Trinidad Rum, it's not all Caroni - part 2: TDL
Following last week's TDL:Fernandes tasting (here), today we have four single-cask independent bottlings from the TDL distillery. Here's the full lineup of the mini-series:
Built in 1947 by Angostura to produce its rums and world-famous bitters, TDL is now Trinidad's only operational distillery.
Today, I have 3 samples from 2001 and 1 from 2008. I'm particularly interested in tasting whether there is a significant difference from last week's samples, which were produced by TDL under the Fernandes brand.
4 samples, 25ml of each, left to breathe for 30 mins before tasting. Nosed first, then tasted, in increasing abv order (as per the lead photo left to right Cadenhead, TCRL, TB, RA).
Yes, rain in paradise ... that's how it remains so lush, green and tropical :-)
First up we have a cask from 2001. I suspect that (as with the other bottlings today) this was aged for the majority of its 19 years in Trinidad, before being shipped to the UK and subsequently selected and bottled by Scottish bottler Cadenhead's.
Nose: Heavy, earthy tropical fruit. A weighty leathery nose. Medicinal notes. Stewed tea and prune juice.
Mouth: Rotten veg, fermented fruit and menthol. Followed by camphor and spicy oak. A leathery finish with hints of dark berries. A quality rum but not really to my taste with such a heavy focus on menthol and camphor flavours [83pts]
TCRL Trinidad 2001, 18years, 59.9%, 273btls
A second cask from 2001, this one bottled by 'Transcontinental Rum Line' (Paris-based La Maison de Whisky's rum brand)
This one, bottled in 2019, spent most of its life ageing in Trinidad, with just the last couple of years being in Europe.
Nose: Brighter and zestier thatn the Cadenhead. Don't get me wrong, this still has some leathery stewed tea heft to it, but balanced with fresher, brighter menthol & tropical fruit notes
Mouth: A little more balanced on the palate too. The menthol is offset by earthy black tea, minerality and prune juice to create an enjoyable and lingering finish [85+pts]
Our first and only 2008 'vintage', a single cask aged for 11 years in Trinidad before being transported to the UK for a couple of years and then bottled by the well-regarded Scottish bottler (and producer) Thompson Bros.
Nose: Caramel. Artificial fruit flavours, like the fruity erasers(rubbers) from the 80s. A touch medicinal. And minty again. I can't decide on this one, maybe a bit too much of the artificial fruit scents. Later these get a bit fresher, less artificial, and more tropical.
Mouth: Eucalyptus and camphor. Spicy oak. Tropical fruit. Very medicinal. Even a touch floral. The Camphor dominates and I'm wondering whether this is what deep heat tastes like. I sort of like it and it has a clean, decent aftertaste, but it's too one-dimensional and on the edge of overpowering. [82-pts]
A single cask selected by the celebrated German bottler Rum Artesanal. I've reviewed a few of their bottlings in the past and have generally been very impressed by the quality of their barrel picks. Presented in their distinctive squat 500ml bottles.
Nose: Big, clean, earthy, tobacco, black tea and spicy oak. Takes a bit more work to find the flavours, probably because of the high abv, but well worth the effort. A touch of menthol again.
That high abv is impeccably integrated.
Mouth: The alcohol can't hide here. A big powerful rum! A similar profile to the previous three - medicinal, menthol, camphor & eucalyptus blended with spicy oak and stewed tea. And a side order of tropical fruit. This one offers good balance and superb depth and concentration. A long, hot, spicy finish. As with the TCRL - the eucalyptus, menthol and camphor are better integrated and present a complex and tasty dram. [86pts]
Conclusion: On the nose, these are less industrial than the Fernandes and I find myself missing the oil and burnt rubber. There's some dirtiness but the overwhelming flavours are menthol and stewed tea on the nose, joined by powerfully medicinal camphor and eucalyptus on the palate.
The bottlings from TCRL & RA were more complex and better balanced than the other two, with RA taking a narrow win. I'm looking forward to trying that again, alongside the TWCC TDL, winner of the Fernandes round...
...but before that, 5 independent bottlings from the now-closed distillery - Ten Cane...
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