Review by: The Auditor

Review #1346; Rum #649

Here we have a bottle of rum from Renaissance Distillery which is located in Taiwan. This rum was distilled from molasses that fermented for 15 days and was distilled on a pot still. It is a blend of rum aged in a first fill 200 L ex-bourbon cask and a 225 liter second fill Noble Rot cask from France. The bourbon cask aged for 3+ years and the noble rot cask aged for 4 plus years before they were blended and bottled at cask strength.

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Distillery: Renaissance

Bottler: Renaissance

Region: Taiwan

Still: Pot

ABV: 71.5%

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Nose: Nutty, Over-ripe Grapes, Raspberry Jam, Vanilla, Plastic Glue, bit of vinegar, Soy sauce, Musty Book, Umami

Palate: Thick oily mouthfeel, Raspberry Jam, Plastic Glue, Vinegar, Soy Sauce, Nuttiness, Black Pepper, Apricot, Dark Chocolate,

Finish:  Long finish, Raspberry Jam, Plastic Glue, Vinegar, Nuttiness, Black Pepper, Touch of heat, Apricot, Dark Chocolate,

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Conclusion: This is an excellent rum, the flavors really pop and are very interesting. Powerful fruits, a bit of spice to balance it out, some vanilla and nuttiness to keep it interesting. I ended up adding a bit of water on this one to bring the proof down as it drinks a little hot. That really opened up those fruit notes and made the heat a little more balanced, though it can sneak up on you on the finish. Still, this is an excellent rum.

Final Score: 91

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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.