Rum Club Private Selection No. 63 “The Beast” Blended Rum – Review

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May 072026
 

Introduction and background

As I’ve noted before, perhaps the best rum shop in Germany is the Rum Depot in Berlin, run by Dirk Becker, the man behind the annual German Rum Festival, itself one of the top rum-focused spirits expos in the world. I’ve been coming to this place regularly since 2012, a practice that I have followed ever since, and these days, I always drop in any time in the city.

Sometime around that same year (2012), Rum Depot began not only selling rums, but bottling them for its branded line of “Rum Club Private Selection” editions. Like most indies, there’s a preponderance of Caribbean distilleries’ rums – Jamaica, Guyana, Barbados, Trinidad, St. Lucia, Cuba, DR, Haiti, Martinique and so on – as well as from further afield (like Fiji). Every now and then, though, Dirk goes off on a tangent and finds something offbeat — the Galapagos edition I looked at recently is one such – or indulges himself with something of his own design. 

Enter “The Beast,” which is Edition No. 63, a limited release of 247 bottles, which was issued in April of 2026. The bottle is the standard shape, the label is similar to previous editions, and essentially, we know very little about it. This is, Dirk remarked to me, deliberate. Much like Mr. Romero in Calgary refused to tell me the age of his rum, the reasoning behind not disclosing the components of this blended rum (for that is what it is) is to prevent the casual imbiber from walking in with expectations. “Just taste the damned thing,” Dirk told me. “It’s a rum, and I think it’s a good one. That should be enough.” (I’m paraphrasing a little – I was a little tipsy at the time).

What I can tell you, is that it’s a blend of pot and column still rums, more than ten and less than fifteen, from all over the map, components of which are aged between 9 and 24 years. Dirk blended it himself and he did it against the advice of several beta tasters, who sniffed it would never sell. “Insane” was a word used more than once, he told me with a self satisfied smirk as he poured me a generous tot.

Tasting notes

62% is a surprising strength for a blend of this kind – they tend to be tamer, for the most part. What that proof point does, however, is front load a nasal experience of serious oomph. The nose starts off with wet leather shoes, and old rubber galoshes filled with stale water, in an artist’s studio redolent of stale paint, turpentine and glue (no, really). There are some waxy and acetone notes, before the whole thing goes sideways and releases aromas of green Thai mangoes, overripe papayas, guavas, licorice, honey, blancmange, vanilla, cinnamon and a touch of brown sugar. That these contrasting smells don’t kill each other stone dead in a war of mutual attrition is quite remarkable, but no, they really work rather well together, honestly.

And the taste is no slouch either. It’s very dry, with the acerbic sharpness of a spirituous Professor McGonagall in fine form and full flow. The initial flavours of acetones and wax and glue blow away like yesterday’s news, leaving more distinct notes of sawdust, dry paper and freshly sawn cedar. What’s impressive about it is that while it repeats some of what made the nose so good, it goes off at a tangent after a minute: burnt brown sugar, brine, olives, caramel, coconut shavings, vanilla and cinnamon and honey to start. Then there are some fruits – watermelon, papaya, yellow mangoes, red grapes, dark cherries, for the most part. There’s a flirt of citrus, not a whole lot, and if you pressed me, I’d say that I sensed a touch of herbs (dill, rosemary and fresh parsley), but not a whole lot. It’s a solid, very strong rum with intense tastes, yet the sharpness I expected was not there, and the finish is long lasting and aromatic – honey, red wine, some prunes, and all the aforementioned bits and pieces coming together in a pleasing, well-balanced synthesis. Honestly, the rum is in no way a let down or disappointment.

Thoughts and wrap up

All right, so, what’s my take, after all that? Well, I think that there’s definitely some Jamaican, Guyanese and an agricole or two in here, maybe some high ester (Reunion? South Africa? Jamaica? Australia?). It would be pointless to speculate further, ‘cause Dirk was as silent on the matter as a Government taxman’s audit.

But of course, the question asks itself, is this: is it any good, or were the initial detractors who cautioned Dirk against putting this certifiable blend on the market, correct? After all, enthusiastic amateurs who play with their own supply to mix and mash something new, often create something only they (or their mothers) would love, and the market usually issues harsh correctives to such perceived hubris.

I think that for an indeterminate blend of a whole raft of distilleries’ rums at full proof, the thing is really freaking cool. No, really. It’s good. Put aside all preconceived dismissive notions that a blend of this kind just has a bunch of rowdy components that jam up against each other, don’t play nice and get in each other’s way, the way Ocean’s Atlantic 1997 did. Not a bit. The rum works, and it works well, perhaps because its very indeterminate nature is its strength in this case. The fact that it almost sold out in a fortnight should tell you something, and for my money, I think it’s a great buy if you want to try a well assembled blend that dares to colour just a bit outside the lines.

(#1145)(86/100) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Other notes

  • YouTube video review link
  • Dirk’s market for physical bottles is mostly within Germany so people from further afield don’t always get to try his stuff. Rum Depot does have an online presence though. And if the €100 price tag for a 50cl bottle gives you pause, just remember that you can get a 4cl sample bottle for 1/10th of that price.
  • The Rum Depot put out their own 16-minute intro video to the rum at this link. 
  • On the label, the beast looks like a giant octopus, but given the amount of tentacles on it, I’d more suggest it’s a badly drawn squid…a Kraken, if you will.

Rum Club Private Selection #60 Galapagos Islands 2015 10YO Rum (Ecuador) – Review

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Jan 122026
 

The practise of wine and spirits merchants releasing their own branded products is a long and storied one, going back more than a century (think of Berry Bros. and Rudd, Doorly’s, Goslings, or even Masters of Malt, as just a few examples). They acted, therefore, as progenitors and continuations of the indie bottling scene that has so defined the upscale market in the modern rumiverse.

One of the best of such shops in Germany is undoubtedly Dirk Becker’s Rum Depot in Berlin, which I have been visiting on and off since 2012 and remains a favourite stopping place of mine. That same year, they began releasing single cask bottlings under their own brand called Rum Club Private Selection, and have steadily added to the stable until they just arrived at #60 in 2025, with this highly unusual bottling from – and yes, it really is – the Galapagos Islands in the Pacific Ocean, and I’ve provided a bit more in-depth background below the review for those who are interested and asking wtf? (as I did).

Stats: distilled in 2015 from sugar cane juice and double distilled in a pot still (it may actually be a trapiche), then set to age in situ for ten years — the barrels are not mentioned, though we can reasonably assume ex-bourbon. How precisely it got into Rum Depot’s stocks – whether a direct purchase on the island or via a broker as part of a batch, is unknown. The label makes mention of “one of a few barrels” which makes it unlikely to be a bulk sale (e.g. an iso-container that was later decanted), but whatever the case, the rum came from one barrel, and has an outturn of 325 bottles, at a solid 49.6%.

What I liked about it right off the bat is that it had that vaguely rough vibe of an artisanal back-country rum that’s not quite smoothened out by decades of commercial manufacturing experience. It immediately gave off fumes of dialled-down Jamaican funkiness – orange rind, overripe pineapples, gooseberries, pickled cabbage, glue and plastic – and here I think the middling strength worked well to tamp it down. It also presented vanilla, cinnamon, cardamom, a slight musky sweetness, like Indian kheer, leavened with the faint bitterness of black chocolate. And here I must point out that that the crisp vegetal tang of a true agricole really wasn’t very noticeable, which is somewhat surprising.

Tasting it confirmed that impression. It landed nice and firm, no sharp scratchiness here. Immediate notes of light citrus, soda-pop (say, 7-Up), cola, vanilla and the sour hint of both overripe fruits (gooseberries and pineapple and mango) and pickled cabbage. Once it opens up you can detect some brininess, tartness, funkiness, dark cherries, and a touch of honey. Not as complex as the nose suggests, yet it quietly shines in its own way, and if the finish is a little spicy and goes away too fast – final notes of caramel, vanilla, cinnamon, unsweetened chocolate again, light citrus and kefir – it’s by no means a slouch.

So what did I think?  Well, I’m a bit conflicted. Strictly speaking, this is an agricole style rum (off a pot still, no less), yet much of the grassy and herbal profile of rhums from Reunion or the Caribbean French Islands, is mostly AWOL. One would be hard pressed to call it for what it was if tasted blind, and this reinforces my belief that there is a diminishing return on cane juice rums once they are aged past a certain point, after which the barrel influence is simply too pervasive and the terroire and originality starts to go.

Taken on its own terms, it’s pretty good, though. The strength is solid, the tastes are a lovely amalgam of salt and sweet and sour with just a bit of green funk thrown in for good measure —  and if perhaps the terroire is not as clear as we might like, everything else is really well integrated into the alcohol and the overall texture and mouthfeel. It’s like a cross between a lightly-aged Jamaican, a young Guyanese without the lumber, and, yes, if one reaches, some sweet cane juice rhum notes too. For €65 or so, there is no reason not to get it, not least because… well, come on, the Galapagos?  Who else can lay claim to having something from there, right? It’s unusual and has great production specs, from a place we know little about, and is a damned enjoyable drink. Taking that  into consideration, I’d suggest that if you can, and if Dirk hasn’t sold out yet, go get yourself a bottle.

(#1136)(85/100) ⭐⭐⭐½

Other notes

  • Video review link
  • There aren’t many reviews out there for the rum – most of what I see is quick notes left on Rum-X or online stores. I guess that the limited release and its specialized nature make it more likely to appeal to collectors or serious geeks (or certifiable reviewers).
  • Given the ecological status of the islands, and since they are protected as part of Ecuador’s Galápagos National Park and Marine Reserve, it’s reasonable to ask – is there really a distillery there, or is it from Ecuador, of which the islands are a province? Well – yes. There is a outfit called El Trapiche Ecologico Galapagos, which is a tiny family-run artisanal farm and distillery located in the highlands of Santa Cruz Island, and is a popular tourist destination. But it seems to be more an organic operation that grows coffee, cocoa and sugar cane and does some distillation on the side. It was once known as Darwin’s Lab, Dirk told me, and research suggests it is now more involved with environmental and ecological matters than distillation proper. What is interesting about it is that Johan Romero, who does run a full fledged family-owned distillery in Quito (many independent bottlers’ Ecuadorean rums come from here), helped build that trapiche and advised on cane, fermentation and distillation. 

Rum Club Private Selection No. 23 2000 BMMG 21 YO Barbados Rum – Review

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Feb 212022
 

Photo (c) Christopher Sackl, used with permission

The Rum Depot is a shop in Berlin that specialises in, you guessed it, rum, and Dirk Becker, the owner, is the man behind the Berlin Rum Festival. I try to go there any time I’m in the city and have the time, because I have fond memories of my times wandering around the joint: it was the first such dedicated rum emporium I had ever visited, way back in 2012 when I had been so proud of my 50+ rum reviews (hush, ye snickerers). And aside from being introduced to Velier, Courcelles and a raft of other exclusive rums such as I could only have dreamed about in Calgary at the time, there was a whole table full of opened bottles one could sample at will.  Which I did, and do.

On this occasion it was Christmas 2021 and COVID had not yet died away so protocols were in place, but once again I was treated with patience and courtesy by Charlos and Fabian (who endured my persnickety-ness and constant questions with good cheer), and occasionally Dirk himself, when he had a free moment. At one point they brought out three bottles they intended to release in early 2022 and invited me to try them, and you’d better believe I jumped at the chance (the full story, which I started writing and clocked in at a thousand words before I put the brakes on, is better than this dry account suggests, but is too long to relate here without derailing the review completely).

Though the selections were all quite impressive, one rum from the trio was really quite a catch just on its specs, I thought: a year 2000 21 YO Barbados pot still rum from Mount Gay. We’ve been fortunate enough to try pot still rums from Barbados before, of course: Habitation Velier’s Foursquare and Last Ward releases remain two of the best known – but another one is always welcome, especially from Mount Gay, which is more noted for its blends than this kind of thing (one wonders how Dirk snapped up the barrel, and why nobody else did, but never mind).

Jacked up to 54.4%, it certainly had a lot of pedigree to live up to, and the initial nose was at pains to demonstrate the fact that it wasn’t messing around and intended to wow you from the get-go.  It was very intense, very deep and – I can think of no better word – juicy. Extremely bright aromas of honey, nougat, caramel and aromatic flowers billowed right out and enveloped the senses in a rich tangle. Some funkiness of pineapple and strawberries, salt caramel, tobacco and leather added to what was a really nice nose.

The taste was no slouch either. Very little sharpness, just solid intensity.  Honey was the first note to be discerned, tawny, raw honey dripping from the comb. Toffee, chocolate, molasses, salt caramel ice cream, a slight briny hint.  Then the aromatic tobacco and well-polished leather came onstage, followed by black cake, a mixed smorgasbord of fruits — strawberries, cherries, raisins, lychees, and even a plum or two.  There’s a touch of molasses and oak at the back end, complementing a solid finish that is musky, fruity, tart and tawny all at once, and lasts a good long time.  Which is great, since there’s not much of this stuff available and we want to savour what we do manage to sample.

Rum Club – the private bottling arm of the ‘Depot – selected and issued a really good rum here, and it adds to the reputation of Barbados as a rum producing nation. The real question it raises with me is this: with respect to pot still rums, why don’t we see more of them? Barbados has elevated its status over the last decade as the purveyors of excellent pot-column blends, which is completely fine, but I think there’s a niche to be explored here that is under-represented, both in the literature and on the shelves of our favourite rum stores. Only 292 bottles of this rum were issued to the public, most of them likely snapped up in Germany; after sampling it blind and then again knowing what it was, I thought it could serve as an indicator that there’s still lots more good stuff to come from the island, and I’d love to get more just like it. Lots more.

(#886)(86/100) ⭐⭐⭐⭐