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Swell de Spirits Clarendon Bacchanalia I by Rob Bauer RCL 1996
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Not the glue-and-banana Jamaican you might expect — 30 years in oak has pulled this Clarendon toward ripe peach, mango and dark chocolate instead. The wood is right out front, backed by fresh mint, herbs and spice, with a long dry finish. At 60.4% it lands hard before settling into real depth. A thinking-drinker's old Jamaican, not a fruit bomb.
The community says- Ripe peach & mango
- Bitter chocolate note
- Long dry finish
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The look inside the bottle
How does Swell de Spirits Clarendon Bacchanalia I by Rob Bauer RCL 1996 taste?
From community reviews · summarized with AI
Powerful, woody 30yo Jamaican with ripe fruit The few who've tried it rate it very high — a powerful, complex old Clarendon where oak and ripe fruit meet bitter chocolate. Only for those who like wood up front.
fans of strong, aged, woody Jamaican rum to sip slowly
beginners wanting soft, sweet fruit — this is strong and heavily oaked
Style & occasion: Tropical & funkySipping neat
Full aroma profile Aroma families · nose & palate · top aromas
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8 of 13 left detailed tasting impressions · Click an aroma to explore similar rums
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Buying advice
Is it right for you?
Yes, if you're after bold, tropical, funky rums for sipping neat.
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What does the community say?
13 community reviews
Rating scale & review checks
On RumX, 7 means “Good” and 8 means “Very good”.
See the full rating guideHow ratings are made and how we check them ›The website shows a selection of written reviews. The distribution also includes ratings without text. All published reviews are available in the RumX app.
13 selected written reviews
The distribution above includes all 13 ratings, including those without text.
Review by Mirco
At first glance, ripe peaches and fresh mint meet tart herbs, spicy oak, and dry wood notes. Over time, more tropical fruits and chocolate emerge. Typical Vintage Clarendon DNA with plenty of character, depth, and a nice balance between fruit and spice. Powerful, complex, and with a long, dry finish. For me, a sensational bottling that easily holds its own alongside the top representatives of the 1995 and 1997 vintages.
Review by Banana Joe
Today, a direct comparison between the Wild Card #9 and the BACCHANALIA. For me, both are absolute top-class Clarendons. Great mix of tropical dried fruits, wood, and spices. These two bottlings have a wonderful oily consistency and incredible depth. In a direct comparison, the BACCHANALIA is a bit rounder and feels a bit fresher, even though it spent 9 months longer in the barrel. But that's really only noticeable in a direct comparison. The finish is endless and the highlight of both bottlings. But both need quite some time in the glass to release the full range of aromas, and then the wait is rewarded. Strong bottling and a very good start to the new series from Swell and Rob.
Review by Johannes
Lots of wood with plenty of menthol and tropical fruits, marzipan, leather, tobacco, and varnish. The alcohol is really well integrated with a very long finish. Intense beast!
Review by Master P
I always try to approach new bottlings with an open mind, even though expectations were high for this drop. I have to say WOW, so much fruit power when sniffing the glass. Cherry, berries, wood, and subtle sweetness. On the palate, leather with dried fruit hits the center first. Slightly bitter and tea in the finish. Alcohol perfectly integrated. Daniel, many thanks for the bottle & Rob, thanks for your instinct for pure enjoyment 🥰
Review by Marvin Boddy
The slightly older brother of Swell Wild Cart Series 9. I already thought this one was great, but the extra aging—almost a year—has made it even better. The aromas and flavors of the tropical fruit have become slightly more intense. The rum has also become a bit more complex. There is also a touch—not too much—of wood present, and the alcohol content is slightly lower.
Review by ArminK
Somehow I overlooked buying the bottle here. Is it really that bad? It doesn't completely convince me. The nose promises a lot of fruit. In the mouth, it's strong and a bit too minty. The not too strong 60.4% ABV is not well integrated and only slowly softens. The finish leaves bitterness and mint. Overall it's well done, just not for me.
Review by SimKong11
Magnificent Clarendon 1996 from Swell, another gem with a few extra months in the Wild card that was already delicious! The design is also innovative with this 100% waxed bottle. Tons of tropical fruits, woodiness, some spices, a bit of menthol, a delight!
Review by Charlie
New release from Swell, in collaboration with Rob Bauer. Naturally, this meeting between two enthusiasts promised an exceptional rum! The big sister of the Wild Card series #9, with a few extra months of aging and especially some particularly beneficial months. A very hot summer that seems to have allowed the rum to continue its evolution and the cask to fully do its work. Nose: A true explosion of exotic fruits! Ripe mango, roasted pineapple, and some notes of sun-soaked yellow fruits. A generous and particularly enticing aromatic palette. The solvent note present at the opening gradually fades with aeration to give full space to the fruits. Palate: An explosion of fruit right from the start! You immediately find tropical fruits, accompanied by a particularly interesting minty touch. The oak brings a spicy dimension without ever taking over. A typical Clarendon profile, with that aromatic complexity I so appreciate. The whole is perfectly balanced and, above all, the ABV is remarkably integrated. Finish: Long and complex, with a nice persistence of spicy and peppery notes. The wood remains in the background, bringing structure and depth without masking the fruit. Verdict: WOW! What a rum! 💣 A complex, generous, and perfectly mastered profile. Wild Card #9 was already exceptional, but with this Bacchanalia, I got a huge slap! I already had this feeling with #9 and I persist: we are facing one of the best rums I have ever had the chance to taste to date. And how could I not mention the container? A rum of this caliber presented in a magnificent bottle entirely sealed with wax. An object as pleasant to hold in the hands as to sip. A huge thanks to Mika and Rob for this divine brew. We’re already eagerly awaiting what’s next! 🥃🚀
Review by Wextra
BACCANALIA CLARENDON – JAMAICA RUM 60.2% ABV Just the bottle, completely covered in wax, is already a real eye-catcher. But what really counts is, of course, what's inside. The nose: Right from the first sniff, this rum makes it clear that it's going to be powerful! The wood is distinctly noticeable, but there's a great mix of ripe mango, dark fruits, and orange that harmonizes wonderfully with the woody aromas. A really nice, strong, and complex nose that you want to linger on a bit longer. The taste: With its 60.2%, the rum hits the tongue powerfully and immediately spreads everywhere, just as I expected—awesome! On the palate, it then shows its true character. The wood is strongly present, and that's exactly what I like most about this rum. Together with the ripe mango, a fine bitter chocolate note gradually develops. A really interesting combination where the fruitiness and spicy oak play wonderfully together. After some time to breathe, a bit of orange, roasted nuts, and a pleasant spice join the flavor. Over time, the rum becomes drier and the wood notes don't stand out quite as much. The finish: Nice and long, strong and spicy. The oak remains present, accompanied by cocoa, some nuts, and a slightly sweet-bitter note. What I especially like is that the combination of wood, fruit, and bitter chocolate lingers for a while. My conclusion: A really great, characterful Jamaican rum that I like a lot. For me, the strong wood note makes up a big part of its charm. Combined with the ripe mango and that fine bitter chocolate note, it develops a flavor I won't forget anytime soon. Definitely not a rum for someone who only likes it sweet and fruity. But if you appreciate strong, aged rums with plenty of character, you'll have a lot of fun here. For me, a really successful bottling that should be enjoyed in peace and quiet.
Review by LesTontonsMaltés
Impressive Clarendon 1996! Those extra 9 months in the cask have increased its complexity and aromatic range! Yum++++++
Review by Perunibuech
Not only an impressive bottle, also a very impressive Rum. The first sip feels a little bit like „right in the face“ but once settled the complexity comes through, shows it’s nuances and becomes a „heavy“ but really wonderful dram to enjoy.
Review by FoAx
Bought this bottle for my 30 years old, now I finally get to taste it Nose : complex, mainly 3 layers, fruity, dark and woody Taste : mango, woody, menthol, spicy, dark chocolate Finale : very long, wood, roasted, spicy, dry Really exceptional stuff
Review by Thomas Wille
Powerful, intense, and with impressive aromatic depth, complex structure, and long finish.
This selection contains no written reviews in this rating range.
Swell de Spirits Clarendon Bacchanalia I by Rob Bauer RCL 1996 at live auctions
A bid is not a final price: the house sets the buyer's premium, shipping and any customs duty.
All live auctions ›Community shelf
40 bottles logged by 30 collectors.
A collector's bottle.
7% opened, 0 emptied.
What does Swell de Spirits Clarendon Bacchanalia I by Rob Bauer RCL 1996 cost?
Community paid 279–280 €.
Current best price: 595.00 € – above the typical community range.
Purchase prices reported by members, not a shop price. Avg. 279 €. Full price & collection history in RX+ ›
+29 additions in the last 3 months.
Additions per month over the last 12 months; dark bars: the last 3.
40 purchased · 13 tasted · 21 wishlist · as of
Details about Swell de Spirits Clarendon Bacchanalia I by Rob Bauer RCL 1996
A rum from Jamaica, bottled by Swell de Spirits, at 60,4%.
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