The Colours of Rum released these four interesting bottlings a while ago. Two of them are Trinidad rums (T.D.L. in fact), one is a multi-vintage Savanna and the last one is a new Jamaican blend in the premium Impressions series.
T.D.L. 8 yo 2017 (47,3%, The Colours of Rum 2026, bourbon cask #1963, 400 btl.)
Nose: the fruity core is there, but with a big caramelly side. Pineapple with maple syrup. Baked bananas. Even a little rye note. Certainly rounder than older examples – the pastry sweetness also wipes out part of the estery hints. Just a little cooling mint and leather.
Mouth: starts on caramel again, with sweet pear eau-de-vie and cedar wood. After a few seconds it suddenly develops fresh lemony notes, a little glue and a nice hint of bright pineapple and pink grapefruit. Then also a little diesel, some varnish and more spearmint. A subtle boozy note too, along with a salty edge.
Finish: long, slightly industrial, with sweet fruit, a quick return to the caramel notes, and a vodka-like edge.
Less distinctive or razor-sharp than older T.D.L. we’ve had – remember the vibrant tropical style we like so much only appears in a few vintages. Sweeter than I’d hoped but the bright flashes on the palate keep things in check. Available from The Colours of Rum.
T.D.L. 15 yo 2010 (68%, The Colours of Rum for Trailer Happiness 2026, bourbon cask #1952, 60 btl.)
Nose: here the esters stand out. Some plastics and acetone, with toasted oak and mint oil. Also ripe mango and berries, rather than the heavy caramel of the previous one. Then vanilla, green banana and liquorice roots.
Mouth: dense and powerful, it burns a little. A lot of oaky notes, peppermint, liquorice and eucalyptus. Lemon and glue, plenty of varnish and diesel. Also a drying estery edge. So far the tropical fruits are not showing, and adding water doesn’t help much in that respect. It adds a bit of brightness but also vanilla.
Finish: long and tight, with minty wood, diesel and heavily steeped Earl Grey tea.
Trailer Happiness is a bar in London. They selected a really sharp and intense T.D.L. – great if you like a powerhouse and don’t care too much about the fruits. Also available from The Colours of Rum. Score: 88/100
Savanna ‘Eternal Summer’ (59,2%, The Colours of Rum 2026, 584 btl.)
Nose: rotting bananas and strawberry bubble gum, with peach yoghurt and even a cheesy hint. Subtle medicinal hints, along with black olives in brine. Hints of sweet Triple beer and light oak in the background. Quite a funky profile, but after the initial surprise I really liked it.
Mouth: still a hint of peach yoghurt, along with Seville orange, green olives and a slightly astringent bitterness. Fermented vegetals, along with strawberry and green tea. Even a meaty touch. A wicked combination. Then some resins, herbal notes, salt and jasmine.
Finish: long, sweet and salty. Ripe banana and liquorice, along with a hint of rubber and glue.
A blend of a traditional 6-year-old rum and an 8-year-old High Ester HERR rum. Rather bonkers, with great elements but also a few things that become a little difficult for me. Yet there seems to be a certain balance. Score: 88/100
Jamaican Rum Blend ‘Three Centuries’ (64,1%, The Colours of Rum ‘Impressions’ 2026, 120 btl.)
Nose: interesting! There’s old wood, hints of eucalyptus ointment and some library dust. A bit of thyme syrup, dark molasses, cigar boxes. Then ripe fruits, like oranges and pineapples. Some banana and sour cherry. Exotic spice comes out later, along with light esters (glue) and diesel. Subtle mocha in the distance. Very complex.
Mouth: herbal cough syrup (bitter sweetness) with orange peels and more exotic spice. Some chocolate appears with solventy notes, toffee and lots of oily notes. Toasted wood, drops of vermouth, liquorice and dark cocoa.
Finish: long, with more dark sweetness and herbal notes.
In this blend there is some Bellow’s rum from 1834 combined with Hampden 1983, Clarendon 1984 and 1997, and Hampden 2015. That’s five historic Jamaican rums spanning three centuries. It shows its age but not a lot of wood. An intruiging rum with high complexity. A bottle costs € 2500, inquiries go through Colours of Rum. Score: 89/100