. If you’re travelling anywhere near Byron bay – it’s definitely worth a detour!