Holmes Cay Belize 2006 Travellers 15 Year – 61%
Stats: Independent bottling of 2006 distillate from Travellers Distillery in Belize, aged tropically for 15 years in ex-Bourbon casks and bottled in Belize at 61% ABV. This was 100% column distilled.
Background: This is the follow up to the highly acclaimed and now highly sought after Holmes Cay 2005 Belize which topped people’s “rum of the year” lists in 2021. I purchased this bottle while visiting New York last year.
Conditions: Enjoyed neat in a Glencairn over the course of a few sessions.
Nose: Cinnamon Toast Crunch, maple syrup, grilled pineapple, vanilla frosting, sparklers, spent match, Charleston Chew, scented markers
Mouth: Cinnamon bark, soda syrup, burnt molasses, dark cherry cordial, orange zest, earthy/soil, creamy chocolate
Final Thoughts: The magic of this rum is that it is immensely approachable and sips dangerously easy for being 61%. It has a depth of flavor you don’t often see in column distilled rum and a pleasing profile that invites a second pour and further exploration. I could see this being massively appealing to Foursquare lovers and whiskey converts. I feel if more expressions like this were readily available to the public, Travellers could be a major player in the premium rum category.
My Rating: 4
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
Austin Rum Society 