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 5.75/10

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.