There were three rums in the recent outturn from The Whisky Jury. We can’t wait to try the TDL 2003 but the other two could be pretty good as well: extremely young Le Galion 2023 from Martinique, and high octane HD C<>H 2018.
T.D.L. 22 yo 2003 (60,9%, The Whisky Jury ‘Many Faces of Rum’ 2026, refill barrel #8, 241 btl.)
Nose: lovely. I’m always happy to find this combination of lychee, tangerine, maracuya and menthol. Mango and banana too. Then the expected varnished notes, a little paraffin and bergamot. Nice kerosene.
Mouth: a true fruit bomb again. Explosive mango and pink banana, as well as some grapefruit notes. Maybe just a little less of that bright passion fruit profile than other casks. Light vanilla before it moves back to sandalwood, menthol and green tea. Subtle leathery notes with liquorice and a couple of salty green olives.
Finish: long, mentholated, with more fruit, citrus peels and wood spice.
We’ve grown so accustomed to this profile, yet it’s always a joyful moment. A splendid, almost aggressive fruitiness. Certainly on par with the previous cask released a few years ago. Great selection, but this will be hard to find at this point.
Le Galion 2023 (59,1%, The Whisky Jury ‘The Ester Hunter’ 2026, Catch #8, refill barrel #101205, 255 btl.)
Nose: oh my. Totally funky, with fermented pineapple, nail polish and plenty of industrial glues. Whiffs of buttermilk (that I’m usually not too fond of). Rotting bananas. Also strawberry bubble gum and apricot jam. Whiffs of tapenade and new plastics in the background. Spirity but pretty great.
Mouth: razor-sharp and fierce, a bit like the heaviest Hampden but with more jammy fruits. Strawberry FTW! Then banana foam and pineapple candy, along with peach liqueur and lime syrup. More brine, liquorice, heavy glue and synthetic oil. But really, those strawberry notes are quite something.
Finish: long, with more of the same. Strawberry flavoured rum with brine.
Funkadelic rum! Some time ago I bought a pineberry plant (look it up) and this is its rum counterpart. When I picked up this sample, I told Joeri that Galion is not always a favourite of mine. However this is excellent. Great value and still available! Score: 90/100
HD C<>H 2018 (63,9%, The Whisky Jury ‘The Ester Hunter’ 2026, Catch #9, refill barrel #11, 248 btl.)
Nose: boom! No need to hunt for esters, they’ll hunt you. Truckloads of modeling glue and heavy varnish, with fermenting bananas. Then sharp lemons, whiffs of acetone, tar and diesel. So good!
Mouth: more of these industrial notes, like glue and paint, as well as new plastics. Unapologetically saline, bitter and sour, with the drying effect of esters. Then also fermenting pineapple, lemons and green olives, along with bitter leaf. Candied ginger and white pepper throughout.
Finish: very long, on the same varnished and estery notes. I forgot to mention salted liquorice.
This takes the lineage of ester bombs further. Quite brutal from the start until the very end – enjoy the ride. Score: 91/100