With the release of the Shakara rum by Velier a couple of years ago, and small-distillery bottlings made by Chalong Bay and Issan, Thailand has come into the spotlight as an Asian rum producer to which we should perhaps be paying more attention. For now the rums we know about are made mostly by such small producers, because even the big guns in Asia are somewhat less known (or revered) in the west – Mekhong, Naga, Tanduay, and ThaiBev’s Sang Som are some of them.
To this stable has been added the Phraya brand, first established in 2011 by the above-mentioned Sang Som Distillery, itself owned by the spirits conglomerate known as ThaiBev. The name derives from a old time title of Thai nobility and can still be found in other contexts, such as the Chao Phraya river that runs through Bangkok. In the brand lineup, there are three different editions: the “Elements” which we are looking at today, the 8YO, and then their premium edition, the “Phraya Deep Matured Rum”, which is a blend of 7-12YO rums.
“Elements” is pretty much a branding and marketing term, and refers to the four ancient elements of reality – fire, air, earth and water – which impact the making of rum. Me, I think it’s occasionally something of a stretch, but ok. The important thing to note is that the rum derives from molasses made from Thai sugar cane, has a short fermentation time, is run through a multi-column still, then aged in charred ex-Bourbon barrels for five to seven years. The barrels are apparently stored next to a series of lagoons that (according to the company website) cool the ambient temperature and somewhat retard the tropical ageing process.
I am not convinced that any of these aspects particularly help or hinder what in the end, is a perfectly serviceable mid range 40% ABV rum for those who aren’t ito the spirit, and not one that stands out in any significant way. The nose is pleasant: deep caramel and vanilla notes, toffee, light smokiness, underlain with black grapes, red wine, and the deep scent of overripe mangoes. There’s a touch of citrus to provide a little bite, but not much more. Sweet? Not really.
The taste is similarly unadventurous: at standard strength we aren’t seeing much more than the nose already gave us: honey, vanilla, creme brulee, toffee, with lighter fruity notes, the vague crispness of lychees and lemon zest (and not a whole lot of that), then coconut shavings and some kind of cola. The finish is clean and light – syrup, caramel, honey, vanilla, and that’s just about it.
Of late I’ve wandered around the world and tried rums from as many countries as I can, hoping to find new and interesting products that take the spirit in interesting directions, if not actual new ones. For all its size and popularity in Asia, I’m afraid this Phraya isn’t really it – it’s on par with a young Havana Club or Bacardi, which is not surprising since the short-fermentation, column-still, barrel driven philosophy is the same for all of them. It’s a decent enough product, does not feel “sugared-up” at all, and can be had by itself, neat, as a hot-weather drink, sure. Unfortunately, that’s all it is, and any hopes we had for something a bit more off the reservation remain unfulfilled … for now.
(#1140)(79/100) (⭐⭐⭐)
Other notes
- Video recap link
- Sang Som distillery was founded in 1977, and is supposed to be the oldest in Thailand. It is located in Nakhon Pathom province, which is just to the west of the capital, Bangkok.
- Not many reviews out there. Serge Valentin of WhiskyFun rated it 75 points.