cadenhead s demerara 10 years old(ex laphroaig cask)

[frenchrumlover]

does anyone ever tried this rum before
and could let me know how does it taste like.

[bunnyhugs]

does anyone ever tried this rum before
and could let me know how does it taste like.

Very interesting question.

I saw a bottle of this (definitely Cadenhead Demerara anyway) some months back and did not pick it up: 1 - no idea what is was, 2 - it was expensive.

Since then I have been to a whiskey tasting where the guy taking the tasting confirmed to me that Cadenhead, while involved in blending whiskey, also have a sideline in maturing rums.

I would be really interested to find out how this stuff tastes.

And what effect does it have on rum to age it in Scotland anyway?

I attended an Appleton's Estate tasting tonight and meant to ask Joy Spence about Scottish aged rums. I had too many other questions though (namely about pimento dram and their Old Tom gin - the second is a junk product for the local Jamaican market BTW so don't seek it out; it is not real 'old tom' gin).

She seemed to think that the tropical climate was integral to the rum aging process, and a key source of rum's 'natural advantage' over other spirits in terms of rapidly gaining complexity. It would have been interesting to throw up the Caddenhead example and see what she made of it.

Is Caddenhead aged solely in Scotland, or is it begun in the tropics and finished there?

Does the cooler climate aging make it equivalent (in terms of complexity) to a younger tropical rum? Or perhaps the cooler climate aging actually gives it some advantages?

Any experts out there who are familiar with this stuff?

[RumBarPhilly]

I was lucky enough to get my hands on two bottlings of Cadenhead. I got their Jamaican and their Guyanan. One stated 9 years old and the other 10, though I cant remember which was which. We are now, unfortunately, all tapped out. The Jamaican had a very consistent flavor profile of a Full bodied Jamaican rum, although ironically, the rums were pale in color. The Guyana rum was fabulous and I wish I could get more. The rum had such a warming senation to me, gave me the dame feel that RdB-3 would. I cant remember any tasting characteristics on this one. I have but one pour left, and that is saved for somebody...

boy i wish I can reneg on that one!

[Tiare]

Adam, can you describe the taste notes of RdB-3? and that Cadenhead Guyana sounds really yummy!

[Edward Hamilton]

I sampled some Cadenhead rum from a Laphroaig cask last night in Washington DC. My thought was that the Laphroaig barrel had little scotch whiskey influence on this Demerara rum.

Considering that distiller commonly clean barrels before they are refilled means that there is hardly ever any residual liquid left in the barrel. Once barrels are emptied, and before they are refilled most distillers and blenders fill the barrels with water to swell the wood and make sure it isn't going to leak before it is refilled. Wooden barrels are like wooden boats if they're left out of the water, or spirit very long they'll leak as the wood dries out. Filling them with water swells the wood and reseals the cask, or boat.

It is generally agreed that rum matures on the order of 3 times faster in the tropics compared to the northern climates.

The very pale color of the Demerara Cadenhead rum leads me to surmise that the barrels were used a long time, most of the tannins were already leached out of the wood before those barrels were filled with rum.

[RumBarPhilly]

Adam, can you describe the taste notes of RdB-3? and that Cadenhead Guyana sounds really yummy!

I find it to be one of the most quintissential rums. It has very little if any esters and no alcohol burn either. Its aged 6-10 years, and has softened the rum to the point of sweet gooey butter. Its taste is complex, its finish long. As far as flavors to pick up, you can taste the subtleness of the wood, it doesnt hit you hard like Mt Gay XO. I would consider it a slightly sweet rum, though a mile off from Zacapa, Pampero, Zaya, etc.. More like a sweeter version of El Dorado 15.

::drooling::

[Tiare]

Sounds like a good rum...

Ed...we need a drooling smiley...

[Michael]

...
More like a sweeter version of El Dorado 15.


You just said the magic words for Tiare.

[Matusalem]

Keep in mind the bulk of Laphroaig's barrels would be re-assembled American whiskey barrels that were originally charred and housed whisk[e]y (X) years before Laphroaig refilled them (x) more years with whisky. Therefore the wood - would be worn to some depreciation beyond simply refilling an ex-bourbon barrel.

[CelticRumbunion]

Hi,

I'm new here but I reckon I'm going to be a regular ;)

I've seen the bottle in question but never tried it, however I've tried a few of Cadenhead' rums and they've all been good.

In fact the best rum I ever tasted was an Enmore 30 year old from them...MMmmmmm.

The ageing issue is a bit of a sticky one. I reckon the rums are for the most part matured in the country of origin and then shipped. With the Laphroaig cask being transferred for a year or two of maturation in Scotland. As a matter of interest Cadenhead are the same company as Springbank Single Malt, which explains why a lot of their whiskies are finished in exotic barrels such as ex-rum.

A second fill scotch whisky barrel will certainly have some influence on a rum, maybe in this case it is quite subtle. It is common practice for some companies to ask their barrel suppliers to leave a little Port, Cognac (or whatever it originally contained) in the barrel to enhance the finish!

[Tiare]

Is Caddenhead aged solely in Scotland, or is it begun in the tropics and finished there?

Anyone who knows?

[Matusalem]

That's a good question, to which I don't know the exact answer.

I am inclined to think they purchase at some point in the maturation process (barrels which they believe show promise) rather than right off the still to completely mature, themselves.

But, then again, one way to ensure no un...known / wanted additives enter, is to take spirit off the still in person.
:confused: