Rum from the Islay

[Count Silvio]

Frontpage article with source.

Renegade Rum, that was the title of the mail from Bruichladdich I received yesterday. Rum? I thought Bruichladdich was a whisky distillery? What do they have to do with rum? Most people will associate Islay with the famous Islay Single Malt Whiskies, not rum. But it certainly made me curious, even though I don't drink rum:

Turns out this is a new venture by Murray McDavid, the independent bottler (a subsidiary of Bruichladdich). Three years ago they decided to explore rum and tracked down casks from a range of single distilleries. The result was the Renegade Rum Company, which offers a number of selected rums. While the rum is/ was distilled in Guyana, Jamaica and Panama it is bottled on Islay at the Bruichladdich distillery bottling facility, using island spring water to reduce it to 46%. They are limited editions, as some of the distilleries don't exist any more.

Personally I find this very interesting and would like to try this new rum from the Islay. Any thoughts, opinions?

[Dood]

I'm interested to try it.

Then again that doesn't really say much...it has the word "rum" in it.

[AngelSword]

Double barrelling is a marvelous way for them to turn someone else's rum into their rum. And it does help produce a superior product.

So much of the maturation process is related to the chemical interaction between alcohol and wood. By introducing more wood via another barrel, the flavor can be enhanced.

[AngelSword]

But it certainly made me curious, even though I don't drink rum.

Sir, I must say that you seem to limiting your vices a bit too severely.

??? Don't drink rum???

Perhaps I misunderstand. Is that to say that just sip? Or perhaps guzzle?

Or perhaps Rum is not your preferred spirit? That is quite understandable. One must be cautious about overly limiting one's viewpoint. Just this week I introduced a friend to several of the Del Maguey Mezcals. He proclaimed a couple of them to be superior to all but the VERY finest single malts.

[Count Silvio]

Ermm... You quote the wrong man dear AngelSword. Even if that quote was made by me it would be quite contradictory as I am the man responsible for the rum reviews on the frontpage. If you take a closer look you notice it is a quote from the article IslayBlog.com wrote. I love rum.

[AngelSword]

Ermm... You quote the wrong man dear AngelSword. Even if that quote was made by me it would be quite contradictory as I am the man responsible for the rum reviews on the frontpage. If you take a closer look you notice it is a quote from the article IslayBlog.com wrote. I love rum.

My dear Count,
It is certainly so very embarrassing to make such a foolish error. Not quite as bad perhaps as when I ran a man thru with my rapier only to find that he had been returning my lost wallet instead of lifting it as I had assumed. Oh well, no blood lost this time.
My apologies, Sir.

Perhaps I should grasp my sword and a bottle of fine rum then go out in search of the silly blogger.

[Count Silvio]

It is a fine rapier. You may take my horse when you go out to search for that blogger. I will tell the stable master to leave the gate open for you.

[AngelSword]

It is a fine rapier. You may take my horse when you go out to search for that blogger. I will tell the stable master to leave the gate open for you.

How well does your horse swim? Islay is an island after all.

[Count Silvio]

We once swam accross the English Channel. If it looks like he will start to sink you just smack him in the buttocks with that rapier of yours and he will be ok.

[AngelSword]

Back to the subject of Islay rum:

Since the climate is far colder in Scotland than in the Caribbean, the same degree of maturation will take longer.

But the re-barrelling is key here. It is well known that the introduction of new wood is a fine way to improve the spirits. Where are the ladies? We must ask their opinion on this matter.

[AngelSword]

I recieved a bottle of one of these rums from Santa. It is the Uitvlught Port Morant Guyana 13yr Murray McDavid Sauterne Finish 1992. This a very well balanced and complex Guyana rum. I don't know if I would purchase such at this price level however.

[Count Silvio]

The price does seem steep. Tasting notes?

[Count Silvio]

I just received new information of these rums. I've posted a new frontpage article with tasting notes! Click here to read it!

[Count Silvio]

You guys should probably know that the first limited edition release of Renegade Rums has sold out so it will be awhile until the 2nd limited edition release will be issued.

[JaRiMi]

I was speaking to the gents of Murray McDavid (current owners of Bruichladdich) and expressed as patiently as possible to Simon Coughlin that I wished that just once - just once - they could be persuaded *NOT* to meddle with their rum and whisky and simply destroying it with their special ACE'd (additional cask evolution) - known to everyone else outside Murray McDavid as "wood finishes" - but rather allowing us consumers a chance to enjoy it AI - AS IS.

In my experience with their more recent whiskies, finished (giving the original "pure" bourbon cask matured whisky another 12 months or more in another kind of cask soaking with whatever was originally in it) in the strangest of things such as Tokaiji wine, Guigal Hermitage, or anything else they can get their hands on, have been pure SHITE, if you pardon the expression. In 99% of them not a hint of the original whisky can be detected, so powerful have their finishes been.

Some wood finishes by other producers have been done very skillfully, using for example casks with less fresh and saturated casks, or leaving the whisky/rum in for less time. In this case the original character of the whisky/rum is still to be found. Bristol Spirits makes such successful rums, and for example the Lagavulin Distiller's Edition is a fantastic wood finish. With Murray McDavid however I have been rather utterly disappointed every time in recent years.

Now I enjoy a sherried whisky as much as the next man, but not whisky that shows absolutely no hint of what it is, and just tastes of overfortified PX sherry. Here really lies the difference of enhancing a product, or overpowering it beyond recognition, making it just another unidentifiable alcoholic beverage.

Murray McDavid obviously possess some very fine rums, so I truly, really would hope that they stopped overtly mucking about with the goods and allowed us to taste and sample them still at a point where the original spirit isn't completely overpowered by whatever wine/sherry/liqueur they decide to lace the poor spirit with.

Clearly the gents at Murray McDavid CAN do good things as well, just look at their success with Bruichladdich. But ever since Bruich's success, their Murray McDavid whiskies and rums have been simply rubbish if you ask me. Sorry, but I couldn't hold my tongue here. Shame on you Mr. Coughlin..If I had the money and time, I would buy their demerara's from them as an act of mercy..ACE'd my backside.

[Count Silvio]

Interesting information there JaRiMi. I don't personally have any experiences of such whiskies but it is certainly concerning if the finish is as strong as you described - enough to blanket the actual whisky taste. These ACE'd whiskies with overpowering finishes, if they are as bad as you described, how well do they sell? I'd assume decreased sales would make them reconsider their ACE techniques for whiskies.

[JaRiMi]

Honestly, I have no idea if they are selling or not. Perhaps one indication is that during a visit to Germany, my stockist handed over to me a whole bunch of samples - for free. So I tasted 6 different whiskies, all finished in whatever - didn't like any of them, as they all tasted like - wine.

[Count Silvio]

Earlier this year the first small-batch limited edition rums by Renegade Rum Company were released that included two vintages from Guyana and one from Jamaica and Panama.

The 2008 collection of the Renegade Rum Company's new bottlings have been released. This is the second limited small-batch release from Renegade Rum Company so far where each of the six bottlings is from a single estate and single vintage featuring also rare stocks from stills that no longer exist.

In addition to the standard American oak bourbon barrel maturation, the rums have been further matured in French Bordeaux' 'First Growth' oak casks previously used to age wine or port.

The 2008 release is limited to specialist spirit retailers because there are only 900 to 1500 numbered bottles of each rum for worldwide distribution. (See a list for UK retailers)

Each of the rums are bottled on the Isle of Islay at 46% without coloouring or chill-filtration.

See the pics on the frontpage, you know you want to.

[Count Silvio]

I have to say the Guyana rum looks delicious, I could just imagine the dark rum has a lot of plum and dark fruit notes.