Hyde 6 No. 4 President’s Choice Rum Cask Finish

This past year (2018) I had lots and lots of plans. Finish my accounting schooling, find a new job in a new career space, figure out if the worms have gotten to my brains yet, and review enough Irish Whiskey to finally hit 100 total reviews.

I’m happy to say I got most of that done, and I haven’t yet started to search out the belly of a large shark to pass on the offspring of the brain worms. As for posting them, I may have gotten behind what with learning derivatives and serving our soon-to-be wriggling overlords. So I’m posting them now! Yay!

Today we’re switching it up a bit. Instead of just another Irish whiskey (is there really such a thing?) we have one that’s been finished in ex-rum casks. From where exactly? Barbados. Also according to the marketing, it was tasty rum, which I’m glad they are making, as opposed to making all that horrible rum. On purpose. To sell.

Ahem.

So we have Hyde 6 No. 4 The President’s Cask, a single malt Irish Whiskey that spent some time in Dark Rum casks from the Caribbean. All American oak.

I’ve had a few ex-rum casks, and frankly, the only consistent thing is how the quality can vary quite a bit. However Hyde states they hand select all casks based on quality, so I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt for now.

Let’s see how it tastes then, shall we?

Price: N/A at the LCBO

Region: Ireland

Casks used: Ex-bourbon, then finished in ex-rum casks

Abv: 46%

Colour: 5Y 9/8

Nose: Mango, brine, an orchard worth of peach, cumin, berries

Tropical. I know, you’re shocked. Really, it was in a rum cask and it’s tropical. I’m surprised you now.

That said, this is only a finish. There’s a ton of peach and stone fruit here. Takes over like an angry alien species.

What? I’m North American, it’s basically what we do?

Taste: Peach, cloves, cinnamon, anise, caramel

More peach, but now with some rum spices. And more spices. And a nice mixture of sharp and hot ones.

Some caramel to round it out. I’m missing the brine and tropical aspects.

Finish: Cinnamon, peach, oak, ginger, vanilla

More spice and peach. It’s getting unbalanced on the peach side, with more heat/spice rounding out. This has some vanilla that works, but it’s hard to get away from the sheer amount of peaches like you’re at a Presidents of the USA concert where the band is controlled by your one aunt who only knows one song.

You know which one you are.

Conclusion: Unbalanced, though nice spice. This won’t annoy you or be too rough. It’s certainly got peaches in droves. It’s nice to sip on, however, you’re not going to find many new and interesting flavours beyond what’s in other whiskeys out there. Irish whiskey fans may miss those bread notes or drier aspects.

That all said, there’s a lot rougher or poorer rum cask whiskeys out there. The fact that this doesn’t turn into some rough mixture of too much tropical is impressive, and it takes a good balance of spice from the rum.

So nice to have, and I’d love to try the older version if only to see what more time with the rum cask tastes better.

74/100

World Whiskey review #345, Ireland review #93, Whiskey Network review #1646