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Dead Reckoning Port Broadside Jamaica – September 2023

DEAD RECKONING IS BACK! This time with a FUNKY but MELLOW blend of three low-ester Jamaican rums (Hampden, Worthy Park and New Yarmouth) born, bred and married in the tropics and honeymooned in the dry heat of Adelaide. It’s time to man battle stations as we launch the Dead Reckoning Port Broadside!

The Dead Reckoning Port Broadside is a single cask blend of three incredible Jamaican distilleries. Hampden, Worthy Park and New Yarmouth – two pot stills and a column still respectively. 3 years tropically aged in bourbon casks in Jamaica and then whisked off to Adelaide to be dry aged in a Seppeltsfield Tawny Cask that has held port continuously for 120 years (this cask is almost GOOEY it’s got so much port infused into it!).

Just like the amazing price of $125 – Justin has specifically blended this Jamaican rum to exhibit the funk that Jamaican rum is famous for – but do it in an extremely accessible way. He’s done this by blending 3 Jamaican low ester ‘marques’. In Jamaica, a marquee is given special initials and indicates different ‘types’ of rums made by a distillery. Much like a bakery bakes different types of bread, the distilleries make different marques of rum – each one with a characteristic Ester level. The marque classification system of Jamaica is a bit of a ‘rum geek’ thing – if you’d like to know more – check out this article at the Cocktail Wonk.

The marques used in this rum are stated on the label – all of them amongst the lowest ester marque of their distillery. What this means is that whilst this is definitely an ester-forward rum (it is Jamaican, after all!), this is not overstated or over-the-top hogo.

For the non sailors out there a Broadside is a firing of all the guns from one side of a warship.

Dead Reckoning Port Broadside Jamaica

NOW we here at Rum Tribe HQ as well as Dead Reckoning know how tough everyone is doing it at present. Mortgages, fuel, electricity prices through the roof – and to sink the boot in even more – the excise on spirits like rum (and whisky etc) has just passed $100 per litre of alcohol.  So if you have a 1-litre bottle, with a spirit at 50%ABV – you will be paying more than $50 in Australian excise before you even start paying for the product itself. The third-highest spirits excise in the world. And it increases twice a year. That’s right – Twice. Every. Year.

So this month, Dead Reckoning and the Rum Tribe have gotten together with the express purpose of getting AWESOME rum to the people with as little hit to the wallet as possible.  Both of us have taken a bit of a beating to get this absolutely incredible 4 and a half year old Dead Reckoning Port Broadside Jamaican to the Tribe for a pre-2020 price.

And why are we doing this? Well, in all honesty, we’re hoping if we do an attractive enough price, you’ll buy two bottles if you can! And then everyone is a winner!

No added sugar. No added colour. Non-chill Filtered. Bottled at 50%ABV so the taxman gets his fair share, don’t you worry!

Going forward – this is the first expression of the Dead Reckoning Port Broadside line from Dead Reckoning. Look out for more single country of origin, blended single casks, tropical/dry aged combo rums finished in Tawny casks in Adelaide to come down the track.

Dead Reckoning Port Broadside Jamaica
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Our Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose on this really evolves over time. There’s waves of mashed banana, juicy fruit chewing gum, creaming soda and a sultana-laden bread and butter (or is it rice?) pudding and custard!

Palate: Masses of firepower with a rich and syrupy mouthfeel yet there’s also a crisp and dry backbone that makes itself known with just a touch of astringency that balances out the sweetness. [The column still component plus the tawny barrel at work there I’m sure!] Masses of fruit salad, lots of sweet and fragrant spices and stewed fruit to boot!

Finish: Lovely, Long and Utterly divine. Burnt liquorice, sarsaparilla-spider, caramel and sweet banana custard.

Another amazing release from the master of the dry-aged finish. Sweet and slightly funky on the nose, but takes a port tack to the dry side on the palate before rolling back to round sweetness in the finish. Mellow and funky like a groovy summer breeze, carrying the rhythm of a laid-back Funkadelic tune. Complex as quadratics, but easy as 1, 2, 3.

THE CRAZIEST INFUSED NEUTRAL CANE SPIRIT!

  • PRICE : $125

  • ABV : 50%

  • BOTTLE: 700ml

  • REGION: Jamaica/Australia

  • No Added Sugar / No Added Colour

Dead Reckoning Port Broadside Jamaica

FROM DEAD RECKONING

I’ve always been a funky rum junkie. Jamaican rum is synonymous with funk , dunder & ester. While some Australian distilleries are now adopting Jamaican methods of dunder & longer fermentation, the Jamaicans have been treading this well-worn path for centuries. 

When I was fortunate enough to find a Seppeltsfield tawny “port” cask from the 1800’s I knew exactly what to age it. The search for a Jamaican rum that had the right flavour profile started. Not happy with just 1 distillery, I ended up using a Hampden / Worthy Park / New Yarmouth Plummer blend. 2 pot & 1 column still. 

The use of 3 Jamaican rums has given this release layer upon layer of of flavour profiles. Finished in a tawny cask was the icing on the cake, it married the funk , flavour & low ester together. The goal was to create a multidimensional rum that would educate the consumer, leading them down the Jamaican rum rabbit hole.

The port broadside series is a collection of rums aged in tawny (port) casks. 

For the non sailors out there a Broadside is a firing of all the guns from one side of a warship.

With the current situation of inflation, interest rates & living costs. The decision to release DR Jamaica at its bare bones cost was made in the hope of getting good rum into people’s glasses at a great price. 

Flavour Profile: Banana Cake, dates, sultanas, dark roasted coffee & passionfruit

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 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.

Having an intimate knowledge of the Australian market, Justin identified space for unique, rare blends. Enter Dead Reckoning Rum. An Australian Independent label specialising in master-mixed rum blends, single casks and some rare, forgotten ‘barn-finds’ of the Rum world. Justin has his sights set on truly unique and memorable releases by his label.

ABOUT HAMDEN ESTATE

Hampden Estate, nestled within the scenic landscapes of Jamaica’s Trelawny Parish, stands as a venerable institution in the world of rum production. With roots tracing back to the 18th century, this historic distillery has earned its reputation for crafting rums that exude a distinct and captivating character. Embracing the art of traditional pot still distillation, Hampden is a purveyor of “Pure Single Rum,” a distinction denoting the exclusive use of pot stills and a single distillery source. This approach results in rums that are renowned for their intense and complex flavours, a testament to the high ester content characteristic of Hampden’s spirits. The distillery’s dedication to both molasses-based and sugarcane juice rums further enriches the spectrum of taste profiles, appealing to enthusiasts seeking the perfect balance of fruity notes and robust depth.

ABOUT WORTHY PARK

Worthy Park Estate is a historic Jamaican sugar estate and distillery located in St. Catherine, Jamaica. It has a long history dating back to the 17th century and is known for its production of sugarcane and rum. Worthy Park is one of the few distilleries in Jamaica that produces both molasses-based and estate-grown sugarcane rums. Their rums showcase Jamaican rum characteristics, including bold flavours, tropical fruit notes, and a rich, full-bodied profile. The distillery uses traditional pot stills for distillation, contributing to the unique character of their rums.

ABOUT NEW YARMOUTH

The New Yarmouth distillery, deeply rooted in Jamaica’s history since the 18th century, is a significant player in the rum industry. It proudly stands as the birthplace of – among others – Wray & Nephew rum, renowned as the best-selling brand in Jamaica. New Yarmouth is a part of the Appleton Estate.  New Yarmouth operates both pot and column stills.

Dead Reckoning – HMS Antelope – January 2022

In the spirit of kicking off the new year in a BIG way – we’re leading 2022 with a brand-new Dead Reckoning release the Dead Reckoning HMS Antelope. A distinct blend of 5 world class rums from Australia, Jamaica, Trinidad, Guyana and Barbados…this Navy Strength (55% ABV) is a smooth flavour explosion typical of Dead Reckoning and The Rum Tribe gets the first taste!

This is the 3rd Dead Reckoning Rum release (following The Sextant and Mutiny ‘South Pacific’) and they have all been HUGE hits with the Tribe. All different but all exceptional and the Dead Reckoning HMS Antelope is great, complex and well balanced combination of flavours and a homage to ‘Navy Rum’.

The Dead Reckoning HMS Antelope pays homage to ‘Navy Rum’ with a blend of four-year-old pot still Rum from Australia (in fact Australia’s oldest distillery), 3–5-year-old column still rum from Trinidad, three-year-old pot still rum from Jamaica, 2–5-year-old pot and column still Rum from Guyana plus to round it off three-year-old pot and column still Rum from Barbados (Foursquare).

True to Justin’s ethos of adding nothing to the rum (until it’s poured in a glass that is – then all bets are off!) – the Dead Reckoning HMS Antelope is made entirely without any colouring or added sugar or flavours.

Dead Reckoning HMS Antelope

This release is very personal to its creator – Independent bottler, Justin Boseley. Not only is the Dead Reckoning HMS Antelope an ode to traditional Navy Rum – it also pays tribute to a Royal Navy ship with an impeccable WW2 record, and is dedicated to one of the sailors who served aboard her – Justin’s Grandad, Sidney Boseley – This rum is dedicated to Sid.

‘Navy Rum’ is what the Royal Navy (interestingly, the RAN never served a rum ration to its sailors) served as part of the revered ‘Rum Ration’ or ‘Tot’ to their sailors. Starting as early as 1655, the RN’s daily ‘tot’ began as beer or wine, but gradually it changed to rum. By 1790, the ‘rum tot’ was standardised over the whole of the RN.  Of course, it was cut with water and lime juice (to combat scurvy) – and the rum itself was no stranger to colouring (ie caramel) and sugar (however no such additives in any Dead Reckoning release). ‘Navy Rum’ was blended from rums from around the world (obviously mainly British colonies). 

To be considered a ‘Navy Rum’, its minimum strength must be 54.5% ABV or higher. It is widely considered that a ‘true’ Navy Rum should contain aged rums from at least two or more of the following colonies: Barbados, Jamaica, Guyana, and Trinidad.

There was never an official Navy rum recipe. Whilst there was almost certainly a flavour profile it changed over many decades. Through out time Rum from Caroni in Trinidad, Martinique, Cuba, Australia, Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, Antigua, Saint Kitts and Nevis and the Virgin Islands has been used. 

Dead Reckoning HMS Antelope

Dead Reckoning HMS Antelope Tasting Notes:

Nose: Banana-ey funk at first but then it’s more a banana custard with subsequent sniffs which shares the spotlight with sultana aromas. A tropical fruit presence is there also- with fresh fruit notes and floral hints.

Palate: Thick and rich and oh so creamy. Real Christmas pud spices and a bug dollop of home-made custard in this one but those tropical vibes from the nose don’t give up either! So much delightful fruity sweetness! There is a slight funkiness in the mouth, but very mild – and acts to tie in the rest of the flavours rather than sitting apart and dominating them.

Finish: Lovely and long and with a jumble of fruitiness, more cakey spices and a nice touch of mild pepper creeps around it as it fades.

Look, I won’t be mixing this one (much). It’s just so good on it’s own in this swabbee’s humble opinion. Just a great, complex and well-balanced combination of flavours that swirl around each other without any one of them taking control or dominating. So easy to sip, so little alcohol burn, so … well so bloody good! Now I’m going to stick my neck right out on this one – it’s also fantastic in a ‘Moreton Bay Mud’ – Ice, milk, rum.  Simples. Best drunk in an enamel cup at low tide on a sand bar at dawn with a bacon and egg sanga! Optional garnish – esky full of fish on ice from the overnight session in the boat.

  • PRICE : $149

  • ABV : 55%

  • BOTTLE: 700ml

  • REGION: Australia, Jamaica, Trinidad, Guyana and Barbados

  • NO Added Sugar/ Non-Chill Filtered

FROM DEAD RECKONING

I felt a tribute to not only my grandpa but all those sailors that served in WW2 was needed in the rum world. Stories of my pops days at battle and his daily TOT were a mainstay in my child hood, whilst playing darts and snooker at the local RSL.

This rum blend came from the heart, I hope everyone enjoys it as much as I did creating it, To Sid  !

Tasting notes courtesy of Cody Banks from Hains & Co bar in Adelaide.

The HMS Antelope immediately jumps out the glass with a mix of sweet, rich plums and dark cherries. Sweetness turns slightly spicy with a whack of soft liquorice anise and gentle ginger. This rests on a subtle honeycomb backing that is neither too sweet or cloying, simply adding structure to an already interesting nose. 

The nose is thick and cakey, as the ABV starts to show itself so too does the tropical fruit funk of the Jamaican start open up. Pineapple skin, papaya and green apple skin present as much fresher tropical notes than the more usual over fermented stew of pineapple, mango & bananas many straight Jamaican rums have. 

Thick and viscous on the palate, it retains a great amount of fresh tropical fruit, stone fruit also presents itself via apricots and orange melons, intertwined with dark berries and plums. 

As the palate evolves, so too does the fruit, turning darker and spicier as it lingers longer. This is certainly reminiscent of great navy rums of old, as it descends into true dark molasses, pimento, ginger and anise. 

A long finish of blackcurrants and spices, I would recommend drinking this at its bottled 55%, water doesn’t do this true navy rum justice.

THE STORY OF SID AND THE HMS ANTELOPE

The Sailor 

Sidney Boseley was born and raised in Kent, England_. Like tens of thousands before him, When the call for arms was put out to serve King and country, Sid enlisted in the Royal Navy . Sid served on the British destroyer HMS antelope between the years of 1939 to 1945. 

The Ship 

HMS antelope was an A class destroyer ,323 feet long with the top speed of 35 kn ,displacement 1773 tons, Her armaments consisted of 4 x 120 mm guns, 2 x 40 mm anti aircraft guns , 2 x quadruple 21 inch torpedo tubes & six Depth charge chutes

WW2

On the outbreak of the Second World War the destroyer HMS antelope was assigned to the 18th destroyer Flotilla, channel force, based in Portsmouth. For the rest of 1939 and early months of 1940, antelope carried out patrol and convoy escort duties in the English Channel and western approaches. On on 5 February 1940, antelope was the sole escort of the outbound Atlantic convoy 08 84 south of Ireland when the German submarine U– 41 attacked the convoy, sinking the freighter Beaverburn and damaging the tanker Ceronia. 

Antelope retaliated, by depth charging and sinking the U boat. It was the only you boat at sea at the time in the area and was the first U boat in history to be sunk underwater by a single destroyer. 

Norway 

In April 1940 antelope was attached to the home fleet for operations as part of the Norwegian campaign. Antelope after operations in Scapa flow collided with the destroyer Electra. Antelope then returned to the UK for repair. 

Atlantic Operations

August 1940 antelope sailed in a convoy to take part in operation Minus the attack on Dakar west Africa. During the convoy antelope encountered the German U-boat U-31 of North West Ireland. Depth charges from the antelope drove U-31 to the surface where her crew abandoned ship. Antelope attempted to board U-31, but collided with the unmanned submarine damaging the destroyer and sinking the boat. Antelope rescued 44 of the German U-boats crew and returned them to the United Kingdom. 

And August 1941 antelope to park in operation Gauntlet ,antelope formed part of the escort for the Arctic convoy to the Soviet Union.

Antelope formed part of the destroyer escort for the battle cruiser Hood and battleship Prince of Wales in the chase for the German battleship Bismarck. Separated from the battleships during the battle of the Denmark straight antelope then searched for survivors from the sinking of the Hood of which only three people survived. 

Malta 

Antelope sailed to Gibraltar in 1942 escorting US aircraft carriers in an attempt to deliver badly needed 62 spitfire aircraft to Malta. During this convoy they were under constant attacked from German U boats and the German Luftwaffe. 

Antelope took part in another 5 escorts delivering an additional 55 more spitfires and much needed military supplies to Malta in May. 

Antelope was then based off west Africa, antelope escorted troop convoys taking part in operation Torch, the Allied invasion of West Africa.

In July 1943 antelope took part in operation Husky the Allied invasion of Sicily .

On June 5 and six 1944 ,the antelope took part in D- Day.

Mezan XO – April 2021

After the enormous response to the Mezan Chiriquí in March it’s time to roll out the big guns! The flagship of the Mezan collection – The Mezan XO Jamaica.

A unique blend of four Jamaican pot and column still rums from Monymusk, Long Pond, Worthy Park and the fabled Hampden Jamaican distilleries and the Rum Tribe has the entire Australian allocation! That’s right you want the funk that is the Mezan XO, you gotta be in the Tribe!

The result is a homage to Jamaican rum by the folks at Mezan made up of rums aged from 4 to 23 years old! A glowing tribute to fruity funk and tropical tastes all wrapped up in a floral party shirt! Absolutely fantastic on its own – or in your favourite cocktail.

Having been tropical-aged in Jamaica the casks are then taken to the UK where they are married together and then re-casked in ex-bourbon casks for “a certain amount of time before being bottled to encourage the flavours to melt and to improve the rum’s structure and subtlety”.

For a flagship product, Mezan sure don’t make a lot of this, only 5000 bottles worldwide in this batch and we have all of it for down under!

Our Tasting Notes:

Was Gwen Stephani having a premonition about April’s rum when she said “Shit is BANANAS. B.A.NAN.A.S”?… Because on first open of the Mezan XO, you may well think exactly the same thing! (and apologies for the musical earworm I know many of you will be experiencing now).

The colour is much lighter than what some may expect from an aged Jamaican rum – but remember, this is ‘the unaltered rum’ – Mezan rums are proudly un-coloured. Don’t let it fool you, the mellow colour belies a huge flavour that comes out punching!

Nose:  Mashed banana in custard with a sprinkle of nutmeg and a mate eating banoffee pie in the seat next to you (just a smidge of caramel).

Palate: Rich and creamy mouthfeel with an explosion of esters… banana, papaya, mango, all the tropical favourites on a pastry crust base. A mild spice and faraway funk to remind you of where it came from.

Finish: Sweet and luxurious. More of that funky baked banana vibe rides out of sight on a pleasant spice unicycle. A delicious finish to savour!

Tasting Notes from Justin Boseley (Dead Reckoning):

Pouring a dram into a glass, the nose is wonderful and very representative of the Jamaican style – banana and sweeter fruit. Taking a sip, I immediately notice the light, round mouthfeel. After a few seconds the flavour intensifies with banana explosion, and a moderate alcohol burn comes into play. It’s readily apparent, as the label says, that this rum hasn’t been sweetened. It doesn’t need it – it’s thoroughly enjoyable the way it is!

Mezan XO

  • PRICE : $135


  • ABV : 40%


  • BOTTLE: 700ml


  • REGION: Jamaica

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


Mezan XO Jamaica

FROM MEZAN

The Mezan XO Jamaica is a blend of rums from several distilleries. This blend allows the floral column’s distillate to marry with the higher richness and ester content of pot still rums.

Tasting Notes : Pungent and generous with aromas of fresh banana and sweet spices typical of great Jamaican rums.

How to taste? Mezan XO can be enjoyed neat, as well as in sophisticated cocktails. The powerful aromas will give your most refined cocktails excellent structure and a distinctive character

Mezan XO no added sugar, no added colour, non chill-filtered.

ABOUT MEZAN

The first thing to know about Mezan is that they aren’t a distillery. In fact they are not even involved in sugar cane or any aspect of rum production – other than ageing, blending and bottling.  Headed by Master Distiller Neil Mathieson, Mezan seeks out and buys single-origin rum casks from all over the Caribbean. Each cask is hand-selected and then shipped to the UK for further ageing.

Once in the UK, each cask of rum is then re-casked into ex-bourbon barrels. Mezan sources most of their bourbon casks through Heaven Hill distillery in Kentucky. They age in the UK due to the lower temps causing less interaction with the wood. “The UK” says Neil, “gives a very slow development of the spirit in comparison to the Caribbean and lets us manage the cask influence to a greater degree.”

Neil says he looked to the Scotch, Armagnac and Cognac industries and felt he needed to begin aging rum in a similar way to see how its character developed. “We are targeting rum drinkers—not necessarily those who would turn to Bacardi—and also those who enjoy other brown spirits.”

Mezan XO is great in cocktails!

Dead Reckoning ‘The Sextant’ – December 2020

Welcome to the world launch of a new rum brand! Yes, this month we take on the world with the world-wide release of the ‘Dead Reckoning’ rum brand – and we are beyond stoked to be able to showcase it for the first time ever, anywhere!

As is only fitting – The Rum Tribe members will be the first IN THE WORLD to taste this new rum. With only 330 individually numbered bottles produced – we’ll be accounting for the vast majority of the entire world supply of this release! Bad luck, rest of the world – but the Rum Tribe gotta rum!

Blended from 4 major distilleries, Dead Reckoning is the baby of rum legend, Justin Boseley – ex- mega-yacht captain, and nowadays importer of high quality rums into Australia. ‘The Sextant’ adds yet another feather to Justin’s enviable cap – rum blender and brand owner!

‘The Sextant is a blend of 4 Caribbean rums from FourSquare (Barbados), Worthy Park (Jamaica), Angostura (of the ‘bitters’ fame) and Demerara (Guyana) all blended into the Dead Reckoning ‘The Sextant’ here in Australia.

Dead Reckoning ‘The Sextant’ is a 5 year old Column still rum from Trinidad (Angostura), a 3 year old Pot still rum from Jamaica (Worthy Park), a 5 year old pot and column still rum from Guyana (Diamond Distillers). To round out the palate Justin has selected a 3 year old pot and column still rum from Barbados (Foursquare).

All the rums used in The Sextant are 100% tropically aged, then bottled & blended in Australia at 49% ABV.

Our Tasting Notes:

Nose: A huge funky fruit salad – bananas jump at me first, then sweet pineapple and pawpaw. All wrapped up in a creamy egg-nog envelope.

Taste: A deep velvety demerara rush coats the whole mouth at first then a warm spice hit cuts through… and the tropical fruits come through again! A very long finish with luscious stewed fruit with just enough spice to contrast, but not overpower, the delicious lingering sweetness.

Dead Reckoning ‘The Sextant’

  • PRICE : $139


  • ABV : 49%


  • BOTTLE: 700ml


  • REGION: Trinidad, Jamaica, Guyana, Barbados


Dead Reckoning ‘The Sextant’

FROM THE BOTTLERS

DEAD RECKONING, in navigation, dead reckoning is the process of calculating current position of some moving object by using a previously determined position, or fix, by using estimations of speed, heading direction and course over elapsed time

A sextant is a doubly reflecting navigation instrument that measures the angular distance between two visible objects. The primary use of a sextant is to measure the angle between an astronomical object and the horizon for the purposes of celestial navigation.

Dead Reckoning ‘The Sextant’ Rum Release is a step back in maritime history, a masterful blend of four offerings from Justin’s favourite distilleries. A well balanced mix of rums from arguably some of the finest distilleries in the world.

It is well known the British royal navy’s daily rum ration or ‘Tot’ was a mainstay of life upon the seas. Rum sourced for the now legendary tot was often procured from the chain of British colonies around the world. Some of the rums selected for Dead Reckoning releases have been loved and recognised for 3 centuries and have fortified many a thirsty mariner.

Dead Reckoning ‘The Sextant’

ABOUT THE BLENDER AND DISTILLERIES

Justin Boseley

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 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.

Having an intimate knowledge of the Australian market, Justin identified space for unique, rare blends. Enter Dead Reckoning Rum. An Australian Independent label specialising in master-mixed rum blends, single casks and some rare, forgotten ‘barn-finds’ of the Rum world. Justin has his sights set on truly unique and memorable releases by his label.

The Diamond Distillery

Located in Guyana is the culmination of a rich history of Rum making that stretches back to the 1650s. In its heyday it boasted over 300 sugar estates, each with its own still producing world class Rum.

However, over the centuries, a process of amalgamation saw the various estates combine, with only a small number of unique stills surviving the test of time. The heritage stills as they are now known have all been relocated to Diamond Distillery on the banks of the Demerara River under the governance of Demerara Distillers Limited.

Foursquare

The owners of Foursquare Distillery, the Seale family, can trace its roots on Barbados back to the 1650s, and can reference five generations of rum-making expertise dating back to 1820. The establishment of the foursquare brand, however, came much later. While the family could lay claim to one of Barbados’ oldest trading houses, Reginald Leon Seale was prohibited, like other traders, from selling rum directly to consumers under the Barbados Excise Law. Solution? Establish a distribution business in Bridgetown. In the early 1900s R. L. Seale was born.

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 Foursquares’ rums, often also experimenting with Sherry, Madeira port & Zinfandel casks which offer nuanced variation in flavour.

Worthy Park

Worthy Park has been producing rum intermittently since the 1740’s. There was an oversupply of Jamaican Rum following World War II and under agreement with the Spirits Pool Association of Jamaica production was ceased in 1962. After being out of the distillation business for decades, the Clarke family decided in 2004 that there was room for a Jamaican rum, made with quality ingredients by distilling in the Traditional Jamaican Pot-Still method, however with modern efficiency, utilising state-of-the-art equipment. In 2005, the new distillery was complete! By 2007, the flagship brand of Rum-Bar Rum was launched and has forever changed the Jamaican rum industry.

Angostura

The House of Angostura’s award-winning rums are steeped in nearly 200 years of tradition. Dr. Johann Siegert first produced aromatic bitters in Angostura, Venezuela (today called Ciudad Bolivar) in 1824 to use as a tonic in his medical practice. In the 1870s, he and his three sons migrated to Trinidad, where they began to produce their aromatic bitters on a larger scale and add them to cocktails.

Angostura rums are column-distilled using a combination of two rigs. The first is a large single column system responsible for their heavy rum production. Their five-column setup handles the light rum production. If such a setup sounds familiar, it’s largely on par with Puerto Rican Rum production, as a point of comparison. The idea is to keep enough flavour components on hand while also ensuring a clean spirit. According to Angostura’s long-serving—though now semi-retired—master distiller John Georges, you want to keep “just enough of the funky stuff”.

Secret Distillery #1 Batch 3 That Boutique-y Rum Company – November 2020

BOOM! Another brand-new rum to Australia! From a single undisclosed distillery in Jamaica (*cough* *cough* Worthy Park 😊). ‘That Boutique-y Rum Company’ have for the very first time allowed some of their much awaited ‘Secret Distillery #1’ into Australia and we are delighted to be offering members of the Rum Tribe first dibs! So we are very proud to present – That Boutique-Y Rum Company ‘Secret Distillery #1’ Batch 3 as our November Rum of the Month.

Only 872 individually numbered bottles have been produced of this fantastic rum and as you can imagine, very little of that number is coming to Oz, which is why we’re super happy to have nabbed the entire Australian allocation for our members!

That Boutique-Y Rum Company has similar tastes to us here at The Rum Tribe – a love of pot-stills and a focus on transparency in labelling. For example, though such things as sugar and caramel can be used in rum production, there is no requirement to state this for the consumer – and we (along with Peter) think this is plain wrong!  At That Boutique-y Rum Company they are all about delicious, unusual and honest rums, which means they adopt a no BS approach to classification. You won’t hear them talking about dark and light rums, but you will hear them getting excited over everything from pot still rums from single distilleries to multi-column rums from multiple distilleries. In other words – they focus on ‘specifics’, not cliched generalities.

The Secret Distillery #1 Batch 3 is a single origin Jamaican rum (Worthy Park) that has been aged exclusively in ex-bourbon casks for 9 years (6 years in Jamaica and 3 more in TBRC’s bond store in the UK, then bottled at 53.8% abv. It follows on from Batches 1 & 2 from the same distillery – but sadly none of these earlier batches made it to our shores.

If you’re wondering about the bottle label – each sphere denotes one aspect/ingredient of rum production. The large sphere is cane, then demerara sugar, molasses, unaged rum and aged rum.

Our Tasting Notes:

Nose: Unmistakable funk which definitely points the finger towards this being a product from the Trelawny region of Jamaica, and no other than Worthy Park. The ripe banana, a little spice and raisins hits you immediately, then the tropical fruit platter creeps in / overripe mango and pineapple and a slight hint of ginger.

Palate: Immediate fruity notes, ripe banana, pineapple and guava. Burnt sugar then on the back of the pallet leaves you with toffee and butterscotch.

Secret Distillery #1 Batch 3

  • PRICE : $135


  • ABV : 53.8%


  • BOTTLE: 500ml


  • REGION: Jamaica


Secret Distillery #1 Batch 3

FROM THE BOTTLERS

Secret Distilleries are the way that Boutique-y Rum’s can tie a Rum back to a particular source, but still honouring the producers right to protect their trademarked name.

Secret Distillery #1 can be found in Lluidas Vale, in the parish of St. Elizabeth, and for anyone who has sipped a few of their Rums then you’ll quickly recognise the tropical fruit, pineapple, sweet acetone type notes that are particular to them. Our 9-Year-Old Batch 3 release is a delicious example of a Rum that has spent most of its time maturing at source, with a few years here in the UK before being bottled. Rich, full bodied, with tropical fruit notes, with a firm caress of oak – this is an absolute delight that is likely to be enjoyed by seasoned rummy and beginner alike!

Nose: Bright, sweet banana, and sticky toffee pudding

Palate: Banana, tamarind, overripe pear and hints of butterscotch.

Finish: Toffee intertwined with green tea, prickly, peppery and lasting.

Overall: Straight off the bat, this is a mouth-filling lovely, characterful rum that is immediately, and instantly recognisable by fans of this distillery.

ABOUT THE DISTILLERY

The Worthy Park Estate is a sugar producer and distiller of rum that has been producing said sugar and rum since the inception of the Jamaican sugar industry 275 years ago. In the late 50’s and 60’s falling worldwide sugar prices along with the proliferation of large-scale, modern and efficient distilleries elsewhere saw a number of Jamaican distilleries close their operations. One of these was the Worthy Park Distillery which shut it’s doors in 1960 to concentrate on sugar production.

And concentrate they did. Over the next 45 years Worthy Park Estate gradually upgraded their farming practices and modernised their production facilities becoming perhaps the most advanced and efficient Sugar production operation in Jamaica, if not the world.

In the late 1990’s it was decided by the family (yes, still owned by the original family), led by fourth generation family-member Gordon Clarke, that distillation could viably re-commence on the Worthy Park Estate! Instead of restoring the old distillery it was decided that a whole new facility would be constructed. In 2005 they started building the new distillery and the first of the ‘new’ Worthy Park rums was bottled in 2007. Not too shabby, eh!

Worthy Park Estate age and bottle most of their own rum – but they do sell a fair volume to independent bottlers which is where Peter Holland and the Boutique-y Rum Company come into the picture. For those who may not be aware, an independent bottler is someone who buys [in this case] rums directly from the either the distillery (and then ages it themselves), or selects casks that have been aged by rum wholesalers and blenders. They find the casks they like, blend them (or, indeed bottle them as single cask rums) bottle them and brand them.

The Boutiqe-y company started as ‘The Boutique-y Whisky Company’ – independently ageing and bottling single malt whiskies from various distilleries around the globe and then selling them under their own brand. After winning multiple gold medals for their whiskies, and earning the respect of the global whisky community, they have branched out into gins and (most importantly) rums!

TBRC enlisted the services of talented barman and blender – and lover of rum – Peter Holland (of ‘thefloatingrumshack.com’) and he now has the enviable job of cask selection and blending for TBRC.                         

Ron Colon Salvadoreno Dark Aged Rum and Coffee Infused Rum – August 2020

For our second Rum of the Month, we have an absolutely exquisite double pack of premium rums never before seen in Australia. You are not going to believe this…

– Two (yes 2!) pack of matching rums for the price of one
– Gold Medal Winner at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition
– Never before released in Australia

We are very proud to be the first in Australia to introduce a new premium rum brand to our members and for the first time in our history deliver a Rum of the Month that is a package of 2 matching rums. Presenting the Ron Colon Salvadoreno Dark Aged Rum and the matching Ron Colon Salvadoreno Coffee Infused Rum from the only distillery in El Salvador.

Ron Colon Salvadore is a collaborative project by a team of producers, distillers, flavour experts and marketers. A love for EL Salvador and it’s people drove the imagination of the Ron Colon crew. The rum begins its life from local sugar cane that is gathered and then run through a 100-year-old sugar cane mill to be turned into molasses. From molasses, it undergoes fermentation with proprietary yeasts for 36 hours before being distilled by a modern multi- column still. After distillation the rum is aged in white oak ex-bourbon barrels sitting alongside rums that The Licorera Cihuatán distillery has been producing since 2004. The rum aged in Licorera Cihuatán have around 8% angel share per year. The Master Distiller and blender is Gabriella Ayala.

Ron Colon Salvadoreno Dark Aged Rum

• 70 % 6-year-old column stilled Salvadoran rum pro-duced by Licorera Cihuatán distillery.

• 15 % unaged pot stilled Jamaican rum produced by Worthy Park, Hampden and Monymusk distilleries.

• 15 % 3-year-old Jamaican pot stilled rum produced by Worthy Park estate.

Our Tasting Notes:

Overall a rich, complex and fruity rum with a long satisfying , luscious finish.

Colour: Dark brown with glimpses of red.

Nose: Red berries, stewed fruit and hints of coconut with a subtle floral note floating over the top.

Palate: Sultanas and raisins, dark chocolate, vanilla and mixed peel. A pleasant sweet note reminiscent of Botrytis skirts the edges but doesn’t over-sweeten.

Finish: Long, warming and sweet. Lots of fruit and oak, with wafts of chocolate.

Ron Colon Salvadoreno Coffee Infused Rum

Ron Colón Salvadoreño Dark Aged Rum is cold macerated with whole coffee beans for 48 hours. This allows enough time for the coffee beans to release their rich cherry, chocolate, honey flavors, before the bitter notes begin to impart on the liquid, the maceration is finished.

The lack of sweetness on the palate makes this a fantastic rum for cocktails – allowing you to sweeten with other ingredients.

Our Tasting Notes:

Nose: Sweet espresso coffee, vanilla and crushed nuts. A hint of Keens curry powder lurks in the background.

Palate: Complete contrast to the sweetness of the nose. Not quite bitter – but definitely dry. Dark… DARK chocolate, nutty unsweetened coffee tones but tropical fruit notes underneath it all.

Finish: Long deep finish. Warming, fruity and more coffee notes. Lingering mellow spiceyness as it slowly fades.

  • PRICE : $149


  • ABV : 55%


  • BOTTLE: 700ml + 700ml


  • REGION: El Salvador/ Jamaica


FROM THE CREATORS

Ron Colon Salvadoreno Dark Aged Rum

The rums that we have chosen for our blend create an unusual flavor palate. The Salvadorian rum on its own brings a fruit-forward tropical nose with a light, dry finish. In addition to this we wanted an earthiness, with a fiery warm flavor, to create the perfect liquid. The small amount of Jamaican rum completed this flavour profile and created the perfect balance.

Nose: On the nose, the aromas of tropical fruits are most apparent with fresh banana and sticky pineapple. Adding to this there is a deeper aroma of rich raisins and prunes.

Palate: The palate brings the same tropical fruit notes, but with a developing toasted-warm, spicy caramel fl avor. Balanced with creamy milk chocolate, roasted almond and dried chewy apricot notes.

Ron Colon Salvadoreno Coffee Infused Rum

The coffee infused Ron Colón Salvadoreño is made using bourbon coffee beans from the El Ciprés region, grown at 1700m next to El Salvador’s famous Santa Ana volcano. Bourbon coffee beans have a beautiful, buttery sweetness. The beans are processed using the natural method – a slow process, the beans are consistently turned by hand to ensure they dry equally.

Nose: On the nose, notes of toasted almonds and woody spice are most apparent – with dark rich fruit and warm vanilla bringing a sweeter note.

Palate: The coffee infusion brings notes of dark chocolate and dried sticky plums. A medium to dark roast gives the rum a rich, warming, nutty flavor with a tiny hint of bitterness. This is balanced from the notes of the aged rum of fresh banana and juicy pineapple.

ABOUT RON COLON

Firstly, about that name. The El Salvador Colón was the official unit of currency in El Salvador until they adopted the US dollar in 2001. The El Salvador Colón was lost but Ron Colón pays homage to El Salvador’s history by using it in the name as well as designed a coin to put on the bottle. And, the coin can be popped off the bottle and collected.

Ron colon’s story starts in 2018 with two befriended colleagues, Thurman Wise and Pepijn Janssens, venturing on a crazy 22-day-16-country-latam-barhop. It was during this adventure that little El Salvador (“sivar” in slang) captured their attention. If googled, this place comes up as “the murder capital of the world”. However, once the team arrived, they were dazzled by the coun-try’s pristine beauty and true grit. That cut right through any google search.this trip sparked an obsession to create a product that would showcase the honest yet rich and colourful “sivar”.

Licorera Cihuatán Distillery is a part of Ingenio La Cabaña of El Salvador, one of the largest and oldest sugar producers in the country established in 1920. It is the only rum distillery in El Salvador and was built in 2004. Rum from this distillery makes up 70% of the Ron Colon blend.

The rum begins its life from local sugar cane that is gathered and then run through a 100-year-old sugar cane mill to be turned into molasses. From molasses, it undergoes fermentation with proprietary yeasts for 36 hours before being distilled by a modern multi- column still. After distillation the rum is aged in white oak ,ex-bourbon barrels sitting alongside rums that The Licorera Cihuatán distillery has been producing since 2004. The rum aged in Licorera Cihuatán have around 8% angel share per year. The Master Distiller and blender is Gabriella Ayala.

The other 30% of the Ron Colon is produced Worthy Park, Hampden and Monymusk distilleries (Jamaica) in traditional pot stills.

The Coffee Infused Rum is a collaboration between Ron Colon and Jags Head Coffee of El Salvador. Grown in the El Cipris at 1700m altitude. The slow, natural process of drying the beans by hand allows for the bean to interact with the natural sugars from the cherry over a long period of time, giving the final bean a more fruit-forward flavor. It can also bring more funky fermented flavors, perfect for pairing with rum. Roasted by Jag’s Head Coffee in North Carolina to a medium roast to bring out the rich chocolate and cherry notes without too much bitterness.

Licorera Cihuatán, a part of Ingenio La Cabaña of El Salvador, is one of the largest and oldest sugar producers in the country established in 1920.