Reviews #986/987: Rums #326/327: Holmes Cay Fiji 17yr 2004 & Holmes Cay Fiji 21yr 2001

Holmes Cay Fiji 17yr 2004

This rum comes to us from independent bottler Holmes Cay who is based in the US. This rum was distilled at South Pacific Distillery (Fiji) on pot stills. TI was aged in the tropics for 12 years in ex-bourbon before being transferred to ex-bourbon and aged for an additional 5 years in the UK. It was bottled with no additives.

ABV: 58%

Nose: Vanilla Wafers, Sandalwood, Green Apple, Black Pepper

Palate: Medium mouthfeel, Vanilla Wafers, Chocolate, Green Apple, Sandalwood, Black Pepper

Finish: Medium length finish, Dark Chocolate, Black Pepper, Vanilla Cream, Sandalwood

Rating: 6/10

Overall a very good rum. Nice flavors, the faint fruits are nice and that vanilla chocolate vibe is really strong. Heavy savory notes from the pepper and wood, it crosses the line a hair on oak influence but its really enjoyable to drink.

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Holmes Cay Fiji 21yr 2001

This rum is also from Holmes Cay and also from South Pacific Distillers (Fiji). It was aged for 21 total years with 2 years of that being tropical and 19 being in the UK before being bottled with no additives.

Abv:53.6%

Nose: Pencil Shavings, Honeydew, Vanilla, faint rubber

Palate: Medium mouthfeel, Pencil Shavings, Vanilla, Faint Rubber, Honeydew

Finish: Short length finish, Black Pepper, Pencil Shavings, Faint Rubber

Rating: 3/10

This Fiji rum, on the other hand, was not very enjoyable for me. The oak here was very heavy but instead of coming across as spices or some other complex flavor it was heavy on pencil shavings. That note was all throughout; some rubber and vanilla were in the mix as well with some fruit thrown in too. But that oak note just brought the whole thing down for me. Trying it side by side with its younger cousin (which has slightly more tropical ageing) just showed the vast difference in quality to me of these two bottles.

1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out.

2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume by choice.

3 | Bad | Multiple flaws.

4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but better exists.

5 | Good | Good, just fine.

6 | Very Good | A cut above.

7 | Great | Well above average

8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional.

9 | Incredible | An all time favorite

10 | Perfect | Perfect