Aroma visualization from community tastings
Admiral Rodney HMS Formidable
Loved by Mateusz, Kieron Wood & 8 more
A solid stepping stone 15-year Saint Lucian column-still rum at 40%. RumX members describe sweet fruit, honey, vanilla and oak with mild spice. Easy-going neat, also works well on ice or with cola.
Aggregated from 66 community reviews.
- Beginner-friendly
- Honeyed fruit notes
- Balanced oak spice
+10
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Stern Magazine Details about Admiral Rodney HMS Formidable
A rum from Saint Lucia, distilled by Saint Lucia Distillers, at 40%.
How does Admiral Rodney HMS Formidable taste?
Aggregated from 66 community reviews.
Sweet, easy Saint Lucian sipper A solid stepping stone 15-year Saint Lucian column-still rum at 40%. RumX members describe sweet fruit, honey, vanilla and oak with mild spice. Easy-going neat, also works well on ice or with cola.
Those who enjoy smooth, sweeter rums with honey, vanilla and gentle oak, and beginners looking for an easy first step into aged Saint Lucian molasses rum.
Drinkers wanting high-ABV intensity, very dry profiles, or heavy pot-still funk; value hunters may also find it too soft and reduced for the price.
How is Admiral Rodney HMS Formidable rated?
RumX's 0–10 scale is strict , 7.5 lands squarely in the "Good" band. 77% of tasters rate it Good or better; only 3% rate it below average. See the full rating guide →
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Rum reviews
A selection of the most popular reviews from our community. You can view the complete list in our app.
Review by Mateusz
In my view great rum with typical heaviness is cut by some freshness as well. Quite complex and very pleasant
Review by JFehr
Very strange
Review by Kieron Wood
The pinnacle of the Admiral Rodney HMS series, HMS Formidable is a blend of column-distilled rums aged between nine and 12 years in bourbon barrels. It is named after Admiral Rodney’s flagship in the Battle of the Saints – the crucial battle where he broke the French lines and secured Britain’s dominance over the Caribbean. Nosing Papaya , oak , port , apples , honey Tasting Sweet delicious st Lucian heaven wow ... Starts off with chocolate toffee apple then fades into like a red wine (port) ..vanilla and raisens dominate the finish
Review by Chaos Tsume
Rhum sans intérêt pour moi.
Review by LukaŽiga
8:On the nose of this rum first impression goes towards the acidity that penetrates first, with fresh but fleshy fruits, a little burst, with a protruding core. Despite a body that we guess is rather light, the rum seduces relentlessly, tirelessly. It is therefore a feeling of concentration that we also perceive quite quickly, with a gently spicy spring honey and an elegant woodiness. As with a perfume, the nose evolves with the air and time. This comparison is not innocent because the rum gains in elegance and refinement. The fruits are certainly quite pushy, but they have been carefully chosen and are presented in a fine tobacco case. 7,8:On the palate, the attack is as with Barbados rums, we can count on a melted and tasty woodiness, with caramel, vanilla and tobacco that spread generously. This mouth does not lack softness, even if we do not feel any sweet sensation. We could rather speak of something honeyed, even a little milky, like an egg custard. The mid-palate raises the level a notch with a handful of well-melted spices that now enhance a more frankly woody rum, with accents of stone fruits in brandy, as the rum is quite strongly dry. 7,8:The finish maintains the complexity and elegance, the palate notes linger on, enveloping everything and closing the experience with a lovely peppery veil..
Review by Stefan Persson
Tasted this rum at my recent visit at the Saint Lucia Distillers (SLD). This one is named after the Admiral’s flagship during the battle of the Saintes in 1782. The different destillates used is taken from the bottom of the Coffey column still, which should make it more complex and powerful despite the low ABV, and was aged between 9 and 12 years in American white oak ex-bourbon barrels. The nose is fruity, spicy, woody, nutty and sweet with scents of raisins, vanilla, nutmeg, oak, walnut, honey and chocolate. At the palate it’s complex, balanced, dry, sweet, spicy and woody with flavors of honey, caramel, cinnamon, vanilla, oak, tobacco and chocolate. The finish is rather long, sweet and spicy.
Review by MarcT
Got this as a present for Christmas, never reviewed it. Strange! To the nose it reminds me of a sweet and sour, think sirupy Marmelade, of the sort I would like to have on my toast, right now. On the tongue, it's more of the same, more wood. Unfortunately is a bit watery, due to the low ABV, but does also gjve a long and heavy mouthfeel. What that would have been at a higher ABV. In the end there is a bit freshness as well... Mint perhaps? It's faint. It must be said, however, that this bottle has been open for quite some time now, and thus had lots time to breathe. The Rum is well made, for the mainstream market obviously, but makes a nice uncomplicated drink by the side. Enjoy! I finished this bottle now, and found that time did not do it well on the end. It got a bit watery in taste, which makes me subtract a point.
Review by Kevin Sorensen 🇩🇰
This is a pretty sweet release and I think it's a good rum for beginners actually. Fruity and sweet with nice spices and wood on top. I think they have watered down way too much which is also why the sweetness punched through. Price to quality can be argued 😊
Review by Rumpalumpa
Für nur 40% ist der Rum durchaus kräftig. Die Fasswürze wird von Honig und Kräutern begleitet, die in eine minzige Richtung gehen. Das Ergebnis ist schön rund und der Abgang relativ lang. Mehr % wären toll
Review by Fuwi
Probiert auf der Whisky & more 2026 in Hattingen Für die schmalen 40% bringt er mehr Aromen mit als die Princessa Abfüllung, leichte Buttrigkeit und Süße in der Nase mit ein wenig Holz und Röstaromen, auf der Zunge kommt ein klein wenig mehr Schwung rein und er wirkt erwachsener und runder. Insgesamt ist der Rum ein nicht unangenehme Abfüllung, für den Beginner gut geeignet
Review by Rodolphe
A pleasant and nice rum but very (too) sweet. To be reserved for those who like sweetness.
Review by Jakub Hrubý
Silný, hodně suchý, tóny ovoce. Není to můj šálek čaje.
Review by crazyforgoodbooze
solid drinking strength from st Lucia!
Review by X-Savior
On The Rocks: On the nose there is a mild and subtle brown sugar, spice, anise and raisin and a hint of vanilla. Taste reveals now what you were expecting. It was a strong hit of sweetness with red apple, oak and spice including raisin and vanilla. Finish is short fading into the buttery mouth feel. Mixed Pepsi Zero: On the nose
Expert reviews
Reviews from RumX's blog partners, independent experts who have tasted, evaluated, and described this rum..
Expert review by In Spiritus Veritas
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Expert review by The Fat Rum Pirate
"There are plenty of the 1931 rums still available and the new 1931 is due soon as well so these rums might struggle to find a following. Many will be turned off by it being all column and "only" 40% ABV. We shall see. Overall this is a really good..."Read full review →
Expert review by Rum Diaries Blog
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Community purchases
97 bottles logged by 93 collectors.
A drinker & collector.
28% opened, 6 emptied and repurchased.
What does Admiral Rodney HMS Formidable cost?
Community paid €51–€90.
Current best price: €71.30 – within the typical community range.
What members actually paid for their bottles. A typical range, not the current shop price. Full price & collection history in RX+ →
97 purchased · 73 tasted · 41 wishlist · as of
About the Saint Lucia Distillers distillery
The Saint Lucia Distillers distillery is located in Saint Lucia. Rums from Saint Lucia Distillers have been reviewed 4,707 times with an average of 8.2/10.
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