Kikusui Shuzo Ryoma Rhum Japonais

I think this rum is one of the most misunderstood ones in the market. I've been travelling in Japan and tried a lot of their spirits and it with that in mind I scored this rum. The nose starts off with whisky and sake, yes, sake. Then the vegetal and grassy notes appear with some oak and caramel. The palate is light yet complex with sake and Agricole notes. Later you have sake and the vegetal notes mixed with smoke and oak. The finish is medium long with sake and vegetal notes to it. The price is high for such a young rum, but nothing from Japan is cheap.

Tasted only once and I didn't like it, alcoholic in the nose and in the mouth. Sake scent, as if there was a problem...Then, a little better with herbal notes. It has nothing of a tropical rum.

Surprisingly sweet and smooth

A very etheric rum! For my part, a little unpleasant on the palate and on the nose. However, many aromas are pleasant in the middle and end of the tasting. Give it a try!

Besides Nine Leaves, there are quite tasty drops from Japan. On the nose, it goes in the direction of Demerararum á la Pussers. Feels in the mouth at first like Agricole, which was then mixed with dirty molasses. For me, this results in aromas of coffee, caramel and dark chocolate. In the finish you realize then why there is point deduction here, with 40% this rum is unfortunately quite weak out back and a few% more would have given the quite delicious flavors the necessary power.

Disappointing. Nose quite faint, plain. Deep brown color. Very sugary to the taste, overpowering, bit burnt bitterness, not so nice aftertaste…

I was rather suspicious of this rum, but in the end, I'm quite positive. Not much depth, but a woody, vanilla and slightly vegetal profile that might suggest another spirit. Not much length. Slightly bitter finish.

Belle couleur, nez très complexe et agréable une fois le « saké » passé, bouche surprenante sur le saké, pas de rhum en bouche ! Ou alors il faut attendre une bouteille ouverte ou qu’il s’oxyde un peu, beaucoup… Atypique

Off beat, crisp, clear. Has a shochu element. Dances to it's own tune, but nice.

Niet veel speciaals aan

More cleaving there is not!!! A real UFO, if you like the extra terrestrial ones it is gained if not you leave running. One day I like it, one day I don't, a real curiosity that will not leave you indifferent but that will certainly not make the unanimity.

Note sbilanciate e gusto dritto

15/03/25: tasted @ Brussels Rhum Festival. Wanted to try a Japanese rum for a long time. This was a weird experience. Both the nose and taste had some unique, unusual flavours. Interesting, but not something I need on my shelf.

Robe très (trop ?) profonde, peut être pas simplement dûe au vieillissement. Nez léger. En bouche très sucré, un peu caramel. Déguster en début de line up après une glace, l'accord marche bien mais ce n'est pas ce qu'on cherche. Finale très courte, le sucre reste.

Nase: Erinnert an Agricole, sehr würzig und deutliche Zuckerrohraromen. Gaumen: Würzig warm zu Beginn, dann Kräuter, Tee. Es folgt Schokolade. Abgang: Die pflanzlichen Aromen sowie die Würze halten sich lange, bevor leichte Rauchnoten durchschimmern. Fazit: Ausgefalleneres Exemplar. Es überwiegen pflanzliche und kräuterige Noten mit einem Hauch Schoko. Mir gefällt der Japaner.