Overview
Brand: Chairman's Reserve, Master's Selection series
Origin: Saint Lucia Distillers Ltd., Roseau, Anse la Raye, Saint Lucia (picked by Austin Rum Society)
Still: Pot (John Dore 1)
Age: 9 years
Finish: ex-Brandy
ABV: 51%
So far, all the bottles of Chairman's Reserve Master's Selection I've reviewed have been ex-Bourbon cask aged, so I was really excited to snag this bottle, thanks to my friend Mike Hooker.
Mike and the Austin Rum Society worked with Wiggy's to select a single batch rum aged in ex-Brandy casks. This molasses-based rum was initially distilled through Saint Lucia Distillers' John Dore 1 pot still. This is another nice detail, as it seems that single pot still batches are less common than blends of rums from the John Dore (pot) and Vendôme (hybrid) stills, for example.
The rum spent 9 years in ex-Brandy casks, and was bottled at a strength of 51% ABV.
Appearance
Orange-gold, medium viscosity
Nose
Underripe pineapple, green grapes, macerated blueberries, household general-purpose cleaner, vanilla
Palate
Overripe banana, red grapes, sour green grapes, macerated blueberries, touch of molasses, raspberry-topped vanilla custard
Finish
Very long, fruity, thick; sour red grapes, molasses, orange rind, rotting banana peel
Rating: 8/10
Summary
This is a fantastic single batch of Chairman's Reserve. The all-pot still production yielded a bold, thick, and fruity rum that played very well with its aging cask.
I'm getting a lot of underripe pineapple and green grapes on the nose, alongside macerated blueberries, household cleaner, and vanilla. Banana comes through more on the palate, followed by red and sour green grapes that likely come from that brandy cask; as the palate wears on, I get a note that reminds me of a scoop of vanilla custard topped with a raspberry.
The finish is perhaps the longest I've experienced in a rum, and maintains its heavy fruit character throughout, allow the sour red grapes, molasses, orange rinds, and rotting banana peel to carry on for minutes at a time.
Great selection by the Austin Rum Society and Wiggy's team, and another feather in the cap for Mr. Mangal and Chairman's Reserve. The brandy cask seemed to tone down the overt industrial funk this Saint Lucian rum is known for, while amplifying the entire experience with its own profile.