Today I'm in the unusual position of flagging that there "paid promotion" notice, because PM Spirits sent me a bottle - not the usual unflippable 1-2oz sample, a bottle - of high proof Mexican cane juice spirit for my consideration. Now I plan to buy another one whenever it finally properly hits Chicago, because I don't want to deny these suckers a sale they were going to get anyhow, but this is still a fact y'all should be aware of (because reviewer objectivity, the importance of transparency, etc., etc.).
What's in question today is the new Alambique Serrano Cartier 30, which is an unaged continuous-still answer to the various single barrels and aged batches (several reviewed at • Cañada With Oak (+ Som... ) coming out from the Krassel family in northern Oaxaca. So you then ask: isn't that what Cañada (reviewed at • Rum Sample Grab Bag: C... ) basically is? Well, yes and no: there are apparently a few differences in production and, more importantly, it's wayyy stronger (the "Cartier" refers to a measure of strength, not to the French luxury-goods conglomerate). But it needs a sparring partner, and for that let's go for its equally organic, equally continuously-distilled cane juice PM Spirits stablemate, the Père Labat Organic. Because the regular 59° is pretty good ( • Père Labat 59° Rhum Bl... ) and the Les Mangles is weirdly great (or maybe greatly weird, • 6 Scary-Strong Unaged ... ). Stats:
- Alambique Serrano "Cartier 30" Single Origin Oaxacan Rum (Santa Maria Tlalixtac, Cañada; jura cane juice distilled in "Krassel" continuous still circa 2023; 70.3% ABV), 89/100
- Père Labat Organic Rhum Blanc Agricole (Poisson distillery, Marie-Galante, Guadeloupe; column-distilled cane juice, bottled circa 2018, 1200 bottles; 71.2% ABV), 89/100
Yeah, I didn't have a tie in the cards, but here we are. The Cartier 30 is definitely a little prickly even when brought down, but the beautiful, shamelessly sweet arrival interrupted by the brutal smack of rocks and herbs is endlessly entertaining. The only other real shortcoming is that it isn't that unaged pot still distillate I've been hoping for. Meanwhile the Père Labat presents good reason to rehabilitate the word "smooth": if you pay attention to the details I don't actually think it's better than the Cartier (or the aforementioned bizarre Single Plot PL), but nothing this strong has any right being so silky. I'd personally buy two of the Alambiques for the same price, but I'd also totally understand the right person case-buying this stuff.
Extra special thanks to my Different Spirits on Patreon ( / differentspirits ) -
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5 сен 2024
