M.E. Bellows‘ & Son Jamaica Rum 1834
Almost everyone agrees the thrill here is drinking a piece of history — a rum distilled in 1834 — more than the liquid itself. The nose wins people over: old wood, dried figs, burnt sugar and a faint musty note some blind-guess as low-ester Clarendon Jamaican. On the palate it's soft and a touch thin at 40%, with caramel, citrus peel bitterness and dried fruit before a surprisingly long, gentle finish.
The community says- Living history
- Expressive nose
- But: Thin at 40%
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The look inside the bottle
How does M.E. Bellows‘ & Son Jamaica Rum 1834 taste?
Aggregated from 10 community reviews.
Old-history sipper, great nose, thin palate The verdict is unanimous and honest: a remarkable historical experience, not a flavour bomb. The nose impresses, the palate falls a bit flat — most rate the moment, not the taste.
collectors chasing history over flavour
anyone wanting bold, concentrated taste
How the community classifies this rum. Each category takes you to similar rums.
Which glass for which rum? The community guide →
5 of 10 left detailed tasting impressions · Click an aroma to explore similar rums
Recommendation
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How is M.E. Bellows‘ & Son Jamaica Rum 1834 rated?
RumX’s 0–10 scale is strict: 8.0 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?
60% rate it 8 or higher. 7 selected write-ups from 10 community ratings. You can view the complete list in our app.
Review by Mirco
Most helpful positive review
Historisch wirkender Blend mit leichter, süßlicher Nase aus Melasse, Vanille und karamellisierten Früchten. Am Gaumen weich und rund mit Noten von Toffee, leichtem Holz und einer dezenten Würze. Der geringe Alkoholgehalt lässt das Profil etwas flach wirken, dennoch zeigt sich eine charmante, klassische Rum-Note. Der Abgang ist kurz, süß und sanft. Insgesamt ein angenehmer, aber einfacher Rum mit nostalgischem Charakter.
Review by Oliver
Most helpful mixed review
Intense nose. Unfortunately, the rum drops off significantly on the palate. Nevertheless, an exciting and unique experience!
Review by Pavel Spacek
Pretty nice profile for that old rum. Not long remaining taste, but nice grapes, mango, datles even in the nose. Not shrap (40%) but definitely not pure water. It is surprise for me, that such an old rum have nice taste.
Review by Johannes
Nose: Slightly bitter, monymusk-like, somewhat musty, metallic. Palate: somewhat thin, slightly bitter, marzipan, grapefruit, citrus fruits. Finish: medium finish, somewhat alcoholic. Exciting to taste such a piece of history!
Review by Palo - V Poháriku
The oldest rum I've ever tried (oldest by date of distilling, not aging). There is not much known about this rum. I even try to get some info from owner of the bottle, but apart from the original bottler which was Bellows & Co. and the ABV (40-41%), we know nothing. I was very surprised by the first nosing, I could really feel something "jamaican" in it. Blindly, I would guess some of the low ester Clarendon marques. With aerination there were darker notes coming out, dried fruits, burnt sugar, and some citrus fruits. The taste was somehow mellow, a bit of spice, bit of sweetness, citrus peel bitterness, but nothing too concrete. The finish was very smooth, longer than I expected. I got caramel again, almonds and quite intensively pronounced bitter notes. In general, it was really easy and enjoyable to drink. I can imagine drinking this the whole evening (if I had the money to do so, haha). But, judging objectively, in terms of flavours, there was nothing special. I am still really stoked to have the opportunity to taste it. For me it was more about the experience and historical value, than the flavours, though.
Review by Filip Šikula
Kus historie, kde jsem nadšen, že jsem toho mohl být součástí. Ve vůni staré, mírně zatuchlé dřevo, koření. Z chuti je ta “starota” velmi cítit, velmi dřevité, lehce zatuchlé, sušené ovoce. Velmi jemné. Nic staršího pít asi nikde nebudu, a hlavní zážitek vidím v konzumaci historie.
Review by Stefano Caroni
For this age a very good rum, it has nevertheless lost over the years on the palate, nose I found top
Expert reviews
3 critics scored it, averaging 9.3/10. Reviews from RumX's blog partners, independent experts who have tasted, evaluated, and described this rum..
Expert review by Single Cask Rum
Read full review →
Expert review by Rum nagykövet
Read full review →Piece of history and not bad at all. Might not be the competiton of modern long aged rums, but no i'm not giving it 10 points :)
Expert review by Rum nagykövet
Piece of history and not bad at all. Might not be the competiton of modern long aged rums, but no i'm not giving it 10 points :)
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Current bids for this rum at Europe's leading auction houses.
Details about M.E. Bellows‘ & Son Jamaica Rum 1834
A rum from Guyana, bottled by M.E. Bellows‘ & Son, at 40%.
What do the letters on a Demerara label mean? The RumX guide →
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I'm Oliver, and RumX began in 2018 as a small passion project in Stuttgart, back then under the name Rum Tasting Notes.
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