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Lost Spirits Navy Style 61 rum

Lost Spirits Navy Style 61

United States | Gold

7.2/10
11 ratings
Recommendable to most
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11 Lost Spirits Navy Style 61 Ratings

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Wayne Upton 🇺🇸 | 136 ratings
Posted almost 7 years ago

Not meant to replicate any particular navy rum, this is an engineered imagining of what a navy rum might have been. It's got a touch of heat, but nothing too sharp. It's dark and meaty, and I get a good solid hit of butterscotch. It still has the "Lost Spirits" quality to it, but it's a pleasant departure and advancement of their technique. Recommend.

Falcon91Wolvrn03 (PREMIUM) 🇺🇸 | 563 ratings
Posted almost 6 years ago

This is an interesting rum.

Piratejabez said the aroma reminds him of burnt buttered toast. I like that description and I'll go with that with a touch of honey, though this rum is relatively dry. Also smells and tastes of charred oak, black strap molasses, butterscotch, and spice.

There's some interesting things going on here, but I find this rum is just a little dry for my personal liking.

piratejabez 🇺🇸 | 322 ratings
Posted over 6 years ago

I've put off this review for a long time. Lost Spirits bottlings are a bit of an enigma—which, I imagine, is not at all unintentional. With Bryan Davis' unique accelerated-aging device, the production/maturation techniques are unlike just about anything else on the market today. Though he names them things like "Navy Style," "Cuban-Inspired," or Polynesian-Inspired," that really only helps with what was Bryan was thinking of when he crafted them (sailors, nightclubs, beaches)—not the final tasting notes. (For more information on the aging process, there are some excellent articles out there, a quick Google search away. Perhaps I'll stick some links in at the end.)

Some other things getting in the way of this review is that each bottle I sample from (which currently is at least 4) strikes me differently. The first few gave me rather different impressions, the last one not as much. Perhaps related to this is that this rum (and its siblings) changes more in the glass over time (oxidizes) more dramatically than any other spirit I've encountered. It's a very organic experience, discovering these mutations over time. (Again, I can't help but think that even if Bryan doesn't plan for that, he probably still loves it.)

In any case, I think I've had enough now (I've been working through my own bottle of it for months) to finally stop procrastinating. On with the tasting notes:

If there's one thing that describes the aroma of this rum, it's buttered toast. (I kid you not.) And the toast is dark, but not quite so burnt you throw it away. There's loads of toffee and vanilla—very creamy, but still very "dark" and woody, with more than a hint of smoke. Campfires come to mind (for the smoke, not the marshmallows). It's a strong flavor profile that you either like or you don't.

And frankly, I don't.

At least not at first. If you're patient (30 minutes+), the vanilla buttercream will yield to more delicate, distillate-driven aromas. It becomes much more balanced. I can't really describe it that well, just that the aromas that put me off initially step back enough for me to actually enjoy the blend of smells emanating from the glass. In any case, it strongly benefits from time to breathe. (Of course, if buttered toast and woody vanilla toffee are your thing, dive right in!)

The tasting follows suit. The first time I tried this, I was amazed it was 61% (122 proof). I found it remarkably smooth and drinkable (this was the tasting that resulted in a purchase). Future tastings have been a bit sharper, and quite astringent. Still, there's really no off-putting alcohol aromas to spoil entry, which is impressive for what is technically an unaged rum (from an American craft distiller, no less). It's very dry, and warming. While other grocery-store-shelf rums that lead with toffee and vanilla on the nose usually follow that with a mild, approachable off-sweet palate at 80 proof, Lost Spirits' rums are bottled at cask strength, and the juice is clear about that. It's probably not something you'll want to shoot or gulp, but sip respectably. You can sip it at 61%, or you can bring it down to 60 or 50 (I probably wouldn't go below that) if that works better for you. With a few drops of water, it's still rather astringent. A dry, smoky finish lingers. (Where's a glass of water?)

So, I have very mixed feelings on this rum, and I've found myself struggling with how to actually deploy it (and free up space for something I might be more excited about). I'll sip it neat occasionally, but it's more "interesting" than "delicious." It's great in cocktails—sub it for OFTD or a Demerara rum and the vanilla/spice notes shine. It's also remarkably good with/on (gasp!) desserts, such as bread pudding or ice cream, for which normally I wouldn't bring out a $40+ bottle. So while it may best other "navy-esque" rums from Lemon Hart, Hamilton, and Plantation in these regards, it also costs quite a bit more. And I, personally, don't want to stock anything in this price range that I don't thoroughly enjoy sipping neat.

While Bryan's reactor relies on extracting compounds from charred wood to emulate the chemical makeup of long-barrel-aged spirit, it's that aggressive woody influence that keeps this rum from being great. If the distillate itself was able to shine through more, if the aging process rounded the edges without stealing the show, and if I didn't have to wait so long for the glass to change into something I kinda enjoy, well, I'd give it at least an 8. But whether you like the profile or not, it's undeniably impressive what Mr. Davis is able to accomplish, and I hope future offerings bring something new to the table (oh yes, you can rest assured they'll be "different").

7++

Further reading on Lost Spirits:
- WIRED article by Wayne Curtis: https://www.wired.com/2017/05/brian-davis-lost-spirits-distillery-aging-rum-fast/
- Cocktail Wonk's posts: http://cocktailwonk.com/category/lost-spirits

ErikV12 🇺🇸 | 63 ratings
Posted 30 days ago

It's definitely different, from a rum perspective but I don't hate it. Might make a better mixer but sipping is not horrible. The heat is there but dissipates quickly. Letting it sit opens the flavors but seems to lose some of the oak

Alas 🇵🇷 | 499 ratings
Posted 7 months ago

Caramel on the nose, a hint of coffee on the taste, The body is slightly thick which is great because the taste lingers a bit of burn at the end but nowhere near what you would thing for 61%abv.

John T 🇺🇸 | 8 ratings
Posted over 1 year ago

I picked up a bottle of this at the Lost Spirits Distillery. I found the nose to give up a lot of notes once I found the proper distance to prevent the alcohol content from burning my nose. I detected notes of burnt toast, vanilla, and caramel notes of molasses, chocolate, diacetyl, and butterscotch. I could also pull out a green note that could be either green olive or green beans. Although very slight, there is a bit of acetone and some fruit that I couldn't pin down. The rum is not sweet. It reminds me of dark chocolate. I can also taste a lot of vanilla and wood notes. This rum is very hot, which I do not mind. I wish it had more funkiness, but for that, I'll have to look elsewhere.

Quilty 🇺🇸 | 15 ratings
Posted almost 3 years ago

Thin, synthetic attempt to age rum in a day or so resulting in an undrinkable, gasoline-like product. Some tasting notes are present but are superficial and blasted away by a spirit that needs to sit in some oak for a few years. Even then, I doubt it would be palatable. Avoid.

beeporama (PREMIUM) 🇺🇸 | 90 ratings
Posted 4 years ago

A bit less burn than most at this proof, but either lacking complexity or too subtle for my palate. So I'm not sure when I'd pick this over another sipper, and I'm not sure I'd spend this much on something I'd mix in a cocktail. I can't say anything bad about this, but I don't have any idea what to do with it.

Dean 🇺🇸 | 54 ratings
Posted 6 years ago

61% but very sippable. In a mixed drink- very tasty.

G_Demerara 🇺🇸 | 2 ratings
Posted over 6 years ago

The tonic and soda really open up the rum, bringing the fruity notes forward and gives space for the really complex flavors A great tribute to sophisticated navy-style rums. The oak adds complexity without overpowering the rum. Its flavor is not erased by juice-heavy cocktails, though I think it really shines in a daisy or a tonic -- spirit forward drinks with just enough water or juice to bring down that 61%. An excellent rum.




Brand Details

Name: Navy Style 61
Type: Lost Spirits
Raw Material: Unknown
Process: Unknown
Distillation: Unknown
Women leading Rum: No