Overview
Brand: Krewe Exclusive
Origin: Rollins Distillery, Gulf Breeze, Florida, USA
Still: Pot
Age: 2 years
Finish: ex-Bourbon & ex-Bordeaux
ABV: 64.4%
We're finally back after a lengthy hiatus! The past couple months were spent preparing for and then enjoying my wedding festivities, and the subsequent honeymoon. My wife, Helen, and I enjoyed doing absolutely nothing but laying on the beach in Seaside, FL, and drinking many a Miami Vice.
Funny enough, there's actually a connection between our honeymoon and today's rum review, even though I had originally planned to post this before the wedding. Just under one and a half hours West of Seaside is Rollins Distillery, which we've discussed previously in a number of reviews.
Krewe Exclusive Barrel Finished Rum #3 was distilled in 2021 using 100% Florida molasses using Rollins' 4-plate pot hybrid pot still. Several distillation runs were then blended and initially casked in an ex-Bordeaux wine vat for 3 months, before being moved to second-fill ex-Heaven Hill bourbon cask for 21 months. After 2 years of aging, this was bottled cask strength at 64.4% ABV, yielding 290 375ml bottles.
Appearance
Orange-gold, low viscosity
Nose
Vanilla frosting, red raisins, cranberries, candied dates, cinnamon
Palate
Cranberries, strawberry syrup, cinnamon, dates, frosting
Finish
Long, hot, fruity; burnt strawberry shortcake, cooked cranberries, oak, cinnamon brown sugar mix
Rating: 6/10
Summary
This Krewe Exclusive is a solid cask-finished rum that doesn't pull its punches! Red fruits, frosting, and baking spices all show up while enjoying this pour.
Initially I'm greeted with a burst of vanilla frosting while nosing, followed-up by cranberries and red raisins. The palate yields similar notes but is a little more two dimensional, forgoing complexity in favor of brute force provided by the proof.
It's a little hot on the back palate and finish, but that doesn't take away from what is otherwise an enjoyable American rum. I'm glad that Rollins decided to venture into more experimental aging, and look forward to seeing what they come up with next.