Tasting Notes

• Billy Abbott, The Whisky Exchange

  • Nose:

    Rich, dark and meaty. Singed cinder toffee, charred fruit cake and banana bread. The banana notes continue into roasted banana and lead to banoffee. Plump vine fruit develops: squishy raisins, currants and dark, red-grape skin. Rich fruit cake dusted with brown sugar hides at the back.

  • Palate:

    The weighty character continues into the palate, with more sweet dried fruit: the raisins and sultanas are back, with rich, grown-up fruit cake in support, packed with dark and treacly molasses sweetness. The darker notes continue, with liquorice and stewed berries joining the treacle. Right at the back of the palate is a balancing touch of barrel-char bitterness, with pan-roasted aromatic spices – star anise, cinnamon sticks and a couple of cloves.

  • Finish:

    Fruity dark chocolate leads to liquorice and blackcurrant sweets. The sweetness fades to reveal damp earth and tingling spice.

  • Comment:

    A big, rich and dark rum that shows quite what a sherry cask can give to a spirit. If you like sherried whiskies or rich, dark rums, then you must try this.

• Ruben Luyten, http://whiskynotes.be

  • Nose:

    Oh yes, similar to a very aromatic, juicy sherry cask. Bananas flambéed with toffee notes alongside raspberry jam and blackberries. Light coconut, hints of sour pineapple. There’s also a nice Oloroso theme, with tobacco and light meaty notes. Hints of gentle oak char too.

  • Mouth:

    Really thick with a nice dry and sweet balance, now closer to bourbon whisky (leather, mint, brown sugar). Poached pears, still this sour pineapple and plenty of berries and raisins. Treacle and liquorice. Firm spices in the background (cinnamon and aniseed).

  • Finish:

    Long, with intense dried fruits, liquorice, mint and some earthy oak.

  • Comment:

    A rich and intense rum, even more impressive with the whole sherry theme. This can rival a sherry matured single malt whisky so this comes highly recommended for whisky lovers looking for a nice rum.