Stats: Guyanese rum distilled on the double wooden Port Mourant pot still at Diamond in 2003 and bottled in 2018 by independent bottler Blackadder in Scotland. This was presumably aged entirely in continental climate, producing only 232 bottles at 48.6% ABV with no additives or filtration. My first bottle was number 160, second is #161. These were not chill filtered and there is tons of char resting in the bottle. It’s like a snow globe if you shake it up.
Conditions: What follows is the accumulation of notes from various sessions over the course of two bottles, all enjoyed neat in a Glencairn without ice or dilution.
Nose: Brown sugar, rotting wood, wet grass, cedar, soursop, crayon, ocean mist, cinnamon. Very slightly “off” milk. Second bottle: Wonderful sweetness. Cotton candy, vanilla frosting, nutmeg, raisin, wet forest, fresh cracked walnuts, a little pepper. The precipice of rank armpit, but in an oddly pleasant way. The nose just gives and gives if you let it rest…
Mouth: Musty cigar, worn leather, vanilla, tart lemon, bitter wood tannin, tar, “off” pineapple, a surprising burn in the chest considering the moderate proof. This just lingers for. ev. er. in the throat. Second bottle: super thick, oily, but more motor oily than like cooking/buttery oil. Tons of old wood. Lingering cigar. Surprising citrus notes. Soy sauce, beef broth, some salinity, light cardboard, melon.
Final Thoughts: Short and simple… This is one of the most expressive and delicious rums I’ve ever tasted. Every visit brings forth something new and it’s a delight to consume.
Rating: 5
My scale:
1 – I don’t want this in my mouth ever again
2 – Best used for mixing
3 – Decent sipper
4 – Very enjoyable
5 – I’m buying a back up bottle
Contemplating a third bottle.
Austin Rum Society 