This is primarily a sipping rum. It’s presentation in what amounts to a decanter demands that it be enjoyed slowly and that it be showed off to friends. Presentation wise it has similarities to Angostura 1919 (another ACR rum). Taste wise it the Admiral would easily blow that ship out of the water.

It is certainly more characterful than most column distilled rums could ever hope to be and has been really well put together. I’m not sure why exactly this is referred to as a limited edition, because it seems to have been a made into a permanent, premium part of the Chairman’s Reserve lineup for the last few years, but it’s not really important. What is important is the liquid in this bottle: The crown jewel of the St. Lucia Distillers collection, as far as I’m concerned. This is some absolutely lovely rum. The finish is really good with a hit of nail varnish and a really nice weight of oak spices ginger and some lemon zest. This has a really nice balance all the way through it.The big brother of the Admiral Rodney is named for the titular admiral’s flagship, and the press materials say it is drawn “exclusively from the lowest portion of the Coffey still possible, resulting in a much heavier and more flavorful rum.” Like the Royal Oak, this is aged exclusively in American ex-bourbon barrels, but has a higher average age statement of 9-12 years. Admiral Rodney is a line of St. Lucia-based rums from Spiribam, which is best known as the home of Rhum J.M, Clement, and other island rums. Admiral Rodney hasn’t been readily available in the U.S., but that changed last year when Spiribam brought the brand here in earnest. Three editions were launched in 2019 — each named after one of Admiral Georges Rodney’s naval ships; the rum we reviewed above seems to still be around, but it may be more difficult to find.

On the nose you are met with the familiar herbal and pine cone notes of St Lucian Rum. Not quite grassy or salty but kind of in-between. The nose has a really good balance to it – it is a little more “boozy” than the old Admiral Rodney (now the HMS Royal Oak) but that is to be expected from a younger blend. Presentation of these new Admiral Rodney rums is great with a distinctive stubby bottle and I’m pleased to see the huge wooden topped cork stopper remains. I like the new design though I don’t think there was anything wrong with the previous design either. The nose is quite minty – spearmint and a touch of menthol. Further nosing reveals some toffee and milk chocolate. Following on from this is a good weight of spicy and quite fresh oak. This is a quite vibrant and punchy rum. A touch medicinal.

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I’m still going to add some cola to the rum. It makes a lovely rum and cola with a few ice cubes and only a small amount of cola. The fruitiness combines with the cola beautifully and the oakiness also adds something to the drink.

There is no Pot Still rum to be found in any of these rums. I can hear groans of discontent amongst some enthusiasts already. A “Cask Collection” series is also planned and I will report on that when I get some more information. Overall, at this price point especially, I find myself wishing for a bit more complexity or at least a bit of a bump in proof point. With that said, I feel like the Admiral Rodney line is meant to deliver these sort of streamlined, dark sugar flavors.Alright then! Aphrodisiac rum. Beyond that, “added to the rum are local spices and fruits such as cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, vanilla, allspice lemon and orange peels.” Chairman’s Reserve Spiced Rum can certainly boast an interesting description, though, and an approachable price tag. According to the distillery, it begins with the base rum of the Chairman’s Reserve line—a mix of pot and column distillate, unlike Admiral Rodney—and is then “steeped with ‘Bois Bande,’ a local Caribbean bark culturally known for its aphrodisiac qualities.” Aside from the short finish I really enjoy Admiral Rodney HMS Princessa. It may be a little “simple” for some palates but I find it a good solid sipper with no off notes. The rums in this blend are aged between 9 and 12 years. Maturation has occurred exclusively in Saint Lucia. So it’s a fully tropically aged rum. It has been produced on a Coffey Column Still. There are no Pot Still distillates in any of the Admiral Rodney rums to date. This cookie is set by Rubicon Project to control synchronization of user identification and exchange of user data between various ad services.

HMS Princessa is the youngest blend in the series and Formidable the oldest. The line up will also be soon complimented by a “Cask Collection” limited edition rum. Saint Lucia Distillers were recently acquired by the “Groupe Bernard Hayot” who own Rhum J.M and Rhum Clement. I was able to taste four rums from SDL: Two from the Admiral Rodney line, and two from the Chairman’s Reserve line. With that said, let’s get to tasting. The Admiral Rodney line of rums is named for a British admiral (George Rodney) who took part in the Battle of the Saintes in 1782, a pivotal naval engagement between the British and French. Each of the three expressions in this line fittingly take their name from one of Rodney’s ships: Princessa, Royal Oak and Formidable, with ascending age statements and price tags. All three are exclusively column-distilled rums, which means they’re somewhat lighter bodied than pot-distilled rums or blends of pot and column distillate, as is found in the Chairman’s Reserve lineup. Regardless, these rums have some decent age statements, and fairly high price tags as a result. The 1931 is a very complex blend of both pot- and column-distilled rums between 6 and 11 years of age, aged in a combination of bourbon and port casks, and bottled at a more substantial 46% ABV (92 proof). As an extra X-factor, it also contains a notable percentage of sugarcane juice rum, distilled from the estate’s own sugarcane fields next to the distillery. The distillery refers to this as “agricultural rum,” distinct but related to the concept of rhum agricole, but presumably similar in character. This portion is effectively the most “Lucian” product the distillery makes, given that everything about the spirit hails from Saint Lucia.Some may turn their nose up at such things. I was fortunate enough to tr ia y the original Admiral Rodney long before I understood all things Pot and Column – I’ve always been glad I didn’t have such reservations about the rum. The original Admiral Rodney has long been a solid go to rum, when I want something not to challenging or aggressive.