Overview
Brand: Transcontinental Rum Line
Origin: Trinidad Distillers Ltd, Laventille, Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago (picked by Florida Rum Society x Rumchester)
Still: Column
Age: 19 years, 4 months
Finish: ex-Bourbon
ABV: 63%
I don't know the exact origin of the phrase "rum is best when shared with friends", but I do know that it is frequently shared by Kate Perry, the driving force behind the US arm of La Maison & Velier (LM&V). We're talking about LM&V and rum friends today, because the subject of our review is nicknamed the "Friendship Cask".
It is so named because this barrel of rum was split by the Florida Rum Society and their friends to the North in Rochester, New York (or "Rumchester", as they prefer). Cask splits are not unheard of, but I think what sets this apart is just how quality the rum is, and how well it has been received by the community– even outside the aforementioned rum groups.
Transcontinental Rum Line Trinidad 2002 is a single cask expression of molasses-based rum, produced in 2002 using one of TDL's column stills. It was stored in an ex-Bourbon cask for 15 years and 8 months in Trinidad, before being shipped to Europe for an additional 3 years and 8 months of aging. The rum was finally bottled, without additives, at a cask strength of 63% ABV, yielding 250 bottles.
Appearance
Orange, low viscosity
Nose
Cooked raspberries, gasoline, cranberry tart, strawberry jam, flamed orange peel, campfire smoke, honeycomb
Palate
Brown sugar-coated strawberries, cooked raspberries, vanilla, molasses, red licorice, mesquite
Finish
Long, fruity, warm; vanilla, cooked red fruits, red licorice, oak, brown sugar, hints of gasoline
Rating: 10/10
Summary
This fruity, fumey, full-bodied Trinidad is a 10 out of 10 for me. After tasting through this, it's no wonder the shared bottling was so revered up and down the East coast– and beyond.
Up front, the nose gives red fruits, hints of gasoline, and smoke that informs that this is TDL rum, but certainly a mature, well-aged expression. No hints of alcohol at all when nosing, which is truly impressive given the proof. Brown sugar-coated strawberries and cooked raspberries kick off the palate, which transitions to more confection-adjacent vanilla and molasses in the middle. The finish is long, fruity, and warm, showcases red fruits/licorice, vanilla, and brown sugar.
I wish long-aged TDL rum was more accessible both in Memphis and the broader American market, as this bottle highlights the best qualities such a rum offers. I look forward to coming back to revisit this bottle again and again.