REFINED VICES

Rum, as most of us would probably agree, is a fine alcoholic beverage. It is usually aged these days in ex-bourbon barrels. At least in the english-speaking Caribbean, use of such barrels has be a de facto standard. Another types of casks used more traditionally for rum maturation are the ex-cognac casks and sherrywood casks (nowadays usually larger sherry casks are rebuilt into smaller, approx. 225 litre casks).

On a different page of this forum, I made some derogatory comments earlier regarding Bruichladdich's owner's (Murray McDavid) obsession of always using some rather exotic "wood finishes" or as they say, enhancements with the rums they bottle. Personally I do believe it is a shame that the bottler does not allow us to taste their old, fine rums in a "as is" state, and force this practice to impart odd flavours to what I see as already fine products.

Call me old-fashioned or protectionist by nature, but whilst I do have some degree of tolerance for wood finishes done with sense and caution, I do not believe in the excessive use of such methods, and often wonder if these are not just ways of attempting to mask the original contents of a particularly poor quality cask. As for Murray McDavid, many of their wood enhanced whiskies have been so strongly masked by the "enhancement", that its almost impossible to distinguish the original content. I sincerely hope this is not the case of their rums, but remain cautious and spend my money elsewhere.

I was wondering what sort of experiences other forum readers may have on this topic; Have you found fabulous wood-finished rum products, and if so, what made it so wonderful? Have you encountered any truly bad ones? To what extent do you agree with this method being used with rum?

I did see recently a wood finish which sounds too tempting to miss out on: Demerara rum that has received a small amount of it's maturation in ex-Laphroaig casks. This to me sounds rather appealing..

I haven't personally encountered any wood finished rums, not that I know of (unless Angelswords Lemon Wood was finished in lemon wood but I think it is aged entirely in lemon wood).

What is the name of this Demerara rum finishined in Laphoraig casks? Cadenhead perhaps?

Richard Seale's terrific Doorly's XO (reviewed here) is finished in sherry casks. Seale - with great integrity - has been experimenting over the years, and correct me if I'm wrong but I believe the Mahiki falls into this category of a finish or second maturation in other woods.

Based on the XO, I can't wait...

Mahiki isn't finished to my knowledge. The Gold rum is a blend of two rums aged in bourbon and madeira casks but this blend doesn't go through a second maturation. 10% of the blend is from Madeira casks, I don't think this counts as a madeira finish?

I wonder whether this is a distinction without a difference. Whether a rum spends 90% of its time in bourbon barrels and 10% in madiera - or - is a blend of 90% bourbon barrel aged and 10% madiera barrel, it would seem that either way, the finished product would contain elements emanating from both barrel types. I'd have to think that there are a more similarities than differences.

Note: Just checked the Mahiki site and although it is "a blend of pot and column distilled rums", it is then "aged in Bourbon and Madiera casks". It would appear to be In the same fashion as Seale puts his Doorly's XO through a second maturation, or what you might call finishing.

Capn Jimbo wrote: Note: Just checked the Mahiki site and although it is "a blend of pot and column distilled rums", it is then "aged in Bourbon and Madiera casks". It would appear to be In the same fashion as Seale puts his Doorly's XO through a second maturation, or what you might call finishing.

How I understood from the e-mails I received is that once the rums from pot and column stills has been blended, parts of the blend are put separately for five years in Bourbon and Madeira casks and then 90% of Bourbon aged rum is blended with 10% with Madeira aged rum. Of course I could be mistaken.

The site though lets me understand that it does indeed first go to Bourbon barrels and then Madeira barrels for second aging.

P.S. JaRiMi, a little bird told me I might be getting some ex-Laphroaig cask finished rum. I shall after tasting return to post my opinion about it.

Yes, this is Seale's method and he does it very, very well. The only rum he makes that did not get a particularly high score was Tommy Bahama, and that was because Bahama (not Seale) tried to pawn off a rather young rum as a super-premium, based mostly on their "lifestyle" brand.

Didn't work. Bahama, which opened at about $40 now sells for $15 here.

Count Silvio wrote: P.S. JaRiMi, a little bird told me I might be getting some ex-Laphroaig cask finished rum. I shall after tasting return to post my opinion about it.

I am soon off to UK myself, and hope to catch some of this rum from Berry Bros & Rudd.