Old Monk Vatted 7 Year Old Blend Rum
imageCourtesy: “Bottle image courtesy of All Drinks LLP / OldMonk.kz.”
When it comes to such light and delicate rums, one really has to hunt for some nuance or complexity. But if you manage to stick around long enough, or even just a bit more than trying to get wasted on the stuff like an Indian college student, it opens up a bit more to you. There’s honey, vanilla, a little rosewater even, and just the ever so slightest impression of a turmeric or ginger note (very faint, though), and then there is also this interesting sour or rotten fruit smell. It’s very sporadic but it does manifest in front of you at a certain angle. I can’t pinpoint what fruit it is, but I’d be lying or misleading someone if I failed to mention it. But you know what? I also think that fruit nose develops into a cooked onion in a fry pan sort of aroma. Like some onions fried up in a masala of sorts. The residue afterwards, of course, and not the actual act of cooking the onions, or almost like an asafoetida or hing essence. It’s an acute presence, but it is there. Of course, accompanying that sour fruit aroma, you get some sprinkle of dustiness too, orange peel, brown sugar, molasses, and then the cola like notes and caramel thrown in with some Milk Duds or those old-timey dusty chocolate candies you get at a run down convenience store in the rural southern US or Midwest. Past that, it really does come off as like a child’s impression of what rum should taste like. It’s not bad by any means; however, it is just not carrying much in terms of depth or complexity. But that is to be expected. It’s a very light rum at only 42.8%, and we have no clue how true the seven year minimum age statement is. I would wager that it is more or less the case, but don’t take my word for that.
The taste is, despite being more simplistic, in a way far more interesting than the nose. I get both chocolate candy bar (think Snickers or Baby Ruth) but also a chocolate milkshake. There is, of course, the general brown sugar and molasses like notes, alongside a vanilla bomb and caramel; however, the rum is not that sweet as some people make it seem. It actually has a nice bitter or astringent note. Heck, there is even some very slight florality or spice like quality that follows the nose. I get some canned fruit in fruit juice or sweet syrup likewise, reminiscent of that old fruity note. What truly is the downfall of this rum is the mouthfeel. It somehow accomplishes the act of being both thin and watery but also greasy and oily, like a palm oil almost. Even my younger brother remarked how watery the stuff is, despite not being an experienced spirits drinker whatsoever and even finding wine or cocktails to burn. This stuff is that anorexic yet oddly bloated in a way. Perhaps this is the result of some additives, but it has no sugar added per hydrometer tests. However, companies will find a way around that. What I can say for sure is that the palate of this rum is not unpleasant per se. Whether or not there is some shady business going on, that is a matter of much needed debate. But the ostensible experience of savoring this rum has not been a displeasure one bit. It very much likes you and it can summon forth itself as an enjoyable hot weather drink.
Unfortunately, the departure amplifies that watery yet greasy half dissolved chocolate milk powder (not cocoa powder) mouthfeel. With a shallow rum such as this one, you really shouldn’t expect too grand of a finish. There is some lingering nuttiness like an almond butter and some cola, but it kinda fades away once you let the drink sit in your mouth a bit.
Old Monk should not be ignored as a cheap shoe polish masquerading as a premium rum. Rather, one needs to approach this stump little bottle with respect, worthy of its history and legacy. However, it is not some complex sipper or anything of that nature either, make no mistake. This is a rum meant for light and elegant summer drinking or mixing. In fact, it made an interesting rum and coke or zeera/spiced masala cola with rum, albeit I am not a mixologist or a cocktail guy but I digress. I think in the future, if we start seeing higher ABV stuff with more explicit disclosure on the production details, Old Monk can definitely blossom anew a profound sector for Indian rum and Asian rum as a whole beyond the subcontinent.
Final Rating: 77/100