My second review from their Autumn 2022 Rum Release, this time from Guyana which is a favourite of mine when it comes to rum – well, most of the time. I’ll say it from the get-go, keep an eye on Dram Mor, they are a Scottish independent bottler from Dumbarton Scotland bottling really good and affordable rums since 2019. They do whisky as well, but we don’t care for that here at The Rum Barrel.
Having looking up on the internet any additional information about this single cask expression, I was very surprised to have one of my reviews pop up. This really confused me because both this one and their Guyana I previously reviewed (that was part of their Spring Release) have pretty much the same specs on the label – bottled in 2011, both aged for 10 years, both finished in first fill ex-Bourbon barrels. That’s the reason I put the cask number in the title, so itt can be differentiated.
Now because of this I really wandered if they were from the same batch or different so I got an explanation from Dram Mor themselves. This was a different cask from a different supplier. Furthermore they revealed to me that the marque of this rum is MBD2M which I’m still looking into as to what still it might come from. I’ll take a really wild guess and assume this is from the French Savalles due to the B in the name which might be a reference to the Blairmont marque along with some other characters that the supplier used to label it – it is a stretch though, so if anyone knows better, please get in touch, meanwhile I’ll just taste it and see.
Also, while the back label and their website state that this has been finished in a first fill former Bourbon barrel, they also did a very short ex-Scotch cask finish as well – it wasn’t mentioned so it doesn’t confuse the customers. I don’t have the exact period of the finishes, but the rum was distilled in 2011 and brought to the UK in 2016 so the secondary and third maturations would’ve happen in the span of the remaining 5 years – and since they said the Scotch finish was “super short”, then I’ll assume it was for a year maximum.
Quite a bit of information there which answered some questions and arose some others, so let’s focus on the flavour.
Molasses based, (most likely) column still distilled, aged for 5 years in a refill rum cask in Guyana and secondary aged in a first fill ex-Bourbon cask before finishing in a Scotch cask, both in the UK making it a total of 10 years. Bottled at 55% ABV, no additives and only 282 bottles available – mine being number 227.
On the nose it feels quite citrusy. Tangerines, marmalade and Jaffa Cakes. Vanilla, dark chocolate, black pepper and dusty old books. It’s definitely one of the column stills as there is no recognisable Port Mourant or Versailles notes. Apricots, nutmeg and some printer ink. There’s a whiff of whisky smell in there too.
On the palate the wood influence is intense. Biscuits, vanilla custard, black pepper, nutmeg, caramel and raw cacao nibs. Earl Grey tea, blackberries and a hint of cinnamon. Obvious vanilla and wood spice influences from the bourbon barrel as well as more subtle fruitiness and smoke from the Scotch finish. Blueberries, burnt cigar, brownies, banana bread, liquorice and raisins. It definitely feels like a column still and the French Savalle seems very likely now as it is elegant and a bit light. The finish is long with burnt sugar and charred oak.
Yep, I like this, maybe not as much as their previous 10 year old Guyana, but that’s simply down to personal taste, it’s still a fantastic, complex bottling. This is the kind of rum that will heavily appeal to whisky drinkers, relying a bit more on the wood than the distillate itself. Vanilla, burnt oak, chocolate and some fruitiness.
This is pretty much sold out in the UK and was priced at £80 which again, was great value – glad I managed to get a bottle!
Dram Mor Guyana – Diamond Distillery – 2011 (Cask No. 20893) score:
Flavour/taste: 56/70
Value for money: 15/15
Transparency/purity: 15/15
Overall: 86/100
Cheers!