In this session we’ll have two Trinidad rums exclusive to The Whisky Exchange. The first one is called The Scarlet Ibis. It was presented at the recent Rum Show 2026 in London. In fact it is the first ever rum bottled by TWE.
The Scarlet Ibis – 18 yo Trinidad rum (55%, The Whisky Exchange 2026, ex-bourbon casks)
Nose: reminds me of T.D.L. right away. Expect beautiful pink grapefruit, lime and juicy pineapple, with hints of maracuya syrup. Nicely heady, with a volatile varnished note and subtle acetone. Then ripe banana in the background, along with refreshing minty notes and subtle liquorice.
Mouth: similar sweet and sour fruits. Grapefruit, mango and passion fruit stand out again, with banana and kiwi growing strong. Then mid-palate a spicy oaky hint takes over, with some peppery notes, spearmint and a hint of black tea. Fairly mild esters. Light hints of chocolate and caramelized sugar appear late, along with the typical cognac-like brightness that I often get in T.D.L.
Finish: quite long, with lingering bananas, some ginger and juicy citrus.
A tropical fruit explosion, with bright citrus and maracuya, perfectly quaffable at this ABV. Just enough esters too, you know I’ve praised this profile many times before. The best thing is the silly price. At merely £ 50 (!) this is one of the biggest rum bargains I’ve seen in the past few years. Trust me on this one, it’s awesome value. Still available from The Whisky Exchange.
Next up we have a rum bottled for TWE by Holmes Cay (pronounced “key”). It was produced at Ten Cane distillery in Trinidad from fresh cane juice. Ten Cane was started by LVMH in 2005, with a focus on the American market. However it wasn’t very successful and ceased production in 2015. A lot of the stocks of this lost distillery have been picked up by independent bottlers.
Ten Cane 12 yo 2012 (59%, Holmes Cay for The Whisky Exchange 2025, cognac + ex-rum cask #128, 143 btl.)
Nose: sweeter, with caramel and toffee, sweetened black tea and hints of orange peels. Then bananas flambéed with Demerara sugar. Stewed peaches as well, but overall not a big load of fruit. Instead some vanilla and fresh leather comes out.
Mouth: here as well more grassy notes and a herbal edge. Sweetness of vanilla ice cream, rum-soaked raisins, citrus zest and tangy green grapes. Then marmalade, cinnamon and tobacco leaf, along with spicy heat and baking spice (ginger and clove). Later a fragrant hint of star anise appears.
Finish: quite long, quite intense and woody. A lot of spice and tea with burnt sugar and salty liquorice.
This is liquid history and a decent rum in its own right, but far less exciting and unique. More cask-driven as well and higher priced, so I have a clear preference. Exclusively available from The Whisky Exchange. Score: 86/100