American IB dept - Smooth Ambler Revelation rum

[mamajuana]

With all the great pure rum high end Independent bottlers out there in Europe such as Cadenhead, Velier, etc, I thought I would post about a promising new release from a US company Smooth Ambler.

Known mostly for being an IB of whiskey the Smooth Ambler out of West Virgina have started to dabble in rum. It's nothing to scoff at either. The Revelation rum bottled recently has a minimum distillation date of 1990. It is a Jamaican pot still rum from two different distilleries which are unnamed. While the only statement regarding age on the bottle is the prior statement of the "youngest rum" date of 1990, a rep for the company said the blend has an average age of 28 years with a minimum of 23-24 years depending on release batch. Coming in at a respectable 49.5% alcohol.

There is not much information out there what I have put together through research is that this rum is not messed with at all it is imported in barrels right from Jamaica it is not chill filtered and only filtered prior to blending at a minimum to prevent wood splinters from entering the rum from the barrels. It is then bottled by hand and signed by the bottler and the release batch is also hand written.

I was lucky enough to run across one today at a store I frequent it was batch #2 for 68.00. I decided on the purchase as a 24 year old minimum Jamaican rum for that price seemed like a good deal. My online research suggests this sells for a minimum of 60.00 to a maximum of 99.99 with an average of 70.00. So overall a very respectable price for a IB of pure rum with a minimum of 24 years of age.

I will hopefully get to this one soon and post the hydrometer readings to confirm the companies statements of no additives.







Full label view at TTB

https://www.ttbonline.gov/colasonline/p ... filetype=l

[Hassouni]

Thanks for the alert! I found a place selling it in DC for $67 - will be sure to pick it up.

[mamajuana]

After revisiting this rum again over this labor day weekend I thought I would share my thoughts on this rum. This review is for batch #2.

Per Astor in NYC the two rums comprised in this blend are a 1990 Appleton and a rather rare 1980's monymusk. From this information I gather from what was stated by a SA rep that the monymusk must be a 1986.


Initial thoughts of bottling - The bottle is secured with a synthetic cork which fits very snugly in thick glass the same as their old scout bourbon's. The color is surprising on this rum. For a rum laid down in 1990 minimum making the youngest rum at this point 24 years of age, I would have expected something a few shades darker. Instead we have a rum I would describe as rich in color even though its color is a medium golden. It would be safe to say based on this no coloring has been added whatsoever.


The nose hits you the moment the bottle is opened from the smallest pour. The room fills with baking spices upon further inspection we have cloves, mango's, bananas, caramel, herbal notes, tobacco, original bubblegum, the nose is ever evolving the longer it sits in the glass. Its entices you to keep going back to find and distinguish more notes as the glass sits.

The taste from the smallest of sips is incredible. The pot still esters really smack the senses. An incredible black pepper, intense baking spice, caramel, and oak blast the entire palate. The rum then finishes rather incredibly with an extended finish that ends with fruity notes of green apple, bananas, and noticeable oak. While this oak is not over done you can really taste the barrel on this one bourbon barrel to be exact.

This is a rum lovers rum, incredible. To be savored in very small sips for its incredible flavor, a rum where an ounce will last for quite some time. I would suggest its purchase to any true lover of rum who wants a pure aged honest spirit with a Hydro test confirming no added sugars. At its current price I don't see this one lasting long on the shelves once word gets out I already have two bottles in storage. This rum is a massive bargain for a rum this old at its current retail cost from the mid 60s-100.00 a bottle. It surely destroys many other tie die rums at this price range and I know of no better bottle in this price point for this style and age of rum.

[Hassouni]

Thanks for the alert! I found a place selling it in DC for $67 - will be sure to pick it up.

Shit, I never did this and forgot which place...

[Hassouni]

F* it, in 48 hours I'll be at Astor Wine anyway with my partner in rum crime. Can't wait!

[Hassouni]

Got a bottle of Batch 4 - had a single tiny pour just to sample. Wowwwww. At $70, this is quite a bargain.

[mamajuana]

The rum is well worth its cost. Its a bottle that must be savored and cannot be over imbibed, as the rum itself simply will not allow it. It will take a long while to plow through a bottle such as this. I can't wait for their other rum expressions to be released which add further double aging. They will be releasing batches aged further in their bourbon and rye casks adding much I imagine as their bourbon and rye offerings are near the top of the charts and I imagine they reused nothing but the best barrels. Expect a higher cost but a much more balanced and flavorful approach as the old blended rums will be much more in sync.

[edgarallanpoe]

Picked up 3 bottles of this on Thursday. Thus far, I couldn't agree with your assessment any more than I do. This is really good stuff.

This site rocks. Thus far I have purchased the following rums based on the suggestion on this site.

Smith and Cross
Bacardi Heritage
Revelation rum
Pussers
Scarlet Ibis

[Capn Jimbo]

If there's one thing I've learned in the last ten years...


...it's that I never - ever - trust reps or "ambassadors" to tell the whole truth, or in many cases, to even know the truth. Their job is to sell and to romanticize. Our good man Mama (pun intended) relates the claims of a rep (not even an ambassador), as quoted above:

Per Mama per the rep:

"The Revelation rum bottled recently has a minimum distillation date of 1990. It is a Jamaican pot still rum from two different distilleries which are unnamed. While the only statement regarding age on the bottle is the prior statement of the "youngest rum" date of 1990, a rep for the company said the blend has an average age of 28 years with a minimum of 23-24 years depending on release batch. Coming in at a respectable 49.5% alcohol."

Should I believe the rep? I think not for a microsecond, at least on general principles. Think about it. Any rum with such an amazing and illustrious heritage, non chill filtered, bottled by hand, etc. would be a marketer's dream, and Smooth Ambler's site is quite slick. There's just one little problem...

With all these mindblowing sales points, just why does the website not mention even one of them? Seriously, why? Not a single one. Here's the complete description from the site:

"Revelation

As with Old Scout Whiskey, we’re excited to bring rare spirits to market when they cross our paths and impress our palates. Revelation is a fine “ron anejo” from the Caribbean, having made the long journey from near the Blue Mountains of Jamaica to the Blue Ridge Mountains of Appalachia. It’s smooth, delicious and makes us want to travel someplace warm. Even if it’s just to the back porch."

Anything in this description about 1990? No. Names of either of the two alleged distilleries? No again, and in fact the ad copy implies a single source (near the Blue Mountains). How about age? Nope. Process? Uh, no (we have to assume pot-stilled though). Barrels and aging? Nothing. How about blending, or something - anything - to justify labelling as "Batch No. X"? Sorry. In sum, nada, no, nix, nothing. And trust me - as a former marketing man - no even barely conscious marketer would fail to include every single word the rep is alleged to have mentioned...

If true. I'm sorry, truly, but I'm having trouble buying it. Bear can tell all manner of stories about NDP's (bottlers) galore who even went so far as to make up phony recipes, histories and strongly implied (or actually claimed) they distilled the spirits that were actually bulk supplied by the monster distiller MGP/LDL. The real truth is that honesty is in very short supply in the world of rogue spirits, and especially in re rum.

I do know this, the distillery usually supplying bulk Jamaican doesn't have anything anywhere near this old. I would also note that with the rep's claimed average age of 28 years this rum should be darker, even without E150a. Either this rum is the deal of the century (compare to Appleton 30 at $450 - $700), or...

...it's time to hide your wallet...



********
Addenda: It was mentioned earlier that the description at Astor Spirits in NYC describes Revelation Rum thusly: "A blend of 1990 Appleton and 1980s Moneymusk, the rare rums blended together here both hail from Jamaica". More confusing is that "1990" appears on the bottle, yet the rep(s) claim that the blend contains a 1980 Monymusk. What gives? Sharp eyed readers will also note that Astor called the distiller "Moneymusk", lol. A freudian slip, lol?

This is also the claim made by Mama's rep, a claim another rep apparently also made to Astor. But still, neither the bottle, label or website confirm much detail of this rum. The "1990" on the bottle seems as much as we will ever learn from the bottler.

[Capn Jimbo]

If you are like moi, you too must surely be wondering about a rum whose rep's are claiming an illustrious heritage, and average age of 28 years...


...but whose website, bottle and label scrupulously avoids confirming almost anything about the rum. I learned that the sales manager does respond to legitimate inquiries, so natch I hadda write him thusly:

"Dear Mr. Foster:

The Rum Project has grown over the last decade to become perhaps the leading and most read free and independent, scrupulously non-commercial rum website on the net, with over half a million monthly reads.

Natch, we follow (and appreciate) the work of craft distillers. We also appreciate the great dilemma of same, which distillers have to manage to distill and age spirit for four to ten years, while still managing to make money. Some have tried the faux "fast aging" concept, which has never succeeded, while others - properly - choose to do double duty: make and sell younger spirits, while storing some for good aging and also sourcing and selling good bulk product.

In your case that would be some of your common (but decent) MGP products, but of far more interest to us: your Revelation Rum. Sadly, your website is bereft of much detail other that a "rum anejo" sourced from a Jamaican distiller located near the "Blue Mountains" of Jamaica. While making for the usual romantic marketing copy, your website description says nothing of real informative value to the public.

I've noted that the reps selling Revelation are selling a story of a "1990 Appleton and a 1980 Monymusk", and are claiming an average age of 28, and a youngest age of 24 years. Not a word about just who provides the juice, using what process, cooperage and aging, actual age, use or not of E150a, filtering if any, shipment in barrels or containers, and the like.

As you should be aware the respected independents in Scotland and Italy for example, are well aware that these kind of details are demanded by buyers of such sourced products, and indeed actually do help sell these (particularly at the premium prices asked). Yet your website says almost nothing about the Revelation.

So we ask:

1. Who is/are the distillers?
2. When and where distilled?
3. Cooperage and aging? First fill, etc. Ex-bourbon, etc.
4. Actual age of the youngest distillate in the bottle?
5. If a blend, please describe.
6. How shipped, original barrel, or container?
6. How filtered? Colored? Added sugar or flavorings?
7. How and where bottled?

I must say, if your reps glowing but vague claims are accurate, to be selling an honest 28 year old rum for the $54 paid by one of our members - when compared to Appleton's 21 and $120, or their 30 at $600 - would be the deal of the century if true. As a former marketing man, I am aghast if your reps claims are true, but appear not on either your website or on the labels.

Thank you for you kind response..."

Stay tuned. I for one would LOVE to hear that the rep's dramatic claims are true, and if so, why on the godz earth their website and labels fail to inform about "facts" that can only enhance sales.

[Capn Jimbo]

FWIW...


Smooth Ambler claims that the Jamaican rum is sourced "...from near the Blue Mountains of Jamaica (and transferred) to the Blue Ridge Mountains of Appalachia...". Romantic, yes. Informational? Not at all. Let's try to match this up with the alleged independent rep's claims of a "1990 Appleton with a 1980 Monymusk".

The Caribbean island of Jamaica is elongated east to west, with their famed Blue Mountains (home to the high altitude Blue Mountain coffee) in the far northeast corner of the island. So where are these claimed distilleries?

. . . . . . .

• Appleton Estates: west central Nassau Valley and nowhere near the Blue Mountains, and...
  
  Monymusk: in St. Catherine Parish, west northwest of Kingston, roughly central - far from the mountains, and in fact located in a valley.
  
  And how bout the two common bulk suppliers - Hampton Estates (St. James Parish, northwest coast of the island, and/or Worthy Park (near the old Monymusk).

None of these distilleries are located in or near the Blue Mountains, however romantic the mountain to mountain marketing claim may be.

[Hassouni]

...it's time to hide your wallet...

Why? It is AMAZING rum, at a reasonable price. When the options for something comparable are at least as much, and this is much easier to find, my wallet is open. I pay that much, and more for single malts, and that much (and more) for other indie rums. My other two indie Jamaicans (Bristol and Berry Bros) cost at least that much. And yes, Jamaican rum is typically quite affordable, but Appleton 12, while lovely, doesn't do much for me (I prefer the Reserve for more "rumminess"), and there is something in the long aged indie Jamaicans that is just magical, that Appleton doesn't capture. Probably because I prefer higher ester products than what Miss Spence blends for Appleton. In that category, you have Smith & Cross, which is barely aged, and not a sipper in the normal sense of the word, you have Wray & Nephew white (ditto), and the Hamilton Jamaicans (again, barely aged, if at all). The fact that I can go to my local boozeria in DC and get an ostensibly (we'll get to that) 25 year old rum in the $60-70 range is fucking awesome, as opposed to going to London, or ordering online from Europe (By the way, K&L Wines, a big online retailer in California, has a 14 year Hampden for $75 http://www.klwines.com/p/i?i=1192858)

Back to SA. Who cares about the Blue Mountain line? It's obviously just as you say a romanticism, comparing with their own Blue Ridge. Except guess what? Smooth Ambler isn't in the Blue Ridge either. They're in West Virginia, and the Blue Ridge is in VA and NC. It's not just the rep claiming 1990 Appleton and 80s Monymusk, here is a reddit ama with John Foster of Smooth Ambler who explicitly states they use rum distilled in 1990. https://www.reddit.com/r/bourbon/commen ... th_ambler/ (search for "1990")

The bottle itself says, verbatim "the youngest rum in this batch laid down 1990". Surely TTB requires labels to be truthful? We know not the whole truth but surely not outright lies (e.g. Zacapa not saying 23 "years")

I'm extremely skeptical about most new products, but all the reports, from credible reviewers, led me to take a chance on it, I bought and have drunk it, and yes, I think it is very much an old, unaltered Jamaican well worth the price.

[mamajuana]

If there is one thing I can say for sure about this rum its that is it excellent. It's not often I'm running back to the liquor store to secure extra bottles that with tax is over 70's when I'm not through with the first.

There is reasoning behind the madness here. That being that I don't believe SA knew how long this specific make will be available and the components may change in the near future as stocks run dry for this current revelation run. This is not like the Appleton 12 or a Barbancourt 15 where they can produce their own for a long time to come and state all the details of production. Also with SA not producing it themselves, I don't think they would.

I imagine that this rum will be newer shortly and that's reason enough at this price to secure extra bottles. I was just reading a blog of a store owner who went to SA to pick some single cask offerings. They had the rum, a "few" barrels left of each of the new offerings and considered a possible single cask but did not buy.

The rum at this point was put into both bourbon and rye casks after blending for further maturation but has not peaked yet apparently. So we actually will see from what I understand a very limited release of further aged minimum 1990 blend. If I am lucky enough to find it my wallet will be open to 2 bottles of each. After these barrels are released I imagine the rum will include newer make.

My only issue with the Smooth Ambler Revelation 1990 rum is that is is almost too good to drink. A tiny pour lasts me so long that I doubt my BAC goes above .01 during the long contemplated tasting.

[Capn Jimbo]

I hear ya Mama, and thanks for posting...


But certainly you agree that especially for sourced spirits, it's important for the NDPs (Non Distiller Producers) especially to provide good and honest detail. What I find completely confusing is that the reps are alleged to be claiming Appleton and Monymusk as sources, and an average age of 28 years, while the distiller/producer's website, bottle and label are mostly mute to these claims.

That simply doesn't make sense.

No producer who has an honest 28 year old spirit of quality heritage would hesitate to shout these attractive details out to the heavens. Compare to NDP's Cadenhead, Velier, Berry and the other respected independents who provide great detail. Seriously, when a producer says nothing about a rum, and won't officially confirm what the middlemen are putting out, something seems very wrong.

Fortunately the Sales Manager is known to be responsive to honest inquiries and has posted frequently at the bourbon sites regarding their Old Scout products (which are sourced from the very large bulk supplier MGP/LDI) . In the case of their sourced bourbons they are quite honest about the sources, and also state the actual ages on the labels.

But not the rum?! Really? It doesn't make sense. Providing detailed descriptions would only sell more of the product, not less.

Until Smooth Ambler comes clean, all we can say that this is simply a likeable but rather expensive, $55-70, NAS (no age statement) rum. To consider or taste it otherwise, in the context and/or on the basis of a rep's claim of extremely old age, is simply not justified. In my experience rep's are hard to believe, sorry.

At these prices one can do business with those well known and respected independents who specialize in hard to find rums, aren't hiding any details, and which are honestly labelled as to both source and process - and - show the real and honest age. Again and to be fair, I do expect the Sales Manager to respond in detail to the specific questions put to him. Until then...

Enjoy. I'm very glad you like it.




*******
BTW Mama, nice link (as always) to the SA interview. In that review he was asked a great number of very specific questions about their bourbons and rye, to which he was very responsive. Unfortunately the only comment he made regarding the rum was "...we have recently released Revelation Rum, a Jamaican rum distilled in 1990 that we love to drink and think is delicious, but that we clearly didn't make."

Even this lone statement - not at the website nor on the bottle - contradicts your rep whom you claimed added a rum from "Monymusk in 1980". Thus, let us hope the sales manager is responsive to the questions we posed in our email to him.

[Hassouni]

I don't really care what the reps say. The bottle and the SA people themselves say 1990 and that's good enough for me. I've had enough high quality rum by now to know what real, authentic age tastes like, and this hits the mark. Again, isn't objective info on the label required to be true by TTB?

Furthermore, many indie bottlers don't reveal their sources. We all love John Glaser and Compass Box, and he'll say in private what goes into his whiskies, but it's not written ANYWHERE, neither the distilleries nor the age. I've seen IB single malts (rather than blends) that are mum on the matter too (though they usually have an age statement)