Jamaican Rum JMM Thompson Bros and Bar Tre. Here we have another bottling from a Scottish Independent Bottler in the form of the Thompson Bros. For this release they have collaborated with Japanese bar “Bar Tre” in Hiroshima.

As well as independent bottlings of whisky, rum and other quality spirits, the Thompson Bros are also behind the Dornoch Distillery.

They (Simon and Phil) established the Dornoch Distillery and IB business following a successful stint, running a whisky bar in the Dornoch Castle Hotel. Which is also the venue for the distillery. Further information can be found here and here.

I’ve already reviewed 2 Jamaican rum releases from Thompson Bros in the shape of a Clarendon and a Worthy Park. Both of which were very good.

To be honest I know very little about Bar Tre but Japan is famous for its own (well sometimes its own) whisky and there is a huge market for Scotch Whisky in Japan. The distinctive artwork on this bottle has been provided by Yu Kurahashi, who is an artist with links to Bar Tre.

The design on this bottle is quite a departure from the previous Thompson Bros bottlings, I have reviewed. Much more rustic and more “home made”. That said its very striking and looks a lot better, than it might sound if you tried explaining the label to someone. Jamaican Rum JMM Thompson Bros and Bar Tre, comes in a standard bar style bottle with a slightly bulbous neck and a cork stopper to seal the rum.

Now I’m not sure if Bar Tre are getting an allocation to stock/sell but this is a single cask rum. The Rum was distilled in 1997 at Monymusk Distillery hence the J(amaica) M(ony)M(usk) marque. I assume this is the case, as I can find no official JMM marque noted for Monymusk. So its likely just a marque that possibly the importer has put on the barrel as an identifier. I know a lot of you out there know a lot more about this kind of thing than me. It’s not really my “thing”.

It has been bottled at 48.1% ABV and has an outturn of just 247 bottles from a Single Barrel. It has been aged for 23 years until 2020 and is non-chill filtered and natural colour. The whisky people love stating things are non-chill filtered.

In the UK you can currently buy a bottle direct from Thompson Bros here, it is priced at £137.50. This is 100% Pot Still Jamaica Rum.

Well I think that is as much as needs saying about this rum. So I may as well pour myself a glass.

In the glass we have a light brown/straw coloured spirit. The nose is quite fruity – lots of pineapple, banana and a touch of passion fruit. It has a slightly fermented note to it with some traces of cider and malt vinegar.

There are traces of nail varnish, petrol and a smattering of oak and just a touch creosote. Yet despite this heaver, less desirable sounding (believe me they are very desirable!) notes it’s still quite light and fruity. It has a nice balance of Pot Still menace but it doesn’t go completely batshit mental like some of the really high ester Long Pond or Hampden rums.

Further nosing reveals some white wine, red grapes and a touch of brine.

Sipping Jamaican Rum JMM Thompson Bros and Bar Tre you get much more of a feel of the long ageing involved. Even though this rum has likely spent the majority of its time maturing in a continental climate it has still taken on a lot of character from the dynamic of the barrel ageing.

It’s definitely much woodier and oakier than the nose suggested. It’s quite tannic and I’m not getting more notes of tobacco, pipe smoke and some dark chocolate. Especially on the mid palate and finish.

The sweeter notes do however return after a couple of sips. Possibly as the palate re-calibrates. In particularly on the entry I’m not getting some citric lime juice and again the slightly fermented pineapple note. There’s a also a kind of baked banana and treacle like note mingling with the oak and spice on the mid palate.

Finish wise it’s pretty long and quite interesting. The sub 50% ABV also makes this dangerously drinkable. That said there is no need to be “knocking this back like a pirate” the finish is slightly smoky and musty but has a nice hit of dark chocolate, tobacco and banana. It fades out gently but is a more than reasonable length.

I’m not always too impressed with Monymusk. Especially their own brand bottlings but this is a very nice rum. It’s not a huge funk bomb of a rum but it’s more approachable than a lot. It has aspects to it that remind me of Appleton 12 and at the same time something funkier like a low ester Hampden.

Really interesting and another great pick from Thompson Bros.