Aroma visualization from community tastings
Excellence Rhum T.D.L Trinidad Distillers 2003
Sip this one neat and give it air — at 65.6% it's a hot, powerful pour that needs room. Expect a wave of red and dark fruit (cassis, cherry, blackberry), tropical mango, then the dirtier side kicks in: rubber, smoke, leather and a strong menthol streak. A couple of drops of water tames the tannins if it bites too hard.
The community says- Deep fruit complexity
- Well-integrated alcohol
- Very hot (65.6%)
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The look inside the bottle
How does Excellence Rhum T.D.L Trinidad Distillers 2003 taste?
Aggregated from 43 community reviews.
Powerful, fruity-yet-dirty TDL sipper Enthusiasts rate this a top-tier Trinidad — intense, complex, superbly integrated for its strength. The rubber, menthol and drying tannic finish are polarizing, so it's not for everyone.
Experienced sippers who love intense, dirty Trinidad rums
Beginners and anyone put off by rubber, menthol or high ABV
How the community classifies this rum. Each category takes you to similar rums.
26 of 43 left detailed tasting impressions · Click an aroma to explore similar rums
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 →
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Current bids for this rum at Europe's leading auction houses.
Community voices
What does the community say?
0% rate it between 6 and 8. 14 selected write-ups from 43 community ratings. You can view the complete list in our app.
Review by Matthieu L
Fruité cassis, puissant, excellent
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 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 Niko
Discreet but magnificent nose on the palate of lychee frangipane and a very Floral finish ( rose 🌹)👍🤗🤗
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 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 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 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 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 mick
Ce tdl est vraiment à part, certainement dû à ses 70 % de vieillissement continental, il est à mon goût mono aromatique, très singulier, c est exactement pour cela qu' On l'aime, ou non, le piment fort et le bois se mêlent au marqueur menthol/canabis, ce qui lui confère une place à part dans le monde des tdl 99/03 , les arômes qu il laisse en bouche sont très prenant , envoûtant même, moi j aime bien mais à petites doses , un tdl en marge des autres qui doit être goûté au moins une fois tellement il est unique..
Review by Thunderbird
An intense TDL... it's good, but can't fully convince me
Review by Oliver
On the palate again crisp notes of mint.
Review by crazyforgoodbooze
Horny nose! Taste me unfortunately too ethereal oily, almost sauna infusion moderate and a very strange acidity and furry. Alcohol well integrated but somehow I do not quite clear on the...
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Expert reviews
Reviews from RumX's blog partners, independent experts who have tasted, evaluated, and described this rum..
Expert review by L'amateur éclairé
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Expert review by Tasting Bro's
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Details about Excellence Rhum T.D.L Trinidad Distillers 2003
A Column Still Rum from Trinidad, bottled by Excellence Rhum, at 65,60%.
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 · 43 tasted · 27 wishlist · as of
About the T.D.L distillery
The T.D.L distillery is located in Trinidad. Rums from T.D.L have been reviewed 8,223 times with an average of 8.3/10.
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