Review by: The Auditor

Review #1224; Rum #538

This sample was provided to me by a producer, distributor, or some other industry source free-of-charge. No compensation, outside of the sample, was received and there were no strings attached.

This bottling of Trinidad rum comes to us from Great Shearwater, a new American rum independent bottler based out of Louisville, Kentucky. This rum was distilled from molasses on a column still, aged in Trinidad for 5 years, then spent another 9 years ageing in Europe. It was then finished in an ex-rye whiskey cask before being bottled at cask strength with no additives.

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Distillery: Trinidad Distillers Limited

Bottler: Great Shearwater

Region: Trinidad

Still: Column

ABV: 54%

Cask: Ex-Bourbon, 5 Years in Trinidad, 9 Years in Europe. Finished in Ex-Rye

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Nose: Dark Chocolate Black Pepper, Vanilla, Toasted Coconut, Brown Sugar

Palate: Medium oily mouthfeel, Vanilla, Dark Chocolate, Toasted Coconut, Brown Sugar, Cardamom

Finish: Medium length finish, Vanilla, Dark chocolate, toasted coconut, brown sugar, cardamom, allspice

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Conclusion: You know, I went into the rum expecting to not be fan. I am generally a fan of rye and rum, but thought the other rye cask finished rum I had was merely ok. But this one is actually pretty good. The rye cask bring a good amount of character here that sometimes goes a bit too far with the spice, but overall it brings a nice complexity to this.

Final Score: 85

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Scoring Legend:

• 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky.
• 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category.
• 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram.
• 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff.
• 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting.
• 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better.
• 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink.
• 50-59: Save it for mixing.
• 0-49: Blech.