Aroma visualization from community tastings
Excellence Rhum T.D.L Trinidad Distillers 2003
Sip this neat and slow — at 65.6% it runs hot, but the alcohol sits remarkably well-integrated for the proof. Red and black fruit lead: cassis, cherry, mango, then a "slightly dirty" TDL streak of rubber, smoke, leather and tobacco. Menthol and mint run right through the middle to a long, drying finish. Complex and intense; a few drops of water tame the tannins.
The community says- Red & black fruit
- Well-integrated proof
- But: Runs hot neat
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The look inside the bottle
How does Excellence Rhum T.D.L Trinidad Distillers 2003 taste?
Aggregated from 44 community reviews.
Dirty, fruit-packed TDL with a menthol streak Owners rate it a standout continental-aged TDL — loud, dirty and fruit-packed, with the high proof praised as well-integrated. A couple find the menthol edge a touch much.
fans of dirty, high-proof Trinidad rum
newcomers or anyone put off by rubber and menthol
How the community classifies this rum. Each category takes you to similar rums.
Which glass for which rum? The community guide →
26 of 44 left detailed tasting impressions · Click an aroma to explore similar rums
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How is Excellence Rhum T.D.L Trinidad Distillers 2003 rated?
RumX’s 0–10 scale is strict: 8.8 sits in the “Very good” band. 100% of tasters rate it Good or better; only 0% rate it below average. See the full rating guide →
Community voices
What does the community say?
100% rate it 8 or higher. 18 selected write-ups from 44 community ratings. You can view the complete list in our app.
Review by Dr.Django
Already the second tasting and again this T.D.L is a lot of fun on the palate. Mint, dried and tropical fruit, cherry. But dirty notes also come to the fore here in the mouth. A certain woody sweetness resonates in the background, or sometimes in the foreground.
Review by Tschusikowsky
Sweet and tropical nose. Mango, popcorn, vanilla, iodine and spices. Then much more mature in the mouth. Smoky, mint, overripe, tropical fruit, vanilla, menthol and rubber. Nice long finish. Pleasing, crisp and fine. I like the 2003 vintage much better than the 2001s.
Review by Jeremy Roger 🇫🇷
On the nose it's very appealing!!! It's hard to let it air out 🤤 Very fruity and a floral/medicinal touch. In the mouth it's extra!!! A huge kick!!! Intensely complex! A nice slap in the face ❤❤ I don't regret having picked up a bottle 👌Coup de coeur du moment 🔥Second bottle received!!! Half empty bottle. Softer on the attack. Taste remains just as deep.
Review by crazyforgoodbooze
Great nose! The taste is unfortunately too ethereal and oily for me, almost sauna infusion-like and a very strange acidity and furiness. Alcohol well integrated but somehow I can't cope with it 100%...😃
Review by TheRhumhoe
A highly concentrated T.D.L. that gets the nose talking with a deluge of red and black fruits (blackcurrant, blackberry, cherry, raisin). The alcohol is perceptible, the profile ebullient and untamed. Spices (cloves, cardamom, nutmeg) follow with wood, caramel and crème brûlée, followed by leather, tobacco and smoky notes. An intense, powerful and dry profile. The attack on the palate is lively and powerful on the fruity side, led by red and black fruits (blackcurrant, cherry) and tropical fruits (mango, passion fruit). Menthol and aromatic herbs use their strength to intrude on the palate, but empyreumatic notes (smoke, rubber) play spoilsport. Wood, leather, mocha and spices support the smoky notes in the proceedings. A strong profile, with remarkably well-integrated alcohol. The finish is long and persistent, with a fresh, mentholated framework, before being overtaken by fruit (blackcurrant, cherry, mango, raisin). Smoky, spicy and woody notes are in the background, but round out the profile nicely. A very elaborate bottling, distinguished from the Compagnie des Indes T.D.L by its aromatic intensity.
Review by mto75
on the nose on the sweet-fruity side: coconut, tropical fruit, candied, popcorn...but also barrel, vanilla, spices (cardamom, clove) and alcoholic spiciness. Noticeably more 'adult' on the palate with smoky charred notes and tobacco and menthol on the finish (somewhere between the 2001/2020 RA TDL and the 1994/2017 Velier Caroni).
Review by Mike H.
My second sampling and I have to say that this is an outstanding TDL. Just the right mix of tropical fruit, wood and rubber.
Review by Simon Leroux
Great selection! The finale is really delicious and really makes you want to go back!
Review by Benoit Mahe
A nose a little closed but a superb mouth, beautiful fruit salad which concludes by notes a little darker (smoke, coffee). A great success.
Review by Oliver
On the palate again crisp notes of mint.
Review by Kevin Sorensen 🇩🇰
#5697 19.09.2025 Having another sample while watching tv. Nose Medium intense, fresh, light wood, floral, light mint, light herbal, faint nutts, light apple, fruits. Palate Oily, light wood, medium intense, light mint, light berries, light nutts, floral, faint diesel, light tannins. Finish Long and warm, wood, light roasted, berries, mint, light cinnamon, light tannins. Empty glass Mint, floral, light nutts, herbs, faint diesel. The tanins can be tamed with a few drops of water if it's too much.
Review by Thunderbird
An intense TDL... it's good, but can't fully convince me
Review by DomM
While the nose is very much dominated by herbs and spices, there is an intense (and surprising) hint of orange and citrus alongside other fruits and herbs from the nose. Interesting stuff!
Review by Alexander Rasch
My RumRating Review 3y ago: The rum shows a great complexity in the nose with intense aromas. A slightly dirty TDL with lots of tropical fruit. Berries, orange, but also leather, smoke and a beautiful wood note. For me absolutely top and absolute Champions League. On the palate, the rum is warm and intense. Full-bodied, the rum brings many aromas of fresh red berries, tropical fruits, leather smoke and wood. The rum changes as it leaves. Becomes drier with a slightly dirty smoky note in which mint and eucalyptus can be found. The finish is then astringent and with roasted tobacco, wood, menthol and bitter substances. A terrific rum with a great complexity. One of my top 3 rums ever, as it meets my taste exactly. The 65% alcohol is perfectly integrated and never disturbing. The rum presents Trinidad absolutely fantastic and brings many facets. The Excellence Rhum Trinidad 2003 is expensive, but here I have to say you can taste the price, because for me it is also superior to the other high-quality bottlings such as RA Trinidad 2001. Had to buy two bottles. Just wow!
Review by mick
This tdl really stands out, certainly due to its 70% continental ageing, it is to my taste mono aromatic, very singular, that's exactly why we like it, or not, hot pepper and wood mingle with the menthol/canabis marker, which gives it a special place in the world of 99/03 tdls, the aromas it leaves on the palate are very captivating, bewitching even, I like it but in small doses, a tdl on the fringe of the others that must be tasted at least once because it's so unique..
Review by Niko
Discreet but magnificent nose on the palate of lychee frangipane and a very Floral finish ( rose 🌹)👍🤗🤗
Review by EspritRhum
Très beau nez. En bouche explosion de fruits tropicaux bien mûres et la menthe qui font son apparition tout de suite après. L'alcool est bien intégré. Un vrai plaisir.
Review by Matthieu L
Fruité cassis, puissant, excellent
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Expert reviews
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Expert review by L'amateur éclairé
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Market value
Avg. community purchase price 159 €
What members paid for this bottle, self-reported. Not a market value — the purchases are over three years old at the median and unverified.
Details about Excellence Rhum T.D.L Trinidad Distillers 2003
A Column Still Rum from Trinidad, bottled by Excellence Rhum, at 65,6%.
Community purchases
40 bottles logged by 33 collectors.
A drinker & collector.
30% opened, 5 emptied and repurchased.
What did the community pay for Excellence Rhum T.D.L Trinidad Distillers 2003?
Community paid 147–196 €.
What members actually paid for their bottles. A typical range, not the current shop price. Full price & collection history in RX+ →
40 purchased · 44 tasted · 28 wishlist · as of
Read on in the RumX Guide
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