LMDW Grays New Grove Savoir Faire Single Cask

Ever since @crazyforgoodbooze got me hooked on Mauritius at the 11th GRF, I've been trying to get to know the country's rums better. With this one, I like the expressive blackcurrant note on the palate. A really pleasant rum, but with an unremarkable nose and a short finish that can't match the Grays from Perola (RX12865) from the same year. Update 2023-07-02: I must have had a bad day at the first tasting, only 82 points just doesn't do the rum justice. Now, at the second tasting, it has a super-long, fruity and woody finish. The impressive red rum now gets a well-deserved 86 points. Pretty good PLV for a single cask and still available, wonderful. Update 2024-03-16: Used as a benchmark rum against two other New Grove single casks and more than lives up to its role. In the meantime I have to say, even better than the 2009 bottling. Amazing Mauritius!

Once again a sensational representative of the Grays bottlings from Mauritius. I mostly like the quality and flavor. Probably due to the mint/menthol. 😆 Often diluted bottlings naturally reduce the complexity. The higher ABV means you get the full dose of what Mauritius has to offer.

Wow. Wirklich geiler Mauritius und wahrscheinlich meine neue Referenz für den 2010er Jahrgang. Rote Grütze und Beeren treffen auf dunkle Schokolade, Vanille, viel Fass und Menthol und Minze Noten. Im Abgang leicht floral und sehr fruchtig. Die Alkohol Integration ist darüber hinaus exzellent!

So now also the two 2010s from Gunnar his legendary Mauritius Split in the glass. Both are a lot of fun. This one clearly has the higher ABV, but the alcohol is well integrated. Tastes a tick better to me.

This is my first Mauritius molasses session, after having tasted it yesterday. A direct comparison of the Savoir Faire 2009 for LMDW, the Savoir Faire 2010 for LMDW and the CDI 2009 13 yo for Perola. The 2010 is also quite fruity, but not as extroverted and accompanied by tobacco and integrated in spices (cloves & ginger). The peach is less juicy, sharing the stage with dried apricot. A very elegant nose. The 65.2% is fantastically integrated and brings a great intensity. It is also surprisingly fruity, lots of dried apricot, but also mango and peach. A fresh mint also joins in - blind I would certainly have thought it was a 2003 TDL. Although dried fruit dominates in the mouth, the finish brings another really juicy mango - that's great. The 2010 LMDW is the best of my three wines, the intensity in the mouth more than makes up for the restraint on the nose. Alcohol integration, balance, complexity all top. The 2009 is very, very close on its heels. The old apricot and the greater complexity are particularly convincing here, but the slight bite costs a few points. Perhaps the difference is more a matter of form on the day than taste. The CDI is already very good, but falls a little short. It is lighter and therefore too far on the fruity side.

A great discovery, this New Grove full proof. It's a little too intense for me and I would have appreciated a reduction, but I really enjoyed this compote of young woody fruits with a touch of eucalyptus. Surprising, in a good way. One could easily think of a TDL. Edit: I found it more monotonous on a second tasting. I'll have to take more time next time.

Der beste Grays, den ich bisher im Glas hatte.

Diese Abfüllung, obwohl mit höherem Alkoholgehalt, ist von den Aromen nicht ganz so gehaltvoll, wie der vergleichbare Perola! Hier vermisse ich etwas die Komplexität mit den prägnanten Minz- und Fruchtaromen! Würze und Holz liegen hier im Vordergrund

Die beiden New Grove vom LMDW im Vergleich, Jahrgänge 2009 und 2010. Der 2010 ist ein sehr leckerer Tropfen, hat etwas Ähnlichkeit mit frühen TDLs, mit Johannisbeeren und leichter Minznote. Dunkle Schokolade und einiges an Holz, aber für meinen Geschmack noch nicht zu holzig. An der Nase finde ich den 2009 vielleicht etwas besser, am Gaumen tendiere ich zum 2010, auch weil er mehr Power mitbringt. Insgesamt tendiere ich doch eher zu dem 2010.

Im Vergleich zum LMDW 2009er hat die Nase des 2010ers deutlich mehr Röstaromen, aber ansonsten ähnlich: wahnsinnig fruchtig, etwas Karamell, Gewürz, Holz. Vor allem aber: sehr pflanzlich, von blumig bis erdig alles dabei. Fazit also insgesamt sehr gut, Preis ist auch vernünftig. Klare Empfehlung.

Auf der Bahnfahrt irgendwo zwischen Magdeburg und Hamburg. Hatte ein schönes New Grove-Sample mit; jetzt habe ich Zeit und Ruhe. Die Single Casks von New Grove sind immer große klasse… Nase: sehr blumig-fruchtig und fein würzig. Aprikose mit Kiwi, Stachelbeere und Maracuja, untermalt mit einer feinen Veilchen-Note (erinnert mich auch ganz leicht an Seife). Dazu weiche Vanille und Karamell hin zu Sahne-Toffee. Ganz hinten finde ich auch noch ganz leicht Rauch. Phantastische und runde, lieblich-säuerlich-fruchtige Nase. 8,9 Gaumen: kräftig, konzentriert. Süß-säuerliche Frucht Richtung Kiwi, Stachelbeere und Johannisbeere, dazu Aprikose und tropische Maracuja. Leicht orangig-bitter Richtung Kumquat. Jetzt kommt auch eine deutliche Minz-Note, die wunderbar zum würzigen Holz-Aroma passt. Die 65% fordern zu Beginn etwas, sind aber gut eingebunden. Toller Geschmack, 8,8

8,8:On the nose, the first attack on our nosetrils is very pleasant with dried, red, yellow fruits like cherry, orange, peach, dried apricot, raisin.The wood is roasted, spicy with nuts, caramel and vanilla. On aeration, the molasses is stronger, as we notice some vegetal, tobacco notes. We have here very round, balanced 1st stage of our tasting. 8,6:On the palate, the attack is intense, minty, but delicious with spicy, roasted wood and red, yellow fruits.The woody notes are caramel, dark chocolate, As it settles down, the molasses perhaps brings eucalyptus.The fruits are now more dried with raisins, as the wood notes like nuts, vanilla, pepper more obvious, we might also notice some ginger. Resting doesn't help this rum, as some unpleasant rubber, wax notes imbalance very round rum. Our patience is rewarded with balancing tropical fruit notes like passion fruit, mango and with flowery touch. 8,2:The finish is quite imbalanced with strong bitterness, but long with very dry, spicy and roasted wood.There are more pleasant notes of currants, dried apricots and banana, as the molasses is minty, fresh, floral. Alcohol integration not so good..

What a lovely Grays. You really get a superb Cask with a lot of fruity Demerara Vibes and some TDL minty goodnes. My gosh. If only they all were like that... Really i think that is something nice to really be on the lookout sometime soon!

Herrlich Fruchtige Nase mit viel Pfirsich , Aprikose und Vanille. Etwas Schwarztee. Etwas Alkoholisch in der Nase. Am Gaumen viel Pfirsich und Aprikosen. Schöne Minznoten , Schwarztee und Karamell.

It was one of my main highlights from Whisky Live 2022. I can understand why with this tasting. Nose is very well balanced between wood, spices, round notes and fruits. Palate is on another level with fruits overload which makes it extremely funky. A very strong selection from LMDW 🥰