Glorious Revolution – Evolution #1

The eagle-eyed among you will have already spotted and read my article on the rather excellent Glorious Revolution Rum….for those that haven’t you can refresh yourselves by looking here

Now that you’re back, I can tell you that I was contacted by the producers of Glorious Revolution Rum, Alan and Amanda Collins from Spirit Masters about whether I’d like the opportunity to try a little sneak peek at their work in progress. A 1 year barrel aged version of their Rum. Of course I jumped at the chance! So on a rainy day just before Christmas I made the journey to the office to collect a package that had been delivered for me.

Glorious Revolution Evolution #1 – 45% abv (estimated)

Now as you will have already read, I was a big fan of the original unaged version of Glorious Revolution so this had me more than a little excited. It must also be noted that this is only a ‘test version’ and will not be on general sale. A 50 litre virgin American Oak barrel was the vessel that received the base Rum and it was maintained at a constant temperature for the 12 month period. No caramel or additives have been used. This is purely the base Rum and the effects of the barrel. Massively interesting stuff. I’ve read that using virgin oak can be extremely powerful and make huge changes to a Rums profile in a very short space of time. Previously I had only ever tried the Nine Leaves Angels Half Virgin American Oak, which whilst very tasty, was really affected by the barrel and was quite spicy, so I was unsure what to expect here….especially as the barrel used is so small.

Tasting Notes

In the glass: The Rum displays itself as a vibrant golden straw colour. Immediately that familiar herbaceous and vegetal aroma billowed out of the glass. Happy to report that the pot distilled funk is still present and accounted for. Not as up front but still right there providing the backbone of the Rum. Very slight vanilla is there along with the really apparent hint of a warm buttery digestive biscuit base for a homemade cheesecake. Sticky brown sugar and overripe banana are starting to appear…I knew that I was smelling something familiar but it couldn’t be….could it? I went to the shelves and picked up a few reference bottles. Hampden Gold and Mezan XO. Taking the screw caps off it was immediately confirmed. In a blind tasting I would’ve pegged this as a young Jamaican Rum….very much along the lines of Hampden Gold…but with the influence of a very apparent lightly charred wood aroma reminiscent of the splints used for lighting Bunsen burners back at school…..5….10….15….20….alright…22 years ago….

In the mouth: That familiar sweet entry is still there happily, more so than the unaged version. The lightest custardy vanilla carries the sweetness before that vegetal, grassy note muscles in…..but it is controlled and less dominant this time around…..but don’t read that as dulled…it is still really vibrant. Further sips reveal that familiar liquorice and black olive taste that seems to accompany all young pot distilled Rums that I’ve tried. Once your mouth becomes accustomed to that savoury aspect of the Rum, the honeyed ripe banana and the merest hint of rubber sweep across your tongue. The finish, whilst not overly long is all sticky brown sugar and a little liquorice.

There is no doubt in my mind that due to the abilities of Alan and Amanda and their desire to do things the right way, this little insight into what is to eventually come is complete proof that a well made base Rum is paramount to a great end product…..when you have no desire to indulge in the manipulation of that end product. I cannot wait to see what next stage of the Glorious Revolutions evolutionary journey is!

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