Nine Leaves Angel's Half American Oak

Nine Leaves: Angel's Half American Oak Cask

Here's a rum from the Japanese 🇯🇵 distillery Nine Leaves. Nine Leaves is a relatively new distillery, starting operations in 2013, but is getting some international recognition in the world of rum. This rum uses evaporated cane juice, then distilled via pot still before being aged in American oak casks for one year. Presented at 50%ABV.

On the nose I find white wine, sake, plum, perfume, kiwi, vanilla and floral notes.

I get cream and pepper on the palate.

The finish is medium in length with pepper and is dry.

Unfortunately I was having trouble pulling out additional notes with this sample, but it was a tasty rum (just not as good as the others enjoyed during this tasting).

Let me start with the good things: its different, its interesting, it has an incredible complex aftertaste.

What keeps me indecisive about the rum is the smell and the taste in general. Its sharp and spicy. More whiskey kind of aroma. The 50% give you a good punch at first. Then when your mouth gets used to the alcohol, you do taste lots and lots of fresh fruits. Maybe a bit like strong pot still jamaican rums.

If you like this kind of sharpness and richness this rum is definitely worth the 60-70€ and a 9 or 10. I myself cant say im a fan of it, but its definitely a nice experience.

its very special nothing i can compare with, but i like it very tastfull

Il Nine Leaves Angel's Half American Oak, chiamato così perché invecchiato per sei mesi in botti di rovere bianco americano (contrariamente al French Oak che è invecchiato in rovere francese), è un particolare rum artigianale giapponese dall'elevata gradazione alcolica (50% alcool vol.).
All'olfatto si distiungue per l'accentuato aroma di caramello e vaniglia dal quale fa capolino un accenno fruttato, mentre al palato, oltre all'accentuata presenza di alcol, si nota inizialmente una presenza di pera che però, dandogli il giusto tempo, si evolve in bacche e frutti di bosco.

Tutto sommato un buon rum, sicuramente da provare almeno una volta.

Too strong, missing smell of rum. Sharp on first taste...

Strange aroma, burning sharp first taste. Short aftertaste with fruit tones.

Au nez, on reconnaît à peine un rhum. Très agressif, limite térébenthine. Ensuite, ça ne s'arrange pas. Notes trop violente de caramel et de vanille, caractéristiques d'un rhum agricole de qualité médiocre. Finalement le prix et beaucoup trop élevé pour un rhum aussi médiocre, il devrait valoir une vingtaine d'euros et non plus d'une centaine.

Au nez des fortes notes de fruit (poire notamment), en bouche très alcool. En blind test on aurait du mal à dire qu il s agit d un rhum. Très spécial et déroutant.

This is a tough one. Hard oak and caramel in the nose. Slight hints of Sake. Some sweet vanillapowder reaches out. On the palate you can find honey, apples and green lime juice. Typical sugarcane fragrance in the Finale. Unusual but great.

Der riecht schon sehr schlecht und so schmeckt er auch. Bei einer Blindverkostung hätte ich auf Grappa getippt. Grappa mag ich sehr gern, aber den nicht.