RA Burkes Elements III Erde Earth Madeira Finish 2024

 The third Elements bottling from RA. It's not a milestone, especially as I'm not a fan of sweet finishes. The Hampden DNA is recognizable, but so is the sweet Madeira finish. The first Elements still remains the best

 Immediately intense "Jamaica" on the nose, wild and edgy with an emphasis on fruit and esters Palate: very alcoholic and again the impression of grappa. Very young and edgy. Too alcoholic for me to taste on its own. But very interesting as a mixer full of character.

 I had feared something peaty with the third bottling of the Elements series from Burkes with the synonym earth. But it didn't turn out that bad. Instead, we are surprised with a mix of casks that have been finished in Madeira casks. Tropical fruits and esters dominate the still young rum on the nose. Sweet and sour nuances emerge on the palate, although I find the balance a little lacking. The whole thing then actually goes in the direction of (dry) earth. A decent bottling but nothing that I would recommend a bottle of.

 The third bottling from the Elements series. The first one really picked me up, but I preferred to skip the second one because of the whisky finish. Well, I should have done the same with this one. Not really a highlight. It promises a lot on the nose with the typical Hampden notes, which it definitely can't keep on the palate due to the finish. Nice to have tasted for the price (no great loss), but nothing more.

 Typical Hampden associations on the nose. Unfortunately, the rum then falls away on the palate. Nice, but nothing special. However, it is definitely worth trying for the price of under €40.

 Der dritte Elements der Burke‘s-Reihe. An der Nase erstmal typisches Hampden-Aroma, bei dem das Finish schon leicht durchklingt. Am Gaumen dann erstaunlich dünn, flach und leicht süßlich. Hier hat das Finish wohl kräftig gearbeitet und viel überbügelt. Eventuell als Mixer geeignet, ansonsten aber kein Highlight.

 Not quite as bad as the fire element for me, but the tannins and tannins from the barrel and this intense vinegar-like acidity are unfortunately extremely disturbing for me. The alcohol is also very present and not well integrated. I'm actually a fan of Madeira rum as well as Madeira wine, but it just doesn't go well with the intense Jamaica esters here. Earth is nevertheless appropriate here, as the mouthfeel is actually slightly reminiscent of clay. But I just don't think it's cool! Sorry, but this was a flop for me. Together with Fire, the weakest of the Elements series to date imho.

 Die Nase ist noch ganz ansprechend, am Gaumen erwartet man dann fruchtige Ester, die leider nicht kommen. Dafür viel Säure, Bitterkeit, wenig Früchte, etwas Wein-Aromen.

 Im Vergleich zum Burkes Wasser tatsächlich für meinen Geschmack gar nicht schlecht. Typische Ester Noten und tropischer Früchte gepaart mit ein wenig grün dazwischen. Mehr kann man aber nicht erwärmen, dennoch PLV völlig akzeptabel und kaufenswert meines Erachtens.

 Beim Hampden-Funk etwas (!) zurückhaltender dafür mehr Öl, Oliven, Lackfarbe und Teer. Jung aber nicht alkoholisch beißend, das könnte auch der leichten Süße aus dem Fass geschuldet sein. Dennoch ganz sicher kein Süßrum. Etwas bitter vom Holz. Toller Spaßrum zum pur trinken und mixen.

 Nase Jamaica, Klebstoff sehr präsent, aber nicht scharf; Zunge uff, extrem trocken, viel Klebstoffaromen, hinten raus kommt gottseidank die Süße vom Madeirafass, nicht meiner...