Recommendations for getting started on rum-like whisky and whisky-like rum
At the risk of being excoriated by both rum and whisky drinkers, the terms “rum-like whisky” and “whisky-like rum” are entirely my own fancy. They refer to spirits that have intrigued me in recent years—as whisky gets more experimental and intentional in cask programmes, and rum reaches new heights of craft and ageing capability.
As a stubborn single malt lover, the first rum to catch my whisky-stewed taste buds was Plantation St Lucia 2005, a 10-year pot still rum aged in bourbon barrels and finished in cognac casks. It was the first sipping rum that gave me pause, where aggressive tropical notes yielded to bitter citrus peel and liquorice, and a toasty, almost dry finish. Naturally, I started looking for more.
At the annual Whisky Live Singapore, rum has always been a draw. This year, the festival strongly featured the trinity of cult craft brands—Foursquare, Velier and Neisson. It was with a little relief when I attended a fireside chat with the founder of Foursquare, Richard Seale, who drew parallels between rum and whisky as being refill cask spirits. That’s right, these two spirits are dependent on casks from other industries—such as bourbon and cognac that are co-evolved with the local forests that supply the distinctive wood for barrels. Richard explained it much better than I did here, but you get the idea. Bourbon needs American oak and cognac needs French oak to complete its flavour.
Read more: Think Drink: Where are you on the natural wine divide?
Whisky finished in rum casks
Whisky has long been matured in various casks, and over time, certain ones have proved commercially successful. Just name any number of Speyside malts finished in sherry casks, for instance. Rum has been a newer introduction which is easy to distinguish and enjoy thanks to its distinctive fruity, tropical profile. Sadly, we don’t get many of them in Singapore.
Start with The Balvenie 14-Year-Old Caribbean Cask, introduced in 2012 to its affordable core range. It’s got a rich mouthfeel with additional notes of passion fruit and a pleasantly sweet nose.
For connoisseurs, the peated Ballechin Aged 14 Years Grand Arome Rum Cask Matured is fully matured in rum cask only for a mouth-coating texture, with a smoky, fruity profile that punches in at 61 per cent.
Even silky Irish gets in on the act, with the Teeling Pineapple Rum Cask blended whiskey sitting for 12 months in ex-casks of Plantation Pineapple Stiggins’ Fancy rum.
In case you missed it: Think Drink: How to get the most out of wine sommeliers, even if you don’t know what you want
