In what has become a yearly tradition, I am here looking back on the rums I was fouranate to try during 2023. I felt that this list should be expanded to a full top 10 list. The rules are pretty simple for this list, I had to have tasted and reviewd the rum in the calendar year of 2023 and there can only be one bottling per distillery. The new rule is due to one distillery that would dominate the list if not implemented. The Clarendon’s I helped select and thought were fantastic, but it would feel weird to put something I didn’t score on this list. With all that out of the way, let’s get to it.
#1: PM Spirits Hampden DOK 5yr 2017
No surprises here for anyone who has followed my reviews. Hampden is easily my favorite distillery and this bottling was my favorite of the year. You can read the full review here and read about my visit to Hampden earlier this year here as well. If I hadn’t restricted this list to one bottling per distillery there would be 4 of these on this list which doesn’t really feel fair.
2. SBS Antigua 2015
A surprising entry from a distillery I had little experience with, this high congener rum from Antigua certainly surprised me with its immense flavor and pungent aroma. You can read the full review here. https://theauditorreviews.com/3715-2/
3. Pere Labat 12yr 2009 PM Spirits Single Cask
Pere Labat is a mainstay in my bar, with the 59% offering serving as a workhorse in cocktails and neat sipping for me. But this single cask, though highly priced, is a special bottling. The long aging on this sugarcane juice rum has allowed great flavors to develop with exceptional balance, you can read the full review here. https://theauditorreviews.com/pere-labat-single-cask-12yr-2009/
4. Viche Puro Rio Saija
I was lucky enough this year to try a handful of sugarcane spirits from South America. Viche, a cane juice spirit from Colombia, is a fresh pressed cane juice spirit that is produced on the Pacific Coast by the Afro-Colombian’s located in this area. Read the full review here, but we can only hope to try more of this exceptional spirit from Colombia in the future. https://theauditorreviews.com/viche-puro-rio-saija/
5. Habitation Velier Long Pond 15 Year STCE 2007 Single cask #5
Jamaica is a country that produces some of my favorite rums and this Long Pond is no exception. A high ester long aged bottling from Habitation Velier, Long Pond can produce well aged rums like this at higher ester levels that just can blow you away with their breadth and depth of flavor. . You can read my full review here. https://theauditorreviews.com/habitation-velier-long-pond-15-year-2007-single-cask-5/
6. El Amparo
Another rum from South America, El Amparo is another sugar cane spirit produced from fresh pressed sugracane juice. Bottled by La Maison & Velier this was another examplary bottling. You can read the full review here. https://theauditorreviews.com/el-amparo/
7. Alambique Serrano Blend #2
Alambique Serrano is a new brand from the folks who produce Canada rum. This rum from Mexico is fresh pressed sugarcane juice that has been aged in various casks before being bottled at high proof. This blend which was the highlight of the bottlings I’ve tried from them this year is a blend of rum aged in virgin French Oak casks and unaged pot still rum that was blended together. You can read the full review here. https://theauditorreviews.com/alambique-serrano-blend-2/
8. Clairin Vieux Sajous 4yr (2017)
This is a bottling of Clairin rums from Haiti that was aged for 4 years in a mixture of ex-rum and ex-single malt casks before being blended together. Bottled for Astor Wine and Spirits in New York City this is an exceptional example of what a great hand of blending can accomplish with young aged sugar cane juice rums. You can read the full review here. https://theauditorreviews.com/review-1015-rum-346-clairin-vieux-sajous-4yr-2017/
9.Velier Isautier 16yr Sugarcane 2006
A 16 year old Agricole rum from Isatuier, this Reunion distillery appeared on my radar for the 1st time thi syear thanks to Velier. This old cane juice rum just hit those flavors that I look for in a very old agricole. You can read the full review here. https://theauditorreviews.com/review-1029-rum-358-velier-isautier-16yr-sugarcane-2006-12-13/
10. El Dorado 16yr 2006 Astor Select
Last but not least are these new blends from El Dorado. This one was specifically chosen for Astor wine and spirits and is a blend of various stilled bottled at a higher proof than standard. This one was a delightful fruit bomb with enough of that industrial tinge that some DDL rums have for me. You can read the full review here. https://theauditorreviews.com/el-dorado-16yr-2006-astor-select/