Review 172
8/11/13
Captain
Morgan L.E. Sherry Cask: 35% abv
Background: And
here we are, revisiting Captain Morgan. It might seem like a huge jump in
quality from our regular reviews, but it is always nice to review the basics.
Captain Morgan is currently owned by Diageo, and was brought to market in 1944.
Probably the most well-known rum in the states, Captain Morgan rum is actually
named after Sir Henry Morgan, a Welsh privateer. Captain Morgan actually
started being produced by Seagram Company, but was bought by Diageo in 2001. There
has been rum produced in both Jamaica and Puerto Rico, but the stuff you’re
probably used to slamming down came from Puerto Rico most likely. Captain
Morgan is distilled spirit from Molasses and spends some short time in oak
barrels to give it some life. What makes this unique is that it spends some
time in a sherry barrel. So is that good or bad? Well, pre-emptively, we can
tell you rum is sweet, and so is sherry, so it could either blend well, or be
sickeningly like drinking sugar. And not to be overly critical, but you would
think that if Captain Morgan was going to make a limited edition bottling, they
would kick up the abv to more than a pathetic 35%. We did buy this, however,
because it makes for a good experiment. So here it goes: Where has all the rum
gone?
Straight
Nose: The nose starts off with a nice, custardy
fruitiness, vanilla and sweetness up front. The smell of vanilla is pretty
overbearing up front. There are some hints of cinnamon you’ll catch up front.
There is also a slight waxiness that comes through on the nose. This is an odd
first in the KCM tasting notes history, but it’s fairly direct. There is some
anise present in the nose, as well as some slight ginger and subtle lime. There
is a definite strawberry/blueberry note present in the nose, with some orange sherbet
and modest melon flavors as well. There is some confectionary flavor to it as
well.
Arrival: There
is some definite honey flavor that comes out initially in the arrival, with a
smooth sweetness throughout. There is some gentle, soft fruitiness akin to fuji
apples and sweet berries, followed by a definite creaminess. There is a
definite sugariness that comes through in the arrival. It is definitely sweet,
but weirdly enough, it is a light sweetness, not much like the rich,
overburdening flavor that you would expect out of a fortified wine.
Body: The
body comes up with succulent black cherry flavors, some sweet berries and left
over orange and cream flavors, along with subtle hints of vanilla and honey,
without every getting too far into the sherry territory. This was probably not
a nutty sherry cask, and it probably had minimal exposure, because the raison
and nutty characteristics we become so fond of simply are not present. It is
still sugary, lots of molasses present. This is very much similar to the
arrival, and in this sense, you get what you get. It isn’t a very dynamic rum.
What becomes unique about the body is a slight presence of anise and spice.
Finish: The
finish, which doesn’t hold much of a presence in the grand scheme of things,
holds the most spiciness, but retains the sweet notes of before. The anise and
some cinnamon comes through the most here, but the finish is fairly abrupt. It
doesn’t last very long and besides the slight sensation of alcohol, you have
forgotten what you drank. You might feel like you just brushed your teeth with
the refreshing, almost fluoride-like flavor that hangs in the back of your
mouth.
With Water
Nose: The
nose, after adding just a slight drop of water, is even bigger in the fruity,
vanilla, floral, and slight anise spicy notes. It is such a potent, but not
off-putting nose, you would honestly want this as your car scent mirror tag. Other
than the prominence of the nose, it doesn’t feel like much changed here.
Arrival: Although
most of the notes have remained present here, and we aren’t noticing any new
ones come out, it seems like there is a slightly better balance now in this one
than before.
Body: The
body is very much the same as the arrival, with a better balance, not much else
is going on.
Finish: The
finish is very similar, although it seems a little more dry and astringent than
before.
Final Comments: Not
bad…pretty clean and fairly interesting. It is unique and without water, it is
pretty easy to drink, and it does everything you might want out of a rum. We
are not huge fans of Captain Morgan, but what they’ve accomplished here, at
$20, is pretty damn impressive, for lack of better terms. There is not a lot of
dynamics to the rum, but we enjoyed it for a good sipper. This is also a good
rum to experiment with, since it is so unique.
Why you’d buy it: You’d
like to try something different, or you just want something good to mix with.
Why you wouldn’t: You are
REALLY looking for something of high quality in the rum world.
Score: 8.25/10
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