Tag Archive for: Australia

Brix Select Cask Series Double IPA Finish – August 2023

AN EXCLUSIVE COLLABORATION WITH BRIX DISTILLERS! Brix Select Cask Series Double IPA Finish.

A proud collaboration with non-other than Sydney’s Urban Rum Distillery – Brix. A Double-IPA Cask finished, 58.5%ABV MONSTER of a rum EXCLUSIVE to the Rum Tribe (it’s even got our logo on it!).

The Brix Select Cask Series Double IPA Finish has been created from Bundaberg Molasses fermented with Champagne and Caribbean rum yeasts. Batch distilled in Brix’s hybrid copper pot still and then matured for more than 3 years in an Aussie Red Wine cask – then finished for a couple of months in a double IPA barrel.

All in all, three years and 11 months in the wood before being bottled at the cask strength of 58.5%ABV. If you’re wondering – a double IPA beer is a beer with an increased amount of hops and malt, this generally results in a bitter, but more caramel flavoured beer.

Brix Select Cask Series Double IPA Finish

Surprisingly, until Brix came along in 2018, Sydney did not have it’s ‘own’ rum distillery. Which is kind of astonishing as historically, Sydney and rum have gone hand-in-hand since 1788! A focus on quality and efficiency of production has allowed Brix to grow sales at 60% per year as well as set down ageing stock. This, in turn, has allowed them in 5 (short) years to not only have a core range of 3 high-end spirits (a dark rum, a spiced rum and white cane spirit) – but enough stock to plan, develop and offer special releases such as this Brix Select Cask Series Double IPA Finish.

Brix Select Cask Series are a series of single release small batch rums, created using locally grown ingredients, an Australian built copper still & unique oak barrels, previously used for local beer, wine & spirits. These rums have been selected specifically for their story, their flavour profile & their quality, allowing you to discover a new world of Australian Rum.

Brix Select Cask Series Double IPA Finish

Our Tasting Notes:

NB: Remember this is cask strength so I’ve put a few drops of water in mine!

Nose: Sweet, warm banana custard, cherries, sultanas

Palate: Begins oily and sweet with lovely malty notes but quickly changes tack and turns dry and crisp with equally delicious green apple, blackberry and sherbet notes

Finish: Dry and slightly astringent notes take this one out – espresso coffee, Dutch liquorice, dark chocolate and marmalade.

The Brix Select Cask Series Double IPA Finish is a complex yet easy to drink, sweet yet bitter, crisp and clean yet also oily at times yet all the while utterly delicious rum. I’m still pinching myself that there’s a Rum Tribe logo on this bottle. It’s big, yet gentle…it’s sweet, it’s dry, it’s rich and… did I say it’s BIG?

FOURSQUARE + HOLMES CAY = 11 YEAR OLD, SINGLE CASK, CASK STRENGTH GIANT OF A RUM!

  • PRICE : $159

  • ABV : 58.5%

  • BOTTLE: 700ml

  • REGION: Australia (NSW)

  • No Added Sugar / No Added Colour

Brix Select Cask Series Double IPA Finish

FROM BRIX

“With a mission to Reinvent Australian Rum & uncover new and varied rum styles, Brix has crafted this release, in collaboration with the team at The Rum Tribe, as a unique expression exclusively for their members. Brix Rums focus on flavour, using locally sourced ingredients, our Australian built copper still & unique barrels, each with a different story to tell.

The Brix Select Cask Series Double IPA Finish has been matured for over three years in a single Australian red wine cask with a further two month finish in an Australian Double IPA cask. For this single cask release, I wanted to reflect the quality, innovation & passion that Brix team brings to everything we do, to allow the drinker to discover a new style of Australian Rum. This has been one of my favourite releases to date and I hope the Rum Tribe members enjoy.”

Shane Casey – Head Distiller

Distiller’s Tasting Notes: Pine, Szechuan pepper, tarragon, green cardamom, orange, tangerine, apricot, crème caramel, burnt custard, vanilla, malt, croissants, honey baked ham.

ABOUT BRIX

‍Brix was born out of a love for rum. Over time this love turned into passion for discovery, experimentation, appreciation & adventure. We discovered that rum in Australia was not being reflected in the right light.

So we have set out for change.

Rum is fun. Rum is rebellious. But it should be loved and adored in respect for the effort and craft that goes into its production. The Brix vision is to share our passion and adventures with Australia and the world. 

In 2017, we set out to find a site where we could establish an urban distillery that showcased the best that Australia has to offer. We found our home on Bourke Street, Surry Hills & we love it.

We challenged ourselves to source the best quality Australian molasses, fresh organic sugar cane, an Australian made copper still, the best quality native spices and Australian wine barrels from some of the best wine making regions of the world.

Our goal: To combine these amazing ingredients to create a unique Aussie rum. A rum that can be enjoyed in the bars of Australia and in our own backyards. We now produce a variety of unique rums and are in the process of barrel ageing many more styles and varieties to be released in the years to come.

Karu Distilling Outcask Rum Batch 3 – June 2023

Karu Distilling Outcask Rum is from a family-run distillery who’s products – rum, gin and vodka – have won world acclaim over the last few years (and they only kicked off in 2018!) and they have been members and supporters of the Rum Tribe pretty much since we started.

Ally and Nick Ayres have been members and supporters of our little ‘rum fam’ since we kicked off the Tribe and we are stoked to finally be able to offer Karu Distilling Outcask Rum Batch #3 of their Silver Medal winning Outcask Rum as our Rum of the Month (and we’re also going to take this opportunity to announce a fantastic project we’re working on with them)!

Now Karu Distillery has been absolutely slaying the spirits world in the couple of years with medal after medal for their vodka, gin and rum. The Karu Distilling Outcask Rum scored Silver in San Francisco and the World Spirits Awards this year, and Silver in the inaugural Australian Rum Awards last year.

Karu are proud producers of (amongst other spirits) pure single rum, and as such the Outcask Rum contains absolutely no added sugar or colour and is proudly non-chill filtered. Their molasses based spirit is matured in Whipper Snapper Bourbon casks (from WA) in their ‘Devils Wilderness’ distillery and bond-store. Located in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney, the maturation gets its share of stinking hot summer days and freezing cold alpine winter weather as well. Outcask Rum is made from a marriage of barrels around 3 years old and is bottled at 46%ABV.

Karu Distilling Outcask Rum

I guess there’s only one thing we here at Rum Tribe HQ like better than selling rum – and that is selling the rum of a family we’re proud to not only call friends, but members as well!

Now Outcask Rum is part of Karu’s ‘Core Range’ and each batch of Outcask is thus blended from different casks for consistency of product. However, Karu is not shy to do a little experimenting with interesting single cask maturation and finishing. And to this end we’d like to announce a very exciting collaboration with Karu that will come to fruition sometime early in 2024. This very special project will see a cask of Karu Rum finished for around twelve months in a… <drumroll please> … first fill ex-Grand Marnier cask!!.

This is one of the nicest and most delicious casks whose bunghole I’ve had the good fortune to stick my nose into!

Karu Distilling Outcask Rum

Karu Distilling Outcask Rum Tasting Notes:

Nose: Big fruit salad and caramel sauce notes with a little sweet licorice there too.

Palate: Bold and sweet, slightly overripe tropical fruit notes with more aniseed notes, beautiful vanilla and citrus-sy waves all wrapped up in a buttery, crème brûlée oodie.  

Finish: Finish for miles here – sultanas and fruit mince, some mixed peel and more caramel, coffee and dark chocolate with a lovely pinch of white pepper to tingle the tongue as it departs.

This rum is no shrinking violet – big bold and fruity all night long, and at 46%abv it’s got enough ‘oomph’ to really impress neat or over ice, and will standout in your favourite mixer too. As a lifetime boatie from Brissy, I can definitely recommend this rum in a ‘Moreton Bay Mud’ (rum, milk and ice – easy on the milk and ice!!)

Boutique-y is BACK! This absolutely fantastic 18-year-old, LIMITED RELEASE,  pure single rum is EXCLUSIVE to the Tribe!

  • PRICE : $119

  • ABV : 46%

  • BOTTLE: 700ml

  • REGION: Australia (NSW)

  • NO Added Sugar / NO Added Colour

Karu Distilling Outcask Rum

FROM KARU DISTILLING

Outcask is the first rum to enter our core range of products.

It follows simplistic traditional methods of production meaning it’s a pure molasses rum, fermented for two weeks, pot distilled and matured at our distillery in NSW.

Having been self-taught in rum production, I felt it was appropriate to start at the beginning and explore the traditional pot distillation method first. By doing this I found a lot of thick and chewy flavours such as vanilla and caramel whilst the aromatics carried more fruiter notes, together you got a big rum with a lot to offer.

The absolute main goal with this rum was something you can have fun with, what we didn’t want something that was limited to just having neat. Outcask Rum is great solo, however, it is scrumptious in cocktails like Pina Coladas, Jungle Birds and Rum Old Fashions. It was fun to make this rum and we want the consumption of it to be the same.

“Plenty of flavour with creamy vanilla and pineapple on the palate, a touch of coconut and freshness from orchard fruits and a swirl of golden sweetness”

ABOUT KARU DISTILLING

Launched in 2018 Karu Distillery by husband and wife team Nick and Ally, the focus has always been to create quality spirits that highlight the science and art of the distillation process.

Based in the Devils Wilderness NSW the range has grown to include Affinity a contemporary Australian gin, Lightning a navy strength gin, Morita a chipotle vodka and Outcask a golden rum. 

Karu is fast becoming one of Australia’s most awarded distilleries, in 2021 Lightning gin took out the Trophy for best contemporary gin at the International Wines & Spirits Competition.

Karu Rum Tribe RUMBLEDORE
Karu Distilling Outcask Rum

Dead Reckoning Nelson’s Dockyard – April 2023

Dead Reckoning is BACK! It’s time to ‘Hoist the Colours’ and ‘Pipe the Side’ to welcome none other than Lord Horatio Nelson himself to our monthly rum shenanigans.  With rum originally from the legendary Antigua Distillery and then lovingly finished in Australia for another 2 years in a first-fill Apera cask and then bottled at a superb 50% – So arm the cannons and make way for the Dead Reckoning Nelson’s Dockyard!

Dead Reckoning rum releases ALWAYS SELL OUT and this will be no different with only 355 BOTTLES of this collectors rum produced.

The Dead Reckoning Nelson’s Dockyard started its life in the Antigua Distillery located in English Harbour (home of the ‘English Harbour Rum’ brand), distilled from a fermented molasses wash. The column stills at Antigua Distillery are made from 100% copper (even the nuts and bolts!). The spirit these stills produce is ultra-pure – at 95%.

It was then aged for 2 years in Antigua in an ex-bourbon barrel before being sent to S.A. where it was lovingly transferred into a first fill South Australian Apera cask and then left for two more years to age in the dry Adelaide climate. During that time, whilst the volume in the cask shrank – the ABV actually increased by 11%!

Dead Reckoning Nelson’s Dockyard

Lord Horatio Nelson spent 1784-1787 as Captain of the HMS Boreas, assigned as Senior Captain (second in charge overall) at English Harbour, Antigua. His main mission was to enforce the ‘Navigation Act’ – preventing British Islands trading with the USA – which had won it’s independence only a year before in 1783.  He also oversaw the completion of the dockyard that was to bear his name.

I don’t think we really need to introduce the Dead Reckoning  brand to any but our newest members. But for those who don’t know – head honcho Justin is an ex- superyacht skipper who spent a significant portion of his life swanning about Caribbean rum bars of all sizes (and reputes!).  When he ‘grew up’ he did the only sensible thing for a man in his position and became a rum importer. But more importantly he started the ‘Dead Reckoning’ brand of independently bottled rums from around the world.  In a nutshell, Justin’s Dead Reckoning brings rums from around the world, and finishes them in a variety of casks sourced from [mainly] South Australian wineries, in the outskirts of Adelaide. This extremely dry climate has been proven to actually increase the ABV of Justin’s casks as the S.A. angels seem to prefer water when they take their share!

Dead Reckoning Nelson’s Dockyard

Dead Reckoning Nelson’s Dockyard Tasting Notes:

Nose: A sweet cocophany of chewy dried figs, juicy lunchbox sultanas, toffee apples, dried banana chips and  desiccated coconut.

Palate: Crisp, clean and dry on the pallet with granny smith apples and vanilla custard chased around by stewed fruits and ginger-y spices.  

Finish: Not a lot of length to the finish, but it’s a fun ride whilst its there!  – espresso coffee, dark chocolate and more sultanas with a mild white pepper salute right on the tail.

The Dead Reckoning Nelson’s Dockyard is quite a textbook mix of bourbon and sherry (ok, ok… Apera) cask characteristics – floral apple and vanilla notes from the bourbon and the dark stewed fruit and pepper from the Apera cask. The characteristic column still ‘crispness’ is also there to complete the lesson.

Get ready for the Best Pot Still Rum at the 2022 Australian Rum Awards. Let that sink in for a second. Best. Pot Still. Rum.

  • PRICE : $159

  • ABV : 50%

  • BOTTLE: 700ml

  • REGION: Antigua/Australia

  • NO Added Sugar / NO Added Colour

Dead Reckoning Nelson’s Dockyard

FROM DEAD RECKONING

Toffee, caramel, roasted coffee, chestnut & a hint of black pepper 

Whilst working in the mega yacht industry, I was fortunate to spend several months a year living in English harbour in Antigua. 

Nelson’s dockyard was the location of many a party with fellow crew members.  It is also place where Lord Horatio Nelson spent time.

This is where my love for this Rum developed as it was a daily staple for all yachting crew. 

In the past English Harbour rums did have slight adulteration, but I believe they have now changed their formula so no longer will you see sugar added to any of their rums. 

ABOUT DEAD RECKONING

Justin, has immersed himself in rum for the past 20 years; a journey starting as a deck scrubbing lad with a thirst for Rum and adventure culminated in him becoming a Chief Officer; driving billionaire’s mega yachts around the world. This life of salty seadog adventure took him to Rum’s heartland, the Caribbean islands for 6 months a year, every year.

When he wasn’t at the helm of a mega-yacht he could be found hanging off a bar or at a distillery sampling the best the Caribbean rum scene had to offer. Upon ending his days at sea there was only one thing he knew better that navigating around the world’s oceans- that was Rum. For 10 years Justin has scoured the globe discovering & importing the world’s best rums into Australia.

Dead Reckoning is Australia’s first independent rum bottler, and each release from his bond-store is an anticipated event that never fails to please!  The Rum Tribe is incredibly proud of our close association with Justin and the Dead Reckoning brand.

ABOUT ENGISH HARBOUR RUM

The company Antigua Distillery Limited (ADL) was formed in 1932 by 8 local businessmen and in 1933 they established their own distillery on Rat Island (named like that because of its shape) – the authorities didn’t want a distillery on the mainland due to potential smell and noise. Originally equipped with a multi-column Savalle still, it was replaced in 1991 with a 3-column still from John Dore & Co. made entirely out of copper – bolts included. The 3-column has been modified into a 5-column still making it shorter, apparently due to the danger of tropical storms in the area. 

While the ADL website does talk about their yeast and fermentation process that “adds a level of flavour to the liquid in the tank, and it also produces a number of compounds that contribute directly to the complex flavours and aromas of the final product” the wash is distilled to 95% ABV making it pretty much neutral in taste. Most of the flavours come from the maturation process. ADL ages their rum in charred 200 litres ex-Bourbon casks. 

Lord Byron Red Wine Super Cask – March 2023

After a COMPLETE SELL OUT Last Year, Lord Bryon is back! A SINGLE CASK bottling of Lord Byron Red Wine Super Cask specifically chosen by the Rum Tribe, pure single origin rum from one of the legends of Australian Rum.

Now, last years Lord Byron ‘Members Extra’ release was super limited and completely SOLD OUT and that rum went on to win DOUBLE GOLD at the Melbourne Rum Awards and a SILVER at the Australian Rum Awards.

This month, after months of planning, waiting and travelling to sample casks – we are proud to release another ‘Super Cask’ of Lord Byron Pure Single Rum – and this time an outturn big enough for the whole Tribe to get some.

The Lord Byron Rum Distillery operates close to the heart of Byron Bay and Brian and this crew operates with the ‘Byron’ mindset when it comes to their products. Pure, single rum … just as nature intended it.  And as Lord Byron Distillery’s mantra goes – ‘You Will Taste the Difference’. In fact, Lord Byron Distillery was the first Australian Rum distillery to release Pure Single Rum under the internationally recognised Gargano classification system. 

Lord Byron Red Wine Super Cask

Lord Byron’s pure, single cask rums are produced using local molasses (from the same local farmer cooperative-owned sugar mill that Winding Road Distillery buys its cane juice from) and spring water from the family dairy farm just outside Byron. The fermented ‘beer’ is then double copper-pot distilled and put away in oak to mature. Nothing is added – apart from some spring water to achieve the desired abv.  In this case – the rum has been matured in a ‘Super Cask’ from Andrew Young’s YN Oak Cooperage. The ‘Super Cask’ is a patented cask refurbishing process involving ex-shiraz casks from Seppeltsfield Winery in SA.

Not only are Lord Byron’s rums 100% natural but they also pride themselves on running the distillery as a sustainable enterprise. 100% renewable power, spring water, and the ‘waste’ products of the distillation are fed to the Restall family’s dairy cows as well as made into liquid fertiliser.  The distillery also boasts ‘zero-discharge’ in all its operations.  It’s like, totally eco-friendly, man!

Lord Byron Red Wine Super Cask

Lord Byron Red Wine Super Cask Tasting Notes:

Nose: massive dried fruit vibes strait away at the pour. After it’s left sit for a few minutes, a dusty, clove-ey funk becomes apparent. Very inviting – do I have a sip… or another sniff?

Palate: Thick and rich and oily in the mouth. Warming – but definitely not spicy. Big spiced stewed fruit – currents, figs, dates and prunes in overdrive… cloves, nutmeg and liquorice bullets.

Finish: The finish really lives up to the promise made y the initial nose. It’s just divine – big and chewy, waves of the sweet fruits and spices with sharp, dry coffee notes in between. Warm, lovely caramel and clove-ey notes still lingering minutes after.

THe Lord Byron Red Wine Super Cask is a sensational rum that really lives up to the promise made by it’s rich colour and thick leggy-in-the-glass viscosity. Big, fruity, round and rich across the nose, palate and finish – it really just keeps on giving and giving. I doubt you’re going to want to mix this one – but if you do, some good ginger beer and loads of ice makes it a killer Dark and Stormy on a bright and balmy summer arvo.

An EASTER RUMMY TREAT?

  • PRICE : $135

  • ABV : 55.5%

  • BOTTLE: 700ml

  • REGION: Australia (NSW)

  • NO Added Sugar / NO Added Colour

Lord Byron Red Wine Super Cask

FROM LORD BYRON

Lord Byron Distillery is one of a small, passionate group of artisan distillers from around the world dedicated to making real Rum. We help discerning customers enjoy spirits that are naturally hand crafted in our family owned 100% renewable, zero waste distillery in Byron Bay. We are the only distillery in Australia to have ingredients listed on our labels and confirm that all our drinks are free from artificial flavours or colours. We do things we love, with people we love in a place we feel is paradise.

We were the first Australian Rum distillery to release Pure Single Rum under the internationally recognised Gargano classification system. Our artisan distillers hand make our own ferment from local molasses and filtered spring water, prior to it being double batch distilled in pot stills. We mature our premium Rums in quality oak casks, not vats, in the same region where the cane is grown. All this takes time and costs more, but we believe this is the only way Rum should be made.

This Rum that was chosen by the Rum Tribe, has been matured in a refired red wine cask for three years. We bottled it at 52.5%, very close to cask strength. This is an exceptional sipping Rum that delivers beautiful caramel, chocolate, liquorice and raisin flavours perfectly complimenting the cleanliness of the double distilled spirit.
You will taste the difference. This is the Spirit of Byron

ABOUT LORD BYRON

The earliest record of the Restall family in Byron Shire dates back to 1897 when Jack Restall was the local butcher in Billinudgel. Although this fact wasn’t discovered by Brian and Helen Restall until recently, it explains why they have always had a deep sense of affinity with the area and to traditional trade and craftsmanship.

For several years, Brian was the CEO of Cape Byron Power, a local Northern Rivers’ 100% renewable electricity generator located adjacent to the local farmer owned sugar mills at Condong and Broadwater. It was within this role, Brian came to realise that almost all of the food-grade molasses, created by the local sugar mills, was used for cattle feed. Given the sub-tropical environment of the Northern Rivers region, Brian and Helen felt that there was clearly a higher and better use for a small part of this local molasses.  

Brian and Helen have travelled extensively and worked around the world. Brian loves dark spirits and Helen is passionate about light spirits. Together they strive to create a small-batch, handcrafted range of spirits that aims to deliver a superior tasting experience. They are members of the Australian Distilling Association and have been trained and mentored by Bill Lark’s team in Tasmania – Bill, being the first person in 153 years to get a micro-distilling license, and is affectionately known as the “Godfather” of the craft distilling market in Australia.

Dead Reckoning Mhoba – South Africa – December 2022

Our December Rum of the Month is Dead Reckoning Mhoba South Africa. CASK STRENGTH, LIMITED EDITION and EXCLUSIVE to the Tribe in Australia! This is the first Dead Reckoning release of a cane-juice based rum.

Wow, we can’t quite believe it’s December already! What a rummy year it’s been…Another year of sensational rums from all around the world, and from our own backyard. Tropical aged, European Aged, Dry aged, un-aged, and even demijohn aged! Port cask, sherry cask, wine cask, no cask! Historic brands, cult brands, new brands and even ‘one-offs’ from non-rum brands!’ Easy-listening, classical, hard rock, rap and some punk rums to boot! PHEW!

So… how do you finish a year like that? Well, with another exceptional rum, really! MORE DEAD RECKONING!! was a pretty clear sentiment from the feedback this year and so, who are we to argue?

Dead Reckoning indy bottlings need no introduction to the Rum Tribe. They have dazzled us with release after release from distilleries all over the world and the man behind it, Justin Boseley, has a knack for finding sensational spirit in far flung places, bringing it to Adelaide and matching it to the perfect cask where it’s aged further in a unique dry heat environment that actually increases the ABV of the spirit in the barrel over the years. Weird but true!

Now at 2 years, 5 months this is a fairly young rum by Dead Reckoning standards. It was initially expected to be around 18 months – 2 years in the finishing cask but Justin was surprised at just how ‘active’ the ex-bourbon cask has been with the rum. So active, in fact, that he elected to bottle it after just 5 months in the finishing cask. Its job was done!

Dead Reckoning Mhoba South Africa

The Dead Reckoning Mhoba South Africa spent it’s first two years in a South African red wine cask (from the Vrede em Lust estate in the Franschhoek wine valley) in the sub-tropical South African climate at the Mhoba distillery. 

Justin describes finding this cask in Mhoba’s bond-store as an explorer describes finding an undiscovered ice cavern or the like. An ‘A-HA!’ moment where he knew he’d found what he was looking for.  The culmination of a long journey.  All he needed now, was some time in Adelaide to add ‘his touch’ to it, which came in the form of an especially active ex-bourbon barrel. After only 5 months, it was exactly where Justin wanted it. A perfect amount of vanilla, custard and caramel from the high-char American oak added to the rich fruity decadence of the red wine aged Mhoba.

Dead Reckoning Mhoba South Africa

Dead Reckoning Mhoba South Africa Tasting Notes:

Nose: Tart fruit salad and raspberry jus at first with a rich sweet caramel sauce on the side.

Palate: Wonderfully mouth coating. More of those sensational fruit notes – but more stewed now, nice and sweet,  and the vanilla comes through in a crème brulee creaminess.

Finish: Delicious mixture of fruit, vanilla, citrus peel and salted caramel lead you onto the next pour… in just a sec, I’m still enjoying this one!!

The Dead Reckoning Mhoba South Africa a delicious rum that is perfectly weighted with the abv to give it real ‘oomph’ on the palate – but the alcohol is very well integrated at 56% ABV. A little pepper there – but the massive creamy fruitiness dominates and continues to do so as you chew that utterly satisfying finish!

Karu Outcask Rum

  • PRICE : $149

  • ABV : 56%

  • BOTTLE: 700ml

  • REGION: South Africa / Australia (South Australia)

  • NO Added Sugar/ NO Added Colour / Non-Chill Filtered

Dead Reckoning Mhoba South Africa

FROM DEAD RECKONING

Upon tasting Mhoba rum for the first time this was a revelation and also a rewriting of the Rum flavour profile rule book, it reminded me of the first time I tried a Jamaican Hampden. After tasting the Vellier Mhoba release I knew I had to get my hands on something of similar quality. 

I hand selected this individual single barrel release, chosen for its deep rich and unique flavour profile which was aged for 2 years in Africa in a ex Sth African red wine cask. To put my own signature on the Dead Reckoning Mhoba South Africa release, it underwent Australian dry ageing in Adelaide South Australia. 

Dead Reckoning Mhoba South Africa Tasting notes: It’s time in the red wine cask has given this rum layers of flavour profile, not only do you get crisp red apples and cranberry juice, A heavy level char bourbon cask introduced hints of vanilla caramel and custard tart. 

ABOUT DEAD RECKONING

Justin, has immersed himself in rum for the past 20 years; a journey starting as a deck scrubbing lad with a thirst for Rum and adventure culminated in him becoming a Chief Officer; driving billionaire’s mega yachts around the world. This life of salty seadog adventure took him to Rum’s heartland, the Caribbean islands for 6 months a year, every year.

When he wasn’t at the helm of a mega-yacht he could be found hanging off a bar or at a distillery sampling the best the Caribbean rum scene had to offer. Upon ending his days at sea there was only one thing he knew better that navigating around the world’s oceans- that was Rum. For 10 years Justin has scoured the globe discovering & importing the world’s best rums into Australia.

Dead Reckoning is Australia’s first independent rum bottler. We know there’s more in the works from Dead Reckoning and we can’t wait to try more and more of these fabulous independent bottling from a true rum legend.

ABOUT MHOBA

Nestled amongst the rolling hills of the Onderberg district of Mpumalanga and amidst our own sugarcane fields, you can find The MHOBA Rum Distillery: An artisan distillery where we make 10 different types of Pure Single Estate Sugarcane Rhum or Pure Single Sugarcane Rhum.

Unlike most traditional rum, which is made from molasses which is the by-product of refined sugar production, MHOBA rum is made from pure sugarcane juice. Our rum is 100% pot distilled from fermented sugarcane juice and contains no additives, colourings or flavour modifiers and is therefore termed Pure Single Rum; The rum equivalent of Single Malt Whiskey.

What makes MHOBA rhum even more unique is that the whole rum making process occurs on our sugar estate. From planting our own organic sugarcane right through to hand filling and labelling our bottles after distilling in our self-designed and self-built stills, MHOBA Rhum is 100% rum that is made by us.

MHOBA RUM. FROM FARM TO BOTTLE AND PROUDLY SOUTH AFRICAN!

The Grove Christmas Rum Cask – November 2022

This is LIQUID CHRISTMAS CAKE! Welcome to the Australian launch of The Grove Christmas RUM Cask with Christmas spices and flavours by the bucket load. But wait up! This is NOT A SPICED RUM…this is a PURE SINGLE RUM and every single flavour comes from the amazing combination of WOOD interacting with finely crafted spirit and absolutely no additives! THIS BLEW OUR MIND!

The Christmas Rum Cask is a 5-year-old, pure single rum from Western Australia’s beautiful Margaret River region. Distilled in 2017 from a fermented molasses/brown sugar mash in a copper pot/column hybrid still. Primarily aged for 4 whole years in a single ex-Cabernet cask, then split into two 100 litre ex-Tokay (a sweet, white wine – originally from the Tokaj region of Hungary) barrels for a years’ worth of finishing.

The result is easily the most classically ‘Christmassy’ rum I have ever tasted.  As a ‘concept’ rum – it hits the nail right on the head. This is an elegant and sumptuous ode to plum pud, Christmas cake and fruit mince pies that will have you salivating at the first smell. What’s even more amazing is that this is a pure, single rum. There are no infused spices or fruits, no added sugar and no caramel. This is all the work of the spirit plus choice of wood to age and finish it. This rum absolutely showcases the talent in distilling, and maturing rum that The Grove Distillery team possesses, it seems, in spades!

Grove Christmas Rum Cask

We hate to be the first to say it – but ‘it’ is just around the corner now so we are doing everything we can to make sure you’ll be stocked up right with everything rum-wise you need to see out the silly season, and even keep a smile on your dial the whole time.

The Grove is the regions first craft distillery. We featured another seasonal rum of theirs back in April for Easter (Hot Cross Rum – a spiced rum) which was an instant sell-out and prompted a wave of extremely glowing correspondence with many of those who opted into that Members Extra Rum. For November, we are stoked to offer one of their pure rums– The Grove Christmas Rum Cask – as our ‘Rum of the Month’.

Grove Christmas Rum Cask

The Grove Christmas Rum Cask Tasting Notes:

Nose: Wow – the nose is exactly like sticking my face into the towel that wrapped my  mums rum-soaked Christmas cake whilst it matured (as a kid – I swear I don’t stick my face into mum’s cakes anymore!). It’s uncanny!

Palate: A succulent and viscous mouthfeel gives way to a huge fruit mince and Christmas cake hit. It’s all there – the nutmeg, the all spice, the cloves and, of course, those sweet and sticky stewed fruits and mixed peel. There’s even a distinct (and utterly delicious) egg-nog note to round off the rich fruit!

Finish: No surprises here – waves of Christmas num nums roll around the mouth in a blissful yuletide spin cycle.

Man this is a rum that really hits the mark in what it was aiming to be – this is Christmas in a glass.  I must admit to being slightly sceptical of the 40%ABV– but I admit my scepticism was unfounded. This is defiantly not lacking in the big flavour stakes.  The Grove Christmas Rum Cask is a rich, round and sumptuous rum that delivers exactly what it’s label promises. Ho Ho Ho!

  • PRICE : $135

  • ABV : 40%

  • BOTTLE: 700ml

  • REGION: Australia (Western Australia)

  • NO Added Sugar/ NO Added Colour / Non-Chill Filtered

Grove Christmas Rum Cask

FROM THE GROVE

The Grove’s Premiere Rum Christmas Cask is a 5 year-aged double cask special release.

In 2017 we made our rum mashes from heavy grade A molasses, dark brown sugar, rainwater and yeast and fermented 7 to 10 days in 500 and 1000 litre fermentation tanks to 9% ABV.

The mash was distilled through 5 runs in our 350 litre copper, Arnold Holstein, pot/column combination still to 68% ABV then cut back to 58% ABV with distilled water.

We sourced a fresh 225 litre, French oak ex Cabernet wine cask from a neighbouring vineyard and filled it with the rum, leaving it to age in our barrel stores for over four years. 

We then dumped the barrel in September 2021 and filled two of The Groves own 100L ex-Bourbon, ex-Tokay barrels and let this age for a further 11 months in the top of our barrel store, allowing it to soak up the rich sweetness of the 10-year-old Tokay. 

The Team dumped the barrels in late September 2022 and James slowly cut the rum back to 40% ABV with distilled water after which it was non-chill filtered and bottled ready for a very special Christmas release.

The char of the ex-bourbon barrel imparts some smokiness on the rum and the sweetness of the tokay gives it its distinct Christmas flavours.

Nose:  Christmas cake, slight oak with sweet molasses shining through

Palate: Sultanas, caramel, vanilla and light spice

Finish: warming with a soft and sweet lingering finish

ABOUT THE GROVE

Established as a boutique winery in 1995 and evolving in to liqueur and spirit production in the mid-2000’s, The Grove Distillery was the first craft-distillery in Wilyabrup, Margaret River. From the beginning, Founder Steve Hughes and Head Distiller James Reed had a focus on dark spirits, and after nearly a decade of distilling and barrel-ageing rums, whisky’s and bourbons, this distillery is creating some one-of-a-kind pieces of Australian craft-spirit history. 

Head Distiller James lived in the Caribbean in his sprightly youth and it’s here that he saw the locals in Saint John on the Virgin Islands making their rum in ex Jack Daniels barrels sourced from the US. He knew that to make a delicious dark rum he would need to do the same.

Luckily, James also makes some of the best Kentucky-style corn mash whiskey (bourbon) you can get. It’s the barrels that have aged our bourbon that we then use to age our Rum – giving it it’s distinct flavour.

We hand-bottle everything before it’s sent out, winning awards both locally and nationally for what we do here. This is the spirit of the Grove, its bravery, it’s not being satisfied with normal, it’s making bloody good spirits while having a good time

Winding Road Distilling Co. Coastal Cane – August 2022

After a GOLD MEDAL at the 2021 Australian Distilled Spirits Awards, Batch 1 of this rum SOLD OUT! But not to worry Tribe, we have all of Batch 2 (outside of the Byron region) of this single cask, pure, single rum for you… Our Rum of the Month is the Winding Road Distilling Co. Coastal Cane Pure Single Rum.

In 2021, husband-and-wife team Mark and Camille from Winding Road Distillery, took out Gold at the Australian Distilled Spirits Awards with the first release of their Coastal Cane Pure Single Rum Cask AR01 (now very sold out).  We have managed to grab all but a handful of the entire second release of this fantastic rum – Cask AR02, distilled from fresh cane juice from the September 2019 cane crush.

Just as the first release was, this second release was matured in a virgin American oak barrel with a #3 char for just under 3 years.  After careful selection from the tasting panel it was emptied from the cask in May 2022 and bottled at 46% ABV.

Winding Road Distilling Co

The Winding Road Distilling Co. Coastal Cane Pure Single Rum is an aged agricole style rum, made from fermented, fresh cut sugar cane juice. To make agricole style rum, the cane juice must be very fresh. Too long between crushing and controlled inoculating with yeast means that wild and detrimental microbes can become established, thus spoiling the batch.  To this end, it’s obvious that winding road uses local produce – nothing else will do. They also use pure rainwater collected at their hinterland distillery.

This month we bring the Tribe a couple of Byron Bay Bangers! Two different styles of rum from 2 craft rum makers from the same region.

Both of them pure, single cask rums…both using local sugar cane products…both double distilled in copper pot stills in batches…both matured in single casks…but that’s where the similarities end.

One is molasses based, one cane juice based…One aged in a new oak barrel, one in the patented ‘Super Cask’ from Andrew Young’s YN Oak Cooperage.  Two approaches, one aim.

This provides a fantastic opportunity to appreciate the differences between a molasses based, and a cane juice based, pot-stilled rum. A side-by-side opportunity to compare the differences in these two styles – both made by passionate craft distillers who happen to be good mates, and both using sugar products from the same 2019 harvest from the same sugar mill and absolutely nothing more.

No colouring or sweetening, no chill filtering. Pure, Single Rums, the both of them.

Winding Road Distilling Co

Winding Road Distilling Co. Coastal Cane Tasting Notes:

Nose: A gentle and pleasant funk backbone with mashed bananas, plumbs and custard with a pinch of aniseed.

Palate: Lovely rich and oily mouthfeel. Gently warming (though not peppery at all) with fresh cut cane billets pinched out of a cane train (chewing these is one of life’s simple pleasures!), BBQ Pineapple, vanilla and fruit-pastry (apple-pie?) notes as well

Finish: The sweetness on the palate dries out in the finish with crystalised ginger and citrus peel notes as well as a touch of bush honey all swirling around each other in perfect harmony!

The Winding Road Distilling Co. Coastal Cane is absolutely delightful sipping rum. Just so mellow and easy to sit and enjoy on. Full of those fresh, bright and ‘green’ flavours this agricole style rum is known for. If you’ve ever lived in cane country during a crush, you’ll recognise a lot of flavours in this rum. It’s just delightful on its own – but we’ll be sending some cocktail recipe cards from winding road for the mixologists amongst us!

  • PRICE : $125

  • ABV : 46%

  • BOTTLE: 700ml

  • REGION: Australia (NSW)

  • NO Added Sugar/ NO Added Colour / Non-Chill Filtered

Winding Road Distilling Co

FROM WINDING ROAD

Our hand-crafted Coastal Cane Pure Single Rum is a true reflection of the Northern Rivers region, with a unique profile that showcases the influence of our local coastal climate and soil.  It all begins with fresh first-press juice from sugar cane grown in the rich soil of the Wollumbin Caldera.  It is fermented, rested, and then twice distilled in our traditional 1,250 litre copper pot still.

The new-make cane spirit is then aged in a curated selection of oak barrels; influenced during maturation by the warm summers and temperate winters of our coastal sub-tropical region.   The result is an unmistakeable and truly Australian Agricole-style rum that is smooth in character, full of body, and rich in flavour.

This batch, our second release, was matured in a 200-litre new American oak barrel for 35 months and bottled at 46% ABV.

Tasting Notes: 

Nose: Complex with vanilla/crème brulee and the characteristic ‘hogo’ funk of an Agricole combining in a manner that makes you want to take that first sip…

Palate: A full texture and mouthfeel that coats and melts in the mouth with an ongoing complexity of flavour.  Notes of fresh cane betray its origins amongst hints of vanilla and honeysuckle.  Natural sweetness is balanced beautifully against the subtle influence of salt and sea from the distillery’s location near the coast. Each sip endures and transforms with a lingering finish, calling you back for more.

ABOUT WINDING ROAD

Camille and Mark Award set up Winding Road distillery in 2015. Initially operating out of their home, they have now moved the business to a separate (and beautiful) property.

Mark (an American) and Camille (an Aussie) have had a varied path since meeting and settling in the hinterlands of Tintenbar (outside Lenox Head) in 2009. Initially drawn to the region by its incomparable natural beauty and mild climate, the friends they and sense of community they experienced confirmed this is where they were meant to be.

Fast forward to 2015 and a long-held dream to build their own craft spirits distillery grew into something more than a casual conversation on a warm summer’s evening. With a love for unique whiskies, rums, and gins the idea quickly took hold. They found inspiration all around them in the lush cane fields as well as the burgeoning Australian and global craft spirits industry which was just beginning to show its potential.

Not being ones to shy away from a challenge or something a little out of left field, the Awad’s began their journey down this Winding Road. Over the next few years they studied, trained, planned, schemed and built: striving towards the goal of opening their distillery while simultaneously working to maintain their home and family life, careers, and their sanity! At present, the distillery is a fairly modest affair set on a fantastic piece of land in the hills just outside Tintenbar. Plans for an expansion of the distillery plus a new cellar door and tasting facility are just about to start being turned into reality. Watch this space!

Winding Road Distilling Co

Dead Reckoning Rum – Barbados Tawny Barossa Cask – June 2022

Let’s get this rum brilliance straight! 8 years old tropically matured FourSquare rum then 1 year in a 60 year old Seppeltsfield Winery ex-Tawny cask and then further 6 months in a high-char ex-bourbon barrel…rum does not get better than this! We are super excited to announce the 4th Dead Reckoning release exclusive to the Tribe – The Dead Reckoning Rum Barbados Tawny Barossa Cask!

“The best independently bottled FourSquare I have ever tried” – The Fat Rum Pirate!

For June, another superb release from Aussie Indy Bottler Justin Boseley and his – fast becoming world renowned – Dead Reckoning Rum. This month we are thrilled to release the latest expression form Dead Reckoning that we’ve been eagerly awaiting for some months now. World-renowned independent rum critic ‘The Fat Rum Pirate’ has given this rum more accolades than we can list here and gave it a full 5 stars. In a (growing) stable of fantastic rums, this is possibly the best Dead Reckoning Rum yet.

Dead Reckoning Rum Barbados Tawny Barossa Cask

This single cask, triple–matured, pure rum – no less than 9 and a half years old – is a mix of FourSquare pot and column distilled spirit – tropically matured in Barbados for 8 years in ex-bourbon then transported to Adelaide for ‘the Boseley treatment’. A year in a 60 year old Seppeltsfield Winery ex-Tawny cask  and then a further 6 months in a high-char ex-bourbon barrel to tame the tannins from the Tawny cask.

The result is an absolute stonker of a rum – rich, bold, complex and dangerously drinkable. Huge, stewed fruits and a liberal sprinkle of all those Christmas cake spices we expect from a tawny cask finish. Add in bananas, coconut and a real custard-y note and a finish that you can chew forever!

This is truly sensational rum. It’s just sublime. And apart from a few bars we love – we’ve got it all! Yep, it’s all ours!  Once again, the Rum Tribe has scooped it all up!

We’re proud to have an ongoing relationship with Justin – his Dead Reckoning expressions have taken us all over the ‘rum world’ and each one just seems to get better and better.  This month’s ‘Barbados’ is just an exquisite expression of everything a premium rum should be! His masterful use of wood to realise the full potential of the spirit is displayed here in droves.  It’s not just us that thinks so – we know for a fact that companies like EA Sheer are very interested in what Justin is doing, so lookout European market!

Dead Reckoning Rum Barbados Tawny Barossa Cask

Dead Reckoning Rum Barbados Tasting Notes:

Nose: Lots of dark fruits – sultanas, berries, plumbs… plus vanilla and mixed peel. All draped with a wispy web of oak

Palate: Wow! Big mouthfeel powered by a lovely all over medium spiced which then gives way to caramel a-plenty. The tawny cask is pretty identifiable here –with the stewed fruits and biscuit spices. There’s also a pastry note there too, so the accumulative effect is like a Spicy Fruit Roll biscuit in a glass!

Finish: Nice and bold. Easily long enough to chat about it with your drinking buddy. Lots of stewed fruit, caramel, vanilla and a lingering spice that really warms.

  • PRICE : $159

  • ABV : 48%

  • BOTTLE: 700ml

  • REGION: Barbados/Australia

  • NO Added Sugar/ NO Added Colour / Non-Chill Filtered

Dead Reckoning Rum Barbados Tawny Barossa Cask

FROM DEAD RECKONING RUM

The 4th release for Dead Reckoning Rum was created to educate rum drinkers on the correct use of a port cask. A secondary maturation must be conducted in a way that a 50 / 50 mix in flavour, so your original rum used isn’t lost by the port cask and visa-versa. It’s very easy to over age a rum & loose it’s identity, in this case a build-up of tannins associated with wine & port were present from the tawny cask. This is the reason why a triple barrel maturation method was used. The heavy char (charcoal) on the 3rd barrel used removed the tannins & re-introduced some slightly lost identity of the original rum bringing back caramel & vanilla notes.

Tasting Notes: Upon first sipping you get oak & a hint of spice combined with dates, prunes, raisins, the middle palette provides the unmistakable FourSquare vanilla , toffee & caramel

The aftertaste leaves you with the char used in the makers mark bourbon barrel, then those fruity notes come back to remind you of the Seppletsfield tawny barrel used.

ABOUT FOURSQUARE DISTILLERY

Foursquare Rum Distillery is located on a former sugar plantation that dates back to approximately 1720, within the tiny Caribbean island of Barbados. The distillery was re-opened by the Seale family in 1996, distilling operations and blending are currently directed by Richard Seale, 4th Generation Trader/Distiller of R.L. Seale & Co.

Despite being sat in the middle of a sugarcane plantation, foursquare are forced to import most of their molasses from Guyana. Surprisingly, given the number of different brands of rum produced at foursquare, they utilise a singular fermentation practice. Using distillers yeast imported from South Africa, the two-step process is computer temperature controlled, progressing very slowly molasses is added during the latter stage over a period lasting 24 hours. Rums produced at foursquare are all a blend of pot and column stills. Blends are undertaken both before and after ageing, with all casks filled with various blends of the pot and column stills. Master distiller Richard utilises American oak, ex whiskey casks for the majority of Foursquare’s rums, often also experimenting with Sherry, Madeira port & Zinfandel , Andean, Boudreaux casks which offer nuanced variation in flavour.

Barrel House 28 Single Origin Rum – April 2022

Get your rum glass ready for the only rum EVER to come out of NSW powerhouse distillery Corowa! EXCLUSIVELY bottled for the Tribe, matured in first fill Pedro Ximinez casks…if there is such a thing as a sherry bomb rum…this is it! With only 390 bottles in total, this is a STRICLY LIMITED, collectors must-have of Australian rum – The Barrel House 28 Single Origin Rum.

We are proud to offer the ‘Tribe the chance to own collectable Aussie rum history. Distilled by legendary Corowa Distillery this remains the only rum ever distilled by the Corowa team!  How legendary are Corowa? They have just been selected as one of only TWO distilleries in the world, to be invited to present at the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee later this year.

Barrel House 28 Single Origin Rum

This is a ‘Barrel House 28’ bottling –  new indy bottling company with a fantastic pedigree. Barrel House 28 is owned by Robbie Tucknott. Now Robbie not only is ‘Barrel House 28’ – he’s also the proprietor of one of Australia’s biggest barrel importer, brokerage and cooperage to boot! So it’s fair to say he’s able to pick and choose the very best casks coming into the country! Having the onsite cooperage also has its obvious advantages when it comes to marrying new make with wood.

As for the Barrel House 28 Single Origin Rum spirit itself, does it come anymore Australian than this? Distilled at the Corowa distillery – the building itself a heritage listed 100 year old flour mill. The town of Corowa is regarded as the ‘birthplace’ of Australian Federation (google Corowa Conference if you’re unaware!). It sits on the banks of the legendary Murray River in fact, cobber. A couple of Aussie-rules loving country boys rolled their sleeves up and saved the old flour mill (they paid the town the princely sum of $1 and a promise to put the building to good use) and converted it into a distillery.  Aussie AS!

Seriously, the Barrel House 28 Single Origin Rum is an absolutely fantastic dark rum – aged in two 128 litre Pedro Ximinez ( a very rich, dark sherry) casks for just over 5 years and bottled exclusively for the Rum Tribe. No colour, no sugar, no spices. Just pure, single origin, Australian rum from a new Aussie Indy bottler – Barrel House 28.

Now you may think Corowa Distillery is a whisky distillery – and you’d be right!  Corowa Distilling have made a big name for themselves in the Australian single malt whisky industry – and abroad.  In fact, they have just been selected as one of only TWO distilleries in the world, to be invited to present at the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee later this year.

This is the only rum Corowa has ever made. Look – for that fact alone it’s worth grabbing a bottle to collect. And the distillery is about to have a ‘world stage spotlight’ shone on it at the Queen’s do later this year. But if you’re planning to collect a bottle – do yourself a favour and get two – ‘cause you absolutely gotta try this rum! Seriously.

Barrel House 28 Single Origin Rum

Barrel House 28 Single Origin Rum Tasting Notes:

Colour: Dark, dark , DARK brown. Did I mention it was dark? Colour up the absolute wazoo!

Nose: Funky over-ripe banana, but a massive dollop of stewed fruit as well, with a biscuit spice on top.

Palate: mmmm – Oily, oily mouthfeel. Man – this is like syrup! Mouth coating to the extreme. Huge sultana and fruit mince notes plus a nice pepper hit. There’s also that ‘new leather’ quality I get so often from Aussie rums. Look, I know ‘luxurious’ isn’t a flavour – nonetheless, luxurious is definitely an apt descriptor for how this rolls around the palate.

Finish: Long and chewy with all those sherry notes flowing through. Sultanas, stewed fruit, toffee notes, chocolate, citrus and even a surprise paw-paw sweetness there – all with a lovely pepper to see it out to the very end!

The Barrel House 28 Single Origin Rum is seriously fantastic. From the absolutely mouth-watering colour, the massive thick and viscous mouthfeel – to the rich and luxurious PX notes (sultanas, stewed fruits and spices) which abound here. But under all that, the funky ‘traditional’ rum notes (bananas, tropical fruit) manage to dazzle through the spaces. Way too good to sit in a dusty collection. This rum deserves to be enjoyed with a mate (whilst your second bottle gathers dust in your collection ).

  • PRICE : $149

  • ABV : 50%

  • BOTTLE: 700ml

  • REGION: Australia (New South Wales)

  • NO Added Sugar/ NO Added Colour / Non-Chill Filtered

Barrel House 28 Single Origin Rum

FROM BARREL HOUSE 28

The team at Corowa who love to innovate and push the boundaries of what they can do, made the decision to turn their hand to making rum. Off the back of a friends recipe and an inquisitive nature to see what can be achieved, the team set about making their first ever batch of rum with great success. In the true Corowa style the team wanted it to be bold and flavourful, so the rum was aged in Pedro Ximinez barrels known for its robust flavours.

With the success of the whiskies being produced unfortunately rum had to take a back seat in production, ensuring that this rum is truly one of a kind.

In stepped Barrel House 28. Dean (Corowa Distilling) and I have been good friends for a very long time and I bloody loved the flavour of this rum aged full maturation in PX. So with a hand shake, I bought both barrels over a fried chicken lunch at the Corowa distillery. The rest they say, is history.

When you walk into Barrel House 28 you will be greeted by the world’s finest barrels – floor to ceiling, our own copper pot stills and great spirits. In the footsteps of the Yarra Valley a region known for being incredibly discerning and only producing the highest quality produce. We carefully select the finest quality spirits locally and from around the world, then carefully age them with our own casks to make a unique, quality product that you can trust and will adore.

ABOUT COROWA

By the banks of the Murray River, Corowa’s Flour Mill built our town from the ground up. Exporting grains across the country and around the world, she was a powerhouse. Until her doors shut in 1970 and the building was left to decay. It was the end of an era and our whole town felt it.

When two men with a love of footy and a passion for whisky meet, something beautiful happens: an idea to turn the town’s abandoned flour mill into a world-class whisky distillery. Ambitious? Yes. A little nuts? Maybe.

In every drop of Corowa’s finest, you’ll get a taste of true Australia. And that’s the way it should be. From the grains we source from local farmers, to the water we pinch from the Murray River, and our copper stills handmade right here, we’ve always supported local.

We’ve travelled across the world to master our craft and train under top distillery experts. From the Scottish highlands to the Tasmanian mountains, we’ve brought back their secrets and made it our own. Looking at this ancient craft through fresh eyes, we’ve captured its essence and created new processes for a refreshingly new take on whisky.

Black Gate Overproof Dark Rum – March 2022

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!

Black Gate OverProof Dark Rum

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.