The Many Faces of Rum

On the nose, I could have sworn this was a benchmark New Grove (Vintage 2009 or 2010). But on the palate, a typically minty T.D.L emerges more and more, and a big one at that. So this rum convinces me all along the line, predicate: lip-smacking. And significantly better than the TWJ-T.D.L 2009 (RX23456) tasted at the same time.

Once again a first-class 2003 TDL. For me, it's right up there with the best. I find the nose in particular beguiling. This mixture of sweet berry/cherry and minty freshness is terrific. At first sniff I suspected a TenCane...but on the palate at the latest it was clear. TDL in its purest form...

#5176 22.03.2025 Tasting at Whisky Watcher, Odense. Nose Fresh, medium intense, fruity, light wood, mint, light citrus, faint anise, light pineapple, spice. Palate Fresh, medium intense, warm, light wood, mint, fruity, light mango, citrus, spice, light licorice. Finish Long, balanced, light wood, fresh, light citrus, light mango. As it rests it just keeps getting better and rounder in the profile.

8,8:On the nose, a fruit bomb bumps into our nosetrils with a lot of citrus like mandarine, tropical fruits with pineapple, passion fruit, red fruits and currants, accompanied with menthol and metallic notes, slightly flowery. On aeration, roasted wood notes like caramel, cocoa and nuts, as bit spicy, arise, new wave of fruits like apple, mirabelle plum, berries and mango, vegetal aspect with minty, herbaceous tones and tannins in the end. 8,7:On the palate, the attack is sweet, fruity with raspberry and vegetal with herbaceous, minty molasses and eucalyptus. The wood is slightly roasted with caramel, leather, nuts, spicy.After resting the rum, flowery tones come out, some menthol, licorice and tons of fruits like mango, passion fruit, yellow and citrus fruits. 8,8:The finish is round, balanced, delicious with fruits, accompanied with minty, herbaceous molasses and dry, spicy and tannic roasted wood notes, slightly metallic...

The nose is fresh, with lots of menthol and red fruit. These markers are very typical of TDL 2003. There's blackcurrant, tart apples. There are quite a few esters, but they're different from a Jamaican. This rum scented the room when I let it air for a good hour. This nose is really voluptuous, with a dusty woodiness, this crazy complexity. The palate is strong with fresh mint, struck in the palm. A wave of freshness washes over the tongue, with sweet spices (Sichuan pepper, Tonka). The fruitiness in a fresh raspberry juice, with light redcurrant acidity. The whole is heavy, weighty, fat and enveloping. The similarity with another exceptional TDL strikes me: last year's Spirit Gallery. This same feeling is confirmed on the finish, which never wants to stop, with its red fruits (blackcurrants again, raspberries).

First impression. Joins the large number of great TDL bottlings from 2003. It also has a pleasant sweetness, but is more of a herbal, minty TDL. I like it, but I don't think we need any more 2003 TDLs 😉. The alcohol is very well integrated, you don't notice the 56% at any time.

Richtig guter TDL aus 2003 und ein wenig bereue ich es, dass ich nicht blind zugeschlagen habe. Die Nase bringt von allem etwas mit, Minze, Menthol, Johannisbeeren, leicht dreckige Noten, Gewürze, etwas Holz. Am Gaumen viel Minze, Beeren, Gewürze. Für mich einer der besseren 2003er TDLs!!

Tasted twice at the Limoges Spirits Festival 2025. 👃 Total ripe fruit bomb! Exotic notes (mango, papaya, passion fruit), orchard fruits (peach, plum) and dark berries (blackcurrant, blackberry). Menthol of course, quite herbaceous, adding a lovely summer freshness. - 90/100 😋 Nice kick of eucalyptus, peppermint. Still all that fruit present on the nose, but also citrus, sun-kissed raspberry, acidity on pretty esters, licorice and light spices. The 21 years of ageing have in no way made the juice too woody. The 7 years of continental aging have softened it. Nice balance between nose and palate. - 92/100 ⛳ A little smoke, ripe exotic, light citrus, garden berries, minty freshness. - 88/100 An excellent representative of the 2003 vintage (and of the month of April for distillation 😉 ) that carries high in color the fruit bomb mixed with mint. PS: Perfectly integrated alcohol. The 55% makes it much more accessible and almost "easy-drinking", at the expense of a slight loss of aromatic concentration compared with TWJ's previous 2 2003s, which drew 7% more. Among the best 2003s.

Oh, a blatantly good bottling! Super representative of the 2003 TDLs!

09-05-2026 Whisky Watchers tasting in Vamdrup A really great glass of TDL. Shame I did not get a bottle of this one. Great mix between the taste of tropical fruit and barries combined with the wood and oak.

The nose is rather more subtle with mint, red fruit, menthol, blackberry and a hint of caramel. The taste is quite sweet and there is something strange to the point of being chemically odd. Almost like some kind of cream or shampoo. I've never smelled that in rum before. I don't like it. The finish is minty, minty, wild berry, and it lasts a long time.