Review: La Maison & Velier Flag Series Rums – Barbados 2011, Vietnam 2018, and Ghana 2020
La Maison & Veilier’s Flag Series of rums is on to its third series, three single casks hailing from three different continents, each more exotic than the last. Flag Series has previously been featured as our ##1 rum of 2023, so expectations are about as high as they get. Let’s dive in to these three casks, each of which produced barely more than 200 bottles of liquid.
LM&V Flag Series Barbados 2011 Review
A blend of column and pot still from molasses, aged in ex-bourbon barrels for 14 years, 8 in the tropics. A standout from the beginning, this ultra-tropical expression features a nose of grilled pineapple and mango, with latent hints of lemongrass, coffee, and tobacco. Though nearly 65% abv, the rum is sweet and light on its feet and approachable at full strength, offering a palate of well-toasted coconut and milk chocolate. A splash of water only enhances the experience even further. Smoldering on the finish with that inimitably rich character of molasses distillate, this is another all-star offering from LM&V and further proof that Barbados is one of the GOATs of the rum world. 129.2 proof. A / $190
LM&V Flag Series Vietnam 2018 Review
A copper column distillate of local sugarcane, aged 6 years in country in an ex-Cognac cask. This is an almost candylike rum, sweet and lively with a mix of brown sugar and bubblegum notes on the nose, dissolving into pineapple with time in glass. A curious lavender note emerges the longer you let it settle — evoking the Cognac cask and its clean linen elements. The palate is as super-sweet as imagined, more pineapple cut with caramel, edged with spice that features ginger and cloves, then a late-game grind of green peppercorns. While lightly herbal on the finish with a lemongrass punch, the sweetness never fades for a second. A real powerhouse but a unique experience. 111 proof. A- / $140
LM&V Flag Series Ghana 2020 Review
Copper pot distillate of fresh cane juice, aged in an ex-bourbon barrel for 4 years, one in the Ghanaian heat, 3 in Europe. This is the least overtly thrilling expression in the trio, perhaps because of its relative youth, but it’s still plenty charming, with a brightly fruity nose that hits hard with pineapple, peach, and toasted coconut notes, all leaning into estery bubblegum. Hard-edged on the palate, the rum feels like it’s still in the throes of developing, not quite settled into a groove. The same punchy tropicality endures here, but with a somewhat harsh edge that gives the finish a rather burnt, ashy, and often earthy quality. Memorable, though. 127.2 proof. B+ / $140
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