A new private label rum brand has emerged, originally selling in Australia but now coming to Europe and the United States. Deck Reckoning is sourcing some interesting rums and we were provided with samples of two expressions.
Dead Reckoning Australia 9 Year Bourbon Cask
Issued at 55% ABV, this cask strength rum is aged four years in the tropics with an additional five years of continental aging. There’s no indication of the still type, though this leans light in body. There’s plenty of flavor and while it did okay in a Mai Tai it is more interesting to sip neat. I taste a blend of baking spices and this is a fine sipping rum that’s only mildly assertive.
Dead Reckoning South Pacific (Fiji) 10 Year Muskat Cask
Don’t overlook this very interesting expression, even if the 47% ABV will turn off rum nerds who only partake in cask strength territory. The pot/column distillate is aged in Muskat casks and is 100% tropical aged. As such, this is a very expressive rum with a rich and full-bodied flavor. The Muskat cask aging definitely imparts a fragrant, floral, and fruity taste profile, but it doesn’t overpower. The long finish is delightful.
Even better, I loved the Mai Tai I made with Dead Reckoning South Pacific 10 Year Muskat Cask. This is a great example of where the Mai Tai really wants an assertive and bold rum to play with and Dead Reckoning’s expression works perfectly.
The rum samples were provided by Dead Reckoning but this is not a sponsored post. I wasn’t provided with pricing info but they are limited expressions so surely won’t be cheap.
