Trinidad Rum, it's not all Caroni - part 3: TenCane
The third and final episode reviewing this selection of non-Caroni Trinidadian rums...
Now we focus on Ten Cane, a unique and interesting distillery that arrived and then disappeared over a very short space of time.
Named to recognise the idea behind this concept, 10 cane distillery was established in 2005 to make Trinidad rum from local fresh cane juice. Apparently, it takes 10 stalks (canes) to make one bottle, hence the name.
The big hitters (Moët Hennessy) behind the project spared no expense. A new distillery was built, and first-pressed fresh cane juice was fermented and double-distilled in an alembic pot still (*I read elsewhere that 25% was molasses; either way, it's mostly fresh, first-press juice). The resultant rum was initially aged in French ex-brandy casks, although I believe most of today's rums were aged in ex-bourbon.
Well, that was the fascinating concept, and that's all she wrote... 10 years after it was established the parent company decided it wasn't working and pulled the plug. To save the brand, a move was proposed to Foursquare in Barbados, but this ended up being a temporary shift of aged stock that subsequently ended up at Main Rum in Liverpool, and the story of Ten Cane fizzled into non-existence. Shame, as it's a cool idea...
On test today are 6 TenCane single casks released by independent bottlers, 3 from the 2008 vintage and 3 from 2012. No doubt which is which, see below: the 2008s are significantly darker than the 2012s...
Left to right as per the lead photo - V&M, BBR, HC, CG, TBRC, L'Esprit. And our little palheiro - an outbuilding of the guesthouse
25ml of each, left to open up for 30 mins, although a few needed even longer. Nosed first, then tasted, in increasing abv order, assisted today by some pretty dodgy Portuguese covers of Michael Jackson hits (don't ask)
First up, we have a dark amber 2008, aged for 7 years in Trinidad followed by 6 years in Europe. Pot stilled sugar cane juice. Chapeau to V&M for their comprehensive and informative website. And for their beautifully decorated bottles
Nose: Fresh cane, grassy, vanilla spice, oak, a little rubber, solvent - tasty
Mouth: This sings. Bright well aged cane juice rum. All the freshness and fruit you want with a heavy splash of sharp acid (possibly a bit too sharp), some rubber, caramel and a core of oaky tannin. When side by side with the other 2008, it has a touch less weight to it but overall I like it [85+pts]
Our first 2012 comes from historic British bottler Berry Bros & Rudd. Cask 20, aged for 11 years - you'd have to guess from the lighter colour that the majority of these were in Europe
Nose: less grassy but the cane notes are still there. Plastic, toasted spices, another decent nose
Mouth: Touch of smoke, chocolate, some fruit, not bad at all. Lighter cherry and berry fruits. The wood influence here works better than the other 2012s, not the wishy-washy wet wood but it's still not presenting much spice and has a hint of cardboard. More smoke later. Overall good but not great, with an enjoyable long finish [84-pts]
Another lighter-coloured 2012, this one was treated to 4 years of ageing in an ex-cognac cask (in the tropics) followed by 6 years in an ex-bourbon cask in the UK. Bottled by the well-regarded new (ish) American bottler Holmes Cay.
NB: The photo is slightly incorrect, my bottle was from a different cask. Bottled at 59.1%.
Nose: The cognac influence is there, but overall it's a bit flat. Wet wood, rotten veg, bit weird. The nose improved over another 30 mins to be enjoyable. Spicy. And I like the cognac edge.
Mouth: A bit wishy-washy with a slightly gloopy finish. I normally love cognac aged cane juice rum but this just isn't wowing me [82pts]
Our 3rd and final 2012 was selected and bottled, after 9 years in an ex-bourbon cask, by Swiss bottler Cave Guildive.
Nose: Wet wood, roasted spice, dying flowers, a little fresh perfume
Mouth: Flat, poor wood influence, some fruit and a bit floral but overall a flabby uninteresting rum. Hints of spice and berry appear later not enough to save it [81-pts]
Back to the 2008's and another single cask, this one was selected and bottled by Boutique-y in 288 of their distinctive squat 500ml bottles, packing a punch at 60.4%
Nose: Bright, cane juice, cane fruit, well-integrated oak, cherry vanilla coke, with a great spine of oak in the background. Warm and inviting. Impressive
Mouth: More complex, more of everything. That vanilla cherry coke. A little bitterness holding things in focus. An enjoyable dram. Recommended [86pts]
L'Esprit Ten Cane, 63.4%, 264btls
Final rum, and final 2008, is a bottling from French bottler L'Esprit.
Nose: Good, dark cherry, fruit, spicy oak but more closed off than TBRC. In fact very closed off. Took some time to appreciate the the nuances and flavours - worth the wait though
Mouth: A lovely drop. Presenting all right fresh cane and berry flavours, with well-integrated spicy vanilla oak - very similar to the TBRC except that it was so closed at first. After an age, it fully opened up and was a marginal favourite of the two [86+pts]
Conclusion: Yummy stuff. Well-aged cane juice rums of decent quality. 2008's are significantly better - more complex and bigger, deeper, richer, more complete. If you're specifically after a 2012, I'd go BBR.
[pause for side-by-side of the series winners and notable runners-up...]
45 mins later - That extra overall side-by-side has reaffirmed what I've found this week. Here are my conclusions from the series...
The three rums styles reviewed were wildly different. Each is delicious and interesting in its own right.
Regular TDL is excellent but tends to be overzealous on the menthol, eucalyptus and camphor. The better examples (TBRC & RA) present a more balanced profile with flavours of black tea, dark berry fruit and spicy oak. Even a touch of tropical fruit.
Ten Cane bottlings, to my taste, a step up from the TDL. Fresh cane juice, well-aged and often working beautifully. What a shame it ceased to exist so quickly. The 2008s are on a different level to the 2012s. All three 2008s I reviewed were excellent. Of the 2012s only the BBR was worth writing home about.
Fernandes-branded TDLs were top of the tree. Lightly industrial, salty, oily, burnt rubber and hints of smoke - melded very well with cherry, mint and spice - an absolute treat. Everyday Caroni? Maybe...
The pick of the series was the TWCC FPH Fernandes 1999.
