Worthy Park releasing a cane juice rum is quite different! Yes, I am late to the party, because when I first got this when it first released, I felt like... I didn't quite progress enough to really be able to put into words how I felt about this rum. But, now I feel like I can give this rum a proper review! > Note: Made from the WPE-CJN mark with up to 800 g/hLAA esters. Review Smell My immediate thought is that it smells exactly like a clairin. A bit grassy, a bit of brine and olives, and a bit of fruit, like rotten banana. Taste The flavor is intense and wild. It's very similar to a clairin, and after going through my closet, I think Sajous is the closest match in terms of flavor profile. There is a bit of industrial grunge that is very distinct to Worthy Park, along with a grassy brightness, and a sour fruitiness like a green apple or red currant. Surprisingly, I don't get much pineapple or banana like you normally get from Jamaican rum. There's a nice, long finish, and I really like it when I finish a rum, go about my day, and still feel its goodness lingering in my mouth. As expected, it makes a delicious daiquiri. Really fruity and flavorful, like a good clairin daiquiri. Verdict {rating}/10 Overall, though it has a bit of that distinct WP character, it's very similar to Sajous, and it was a tough call if I like them both equally, but I think I just prefer Sajous a little more. Both are excellent, and both are priced similarly, so it's up to you which one you prefer.

Just like the previous rum, I sort of discounted it because it's a column still rum from TDL. At NYC RumFest, I went to the angostura table and tried everything they had, from the 5 year to the 1824, and as it got higher in price point, of course it got better, but even the 1824 was not that inspiring. But, CSC never misses, so I ordered a sample. > Note: It was distilled in 2014, and aged 6 years tropical, 6 years in Europe, and less than 1 year in Kentucky. It was bottled in May 2026. Review Smell Very strong nose of oak, vanilla, play doh, and orange peel. Quite woody with a sweet prune smell. It also has a bit of that floral scent that I get from good, heavy cuban rums. I had some Angostura 1919, and the smell is much more plain. A bit of sweet vanilla and alcohol, and not much else. Taste The taste is so rich and complex. It's a great blend of sour, sweet, and bitter, with a tannic finish and a strong note of fennel, as is common for heavy TDL rums. Aside from the fennel taste, the orange peel note and long floral finish remind me of very good Cuban rums. In comparison, 1919 is not bad, per se, and the vanilla and orange come together to almost make a creamsicle flavor, that turns into oak and fennel on the finish, which is very distinctly TDL. However, the Great Shearwater is just so much bolder, richer, and completely blows 1919 away. I instead reached for Ron Eminente, which is my favorite Cuban sipper so far, and it is genuinely a solid, delicious rum. But, Great Shearwater is everything it is and more, so despite enjoying it on any other day, coming back from the Shearwater, it tastes like slightly sour water. Verdict {rating}/10 Great Shearwater is so good, that I actually reached for TCRL Australia 2007, which was my favorite non-Jamaican rum so far, earning an impressive 8.5/10 when I last reviewed it. I do think it's an excellent rum, but it's just a very different kind of rum, making it a bit hard to compare. However, I do think that I just slightly prefer the Great Shearwater. That earns it a stunning 9/10, placing it tied with Hampden Great House 2024, and leaving very little room on my rating scale for anything better... Of course, Trinidad had Caroni, which I really love, especially the RG Perennia 27 year, but I just figured that TDL simply chooses to not make good rum. This whole tasting surprised me so much, so I talked to some other rum enthusiasts. Basically, the consensus is that TDL sells all of their good rum to IBs, and leaves all the boring, mass-appeal mixers for their Angostura line. It's a shame, and it really put me off from TDL rums in general, but now I know that TDL IBs can really be gems. This rum is not currently for sale, as I got a pre-release sample back in May, but you can pre-order it on their website here: https://www.greatshearwaterrum.com/shop-usa/index.html

Forgive me, I am a bit tired to throw together a bird picture today. This wonderful rum came in a sample from a while ago. I had it sitting around as I sort of figured that the PM and Enmore stills are the best, and the Savalle column stills are not as interesting. This rum showed me that it can still be quite great. > Note: I could not find online what still it was distilled on, but my sample was labeled as the SV marque, and that's believable. Review Smell Immediately, it's rich and woody, with a strong oaky smell. Then it opens up with stone fruit, red wine, and pomegranate. Taste The immediate taste that I got was the richness, wood, and tannins, but then I was surprised by a note of pineapple and overripe banana that I typically associate with Jamaican rums. It then turns into chocolate, vanilla, and a lingering fruity note. It finishes bold with a slight bit of fennel, but just a bit. Not as much as rums from Trinidad. The overall profile is slightly sour and quite dry, and very tannic. It's pretty well balanced, but does not at all remind me of the earthy notes I get from most Demerara rums. I actually first reached for my Appleton 15 year old for comparison, and it was actually remarkably similar. I probably would have guessed, tasting this blind, that it was Appleton 15, and the resemblance is pretty strong, with a very mild funk and bold woody notes, but the Diamond is a bit richer, woodier, and just slightly better than the Appleton. Next I reached for the Samaroli Nicaragua 18 year old, and it way overshoots diamond with the woody notes and tannins, while also having zero fruity funk at all. However, I think, while they are very different, I like them about equally. Verdict {rating}/10 This isn't my favorite rum from Guyana, but it's really excellent and I really did not expect something so good from a column still. It has a rich and woody profile without being overly oaky and tannic, and it also has a slight funk to keep it interesting. I'm not sure that I would pay over $200 for it, but this rum, along with a similarly aged TDL rum that I will review soon, really put heavy column still rum back on my radar.

I remember trying this one a few times, since Raising Glasses rums always make it to NYC rum club bottleshares. It's always a weird one. Like many weird rums, I just keep coming back to it. Review Smell The nose is dominated by red wine and a harsh hit of alcohol. Makes sense, given it's nearly 60% ABV. Then, it opens up into a funky bouquet of fruits, glue, banana, and sharpie. Taste The flavor is extremely industrial, which I typically associate with my palate being overwhelmed with congeners. After that subsides, I get that same flavor of fake lemon candy that I got from Goslings 151. I don't know what compound causes it. The next thing I taste is like Robitussin mixed with honey, probably from the wine cask aging. It's very funky, grungy, industrial, and perhaps a bit grassy, but with very strong red wine and honey notes. Verdict {rating}/10 I am not typically the biggest fan of wine cask rums. I don't think they necessarily ruin a rum, but I've tried Hampden Pagos, I have tried many sherry-finished rums in the Dominican Republic, and I don't really think it improves the rum for me. That being said, this rum is like a rollercoaster ride. Very strange, very much out there, and it's both interesting and challenging. I don't really like it, but also, I don't really hate it. I do think it's worth a try, especially if you enjoy high-ester rums and rums aged in wine casks.

Worthy Park is a pretty iconic distillery. It's a very historic one, but only recently restarted after a long hiatus, and with the shutting down of the Frome sugar mill, it is also the only sugar mill in the country, making it the only single-estate rum in Jamaica currently. It only has one still: a Forsyths pot still. So everything at Worthy Park is distilled in that pot still. > Note: No age statement, but claim that it's a blend of rums aged 4-12 years Review Smell It's relatively mild on the nose, with a sweet banana and mango nose. Not super bold like some other expressions from Worthy Park, but you definitely get some funk. Taste The flavor is soft and mild, with vanilla, pineapple, orange peel, and just a touch of Worthy Park's signature industrial rubber note. It's mellow with a slight grassiness and a slight burn. The palate is long and fruity. I think the two closest rums to this would be Hamilton Pot Still Gold rum and Appleton Signature. Worthy Park Select is pretty similar to Appleton Signature, other than also having that very distinct Worthy Park note to it that most WP rums have. I didn't like Hamilton Pot Still Gold at first, but it started growing on me. But in terms of sipping, I strongly prefer Worthy Park Select, as Hamilton has a similar flavor, but it's just more grassy and unrefined. In a daiquiri, Worthy Park Select is rounder, smoother, more banana and pineapple and less rubbery than Hamilton Pot Still Gold. It's a far superior daiquiri, in my opinion. Against an Appleton Signature daiquiri, it's about even. They are slightly different, as I think Appleton is slightly funkier, but both are solid. Verdict {rating}/10 The taste of the funk as well as the overall ester level is very similar to Appleton Signature, and in a lot of ways I think that they're basically interchangable. It's no Smith & Cross, but there's certainly some funk to it. I wouldn't say that either one is purely a sipper or mixer, as I can see myself enjoying either on the rocks or in a cocktail, unlike Hamilton Pot Still Gold which I really prefer mixed and preferably in a split base. There's nothing wrong with Worthy Park Select, it's a solid budget rum, I just don't really see the value in it when it consistently is on shelves in the $30 range and Appleton Signature is in the $20 range, and I have seen handles of Signature for under $40 if you really like it. But, ignoring price and just focusing on the liquid in the bottle, I give it the same score as Appleton Signature. 6.5/10.

As you might know, Diamond is a house brand of DDL, mostly reserved for the more budget releases. I have seen it, as well as XM, at liquor stores in Little Guyana in NYC, but I have always hesitated, since I knew that it would basically be light column distilled flavorless rum. > Note: Almost certainly distilled on the Savalle column stills and MPRS column still. Review Smell It really doesn't smell like anything other than isopropyl alcohol. If there's any other faint aromas, then they're completely drowned out. Taste There's really not that much flavor here. Compared to Forres Park puncheon rum, there's maybe a touch more coconut flavor, but it doesn't even get to the level of Bacardi. In a daiquiri (watered down to 40% of course), it is basically a flavorless rum daiquiri. There's really nothing that this rum adds to a drink other than proof. Verdict {rating}/10 There's not much to say about this rum. It packs the proof for a low price, and it does so without any real off flavors. I'd use it as a medium for making liqueurs, for example, but that's about it. Diamond 151 is very similar to Forres Park puncheon, and so it gets the same score: 4/10.

I am back from a month-long hiatus! Honestly I just kind of burnt myself out on rum, and reviewing well over 100 rums in a year means I drink on average every 3 days, and that's on top of trying other rums alongside the rum I am reviewing as points of comparison... I just decided to take a break for a bit. Anyway, one of my friends from Quebec spent some time there, and brought this bottle back with him to NYC. Since he knows that I like rum, he let me take a sample of it to try and review. I was in Montreal this past Christmas, but for the most part, I saw imported agricole rums in SAQ, so this was an interesting discovery, as this rum claims to be made in Quebec. > Note: This rum is a distillate of a blend of molasses cane sugar. Review Smell This rum smells strongly of whiskey. Oak, vanilla, and overall just strong Scotch or Bourbon vibes. I have said before that Bajan rums have really strong Bourbon notes, and Real McCoy 5 also smells kind of oaky and Bourbony, but it has less of an apple juice note, and instead has a distinct bajan note that Comont lacks. Taste Like the nose, on the palate it's a pretty strong whiskey flavor, and quite sweet. I actually took out a bottle of wild turkey 101 to compare as well. It's definitely not that strongly flavored, but the taste is extremely similar, but much lighter and sweeter. I might describe it as a mild column still rum blended with a bit of Scotch or Bourbon and a touch of apple juice. Medium harshness, definitely a bit more than I expect from an aged 40%, but it's not bad. Then, going from Comont to The Real McCoy 5 feels like a mouthful of Pusser's. So much rum flavor, and charred barrel notes in particular, and it is actual rum flavor. Then, going back, it's just it tastes like harsh Bourbon. Comont in a daiquiri is... fine, if maybe a bit off. There's nothing I can quite point to, other than the fact that it just isn't a particularly good daiquiri rum. Real McCoy 5 doesn't make my favorite daiquiri, but it's better than Comont. I actually taste rum and it's just fine. Back to Comont and it's just not quite right. Again, it's like an apple juice and whiskey daiquiri. Bajan rums typically are better for me in a Rum Fashioned, and with Comont, it's also just okay. Comont itself just doesn't deliver much flavor. Bitters, sweetness, alcohol burn. Real McCoy 5, on the other hand, is actually tasty. I'm impressed by how good of a Rum Fashioned it makes. The rum and charred barrel really pop. Coming back to Comont, it's weak on flavor despite burning just as much, and again just tastes like bourbon and apple juice. It's not bad, but it's just weird. Verdict {rating}/10 Maybe it's unfair to compare an 18 month aged rum to a 5 year aged rum. Just as a sanity check, I knocked the competitor down to a 1 year aged rum: Bacardi gold. The burn is about equal, but Bacardi gold tastes more like what I recognize as rum. Comont tastes slightly better than Bacardi gold, but tastes less like rum. I guess I slightly prefer it in that case, I'd rather it taste better than taste "right". It's in the same league as Bacardi 8, where it tasted ok, but it just doesn't quite taste right, and doesn't really justify its price point. 5/10.

When it comes to rum-producing countries, Japan isn't typicaly the first that comes to mind, but this rum is pretty exciting. It's a limited run from the Boso distillery in Japan, and they seem to be signalling that they are emulating French agricole rhum. They have some previous bottlings that I haven't tried, such as an emulation of rhum traditionnel (fleur melasse) and an emulation of rhum agricole (fleur blanc/soleil). Rhum Mer seems to be their attempt at emulating a rhum grand arôme. Also in general I am feeling a bit burnt out on these super high ester rums. There's always so much going on and it can be hard to put into words. But for the next 2 weeks I will be on vacation, so I'll be clearing out my backlog. > Note: Blend of molasses and sugarcane syrup (From Japanese: A blend of traditional and high-test molasses※2 > ※2: A rum production method that uses sugarcane juice concentrated into a syrup as the raw material.) > No age statement, briefly rested in ex-bourbon American oak barrels and Matebashii casks Review Smell I am getting a bit of grass, brine, and apricot on the nose. Like some clairins and french rums, it feels like a mix of briney and fruity. Taste It's pretty unique. High ester, dry, grassy, peppery, industrial, with a sharpie note throughout it, and then the finish is like a dry, sugar-free vanilla icing. There's some grass, but it's not like some of the really grassy agricoles. I feel like my mouth gets overwhelmed just drinking this straight. There's some similarities to Père Labat 59, like the dry grassiness, but it's less grassy and more fruity. In a daiquiri, it's actually really good. I like it far more than Père Labat, and it's a lot more like Holmes Cay Grand Arôme or Velier Mhoba. It's a super complex and interesting daiquiri, with fruitiness, pepperiness, grassiness, and industrial rubber from the high esteriness. Again, the daiquiri has a bit of a vanilla icing and green apple finish, which surprisingly works. Much like Mhoba, I didn't immediately like it on the first try, but over a bit of time it grew on me. Verdict {rating}/10 Overall, I am pretty happy with this rum. Japan was kind of off my radar entirely, but this rum, as well as Tokyo Nights, really shows that rum can be made anywhere. It's very flavorful, and I would say the rum it's most comparable to from my collection is either Holmes Cay Grand Arôme or Velier Mhoba.

I have reviewed The Real McCoy 5 before, and at first, I really didn't like it. I thought it tasted pretty much like Whiskey. I don't really agree with myself anymore. I think that it tastes like a pretty decent, though kind of bland, rum, with some notes of vanilla and spice. Maybe it was the charred barrel that was throwing me off. I have learned to appreciate that flavor through Pusser's. In general, Bajan rums just don't turn me off as much as they used to. > Note: No age statement, but Difford's Guide says it's aged 5+ years Review I will be comparing Old Brigand Black label with The Real McCoy 5, since I don't have that many bottles from Barbados, and it's about the closest in age that I have a full bottle of. Smell Old Brigand has a sweet smell of vanilla and oak, and not really much else. Pretty much the same is the case with The Real McCoy. Taste The flavor is a pretty classic bajan flavor of vanilla, oak, and something that's a touch bitter, earthy, and maybe green apple, that I associate with rum from Foursquare. It's not very flavorful, with the notes being quite subtle. Going back and forth between Old Brigand and The Real McCoy, it's really hard to tell a difference, as both have very similar and very light flavors. Perhaps Old Brigand burns just a touch less than The Real McCoy? But that's about it. As is the case with most Foursquare rums, I find that adding some sugar brings out more flavors. Though I also pulled out my bottle of Doorly's 14 for comparison, and it's not even a competition. Doorly's 14 is also basically the exact same flavor, but so much more bold and concentrated. In a daiquiri, I also really couldn't tell either apart. Both make decent daiquiris. Nothing super exciting or super off about either. Verdict {rating}/10 I give Old Brigand Black Label the same score that I gave to The Real McCoy 5 Year. Since Old Brigand tastes basically identical to The Real McCoy but costs 25% less, it's definitely the better value. However, if you really like the flavors of Foursquare, there really is no replacing Doorly's 14 or the Foursquare branded bottlings. This rum doesn't really sing neat or in a daiquiri, but it's priced to compete with Appleton Signature and is just a touch more expensive than Bacardi, in which case, it's not bad for the price.

I will be comparing Bacardi Black to Myers's Original Dark and Goslings Black Seal, since that's the competition closest in price point and availability. I didn't add Worthy Park 109 to the comparison since I wanted to give the other rums a fighting chance. For context, Myers's Original Dark is a rum from Jamaica, and is a blend of pot still and column still rums and is heavily colored. Goslings Black Seal is a rum from Bermuda, but they do not actually produce the rum. They blend the rum from various countries (including potentially Jamaica), though this is a closely guarded secret. Bacardi Black is a rum from Puerto Rico, and is completely multi-column distilled, so it cannot naturally have the typical pot still flavor you associate with a black Jamaican rum. Review Smell Bacardi Black definitely hits you in the face with alcohol, followed by a slight bit of molasses, and perhaps a very faint hint of funk? But I mostly get alcohol and molasses scent. Goslings doesn't smell much different, other than the alcohol not quite hitting as hard. Myers's is completely different, with an actual punch of Jamaican funk with overripe banana as well as sweetness. Taste Bacardi Black is not very good neat. It's just very sour and bitter and industrial tasting. If I dig deep, there's a strong sweetness along with flavors of black cherry, molasses, and maybe the slightest bit of funk? Or perhaps the contents of a bottle of rum cake flavoring from the spice aisle? Despite the high sugar content, it still comes off more as sour and bitter than sweet. In contrast, Goslings has a similar sour and bitter off-note, but carries considerably more flavor as well. It actually tastes like a proper black rum. Myers's is yet another step up, with a stronger Jamaican funk and less off-flavors. It's still not something I would sip, but it's by far the best of the three. In a daiquiri, Bacardi Black is just odd. The flavors are just muddy and not right. It's certainly better than neat, but Bacardi Superior makes a far better daiquiri, hands down. Gosling's is a slight improvement, but still kind of bitter and not quite right. Myers's is a genuinely good daiquiri. Once again, it actually carries a strong Jamaican funk that the others just lack. But a daiquiri is meant for light rums. If you're drinking black rum, chances are, it's in a rum and coke. I mixed them 3:1, and the Bacardi Black rum and coke is like a match made in... Kenosha, Wisconsin. So, not heaven and not hell, just servicable and unremarkable. This might be the only scenario where Bacardi Black might have the slightest edge over Superior. It's like a black cherry coke. I would definitely say that Myers's and Goslings are improvements over Bacardi Black, but in a coke, they really don't have the assertive flavor to overcome the soda, so all 3 just made passable rum and coke, though I prefer the Goslings and Myers's ones over the Bacardi Black. And finally, just to cover every base, even the ones no one asked to cover, how do these three dark rums fare in a single-rum Mai Tai? Of course, because I made my own orgeat, squeezed fresh lime, and used a good orange curacao, not even Bacardi Black could ruin it. It just sort of disappears and makes an unremarkable Mai Tai. Still a better Mai Tai than Cutwater, at least. Myers's is somehow also not good in a Mai Tai, with its assertive flavors of molassesy caramel and burnt rubber being noticable enough to make it taste slightly off. Gosling's is just better than the other two, mostly because it hides the best while still providing a decent enough rum flavor. But still, every Mai Tai was perfectly drinkable. Verdict {rating}/10 In conclusion, I basically don't know of any scenario where I would recommend Bacardi Black to anyone. It's worse in basically every drink than competing black rums, and if you really won't drop $35 on a handle of Goslings or Appleton Estate Signature, and only have $25 and want to buy a handle for a party, then Bacardi Superior is still pretty much superior in every situation. Bacardi Black is just outclassed in every scenario by rums at the same price point, and it's really only half-decent drowned in coke. There's a certain flavor from heavily charred barrels that I learned to appreciate, such as in Pusser's rum and The Real McCoy 5 Year, and I just didn't get that flavor from Bacardi Black. It just tasted like they paid scientists a lot of money to recreate that flavor, and they did an okay job. I didn't find it gross or want to spit it out, and in fact I thought the sourness, bitterness, and sweetness were decently balanced at least, if overwhelming. But it's just not how black rum should taste. It's just sub-par.

A little background on Mhoba. Robert Greaves grew up on his family's sugarcane farm in Mpumalanga. He studied mechanical engineering, and after failing a few business ventures, he returned to work on the farm. Every machine he needed, he built himself, and later he used his skills to build a pot still from scratch. He proudly delcares that his rum is single, pure, free of sugar, caramel, and glycerine, distilled on his pot still. Luca Gargano of Velier eventually found Greaves, and the Habitation Velier project brought Mhoba to the international market. The only flavor he ever uses is pineapple in his pineapple rum, but says that he doesn't see himself making any other flavored rums. This rum is insane. It hurts to bring it up to my face because the esters burn my eyes. I didn't really closely examine the bottle until writing my review later, and one thing immediately jumps out at me now is that its ester count is over 3000. I have trouble with most of Hampden's upper range, which starts around 600-900 g/HLAA, much less DOK, which sits right up against the legal maximum of 2000. And this is over 3000. Review I tasted this rum alongside Savanna Réunion Grand Arôme and Clairin Communal. Smell It is extremely briny, grassy, and funky, but very industrial. It makes my eyes water just bringing it close to my face. Taste I am initially hit with plastic funk and brand new sharpie. It is extremely overwhelming, and I find it undrinkable. I actually poured myself some Diplomatico Planas, since it's a pretty smooth and neutral base, and then just a small splash of Mhoba, and it let me examine the flavors more. Now I get more olive brine, and almost a vanilla cake icing but with all the sugar gone. It's high-ester, but unlike the typical Jamaican funk which is completely fruity, this just tastes... loud. Like, if loud could be a flavor, it would be this rum. As it fades on my palate, it does transition from briny to something slightly fruity, maybe a hint of the Jamaican rotten banana, but it's honestly unlike anything I have had before. As I mentioned in my previous reviews, Clairin Communal is pretty pleasant but a very typical flavor, and the Grand Arôme was an intriguing blend of wild berries, salty brine and olives, but overall is like a more potent clairin. Mhoba is in this general category too, but it's so unique. And I wouldn't say in an immediately pleasant way. This rum is a very challenging and complex rum. I tried a daiquiri with all three, and Clairin Communal is a pleasant but not groundbreaking daiquiri. It's one I feel safe ordering, knowing it's just going to be a delicious daiquiri. Savanna Réunion Grand Arôme made a more complex daiquiri, but with a slightly salty, slightly bitter, slightly berry complexity that made me stop, think, and enjoy it after every sip. The Mhoba daiquiri, however, made me stop, think, and wonder what is even going on in my mouth with every sip. Perhaps it should have been diluted more, maybe a split base with another rum. Again, I did all of this and wrote these notes before realizing the monster ester count of this rum. It's a daiquiri where every sip delivers sharpie, olive, and some sort of fruit that I can't name, but it's like a hybrid of pineapple and peach. I kept reaching for it, writing down notes, trying to find a reason to put it down. And before I could find one, the daiquiri was done. Verdict {rating}/10 It's very possible my palate isn't there yet. I was recently migrating my reviews to my new website, https://theruminator.co, and I saw that exactly one year ago I was trying Wray & Nephew and Planteray for the first time, and thinking "oh, how quaint". I hope to someday look back at myself now and think the same thing. This rum is one thing for sure, and that is one of the most interesting rums I have ever had. I don't quite have the words to describe it, and maybe one day I will unlock its secrets. But regardless, a rum that makes me sit and think so much, and delivers so much complexity and flavor, definitely deserves an 8/10.

Today, it seems like French rhum is synonymous with agricole, but its dominance really only came about over the past century. Before that, while these were still productive sugar colonies making sugar, and as a byproduct, molasses, rum made from molasses was far more common. Rhum grand arôme (in English, "big flavor rum"), is still produced today, and was used by the French to blend and flavor food and spirits much like Germans used Jamaican rum. They even use dunder from previous distillations to drive up the esters, just like some Jamaican distilleries. As you know, I am a big fan of Jamaican rum, so it was very exciting to try this kind for the first time. Review I tasted this rum alongside the Mhoba from Velier and Clairin Communal. Smell The initial hit is of briny kalamata olives. Salty, savory, and fruity. Mhoba is also rich and savory, but more industrial rubbery. Clairin Communal is lighter on the nose, and is a mix of olive brine and overripe banana funk. Of the three, Savanna is probably the most bright, while smelling both salty and fruity. Taste The initial flavor is very intense. Like when I try Hampden's higher ester rums neat, the taste is just burnt rubber as my palate is overwhelmed. Trying a little bit diluted, it opens up with wild berries and briny olives, but maintains a bit of bitterness. It has a very long finish, much like many Hampden rums. I can taste it half an hour later. Clairin Communal is quite close in flavor profile, with similar olive and fruit notes, but is much lighter in flavor, though it benefits from not having a slightly bitter aftertaste. Mhoba is not far off in flavor, but it has stronger savory and slightly plasticky notes, and it's not fruity at all. I would say it reads more grassy than olives. The daiquiris for all of these were a treat. I did say that I like Clairin Communal daiquiris when I reviewed it recently. It's not super complicated, but it's just a nice, tasty, not overly complex daiquiri. Savanna definitely makes a more complex daiquiri; I have to stop and think after every sip. The slightly salty, slightly bitter wild berry flavor really accents the sweetness and lime nicely, and in general it benefits from being diluted. Verdict {rating}/10 I definitely enjoyed this rum mixed more than I liked it neat, and I can see why this was used in blending. The raw product has so much intensity, but in a cocktail, it makes you stop and think after every sip. It's a fascinating and well-made rum, filled with so much flavor that I am still not sure if I have figured it all out. 7.75/10