Rob Bauer

Independent rum reviews and tasting notes

Rob Bauer publishes independent rum reviews and tasting notes with a focus on the stories behind each bottle. The site covers a wide spread of distilleries and independent bottlers.
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74 rums reviewed

Reviews by Rob Bauer

Rob Bauer 9.9/10
Community 9.9/10 · 28
"My personal number 1."
Rob Bauer 9.8/10
Community 9.8/10 · 30
"For me, Port Mourant 1964 from Cadenhead's is the best rum in the world. An incredibly complex poem of tobacco, nuts, violets, dark chocolate, roots, cola and fig, ending in a grand finale of prunes. …"
Rob Bauer 9.8/10
Community 9.7/10 · 13
"The absolute top class and the ultimate plum bomb."
Rob Bauer 9.7/10
Community 9.7/10 · 13
"Nose Rex tremendae majestatis! The first sniff literally explodes and manifests what's making these Velier Demeraras so special. It's the unbelievable fatness, richness and the exotic jungle …"
Rob Bauer 9.6/10
Community 9.6/10 · 43
"No 1 Rum in the world imo. "
Rob Bauer 9.6/10
Community 9.5/10 · 14
"One of the best Port Mourants."
Rob Bauer 9.6/10
Community 9.6/10 · 12
"Nase Wenn Diamond 1988 Mozarts Requiem war, ist dieser Bursche Bachs h-Moll-Messe! Also tiefer, transzendenter und komplexer. Die trockensten Pflaumen aus Bayern. Rosinen aus der Türkei. Der feinste …"
Rob Bauer 9.5/10
Community 9.5/10 · 23
"Nose There's a starman waiting in the sky. He'd like to come and meet us, but he thinks he'd blow our minds! The first contact hovers you up, makes you smashing David Bowie hits and opens a whole …"
Rob Bauer 9.5/10
Community 9.4/10 · 19
"Nose Who allowed this witchcraft?! Lord have mercy on us. Never in a thousand years does this feel like an only 9 year old spirit, black Demerera magic it is! The bouquet is fat and rich, uber-complex …"
Rob Bauer 9.4/10
Community 9.4/10 · 228
"Nose While Long Pond 2007 TECC was a disturbing Bacon painting, this Caroni is a tropical Monet! Full of elegance, complexity, herbs and an astonishing richness. We can honestly say that we've never …"
Rob Bauer 9.4/10
Community 9.1/10 · 61
"As far as the best 1994 REV from my point of view. Won in blind comparison against my previous benchmark Valinch & Mallet. R"
Rob Bauer 9.4/10
Community 9.4/10 · 22
"Nose The Bouquet is a Versace dress in liquid aggregate. Incredibly oplulent, vibrant and yet of undeniable elegance. Feels almost like a perfume called Eau de Demerara, coming straight from the …"
Rob Bauer 9.4/10
Community 9.4/10 · 20
"1974 benchmark!"
Rob Bauer 9.4/10
Community 9.3/10 · 13
"In the Top 5 French Style Rums and the best of Guadeloupe. Nose Dori me, interimo ayapare, dorime. Ameno ameno! We're in an old, dim catholic cathedral, enveloped with deep notes of swirling …"
Rob Bauer 9.3/10
Community 9.0/10 · 121
"Totally awesome HERR and extremely impressive for its 8 years. What stands out in particular are the stone fruit associations which, alongside the usual tropical fruits (pineapple, mango, etc.), tend …"
Rob Bauer 9.3/10
Community 9.0/10 · 112
"On the nose, a warm pot of butter full of hazelnuts, walnuts, and macadamia. Along with wood glue, Persian rose water, and an earthiness of roots, combined with dried apricots. On the palate, the …"
Rob Bauer 9.3/10
Community 9.0/10 · 79
"Superkomplexer Agricole Rhum. Geschmacklich ein Hybrid aus Guyana, uraltem Guadeloupe und Martinique Rhum. In den top 5 Agricoles meiner Meinung nach. "
Rob Bauer 9.3/10
Community 9.1/10 · 70
Rob Bauer 9.3/10
Community 9.2/10 · 43
"Un des 3 meilleurs Long Ponds que j'ai eu jusqu'à présent."
Rob Bauer 9.3/10
Community 9.5/10 · 3
"Brutally delicious blend of ancient rums that I was able to taste both directly from the demijohn and later from the bottle. This was definitely not about quantity but about a tiny little essence of …"
Rob Bauer 9.2/10
Community 9.2/10 · 101
Rob Bauer 9.2/10
Community 9.2/10 · 94
"One of the best Guadeloupe rums. Top 5 rums"
Rob Bauer 9.2/10
Community 9.1/10 · 80
Rob Bauer 9.2/10
Community 9.0/10 · 68
"Bester Savanna."
Rob Bauer 9.2/10
Community 9.0/10 · 53
"Nose Tropical Langhe?! It's fascinating and at the same time odd, but I'm smelling tar and roses, a bit like I know it from old, very good Barolos. But that's just one nuance among many. Distilled …"
Rob Bauer 9.2/10
Community 9.1/10 · 49
"After the Monymusk Velier 1997 For Begnoni, this is the only 1997 Mony on the market so far. Almost completely tropically matured (22 years). With Clarendon / Monymusk is different from Hampden and …"
Rob Bauer 9.2/10
Community 8.7/10 · 29
Rob Bauer 9.2/10
Community 8.3/10 · 6
Rob Bauer 9.1/10
Community 9.0/10 · 268
"Nose Some describe the smell as bicycle tube or gasoline. It slightly reminds us of the rubbery smell that greets you as you descend into the metro of a big city like London or Moscow. While this …"
Rob Bauer 9.1/10
Community 9.0/10 · 266
"Brutally good PLV! Velier Demerara schooner!"
Rob Bauer 9.1/10
Community 8.8/10 · 157
"Nose The first impression is so lovely that it makes one sit down. Imagine a thick fruit pot of plums, overripe bananas, figs and apricots, that were pickled in honey, almond paste and coconut butter …"
Rob Bauer 9.1/10
Community 8.7/10 · 107
"Bally am Sweetspot. Im Blindtasting hat der 15 Ballys geschlagen, unter anderem 1998 und 1999 BDF. Tolle Fruchtigkeit und Nussigkeit, mit genau der richtigen Menge Holz und einer opulenten Süße. …"
Rob Bauer 9.1/10
Community 8.9/10 · 55
"Nose This is brillant! Versailles Still at its best. We tried a few MECs but this one burns them all. Plus all KFMs we've lately tried. Imagine sitting in the dirtiest harbour pub in Georgetown …"
Rob Bauer 9.1/10
Community 8.7/10 · 26
"Nose EMB, you are the holy mark of Jamaica! So clearly EMB that it almost hurts. See, lavender sticks and fermented mangoes, pineapples and bananas. Precious rose oil (doTERRA quality) and thick …"
Rob Bauer 9.1/10
Community 9.0/10 · 9
"Nose Violets, coffee, and dried rose petals. Ylang-ylang blossoms. It feels like sniffing a coffee in a Victorian-era orangery. Why Victorian? Picture an old, fragrant Chesterfield armchair as well. …"
Rob Bauer 9.1/10
Community 9.2/10 · 7
Rob Bauer 9.0/10
Community 8.9/10 · 73
"Very strong St. Lucia. In the TOP 5 in my opinion."
Rob Bauer 9.0/10
Community 8.5/10 · 69
"Tastes like a beautiful old school Versailles. Unbelievable PLV."
Rob Bauer 9.0/10
Community 8.3/10 · 68
"Significantly fruitier and more intense than the Isautier from Velier. Great exotic profile with a lovely sweetness!"
Rob Bauer 9.0/10
Community 8.7/10 · 29
"NaseIn nur einem Atemzug drückt der Geist die Rückspultaste und entführt Sie in einen schummrigen orientalischen Harem, wo Ihre Nase von Hunderten von exotischen Düften verzaubert wird. Während Sie …"
Rob Bauer 9.0/10
Community 8.8/10 · 25
"Nose What happens when you cross a beautiful V8 petrol engine with a bunch of flowers in your mind? Well, something like this first smell. It's a very, very atypical 1998 Caroni. Tons of raspberries. …"
Rob Bauer 9.0/10
Community 9.2/10 · 11
"So far the best Caroni 2000 in my book. Very complex, fruity Caroni. Mega."
Rob Bauer 9.0/10
Community 8.9/10 · 8
"Very atypical, exciting 1986 Rockley"
Rob Bauer 9.0/10
Community 9.0/10 · 3
"Mit einer der besten weißen Rums die ich je im Glas hatte und eines der Highlights des Rhum Fest Paris 2025. Komplexität ohne Ende. Fruchtig und würzig zugleich. Am Gaumen wie Butter, Alkohol kaum …"
Rob Bauer 9.0/10
Community 8.9/10 · 2
"Absolutely juicy and intense despite dilution. One of the best 1989 PMs."
Rob Bauer 8.9/10
Community 9.0/10 · 171
"Could easily pass for a very good Demerara French Savalle rum. Super stuff!"
Rob Bauer 8.9/10
Community 8.7/10 · 140
Rob Bauer 8.9/10
Community 8.6/10 · 119
Rob Bauer 8.9/10
Community 9.1/10 · 73
"Sehr cleaner, eleganter HERR. Finde den Swell de Spirits nochmal eine Spur komplexer und tiefer."
Rob Bauer 8.9/10
Community 8.9/10 · 50
"ɴose Sweet mangoes, raisins and marcipan. What?! It actually feels like an old Baraillon Armagnac at the first encounter. The most uncommon PM 89 Nose we've had till date. And the most fruity one. …"
Rob Bauer 8.9/10
Community 8.7/10 · 28
Rob Bauer 8.9/10
Community 8.9/10 · 18
"Very unusual Caroni. Almost no notes of petrol in it, but berry fruits and flowers."
Rob Bauer 8.9/10
Community 9.0/10 · 15
Rob Bauer 8.8/10
Community 8.8/10 · 243
Rob Bauer 8.8/10
Community 9.0/10 · 217
Rob Bauer 8.8/10
Community 8.9/10 · 64
"Nose EHP with trumpets! What?! In terms of smell this is much closer to rums from the Enmore Coffey Still instead of the Versailles still. Meaning: Lots of pencil shavings, but fried in coconut butter …"
Rob Bauer 8.8/10
Community 8.5/10 · 28
"NaseVamos Muchachos! (Moment, das ist falsch!) Beim ersten Schnuppern fühlt man sich in ein wildes Gemüsebeet auf einer mexikanischen Farm versetzt. Wilde Agaven, Himbeeren, Quitten, unreifer Mais, …"
Rob Bauer 8.7/10
Community 9.3/10 · 39
"Verdammt leckerer Stoff. In der Nase total abgefahrene Dschungelnoten. Hochkomplex, dunkel und schwer. Sehr "Reimonenq". Die Frage ist, ob hier wie bei den alten Demeraras auch etwas mit Fasszusätzen …"
Rob Bauer 8.7/10
Community 8.5/10 · 7
Rob Bauer 8.6/10
Community 8.3/10 · 31
"Nose Good lord, what is this? That's so different compared to all the rums we had to date. The bouquet is odd and exotic and brings you straight to a tropical Island (no we're not influenced by the …"
Rob Bauer 8.5/10
Community 8.5/10 · 60
"Fantastische Nase, mit starkem VSG Einschlag. Bleistiftspäne, getrocknete Blüten, nasses Wurzelwerk. Am Gaumen sehr intensiv und holzig. Hier melden sich die süßen Column-Bestandteile, aber auch etwas …"
Rob Bauer 8.5/10
Community 8.5/10 · 26
"Nose What..wait a moment! Mentholated chocolate, parsley, thyme, essential oils, Axe Deo, some glue and melted butter. This ain't no petrol can, but a hybrid of Angostura (the good ones), Damoiseau …"
Rob Bauer 8.5/10
Community 8.7/10 · 8
"Good Appleton! Unfortunately, the dilution takes away some of the complexity and intensity."
Rob Bauer 8.4/10
Community 9.1/10 · 48
"Nose And BOOM! The scent receptors are ran over by a heavy train of sweet tropical fruits, woods and solvents. The power and complexity is almost brutal, with that train being loaded with overripe …"
Rob Bauer 8.4/10
Community 8.0/10 · 40
"Fantastischer XO. Direkt bei Bonne Mère mit Julien Picot probiert. Entgegen der meistens XOs wurden hier auch sehr alte Fasser verwendet. Man merkt dss im Abgang. Mit einer der besten XOs im …"
Rob Bauer 8.2/10
Community 8.7/10 · 232
"Nose Call the drug police! We find all kinds of sweet and sticky glues, like wood glue, Pattex and UHU. It's clearly a lot of Guyana in there (that's an asset!). But also fresh Foursquare paint drops, …"
Rob Bauer 8.2/10
Community 8.8/10 · 10
"Paxarette sans fin. Influence beaucoup trop forte du sherry"
Rob Bauer 8.1/10
Community 8.6/10 · 12
"From a purely tasting point of view, I would guess that this bottling is a rum from the Savalle Column Still."
Rob Bauer 8.0/10
Community 8.2/10 · 51
"NaseDieses Zeug ist der Hammer! Was für eine verrückte Nase. Reines süß-saures Himbeerkonzentrat auf Vanilleeis und ein paar Tropfen Nagellack. Das Ganze serviert mit geschmolzenem Ziegenkäse, …"
Rob Bauer 8.0/10
Community 9.0/10 · 18
"Neat, balanced rum. But somewhat one-dimensional and thin. No comparison to the 1974 and 1975 vintages....strongly overrated."
Rob Bauer 6.0/10
Community 8.7/10 · 8
"Spectacular nose, but completely fermented and sour on the palate."
Rob Bauer 5.0/10
Community 7.3/10 · 46
Rob Bauer 4.0/10
Community 8.0/10 · 270
"I tried to approach the stuff without prejudice. However, the added sweetness is so present and dominant on the palate that I consider this bottling absolutely unnecessary. It has nothing to do with …"
Rob Bauer 2.0/10
Community 7.0/10 · 316
"Horrible brew that tastes only of sweetness."
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