I received a sample of this rum and thought it would be interesting to review it, as I have not tried anything from the La Maison and Velier Flag series. The Cambodia 2016 was created at the Samai distillery located in the city of Phnom Penh using fermented molasses and distilled using a copper pot still. The rum was then aged in used bourbon casks for five years in Cambodia and then an additional three years continentally in Europe. The rum is bottled at 48.7% ABV and limited to 215 bottles. No coloring or additives were used to create this rum.
Flag Series Cambodia 2016
Appearance
The rum holds a solid golden amber color in the bottle and glass. Swirling the liquid creates a thick band around the glass that releases one wave of fast moving legs, and then a second wave of incredibly slow legs descends the side of the glass.
The bottle is packaged in a black 750 ml standard long-neck bottle with a red wax seal covering the cap and neck. The label provides the basic details of the rum.
Nose
The aroma leads with a strong dose of vanilla followed by fruit notes of overripe banana, tart pineapple, and lime zest. The wood notes drift in with hints of aged tobacco and roasted walnuts.
Palate
Like the aroma, the first sip delivers a punch of vanilla-laden alcohol that conditions the tongue. Additional sips reveal a hint of peppercorn that just sits and lingers mid-tongue until it is replaced by a limoncello flavor. Spicy nutmeg nips around the edges of the experience, and as it fades, a vanilla custard cake flavor forms the finish.
Review
I am not sure if I ever reviewed a rum from Cambodia before, and this experience left me curious to find out more about the Samai distillery and the country. From the aroma, I expected a few more wood notes in the flavor profile. The limoncello throws the experience in a different direction than expected, and then ending with the nutty vanilla custard really came out of nowhere. That said, I enjoyed the uniqueness of the flavor profile and am sure that in the hands of a skilled cocktail creator, some interesting flavor experiences will be constructed. I found it to be an interesting sipping experience.
