Review by: The Auditor
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.
Review #1390; Rum #691
Here we have a rum from a brand new independent bottler in the United States, Parhelia Spirits. Parhelia Spirits was founded by spirits enthusiasts for spirits enthusiasts and this first batch of rum casks seems to speak on that for me. In that case in chatting with the founder, he pointed out that he wanted more distillate forward rum releases meant towards the nerds, which is both admirable as one of those nerds and risky since we are such a small segment of the market. Now onto one of these first releases and you can find more here: https://www.parheliaspirits.com/
This Indonesian rum, which is now sadly sold out, was distilled from molasses on a pot still. Sadly, we do not know the fermentation information at this point. It was distilled in 2015 where it rested in a Teak vat in tropical weather for 9 months. It was then re-casked into an ex-English Malt whisky cask for 8 years of continental ageing before being bottled at cask strength with no additives or chill filtration.
Distillery: Uknown
Bottler: Parhelia Spirits
Region: Indonesia
Still: Pot
ABV: 52.1%
Nose: Lychee, Lemon Tarts, Raspberry, Green Apple skin, Umami, Shortbread
Palate: Thick oily mouthfeel, Soy Sauce, Green Apple, Lemon Tart, Raspberry, Lychee, Roasted Guava Skin, Pepper, Shortbread
Finish: Long finish, Soy Sauce, Lemon Tart, Raspberry, Lychee, Sherry, Fig, Shortbread
Well, Parhelia set off to bottle something strange and by god they did it. This is an intense mix of tropical fruits, a bit of spice, some strong umami, and a clean shortbread that all somehow works together. Its powerful in flavor and well managed in both alcohol integration and oak. This is certainly a bottle aimed at rum nerds and it works for this rum nerd.
Final Score: 91
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.
Malt Runners 