Aroma visualization from community tastings
By The Dutch Batavia Arrack
First surprise: this Indonesian arrack smells more like smoky, earthy whisky than rum, thanks to red-rice fermentation and teak-then-oak aging. Expect overripe banana and pear on the nose, then a dry, spicy, faintly medicinal, almost anise-like palate. Several tasters find it thin and hot at 48% neat, but bartenders swear by it as a split in Mai Tais and punches.
The community says- Very dry character
- But: Flat and thin
- But: Hot alcohol neat
View price history
10 more payment methodsSecure payment Sold by Urban Drinks Returns & cancellation
- Secure payment. You pay via RumX with PayPal, Klarna or card. Your payment data is encrypted and we never store your full card details.
- Clear seller. Sold and shipped directly by the partner shop. And you're never on your own: RumX handles support and communication with the shop, so you always get excellent service, whichever shop you order from.
- Honest shop ratings. The stars show your service experience with the shop, not the rum score. They come from RumX users, and critical ones stay visible.
- Returns & cancellation. Your purchase contract is with the shop, so returns and cancellations run through them under their own policy and your statutory rights. If anything goes wrong, RumX helps you sort it out.
Buy By The Dutch Batavia Arrack:
Compare all 3 shop offers
Prices & availability last updated on
The look inside the bottle
How does By The Dutch Batavia Arrack taste?
Aggregated from 93 community reviews.
Dry, smoky arrack, best split in cocktails Polarizing. Some enjoy the dry, spicy, whisky-like character; many find it flat, chemical, and too alcoholic neat. Where it shines is as a cocktail splash, not a sipper.
Cocktail makers and fans of dry, funky, whisky-adjacent spirits
Anyone wanting a sweet, full-bodied sipping rum
How the community classifies this rum. Each category takes you to similar rums.
Which glass for which rum? The community guide →
37 of 93 left detailed tasting impressions · Click an aroma to explore similar rums
Recommendation
Your next rum
One difference each to this rum.
How is By The Dutch Batavia Arrack rated?
RumX’s 0–10 scale is strict: 5.9 sits in the “Average” band. 16% of tasters rate it Good or better; only 33% rate it below average. See the full rating guide →
Community voices
What does the community say?
51% rate it below 6. 19 selected write-ups from 93 community ratings. You can view the complete list in our app.
Review by Stefan Persson
This Indonesian rum is molasses based and distilled in pot stills. During the fermentation they use some red rice in the yeast. After distillation it’s aged in teak barrels before transported to the Netherlands where it’s transferred to oak barrels. The final blend consists of rum aged 8 months, 3, 5 and 8 years. The finish is medium long mostly depending on the alcohol content. I was expecting a lot more flavor of arrack and overall I think that everything is much too weak to catch my interest.
Review by Serge
New Year's resolution ... Tasting the dusty bottles at the back of the shelf. And like every time I sip it here: it's not that bad. I lived and worked in Indinesia for a long time and was used to far worse arrack. The fermentation with the red rice is special and you have to like it. This is definitely one of the better ones and can be enjoyed on its own. For me, however, it also scores particularly well as a split in punches and cocktails. What bothers me a little here is the smoky cereal note, which tends towards scotch. And I hate scotch
Review by Pascal Gwada
Aucun intérêt, ou alors mon palais n'est pas assez éduqué à ces rhums arracks à vocation de finir dans un cocktail. On dirait un blanc sans insipide qui aurait passé 1 semaine en fût blanc.... Pas "mauvais", mais sans intérêt.
Review by bossi
Blindverkostung: eine aromatische Nase: süß, grasig, frisch, fruchtig – Anklänge von Weißwein und Getreide. Am Gaumen auch sehr fruchtig und auch eher die exotischen Früchte: Maracuja und Papaya, eine leichte aber präsente alkoholische Schärfe, die aber etwas verwässert schmeckt. Ich würde hier einen Rum aus frischem Zuckerrohrsaft aus einer Pot Still vermuten, würde dafür aber nicht meine Hand ins Feuer legen, da ich mich in diesem Bereich nicht allzu gut auskenne. Er ist aufjedenfall aromtaisch-schwer, auf der anderen Seite aber für mich noch etwas jung. Ein paar weitere Jahre im Fass hätten ihm mit Sicherheit gestanden. Der Abgang ist länger als vermutet und sehr würzig/kräuterig mit etwas Anis. Ich tippe hier auf einen jungen Rum aus Haiti mit ungefähr 50%. 76 Punkte
Review by MJ72
Lösungsmittel mit leicht undefinierter Würze nach Harz. Flach im Geschmack, dennoch mild für 46*. Wenig Ausgeprägte Noten. Abgangs kurz und sprittig.
Review by Joël
The first thing I think of when I smell it is a whisky (I'm not a whisky drinker, I've tried a few but it doesn't suit me). So earthy, smoky and spicy, not really my thing. Due to the 48%, the taste is not so deep, but the finish is surprisingly long. For the price of 40 euros absolutely OK in my eyes, there is definitely a lot worse for which more is demanded. Let's see how much I drink neat and how much ends up in cocktails.
Review by Rado Vito
Well, what do we have here? Indonesian rum. Ok, now I have no expectation. The taste is weird, almost like medicine. No, I don´t like it.
Review by Tim
This rum smells as if it were better not to drink. A very chemical component accompanied by honey and fruit. It is best to let it breathe for some time. With some overcoming in the mouth, then much better with a dry, spicy, smoky and slightly fruity experience. Some similarity to Jamaica rum is there, but convince this rum can not.
Review by Lutz Lungershausen
Certainly a good blender for fresh, light summer drinks - otherwise rather flat and weak.
Review by crazyforgoodbooze
definitely a great product in the barrel-aged arrack range and a nice example of how smooth and damn dry arrack can be, but also not for everyone... I like it very much in Ruby Punch, Mai Tai and Corn'n'oil and as a surprise for people who don't know Batavia arrack. I especially like making rum penicillin cocktails with it!
Review by Tyler Griffith
Reminds me a bit of the Stiggins Fancy from Plantation. A little spice, very dry.
Review by Cédric Meyers
Au nez très mielleux, un petit côté riz cuit, un peu végétal, fruit tropicaux. Très agréable et doux. En bouche on a étrangement un côté très anisé, un peu pimenté. Le végétal est présent sans trop ce faire remarquer. Ce qui me dérange c’est le côté alcool quand même fort présent pour ma part. Bon sans plus, une belle découverte quand même.
Review by Émile Shevek
Too strong and unbalanced, with no pleasant aromas or notes except light years away
Review by benoit burger
Nice nose of very ripe fruit ( banana pear ) a little ester and a light brine. Unfortunately, not much happens on the palate: the alcohol is very present (too much so), with a slight woodiness and some vegetal notes, but overall rather flat. Average length.
Review by Morgan Garet
I don't like it at all, it reminded me of a vinaigrette.
Review by Thibaud Valentin
Je met cette note car originale ( un peu "tourbé" type whisky ) met pas de la a achete une bouteille
Review by Oliver
Not my taste
Review by Gryffx
am Gaumen besser als in der Nase, Birne und Holz im Abgang
Review by Anonymous
Sharp, spicy
No reviews match this filter.
Expert reviews
Reviews from RumX's blog partners, independent experts who have tasted, evaluated, and described this rum..
Expert review by Single Cask Rum
Read full review →
Live auctions
Current bids for this rum at Europe's leading auction houses.
Market value
Avg. community purchase price 38 €
What members paid for this bottle, self-reported. Not a market value — the purchases are over three years old at the median and unverified.
Details about By The Dutch Batavia Arrack
A rum from Indonesia, bottled by By The Dutch, at 48%.
Community purchases
35 bottles logged by 34 collectors.
A drinker's rum.
48% opened, 4 emptied and repurchased.
What does By The Dutch Batavia Arrack cost?
Current best price: 34.58 €.
35 purchased · 101 tasted · 11 wishlist · as of
Read on in the RumX Guide
You may also enjoy
Rum enthusiasts who like this rum have also given the following rums high ratings:
Worthy Park Select Jamaica Rum
Worthy Park Select Jamaica RumLight, fruity Jamaican, better in cocktails
CDI Jamaica Navy Strength
CDI Jamaica Navy StrengthSoft, banana-heavy entry Jamaican
William Hinton 5 Casks Edition (24 Days Of Rum Advent Calendar 2022)
William Hinton 5 Casks Edition (24 Days Of Rum Advent Calendar 2022)Young, woody Madeira rum, hot and unbalanced
Cane Island T.D.L Angostura Trinidad
Cane Island T.D.L Angostura TrinidadSweet, easy Trinidad with a minty edge
Cane Island Beenleigh Australia
Cane Island Beenleigh AustraliaYoung, whisky-like Aussie with a solvent edge
CDI Tricorne
CDI TricorneGrassy arrack blend, born for daiquiris
Never miss a price drop.
Set a target price in the app, and we'll let you know as soon as the rum becomes available at that price from one of our partner stores. This works for any rum on your wish list.
Oliver · FounderBy rum lovers, for rum lovers
I'm Oliver, and RumX began in 2018 as a small passion project in Stuttgart, back then under the name Rum Tasting Notes.
What began as my digital tasting diary is now the world's most comprehensive platform for rum fans, today carried by a small team with Jakob, Lukas and Katharina, with Robert supporting us as a freelancer. We combine the collective intelligence of our community with an integrated marketplace, so you can choose with confidence, without paperwork, detours, or expert jargon.
Oliver, Stuttgart
About RumX →YouTube channel (in German)
