KaribikAlps Premium Traders DDL Soulfire SWR 2018

Very nice spicy nose leather, brown caramel, chocolate, vanilla, dark dried fruits... Molasses ... Latte very balanced although very restrained after 20min in the glass. On the palate incredibly oily almost like a syrup... Brown caramel, sweet spice, plum jam beautiful barrel notes with vanilla and nutmeg. Very tasty stuff and at such a young age.

A bottling of a new SWR vintage? Sign me up for that! On the nose I get a rather mature profile despite the young age. Lots of buttery chocolate notes, some leather and wood as well as dried fruits - which I attribute (at least in part) to the Madeira finish. Speaking of the finish: this is one of the rare cases, where I feel the wine finish enhanced the overall profile on the nose without overwhelming the rum. I like it! While the profile on the nose delivers way over its age (so to speak), there is also an alcoholic note to it, which stays even after >1h of breathing in the glas. On the palate, this bottling „hides“ its young age even better imo. The Madeira finish does some work, but the rum itself seems also very round and pleasant on its one (guesswork, I’ll admit). Lots of dried fruits and sweetness. A silky texture with perfectly integrated ABV despite >60% after 4y of aging. I have to admit, I’m pretty impressed by this bottling! Despite the age and finish, this is a very nice bottling. Rich and complex. While it cannot provide the depth of the 2001 bottlings, this isn’t very surprising tbh (in the SBS bottling I had as a reference we are talking 21y of aging). The Soulfire delivers way more livelyness and freshness delivering on (dried) fruits without the overly dark notes from the 2001 vintage. Very nice overlay all. Cheers to Switzerland for this little gem.

Un nez de douceur boisée avec un côté poivré/pimenté. Des fruits secs, de la mélasse, du vieux cuir, du végétal et beaucoup de vanille. Un nez complexe et attirant. La bouche est franche, directe et gourmande. Le côté doux, pâtisseries domine, parfaitement soutenu par l’alcool et le bois (très bien intégrés). Moins de complexité qu’au nez hélas, cette bouche est plutôt monolithique. La finale est looongue, équilibrée, racée, les autres arômes jouent leur partition et tout finit en beauté. Un côté tabac frais fait son apparition et le bois se fait amer. Un très beau rhum, un petit peu pejoré par sa bouche un peu simple. Une finale splendide ! Bravo à ce tout petit embouteilleur suisse.

Tasted the Soulfire in a direct cross-comparison with partly completely different vintages and in the end also different profiles. Including the S.B.S (54.1%) from 2001, the El Dorado Rare Cask Skeldon from 2000, the RomDeluxe from 2019 and the TRC SWR 2001. Nose: TRC: Hard to believe that this is supposed to be a SWR, blind I would probably classify it more as a REV. Lots of roasted aromas, licorice, leather and tobacco, but also dried fruit, spices and a pleasant sweetness. Definitely stands out from the SWRs I know and I really, really like it! ED Skeldon: Simply incredibly round and inviting. Lots of chocolate, spices, sweetness, some coffee, but also coconut and wood. S.B.S: Has by far the most concise coffee note. However, it is somewhat more restrained on the nose compared to the competition. Needs quite a while to develop. Soulfire: Surprisingly mature for its young age. Molasses, licorice, raisins, chocolate, caramel, plum - there's a bit of everything here. I also like it very much. RDL: This is the second time I've had this in my glass after the HanseSpirit. Of course, the almost 80% ABV on the nose cannot be denied. In addition, in contrast to the Soulfire (same age, different vintage), it seems significantly less complex. For me, the weakest nose. Slightly reminiscent of Belize. Palate: TRC: Seems like a hybrid of SWR and REV on the palate, there is also a hint of pencil shavings. It lacks a little intensity, but for me it's still a successful bottling! ED Skeldon: For me, this is in a different league. Everything is very balanced, alcohol perfectly integrated. A super rum! S.B.S.: Also on the palate the concise coffee note, chocolate, wood and also a hint of perfume. Just beats the TRC. Soulfire: Not entirely convincing on the palate. Molasses, licorice, caramel, dried fruit, but also something disturbing (for me). RDL: The alcohol is also perceptible on the palate, with caramel, subtle coffee, vanilla and baking spices. My ranking: ED Skeldon: 9.2

To be honest, I didn't have any great expectations of this bottling as it didn't say anything to me at all. But I was pleasantly surprised. You hardly notice the young age of this bottling. Really good.

It's exciting how such an extremely young Skeldon can already taste so "old"? The ageing in Madeira casks is clearly noticeable, otherwise this sweetness, light acidity and intense oiliness would not be possible, even if it was only 10 months. Very tasty aromas of butter caramel, raisins, dates, prunes and dried figs, as well as some tonka bean and bitter-sweet molasses. Very tasty and pleasantly surprised!

Super würzig an der Nase. Sehr intensive Karamellnote ohne süße. Die nimmt dann geschmacklich allerdings etwas zu und dominiert für mich etwas zu sehr in Richtung Sirup tendierend. Für Vier Jahre dennoch eine richtig gute Abfüllung. Wieder einmal sieht man wie gut in Guyana Rum produziert wird.

Dörrfrüchte und eine angenehme Süße, getragen von cremigem Zuckerrohrcharakter. Gewürziges Holz und ein Hauch Minze verleihen Tiefe. Für sein junges Alter zeigt er sich erstaunlich ausdrucksstark und vielschichtig. Trotz 61,6 % wirkt die Struktur gut ausgewogen mit einer leichten Trockenheit im Finish, die das Profil angenehm abrundet.

Wow, diese Abfüllung überrascht mich. Trotz des jungen Alters erstaunlich komplex, rund und das Finish fügt sich gut in den Gesamteindruck ein. Würzige, rostige Noten spielen schön mit dunklen und roten Früchten, die wohl vor allem auf das Madeira-Finish zurückzuführen sind. Schöne Abfüllung, damit habe ich nicht gerechnet!

Jsem velmi příjemně překvapen. Na to jak je mladý tak je velmi intenzivní a plný. Finiš po Madeiře to nezabil, ale jemně dokyselil a zpříjemnil.