16 May 2023
Discover the Best Rums of April 2023 | Monthly Review
What were the hottest new rum releases in the past month? Which rums received the highest scores from our community? And where did most of the tasting take place? We are back with our Monthly Recap and will give you the key stats on what happened in the RumX world in April 2023.
Side note: In case you are interested in seeing the full list for April, please open the RumX app, open the Explore tab, navigate to the Hot right now section and click on Explore - you’ll find the extended monthly lists as well as all the historical rankings over there.
Monthly charts
In the past month, the RumX community shared 7,382 tasting notes (a solid increase from March's 6,817 tastings) and added 7,154 bottles to their collections (March: 6,709). Moreover, with the help of the community, 279 new rums (March: 265) were added to the database. It seems that the collective resting period has come to an end - the RumX community is getting back up to speed and is ready to dive into all the fun that the rum year 2023 has to offer. Dear rum lovers, maintain the momentum; we love witnessing your dedication ignite!
Most tasted rums of April 2023
And off we go with our first category. April's rankings showcase a diverse array of rums, reflecting the global nature of our favorite spirit and the discerning tastes of the RumX community. Saint James Les Ephemères No. 6 emerged as the most tasted rum with 25 reviews. Just like its predecessors in the ”Les Ephemères“ series, this rum was aged in the tropical climate of Martinique and impressed our members with its complexity and depth, earning an average score of 8.5/10.
Coming in second was the Uitvlugt & Port Mourant Guyana 2014 PM/DHE, with 22 reviews and an average score of 8.4/10. How come a continentally aged Demerara-rum that was bottled after 9 years is gaining so much interest, one might ask? Well, the seasoned aficionado already knows that Demerara rums is very much about the individual marques that are being produced - however here, we’ve seen a premiere: This is the first known bottling of a rum with the DHE (Diamond High Ester) marque and accordingly was a must taste rum for the Guyana rum enthusiasts in our community, of course.
Foursquare's 2010 Single Blended Rum, which landed in our top 5 most tasted rums for the third month in a row, took the third spot in April with 21 tastings. This 12-year-old Barbados rum continued to enchant the community with its alluring vanilla, woody, coconut, caramel, and pineapple aroma, and a palate rich in vanilla, coconut, woody, caramel, and dark chocolate flavors. The rum retained its high average score of 8.5/10.
In fourth place was the T.D.L. Trinidad 2001, with 19 reviews and an exceptional average score of 8.9 - which is the highest rating in this month’s top list! The T.D.L vintages from 2001, 2002 and 2003 have turned into true crowd pleasers in the past years - not only because of the solid number of T.D.L releases that were distilled in this time period, but also because of the not-so-well kept secret that these bottlings are said to contain some of the legendary juice hailing from the long closed Caroni distillery. For a deep dive into the history behind this story we do not get tired of recommending Steffen Mayer’s fabulous Caroni bible...it also looks really beautiful next to your collection of rum bottles, if you ask me. But I am derailing our post here - back to Asta Morris’ impressive bottling! Aged for 21 years, our community celebrated this for its powerful menthol notes, dried fruit hints, oily orange sensation, petrol-like aroma, and floral tea tones. Among the T.D.L releases of the 2001 vintage, this release stands out as one of the highest-rated, thanks to its unique flavor profile and long-lasting finish. Kudos for this pick!
The Longueteau Constellation 2022 (Saint Malo) secured the fifth position with 14 reviews and an average score of 8.4/10. Another unaged rum that made it to our top lists, following other examples like the La Favorite Récolte series or the Hampden 8 Marks Collection. Quite interesting to see that unaged rums that are bottled at high ABV got more popular recently. Not all too surprising though if you are into the fresh, yet super aromatic profiles of these young high ester or agricole rums that simply boast with flavor. This unaged Guadeloupe rum is obviously no different - looking at the tasting notes collected by our RumX users the rum is leaving a lasting impression thanks to its beautiful balance, fruity notes, and distinctive agricole character, accompanied by a flavor profile that includes citrus, sugarcane, agricole, warm, and grassy tones.
Ranks 6 to 10 were occupied by rums from Guyana, Jamaica, and Martinique, showcasing yet another time that we definitely have some distinct favorites among the rum producing countries in our community and that the wealth of flavors and styles in the rum world available is well represented in our rum community's tasting glasses.
Curious which other rums ended up in our Top 10 in April or simply look for more details on the rums mentioned? Just head over to our app and check out the monthly recap history in the “Explore” section!
Would you like to actively participate in the Mai Top List? We are currently running our tasting lottery where you can win an exclusive sample set from Infinity Spirits. All you have to do is share some tasting impressions in the app - find out more here:
Join the lottery nowMost added to the collection in April 2023
On to the hard facts - which bottles were most purchased in the past month? April saw a fascinating mix of rums being added to the collections of the RumX community, with some familiar names from the most tasted list making a reappearance.
Topping the chart, just like in the most tasted rums, was Saint James Les Ephemères No. 6, with an impressive 108 purchases - quite an impressive number of purchases for just one month. Seems like we’ve got some true fans of this Saint James series in our round, he? Well, rightfully so. Each of the three current releases in the Les Ephemères series has earned impressive average ratings, ranging from 8.5 to 8.9 points — a truly remarkable achievement.
In second place was the Foursquare 2010 Single Blended Rum, which had also been the most added rum in March. This 12-year-old Barbados rum was purchased 31 times, maintaining its popularity within the community with an average score of 8.5/10.
The tropically aged J. Bally 2004 Brut de Fût from Martinique secured the third position, with 15 purchases and an exceptional average score of 8.8. But are we really surprised? Combine the terms "J. Bally" and "Brut de Fût", and voilà, you've created another instant classic. It can be so simple sometimes… aren’t we right? The community reviews of the available J. Bally releases at cask strength speak for themselves - and this example is no different: Broadcasting the typical Bally flavor profile with woody and roasted aromas and notes of plum, vanilla, and cherry, this limited release of 2,500 bottles was immediately highly sought after.
On rank four we find another rum that was already among the most tasted rums in April, namely Longueteau’s Constellation 2022 (Saint Malo) with 14 purchases. You know us: It always brings joy to us when we see that rums are not only being bought, but also tasted - well done!
The fifth spot was taken by Distillerie du Simon's Rhum Agricole Extra Vieux, bottled for the 10th anniversary of La Confrérie du Rhum and the 70th birthday of its co-founder Jerry Gitany. This 14-year-old Martinique rum was added to the collection 14 times, with an average score of 8.4/10.
Of special note is the Clarendon 1997 Rum Sponge No. 20, which ranked 10th in the most added rums with 10 purchases. Bottled by Decadent Drinks, this 25-year-old Jamaican rum from their Rum Sponge series had an outstanding average score of 9.2/10. Our first in-app shopping partner, Decadent Drinks, made this exquisite release available directly through RumX, and it sold out in less than a day. A remarkable rum for sure - or, to say it with the words of our friends over at Whisky Digest: "Fantastic bouquet! This bottlings is right up in the Jamaica Champions League". We have nothing to add.
If you feel you missed out on any of the rums, maybe you want to check our forum - here the RumX community shares exciting finds every day. And don’t forget to check out our new Buyer's Guide in the app.
Most popular tasting locations in April 2023
April again saw the RumX community come together to enjoy their favorite rums across a diverse range of locations, highlighting the international flair in our little rum community.
And guess what… the world’s unofficial rum capital struck again. Kolding, Denmark, was by far the most popular tasting location, with an impressive 164 tastings taking place in this picturesque city. This was the fourth time in the past seven months that Kolding was the number one rum tasting location; needless to say that in all other months it of course landed in the top ten as well. Yes, we’ve seen the coronation of the new king of England - but our RumX crown certainly has found its home in lovely Kolding.
Back to the list - our German friends in Berlin followed at a distance with 51 tastings, while France secured the third spot with 31 tastings recorded in Paris.
St Gallen, Switzerland, and Nuremberg, Germany, were neck and neck with 27 and 26 tastings, respectively. It's worth noting that our Swiss community members from St. Gallen or St Gallen, respectively, appeared twice on the list, at both the fourth and seventh positions. We'll be sure to offer some spelling assistance to our Swiss friends so they can improve their ranking next time!
Cologne, Germany, came in sixth with 17 tastings, while the Danish website Romdeluxe.dk managed to secure the eighth spot with 16 tastings. Well played, dear rum deluxe marketing team! ;-) Horsens, Denmark, and Herzogenaurach, Germany, rounded out the top ten with 15 and 14 tastings, respectively.
So again, quite some well-known locations on the list - and even though we should be used to it by now - we remain surprised by the prominence of Denmark as a popular tasting location time and again. Kudos to our Danish friends - we can feel the rum loving vibes coming from the North, you guys simply rock!
Browsing the top tasting locations always brings us great pleasure: There's something truly heartwarming about enjoying a dram or two of your favorite drink with friends who share your passion for rum. We are happy to see that for so many rum lovers from various corners of the globe, the RumX community has become a home, fostering an atmosphere of shared enjoyment and discovery. Are we sensing a bit of anticipation for the rum fair season to arrive? Well rest assured, we are hooked already!
Comments
What will be your rum summer highlights in 2023?