I tried this rum as part of DOKtober. It is a blend consisting of 50% 2-year-old LFCH, 40% 4-year-old LROK, and 10% 5-year-old <>H. Review Smell It's surprisingly light on the nose. Definitely a distinct Jamaican funk with overripe banana and pineapple, but it's more restrained than either the 1 year aged LFCH or Great House 2024. The LROK actually comes out stronger than the LFCH. Taste There's way more going on than in the 1-year-aged LFCH. Very tannic, with distinct notes of fennel and wood like in a longer-aged rum. It's rich, but still is bright and pops, and the flavor profile is predominantly banana and pineapple with a bit of sharpie. In a daiquiri, it is distinctly fruitier and tastier than the 1-year-aged LFCH. It's not massive, but it's a noticable improvement. Verdict {rating}/10 Not only does this rum make a good daiquiri, it's also just good on its own with a bit of ice. I don't quite like it as much as the 2024 Great House, but it's not far off.

Let's continue with DOKtober! I have way too many Hampden rums waiting around to be reviewed (mostly because after trying Hampden, I can't really taste anything else for the rest of the evening) and I figured now is a good time to try everything based on its mark. Today I am reviewing the 2nd lowest mark, LFCH, and I also don't have any pure LFCH marks, but this time I do have two blends that are predominantly LFCH: Hampden Great House 2024 and a Velier 3 Mark Blend. Review Smell The banana and pineapple are super strong, but it's almost like there is less complexity than the 1-year-aged OWH, which had notes of berries and prunes. However, LFCH just smells lighter and crisper, and has a bit of a spicy cinnamon note as well. It also smells bolder and fruitier than the unaged LFCH. Taste The palate is primarily banana, but also kind of bitter with an industrial sharpie note. Much like the nose, the flavor of OWH had more interesting complexity with more heavy berry notes, while LFCH is brighter but also more straightforward. I'd almost say the banana flavor is rather monotone. In a daiquiri, it also seems like OWH makes a better daiquiri than LFCH. I actually think the unaged LFCH also makes a better daiquiri than the 1-year-aged LFCH. Of course, the single marks pale in comparison to blends like Great House and the 3 mark blend from Velier. Verdict {rating}/10 Somehow this mark underperformed compared to its neighbors, as I really prefer the 1-year-aged LFCH and 1-year-aged LROK. It's still good, by all means, but I don't think it's even an improvement over the unaged version. Though, when I tasted the unaged, I thought it was better than the unaged OWH and LROK, so maybe it's just variations within batches?

Let's get started with DOKtober! I have way too many Hampden rums waiting around to be reviewed (mostly because after trying Hampden, I can't really taste anything else for the rest of the evening) and I figured now is a good time to try everything based on its mark. I'm starting with the lowest ester mark, OWH, and I really don't have any rums that use OWH other than my two sets of 8 Marks, so for now, it's just going to be the 1 year compared to the unaged, and also Probitas, since that's a lower ester blend with Hampden and lightly aged, just so that I have some point of comparison. Review Smell So bright and fruity. Even OWH, the lowest mark, is bold on the nose. Pineapple, banana, blueberries. Compared to the unaged, the 1 year has a brighter, bolder nose, so I think that the aging unlocked some more complex flavors. Probitas really doesn't compare as it has a much stronger vanilla and caramel nose (probably from the foursquare portion), and so the nose is a lot more muted compared to the 1-year-aged OWH. Taste The aging is pretty light, but immediately noticeable. It's slightly tannic, and has a richness and complexity, while the unaged OWH is also fruity, but not as fruity. While the unaged has some pineapple and banana notes as well, it has some unrefined edges to it. It definitely comes across as an unaged rum, and while it's still delicious, the 1-year just brings a pop of blueberries and caramel on top of the really bold banana and pineapple, and has a retrohale that reminds me a bit of Doctor Bird (even though that's WP). With the 1-year OWH vs the Probitas, the OWH puts up a strong fight. It's much funkier in the drink than the Probitas, so just on that basis, it might win, but on flavor, Probitas is more balanced. It's hard to describe, but it's just crisper, it's more balanced, and it tastes like a rum made for daiquiris. Interestingly, I think the unaged makes a better daiquiri than the 1-year because its young unrefined edges don't hold it back compared to drinking neat. Verdict {rating}/10 Overall, it might seem crazy to rate a Hampden the same as an Appleton, but while the daiquiri test was interesting and the two OWH marks actually made great daiquiris, I can't imagine really pouring either over a cube of ice and sipping on it, while I can (and do) sip on the various Appletons, even if they're not my first choice. That's sort of the difficulty of assigning a unified rating to rums with very different purposes. Going forward, I imagine the blends actually for retail sale will fare much better.

Worthy Park releasing a cane juice rum is quite different! Yes, I am late to the party, because when I first got this when it first released, I felt like... I didn't quite progress enough to really be able to put into words how I felt about this rum. But, now I feel like I can give this rum a proper review! > Note: Made from the WPE-CJN mark with up to 800 g/hLAA esters. Review Smell My immediate thought is that it smells exactly like a clairin. A bit grassy, a bit of brine and olives, and a bit of fruit, like rotten banana. Taste The flavor is intense and wild. It's very similar to a clairin, and after going through my closet, I think Sajous is the closest match in terms of flavor profile. There is a bit of industrial grunge that is very distinct to Worthy Park, along with a grassy brightness, and a sour fruitiness like a green apple or red currant. Surprisingly, I don't get much pineapple or banana like you normally get from Jamaican rum. There's a nice, long finish, and I really like it when I finish a rum, go about my day, and still feel its goodness lingering in my mouth. As expected, it makes a delicious daiquiri. Really fruity and flavorful, like a good clairin daiquiri. Verdict {rating}/10 Overall, though it has a bit of that distinct WP character, it's very similar to Sajous, and it was a tough call if I like them both equally, but I think I just prefer Sajous a little more. Both are excellent, and both are priced similarly, so it's up to you which one you prefer.

Just like the previous rum, I sort of discounted it because it's a column still rum from TDL. At NYC RumFest, I went to the angostura table and tried everything they had, from the 5 year to the 1824, and as it got higher in price point, of course it got better, but even the 1824 was not that inspiring. But, CSC never misses, so I ordered a sample. > Note: It was distilled in 2014, and aged 6 years tropical, 6 years in Europe, and less than 1 year in Kentucky. It was bottled in May 2026. Review Smell Very strong nose of oak, vanilla, play doh, and orange peel. Quite woody with a sweet prune smell. It also has a bit of that floral scent that I get from good, heavy cuban rums. I had some Angostura 1919, and the smell is much more plain. A bit of sweet vanilla and alcohol, and not much else. Taste The taste is so rich and complex. It's a great blend of sour, sweet, and bitter, with a tannic finish and a strong note of fennel, as is common for heavy TDL rums. Aside from the fennel taste, the orange peel note and long floral finish remind me of very good Cuban rums. In comparison, 1919 is not bad, per se, and the vanilla and orange come together to almost make a creamsicle flavor, that turns into oak and fennel on the finish, which is very distinctly TDL. However, the Great Shearwater is just so much bolder, richer, and completely blows 1919 away. I instead reached for Ron Eminente, which is my favorite Cuban sipper so far, and it is genuinely a solid, delicious rum. But, Great Shearwater is everything it is and more, so despite enjoying it on any other day, coming back from the Shearwater, it tastes like slightly sour water. Verdict {rating}/10 Great Shearwater is so good, that I actually reached for TCRL Australia 2007, which was my favorite non-Jamaican rum so far, earning an impressive 8.5/10 when I last reviewed it. I do think it's an excellent rum, but it's just a very different kind of rum, making it a bit hard to compare. However, I do think that I just slightly prefer the Great Shearwater. That earns it a stunning 9/10, placing it tied with Hampden Great House 2024, and leaving very little room on my rating scale for anything better... Of course, Trinidad had Caroni, which I really love, especially the RG Perennia 27 year, but I just figured that TDL simply chooses to not make good rum. This whole tasting surprised me so much, so I talked to some other rum enthusiasts. Basically, the consensus is that TDL sells all of their good rum to IBs, and leaves all the boring, mass-appeal mixers for their Angostura line. It's a shame, and it really put me off from TDL rums in general, but now I know that TDL IBs can really be gems. This rum is not currently for sale, as I got a pre-release sample back in May, but you can pre-order it on their website here: https://www.greatshearwaterrum.com/shop-usa/index.html

Forgive me, I am a bit tired to throw together a bird picture today. This wonderful rum came in a sample from a while ago. I had it sitting around as I sort of figured that the PM and Enmore stills are the best, and the Savalle column stills are not as interesting. This rum showed me that it can still be quite great. > Note: I could not find online what still it was distilled on, but my sample was labeled as the SV marque, and that's believable. Review Smell Immediately, it's rich and woody, with a strong oaky smell. Then it opens up with stone fruit, red wine, and pomegranate. Taste The immediate taste that I got was the richness, wood, and tannins, but then I was surprised by a note of pineapple and overripe banana that I typically associate with Jamaican rums. It then turns into chocolate, vanilla, and a lingering fruity note. It finishes bold with a slight bit of fennel, but just a bit. Not as much as rums from Trinidad. The overall profile is slightly sour and quite dry, and very tannic. It's pretty well balanced, but does not at all remind me of the earthy notes I get from most Demerara rums. I actually first reached for my Appleton 15 year old for comparison, and it was actually remarkably similar. I probably would have guessed, tasting this blind, that it was Appleton 15, and the resemblance is pretty strong, with a very mild funk and bold woody notes, but the Diamond is a bit richer, woodier, and just slightly better than the Appleton. Next I reached for the Samaroli Nicaragua 18 year old, and it way overshoots diamond with the woody notes and tannins, while also having zero fruity funk at all. However, I think, while they are very different, I like them about equally. Verdict {rating}/10 This isn't my favorite rum from Guyana, but it's really excellent and I really did not expect something so good from a column still. It has a rich and woody profile without being overly oaky and tannic, and it also has a slight funk to keep it interesting. I'm not sure that I would pay over $200 for it, but this rum, along with a similarly aged TDL rum that I will review soon, really put heavy column still rum back on my radar.

I remember trying this one a few times, since Raising Glasses rums always make it to NYC rum club bottleshares. It's always a weird one. Like many weird rums, I just keep coming back to it. Review Smell The nose is dominated by red wine and a harsh hit of alcohol. Makes sense, given it's nearly 60% ABV. Then, it opens up into a funky bouquet of fruits, glue, banana, and sharpie. Taste The flavor is extremely industrial, which I typically associate with my palate being overwhelmed with congeners. After that subsides, I get that same flavor of fake lemon candy that I got from Goslings 151. I don't know what compound causes it. The next thing I taste is like Robitussin mixed with honey, probably from the wine cask aging. It's very funky, grungy, industrial, and perhaps a bit grassy, but with very strong red wine and honey notes. Verdict {rating}/10 I am not typically the biggest fan of wine cask rums. I don't think they necessarily ruin a rum, but I've tried Hampden Pagos, I have tried many sherry-finished rums in the Dominican Republic, and I don't really think it improves the rum for me. That being said, this rum is like a rollercoaster ride. Very strange, very much out there, and it's both interesting and challenging. I don't really like it, but also, I don't really hate it. I do think it's worth a try, especially if you enjoy high-ester rums and rums aged in wine casks.

Worthy Park is a pretty iconic distillery. It's a very historic one, but only recently restarted after a long hiatus, and with the shutting down of the Frome sugar mill, it is also the only sugar mill in the country, making it the only single-estate rum in Jamaica currently. It only has one still: a Forsyths pot still. So everything at Worthy Park is distilled in that pot still. > Note: No age statement, but claim that it's a blend of rums aged 4-12 years Review Smell It's relatively mild on the nose, with a sweet banana and mango nose. Not super bold like some other expressions from Worthy Park, but you definitely get some funk. Taste The flavor is soft and mild, with vanilla, pineapple, orange peel, and just a touch of Worthy Park's signature industrial rubber note. It's mellow with a slight grassiness and a slight burn. The palate is long and fruity. I think the two closest rums to this would be Hamilton Pot Still Gold rum and Appleton Signature. Worthy Park Select is pretty similar to Appleton Signature, other than also having that very distinct Worthy Park note to it that most WP rums have. I didn't like Hamilton Pot Still Gold at first, but it started growing on me. But in terms of sipping, I strongly prefer Worthy Park Select, as Hamilton has a similar flavor, but it's just more grassy and unrefined. In a daiquiri, Worthy Park Select is rounder, smoother, more banana and pineapple and less rubbery than Hamilton Pot Still Gold. It's a far superior daiquiri, in my opinion. Against an Appleton Signature daiquiri, it's about even. They are slightly different, as I think Appleton is slightly funkier, but both are solid. Verdict {rating}/10 The taste of the funk as well as the overall ester level is very similar to Appleton Signature, and in a lot of ways I think that they're basically interchangable. It's no Smith & Cross, but there's certainly some funk to it. I wouldn't say that either one is purely a sipper or mixer, as I can see myself enjoying either on the rocks or in a cocktail, unlike Hamilton Pot Still Gold which I really prefer mixed and preferably in a split base. There's nothing wrong with Worthy Park Select, it's a solid budget rum, I just don't really see the value in it when it consistently is on shelves in the $30 range and Appleton Signature is in the $20 range, and I have seen handles of Signature for under $40 if you really like it. But, ignoring price and just focusing on the liquid in the bottle, I give it the same score as Appleton Signature. 6.5/10.

As you might know, Diamond is a house brand of DDL, mostly reserved for the more budget releases. I have seen it, as well as XM, at liquor stores in Little Guyana in NYC, but I have always hesitated, since I knew that it would basically be light column distilled flavorless rum. > Note: Almost certainly distilled on the Savalle column stills and MPRS column still. Review Smell It really doesn't smell like anything other than isopropyl alcohol. If there's any other faint aromas, then they're completely drowned out. Taste There's really not that much flavor here. Compared to Forres Park puncheon rum, there's maybe a touch more coconut flavor, but it doesn't even get to the level of Bacardi. In a daiquiri (watered down to 40% of course), it is basically a flavorless rum daiquiri. There's really nothing that this rum adds to a drink other than proof. Verdict {rating}/10 There's not much to say about this rum. It packs the proof for a low price, and it does so without any real off flavors. I'd use it as a medium for making liqueurs, for example, but that's about it. Diamond 151 is very similar to Forres Park puncheon, and so it gets the same score: 4/10.

I am back from a month-long hiatus! Honestly I just kind of burnt myself out on rum, and reviewing well over 100 rums in a year means I drink on average every 3 days, and that's on top of trying other rums alongside the rum I am reviewing as points of comparison... I just decided to take a break for a bit. Anyway, one of my friends from Quebec spent some time there, and brought this bottle back with him to NYC. Since he knows that I like rum, he let me take a sample of it to try and review. I was in Montreal this past Christmas, but for the most part, I saw imported agricole rums in SAQ, so this was an interesting discovery, as this rum claims to be made in Quebec. > Note: This rum is a distillate of a blend of molasses cane sugar. Review Smell This rum smells strongly of whiskey. Oak, vanilla, and overall just strong Scotch or Bourbon vibes. I have said before that Bajan rums have really strong Bourbon notes, and Real McCoy 5 also smells kind of oaky and Bourbony, but it has less of an apple juice note, and instead has a distinct bajan note that Comont lacks. Taste Like the nose, on the palate it's a pretty strong whiskey flavor, and quite sweet. I actually took out a bottle of wild turkey 101 to compare as well. It's definitely not that strongly flavored, but the taste is extremely similar, but much lighter and sweeter. I might describe it as a mild column still rum blended with a bit of Scotch or Bourbon and a touch of apple juice. Medium harshness, definitely a bit more than I expect from an aged 40%, but it's not bad. Then, going from Comont to The Real McCoy 5 feels like a mouthful of Pusser's. So much rum flavor, and charred barrel notes in particular, and it is actual rum flavor. Then, going back, it's just it tastes like harsh Bourbon. Comont in a daiquiri is... fine, if maybe a bit off. There's nothing I can quite point to, other than the fact that it just isn't a particularly good daiquiri rum. Real McCoy 5 doesn't make my favorite daiquiri, but it's better than Comont. I actually taste rum and it's just fine. Back to Comont and it's just not quite right. Again, it's like an apple juice and whiskey daiquiri. Bajan rums typically are better for me in a Rum Fashioned, and with Comont, it's also just okay. Comont itself just doesn't deliver much flavor. Bitters, sweetness, alcohol burn. Real McCoy 5, on the other hand, is actually tasty. I'm impressed by how good of a Rum Fashioned it makes. The rum and charred barrel really pop. Coming back to Comont, it's weak on flavor despite burning just as much, and again just tastes like bourbon and apple juice. It's not bad, but it's just weird. Verdict {rating}/10 Maybe it's unfair to compare an 18 month aged rum to a 5 year aged rum. Just as a sanity check, I knocked the competitor down to a 1 year aged rum: Bacardi gold. The burn is about equal, but Bacardi gold tastes more like what I recognize as rum. Comont tastes slightly better than Bacardi gold, but tastes less like rum. I guess I slightly prefer it in that case, I'd rather it taste better than taste "right". It's in the same league as Bacardi 8, where it tasted ok, but it just doesn't quite taste right, and doesn't really justify its price point. 5/10.

When it comes to rum-producing countries, Japan isn't typicaly the first that comes to mind, but this rum is pretty exciting. It's a limited run from the Boso distillery in Japan, and they seem to be signalling that they are emulating French agricole rhum. They have some previous bottlings that I haven't tried, such as an emulation of rhum traditionnel (fleur melasse) and an emulation of rhum agricole (fleur blanc/soleil). Rhum Mer seems to be their attempt at emulating a rhum grand arôme. Also in general I am feeling a bit burnt out on these super high ester rums. There's always so much going on and it can be hard to put into words. But for the next 2 weeks I will be on vacation, so I'll be clearing out my backlog. > Note: Blend of molasses and sugarcane syrup (From Japanese: A blend of traditional and high-test molasses※2 > ※2: A rum production method that uses sugarcane juice concentrated into a syrup as the raw material.) > No age statement, briefly rested in ex-bourbon American oak barrels and Matebashii casks Review Smell I am getting a bit of grass, brine, and apricot on the nose. Like some clairins and french rums, it feels like a mix of briney and fruity. Taste It's pretty unique. High ester, dry, grassy, peppery, industrial, with a sharpie note throughout it, and then the finish is like a dry, sugar-free vanilla icing. There's some grass, but it's not like some of the really grassy agricoles. I feel like my mouth gets overwhelmed just drinking this straight. There's some similarities to Père Labat 59, like the dry grassiness, but it's less grassy and more fruity. In a daiquiri, it's actually really good. I like it far more than Père Labat, and it's a lot more like Holmes Cay Grand Arôme or Velier Mhoba. It's a super complex and interesting daiquiri, with fruitiness, pepperiness, grassiness, and industrial rubber from the high esteriness. Again, the daiquiri has a bit of a vanilla icing and green apple finish, which surprisingly works. Much like Mhoba, I didn't immediately like it on the first try, but over a bit of time it grew on me. Verdict {rating}/10 Overall, I am pretty happy with this rum. Japan was kind of off my radar entirely, but this rum, as well as Tokyo Nights, really shows that rum can be made anywhere. It's very flavorful, and I would say the rum it's most comparable to from my collection is either Holmes Cay Grand Arôme or Velier Mhoba.

I have reviewed The Real McCoy 5 before, and at first, I really didn't like it. I thought it tasted pretty much like Whiskey. I don't really agree with myself anymore. I think that it tastes like a pretty decent, though kind of bland, rum, with some notes of vanilla and spice. Maybe it was the charred barrel that was throwing me off. I have learned to appreciate that flavor through Pusser's. In general, Bajan rums just don't turn me off as much as they used to. > Note: No age statement, but Difford's Guide says it's aged 5+ years Review I will be comparing Old Brigand Black label with The Real McCoy 5, since I don't have that many bottles from Barbados, and it's about the closest in age that I have a full bottle of. Smell Old Brigand has a sweet smell of vanilla and oak, and not really much else. Pretty much the same is the case with The Real McCoy. Taste The flavor is a pretty classic bajan flavor of vanilla, oak, and something that's a touch bitter, earthy, and maybe green apple, that I associate with rum from Foursquare. It's not very flavorful, with the notes being quite subtle. Going back and forth between Old Brigand and The Real McCoy, it's really hard to tell a difference, as both have very similar and very light flavors. Perhaps Old Brigand burns just a touch less than The Real McCoy? But that's about it. As is the case with most Foursquare rums, I find that adding some sugar brings out more flavors. Though I also pulled out my bottle of Doorly's 14 for comparison, and it's not even a competition. Doorly's 14 is also basically the exact same flavor, but so much more bold and concentrated. In a daiquiri, I also really couldn't tell either apart. Both make decent daiquiris. Nothing super exciting or super off about either. Verdict {rating}/10 I give Old Brigand Black Label the same score that I gave to The Real McCoy 5 Year. Since Old Brigand tastes basically identical to The Real McCoy but costs 25% less, it's definitely the better value. However, if you really like the flavors of Foursquare, there really is no replacing Doorly's 14 or the Foursquare branded bottlings. This rum doesn't really sing neat or in a daiquiri, but it's priced to compete with Appleton Signature and is just a touch more expensive than Bacardi, in which case, it's not bad for the price.