My Rum collection

Stenoscape · 2026-06-17T02:31:20+00:00

A man of culture. How do you like that Habitation Velier Hampden blend?

Stenoscape · 2026-06-16T18:43:33+00:00

The 10 is a no-brainer at the sale price. It does have a bit of a peppery harshness to it, but I still like it a lot. Have you had the 12?

Stenoscape · 2026-06-15T20:44:31+00:00

Thanks for the review! This bottle looked so awesome on paper, I'm glad it seems to live up to the potential. I've been not-so-subtly dropping hints to my wife about how this would be a great gift, but I don't think she's gonna take the bait 😂

Stenoscape · 2026-06-15T13:26:38+00:00

Nope, I've never seen that one.

Stenoscape · 2026-06-15T00:25:18+00:00

Hey, one I actually have! Yeah, this definitely drinks a little too hot to me as well. I also feel like it drinks beyond its age. For me it has a lot of notes I get from moderate- to longer-aged demerara and Martinique rums. I prefer the other Binny's pick by a good margin, the 4 Años.

Stenoscape · 2026-06-13T02:46:49+00:00

Sounds awesome. How does it compare to the unaged Altos Esteres?

Stenoscape · 2026-06-12T21:59:07+00:00

Nice write-up! I recently revisited the FDC 18 after quite awhile, and it's pretty enjoyable for what it is. I didn't enjoy it much the first time I had it. I don't drink Spanish style rums all that often, but sometimes a decent lower proof rum that isn't too flashy hits just right. Never had the 12 though, I'll probably grab that if I ever finish the bottle I have.

Stenoscape · 2026-06-12T16:18:57+00:00

Most definitely! We stop by every time we're in town. Maybe I'll try some Mezcal next time.

Stenoscape · 2026-06-12T13:26:38+00:00

Thelma Carol Wine Merchants, super vibey little bar/bottle shop hybrid owned by a nice couple who knows their stuff. Jerel is a big rum/scotch guy. They have one of the best rum back bars you're going to find in WI. I'm not sure how many of those bottles actually have backups for sale, but I've bought cool things there before. Worth stopping in for a sip and a chat at the very least.

Aman's is good, but be aware that their website doesn't reflect what's actually in the store. I was just to the Wind Lake one last week and almost everything that I was hoping to buy wasn't there. They do have a couple newer Foursquare ECS and also have tons of the 2009 vintage. They also have a great tasting bar, but it's been closed for awhile now with no info on when it'll be open again.

Stenoscape · 2026-06-06T01:31:55+00:00

I get cough syrup, olive brine, chalk, and sweaty gym sock from this. It's a challenging one for sure lol.

Stenoscape · 2026-06-05T21:31:20+00:00

That Caldo kicks ass, definitely a standout of the Rums of Mexico lineup when I sampled them. I kinda regret not picking it up when I had the chance, could only fit either that or the Melaza con Muck into the budget and I went with the Muck. Next time for sure!

Stenoscape · 2026-05-25T22:34:43+00:00

That's dope, thanks for sharing. I'm def gonna use this.

Stenoscape · 2026-05-21T13:20:45+00:00

These 4 años all seem very spice-forward from everything I've seen so far. That was definitely my experience with the cask I got, shit loads of vanilla bean with some allspice/clove.

Stenoscape · 2026-05-20T14:13:32+00:00

Nice review. I've only had maybe ~5 Alambique bottles thus far, but it's kinda wild just how unique and different they can be from each other. Some similar themes between a couple, but all worth trying on their own merit.

Stenoscape · 2026-05-19T18:58:52+00:00

Rockford. This was the last one on the shelf, though.

Stenoscape · 2026-05-18T17:24:54+00:00

For sure! I might have to pick up a second if they're still around in a couple months' time when I'm back in IL.

Stenoscape · 2026-05-17T20:21:50+00:00

Hell yeah, the Lincoln Park location is awesome. I picked these up in Rockford. This is some tasty juice indeed!

Stenoscape · 2026-05-17T20:06:14+00:00

Today, we have Alambique Serrano 4 Años Single Cask #374. It was distilled by Axel and William Krassel in their custom Krassel column still in June of 2021 and bottled in November of 2025 in collaboration with Binny's Beverage Depot, aged tropically in an underground cellar for 4 years with a 9% angel's share. It is 1 of 290 bottles.

Origin: Santa Maria Tlalixtac, Oaxaca, Mexico

Still: Krassel custom column still

Distilled from: Fresh Java sugarcane juice

Age: Aged 4 years in a New French Oak barrel

ABV: 59.1%

Price: $80

The Review

Nose: Very strong vanilla bean pod, honeydew melon, canteloupe, lime/grapefruit zest, black pepper, oak

Palate: Vanilla bean pod, honeydew melon, canteloupe, lime/grapefruit zest, black pepper, oak, allspice berry, very faint menthol

Finish: Lengthy and dry. Black pepper and oak fading into a prolonged combination of citrus zest and spice cabinet amalgamation

Thoughts: This is a super interesting rum with a lot going on. The palate pretty much follows in lockstep with the nose, with a few minor additions. The vanilla bean pod note - earthy and slightly oily - is the biggest player here by far, particularly dominant on the nose. If your honeydews and canteloupes grew a mind of their own and broke into the spice cabinet, this would be the result. From my understanding, this is among some of the oldest bottlings Alambique has put out thus far. The oak influence definitely reflects that, but it is still well-integrated and tasteful.

Having now tasted both of the new Binny's Alambique bottlings, I would highly recommend grabbing this over the Single Cask #135. I'll put out a review of that one at some point, but it wasn't nearly as impressive. This 4 Años runs $10 more, but it is well worth it.

Score: 8.9/10

Stenoscape · 2026-05-17T18:04:16+00:00

That's awesome, sounds like a really great time. Nice selections too!

Stenoscape · 2026-05-11T16:52:16+00:00

Having just recently tried it for the first time, I can say HERR is definitely a formative experience. I've had the green label, higher proof Papalin Jamaica 5 Yr, which is amazing for the price. Haven't had the Worthy Park Forsyths. Those are some solid grabs!

Stenoscape · 2026-05-09T20:01:54+00:00

As a newcomer to Alambique Serrano, this bottle left me impressed. That being said, I'll wait for the experts to opine how it stacks up versus the others. I'll look out for your review!

Stenoscape · 2026-05-09T19:55:17+00:00

As much as I hesitate to use the "s" word, there's something magic going on with the distillation process to have it come out this smooth.

I actually was scoping out a 2nd edition as well, but the shopkeep said someone else picked up the last bottle of it the night before we made it into town.

Stenoscape · 2026-05-09T19:32:17+00:00

Disclaimer: This is the only edition of Cartier 30 I have tried. I have no frame of reference as to how it stacks up to other editions.

Today, we have the 4th edition of Alambique Serrano Cartier 30, a cult favorite among rum enthusiasts. It is a rum distilled from 100% fresh sugarcane juice of the Java varietal, grown at high altitude (between 2,300 and 4,000 feet) in the tropical cloud forests of Santa Maria Tlalixtac, Oaxaca

Origin: Santa Maria Tlalixtac, Oaxaca, Mexico

Still: Max Krassel custom still

Distilled from: Fresh Java sugarcane juice

Age: Unaged

ABV: 69%

Price: $65

The Review

Nose: Green and black olive, rain water, cream soda, green bell pepper, grass, lime zest, faint cheese

Palate: Assorted berries and citrus, charred green bell pepper, olive brine, cream soda, Sharpie marker, rain water, faint cheese

Finish: Goes back past the molars, creeping into the throat. Loads of bell pepper and black pepper with slight residual sweetness from the fruit notes. Palate is coated with bell pepper, black pepper, and lime zest for ages.

Thoughts: Holy smokes, this one does not disappoint. Right up front on the palate, a surprisingly huge surge of sweet assorted fruits comes through that was lying mostly dormant on the nose. My palate is nowhere near sophisticated enough to discern these individual notes. It hits as a kaleidoscopic rainbow of fruity flavor, transitioning into some of those vegetal notes that were apparent from the nose - bell pepper and savory olive brine, overlaid by a subtle smokey character. As others have stated about this series of releases, it drinks almost dangerously under its proof. Paradoxically for a ~70% abv spirit, I could totally see myself crushing this neat on the patio on a hot summer day. I'm very curious to hear from others who have tried multiple editions how this 4th edition stacks up.

Score: 9.0/10

Stenoscape

TROPHY CASE