I have been considering for some time extending my tastes to rum, mostly because the weather here has been so damn hot. Even though I dont mind doing so, there is something faintly absurd about drinking peated whisky during a humid Sydney heatwave. Whereas rum, on the other hand...
Of course, the day I first taste Mount Gay happens to be cool and wet. Oh well.
Glass:
Glencairn
Water:
A few drops
Colour:
Coppery
Body:
Medium to light by whisky standards
Nose:
Whoa! Hang on to your hats. I've not had a rum before, but this is powerful stuff. My first reaction is that, having tried cognac as well recently, this smells a bit like cognac. However, with oxidation, my view changed totally. An acetoney overtone as Ralfy says, and a foundation of cork, leather and rubber. In between, the smell of Aberlour Abunadh sherried whisky! It smells that way anyway. Raisins, preserved citrus, jam.
Taste:
A taste that is powerfully of Chinese preserved plums - specifically, those dried ones that have the seed still in them.
Finish:
Astringent and bitter. The preserved plums hang around, but are joined by a powerful tea finish, like a Chinese tea.
Overall, an experience not quite what I expected. A flavour very like some sherried whiskies, with a complexity to match. May appeal to the Chinese palate?
