Wu Dram Clan T.D.L Trinidad Rum 2003

Very nice new 2003 TDL from Wu Dram Clan. On the nose, fruit bread, raisins, and caramel dominate, with the mint staying more in the background... On the palate, the mint is noticeable, though not as prominent as in other bottlings of the 2003 vintage. Alongside that, there’s candied peach, strong brewed iced tea, caramelized and roasted pecans, vanilla seeds, and Virginia tobacco... The finish brings tannins reminiscent of black tea, also pleasantly dry and only lightly minty, but the finish is relatively short, so slight deductions there. Overall definitely a really successful bottling, though for me personally a bit too caramel-heavy (Spanish style) and too short on the finish, so not quite a 9+. Will surely work very well in an Old Cuban! 😃🍾

Edit: good companion to the cigar, corrected upwards In the test WDC, RC(Edt.52?), Hunter Laing and the one from Spirit Gallery. The differences are clearly recognizable, the WDC and RC are more on the Spanish chocolate side, whereas the SG and HL are the absolute minty alcohol bombs. There's a little too much mint in both for me, which overpowers almost everything. Sorry, it's a little too much for me. But it's a matter of taste, unfortunately not mine. Otherwise they are all good bottlings, although I would put the WDC and RC more in the easy sipping category.

Once again my big TDL crosstasting. The Nobilis TDL 2003, the Kill Devil 13 yo 2003, the Tamosi 2003, the first TWJ 2003 19yo and the new WDC 22yo. We know that the Nobilis, Kill Devil and WDC are from 02/2003. The exact batch of the others is unclear. Unfortunately, one of the CDIs from April 2003 is missing today - I assume that the TWJ is from April. On the nose, the TWJ forms one side of the spectrum: a full load of fresh mint, juicy peach, some mango, minimal tea in the background. The Kill Devil forms the other side, reminiscent of OR&S, nougat and caramel, heavy and sweet. The Nobilis is also on the Spanish side, but more yellow-fruity, dried mango, peach and subtle mint. Very similar to the Tamosi, but more expressive, fruitier and less smoky. Like the other three, the WDC is far removed from the TWJ. More on the restrained Spanish side. Not the nougatiness of the Kill Devil, but the yellow dried fruit, some caramel and vanilla but also some mint in the background. It is hardly distinguishable from the Nobilis, but more restrained, with a few roasted almonds. The nose of the WDC does not really open up - perhaps long oxidation helps here. The game is repeated in the mouth. In the TWJ, the mint and juicy peach shine, in the Kill Devil there are nuts and dried fruit. The WDC, which was so similar to the Nobilis on the nose, shines here with softer, more elegant aromas and the best alcohol integration. In the finish, the typical TDL peach iced tea lingers in the mouth for a long time. Mint is hardly recognizable here, especially not in the intense freshness of the TWJ. The Nobilis is the only other rum in the group that has a clear menthol note in the finish. The finishes of all the rums are very nice, as there is no excessive bitterness and the fruit flavors remain for a long time, even in the Kill Devil. I like the TWJ best in the rating, the Kill Devil falls down. WDC, Tamosi and WDC are largely on a par, with a slight advantage for the Tamosi. All very tasty, but a far cry from the top class of the vintage, the CDIs for 1802, Caksus or Premium Spirits.

Auf die Verkostung war ich sehr gespannt. Der TDL durfte locker 1,5-2Std. im Glas ruhen. Am der Nase relativ verhaltene Minze, dazu fruchtige Aromen (Pfirsich), etwas Karamell und Tee. Am Gaumen spiegelt sich das genau so wieder. Den Abgang empfinde ich als relativ kurz. Edit: Nochmal im Vergleich mit dem Ricci und dem CDI Premium Spirits verkostet. Der WDC wird von den Mitstreitern leider komplett rasiert und kommt im direkten Vergleich eher wie ein Spanier rüber als ein TDL. Edit2: Nochmal blind mit einigen anderen TDLs verkostet, aber an der Bewertung ändert sich nichts. Ist mir einfach zu flach und wässrig. TDL Feeling kommt nicht wirklich auf.

Not a challenging rum, pleasant to drink. Alcohol very well integrated. Starting rather roasty on the nose, vanilla (pudding) dominates on the palate. In the finish, I find dry coffee as a base and - after a longer period of time - finally a brief flash of mint. Blindly and without a long time to breathe, I would have given this rum the Spanish style. But it's well worth letting it rest for a while, as it becomes more and more palatable over time. Yes, it's fun, well rounded, even if it has little in common with the heavyweights of the 2003 April TDL style. You can see what a difference two months of distillation can make ... 😉

8,6:On the nose, black tea, menthol and minty notes are the first impression we get, with roasted wood tones like nuts, caramel, spicy with allspice and peaches, raisins, citrus. On aeration, a stronger molasses is out, with herbal, floral touch, tobacco, pineapple and mandarine, vanilla and leather, all with a sweet bias. 8,5:On the palate, the attack is quite sweet, green with flowery, minty touch, tobacco and black tea, fruity with peaches, raisins, dried apricots, currants, later citrus.The wood is roasted with caramel, nuts, spicy with vanilla, allspice.We certainly notice medicinal notes like menthol and some rubber. 8,4:The finish is long, dry and tannic, a bit to bitter, variety of new notes pop up like caramelized burnt sugar, dark chocolate, honeycomb, confectionery with sourdough bread, cookie dough, overripe tropical fruits, coconut is also present... Edit:13.6.25

Not overly minty. Rather light menthol over caramel, wood, tobacco and dried fruit. A nice note of menthol snuff on the palate (in a good way). I quite enjoyed it. Thanks Zabo for the dram in the sample swap.

For me, the rum falls somewhere between the Tamosi 2000 and 2003 in today's initial assessment. The bottom line is that this is a very good TDL. Still restrained on the nose, typical TDL markers emerge on the palate and the mint also stands out clearly.

Nase: Minze und Früchte sind da, parallel Holz- und Röstnoten und Gewürze. In der Nase recht scharf (alkoholisch). Gaumen: zuerst Bourbon dann übernimmt die Minze. Im langen Nachklang wieder Minze und Fass. Gefällt mir ganz gut, bleibt meiner Meinung nach aber hinter anderen Abfüllungen zurück, weil der erste Eindruck in Mund eher schwach ist. Schön dann aber der Twist in Richtung Minze.

Rhum club de Lille session 1 : on termine par ce beau Wu Dram Clan 22 ans qui plaît fortement aux amateurs, mais un peu moins aux plus aguerris. Menthol, péché, léger boisé se croisent, c’est facile à boire; mais ça ne décolle pas, dommage il manque un petit quelque chose pour en faire une cuvée d’exception.

A direct comparison with the Swell on Tour No. 6 Salon du Rhum. In addition to the color of the rum, there are also clear differences in the aromas. The WDC is more on the caramel side and is reminiscent of a Spanish style. After a while, however, mint flavors emerge, albeit in a reduced form. Accompanied by sweetish raisins. Overall, it is not as complex as the Swell, although it is certainly successful. It remains in second place.

The nose is quite alcoholic at first, but then goes on to be very fruity, with ripe peach, black tea, a light menthol and warm spices (vanilla, cinnamon). A slight woodiness is present, but not too pronounced despite its age. On the palate, it's the menthol that strikes first. The alcohol is very well integrated. Fudge-like caramel and vanilla bean follow. The whole is very complex, with a taste of molasses. Greedy and comforting. The finish is very long, with fresh mint and spices.

Great TDL, initially caramelized freshness with light mint flows into the nose, which unfortunately evaporates after a few minutes in the glass. Very pleasant to drink. Lots of sweetness, tobacco and light bitter notes. The finish is unfortunately thin and short. A super sipper. PVL is a little too high.

#6425 03.03.2026 Enjoying a few samples afte a long work day in Copenhagen. Watching a Danish TV programme about crazy drivers on the roads. This is a very nice rum though it might split waters. The price is a bit high, but I think it matches what you get. Nice and fruity with mint and well balanced wood and ABV. The palate is dry with a very long finish.

Für mich volle Breitseite Gummifrösche. Relativ süss, nicht sehr minzig mMn. Passionsfrucht, gelbe Früchte, etwas Tabak und Schwarztee. Im Abgang etwas Pfirsich. Alkohol sehr gut eingebunden und gute Trinkstärke. Insgesamt ein leckerer Rum, absolut gefällig. Einzig sind mir die dreckigen Komponenten im Vergleich zu anderen des Jahrgangs etwas zu wenig.