Leatherback Rum Barrel Strength Special Reserve

Bythefatrumpirate

Leatherback Rum Barrel Strength Special Reserve Rum review by the fat rum pirateLeatherback Rum Barrel Strength Special Reserve. This rum is produced at North of 7 Distillery. Which is a micro distillery in Ottawa, Canada it is ran by avid rock climbers Greg Lipin and Jody Miall. You may think that is a pretty odd thing to point about someone. However, the reason is they run a rock climbing training gym right across the road from their North of 7 Distillery. They divide their time between the two businesses.

Now I was a bit curious about what “North of 7” referred to as none of the other reviews/interviews I had read about the distillery, had touched upon it. After a little bit of googling I found the following blog post which explained it all.

So now I best explain the Leatherback part. As you can see from the label the Leatherback is a Sea Turtle, which can be found in Canadian waters. For each bottle of Leatherback Rum sold, a portion is donated to the Canadian Sea Turtle Network – a charitable organization based in Halifax that is working to conserve endangered sea turtles in Canadian waters and abroad. So there you go.

We’ve explained about the distillery and the name of the the rum. So now lets take a look at the presentation, before we get down to looking at the actual liquid.

Leatherback Rum Barrel Strength Special Reserve comes in a short rounded 3/4 stubby style bottle complete with a synthetic wood topped stopper. Presentation is reasonably modern and quite well “branded”. The information provided about the rum is good as well. This particular rum is only available at the Distillery store. It retails at $55.95 Canadian dollars. The bottle size is 750ml standard for the US/Canada.

Should you wish to learn more about North of 7’s products then you can visit their website.

So let’s take a look at the liquid. My Leatherback Rum Barrel Strength Special Reserve is from batch number 19 and from barrel number 31. The rum is distilled from 100% molasses which comes from Lantic Rogers based in Montreal. The molasses is fermented for 5-6 days before being distilled on a Pot Still with only one plate.

Leatherback Rum Barrel Strength Special Reserve Rum review by the fat rum pirateLeatherback Rum Barrel Strength Special Reserve is then aged in new barrels from Independent Stave Company based in Kentucky. When producing the rum the barrels a given a light toast and a heavy char. It is then aged for a minimum of 4 years. The producers are very clear that they do not add sugar or any other additives to their rum.

If you would like some more reading on Leatherback Rum and North of 7 distillery, then please have a look at Ivar’s post on Rum Revelations. Which I found useful for this review.

The eagle eyed amongst you may notice that Ivar and myself have reviewed the exact same bottle. Ivar kindly gave me a pretty much full bottle at Rumfest last year. Cheers Ivar.

So lets get down to the tasting then now we have covered pretty much everything!

In the glass we have a dark brown spirit with a orange hue. The nose delivers a fair amount of oak spices and some treacly molasses aromas. Further nosing reveals a slight whisky/bourbon like “malty” note. Some green apple, raisins and a smoky caramel aroma. It’s quite nice and at 57% ABV it is surprisingly restrained in the “booze” department.

Sipped, this is a pretty big, brusing style of rum. Very molasses forward in terms of treacly caramel and a slightly bitter note. Despite this the initial entry is quite sweet with lots of toffee, vanilla and sugar (though none has been added). This moves along into the mid palate which is spicy with quite a of oak and a touch of tobacco. There isn’t as much of the fruity notes that were there on the nose. They are present briefly on the initial entry but the woodier notes quickly take over.

This is what some might call a “dry” rum. I’m not a big fan of the term because often it is used to explain a “non sugared” rum. I think using such a term almost legitimises added sugar which is not something I’m happy to play with. For my meaning this is along the lines of the likes of Foursquare 2004, which for me is no bad thing. That said Foursquare 2004 is aged much longer and is a blend of Pot/Column. I think Foursquare 2013 might be a better comparison.Leatherback Rum Barrel Strength Special Reserve Rum review by the fat rum pirate

Finish wise Leatherback Rum Barrel Strength Special Reserve has a long clean spicy finish, which has a refreshing slightly minty bite to it.

All in all this is a really nice well balanced Single Barrel Pot Still rum. Something which all things considered is a pretty tricky thing to pull off.

It punches way above it’s 4 year age statement and makes for a great sipper when you fancy something with a bit more character. Likewise even in mixed drinks this is not a rum to shy away from the action.

Good stuff – I did see some Leatherback rum for sale on either The Whisky Exchange or Master Malt a few years ago. I never bought it. If it comes on sale again I’ll be sure to pick some up.

A pleasant surprise.

 

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  • Virgin Gorda 1493 Spanish Heritage Rum

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Virgin Gorda 1493 Spanish Heritage Rum Review by the fat rum pirateVirgin Gorda 1493 Spanish Heritage Rum. Virgin Gorda is a rum brand from London. The rum is produced and distributed by The Poshmakers 

    I have to confess prior to trying this rum I had not heard of The Poshmakers and their other brands (two gins and a vodka) aren’t familiar to me. Maybe they just haven’t reached us up here in the Frozen North.

    Virgin Gorda has two variants of rum. This Spanish Heritage rum and a British Caribbean rum. Purely from memory of looking around the likes of Master of Malt and the Whisky Exchange I’m pretty sure the British Caribbean rum was released before this effort.

    The Poshmakers own website only lists the British Caribbean rum – unfortunately there is no information to be found on their own website with regard this particular blend. In all honesty I’ve never heard anyone mention this rum nor have I really seen it promoted anywhere. I don’t even know if it is still being produced. Bearing all this in mind I suspect it perhaps isn’t.

    However you can still pick up a bottle of this on The Whisky Exchange website. It is priced at £34.95 for a 70cl which comes bottled at 40% ABV. The bottle design is modern and contempory. I like the black bottle and the stylised silver writing on the bottle. The rum is closed with a synthetic plastic topped cork stopper. Presentation wise it says “Premium” rum.

    The actual juice in the bottle of this Virgin Gorda 1493 Spanish Heritage Rum is a blend of rums from Barbados, Guatemala, Jamaica and Trinidad, matured for a minimum of five years in American white oak. I presume the Guatemalan element is where the Spanish Heritage part comes in as the others were long established British territories.

    Virgin Gorda 1493 Spanish Heritage Rum Review by the fat rum pirateMore significantly in terms of rum those islands produced rum in the “British style”. In simplistic terms these means produced on Pot/Column still from molasses. Spanish style is similar but made mostly solely with Column and Multi Column stills.

    In the glass Virgin Gorda 1493 Spanish Heritage Rum is a very light golden brown to straw colour.

    The nose is extremely light. It requires quite a deep nosing to get much from the nose. There is little going on beyond some light spices – a touch of vanilla and a little bit of a smoky oak but not a great deal.

    It’s a light style of rum which reminds me very much of young Angostura rum – with perhaps a touch less “buttery-ness” on the nose. There’s nothing unpleasant on the nose but nothing to get excited about either. I’m starting to think Westerhall’s younger rums as well.

    Sipping reveals a lightly spicy rum with notes of oak and some sweeter notes of vanilla and a touch of all spice and very mild ginger. It’s very easy-going and slips down easily enough. It does lack any real body though. It even feels a touch too diluted at 40%. Maybe an ABV of 46% might have given it a touch more bite. It certainly needs something. Anything really. Around 8 g/L of “additives” are noted in this rum. To be honest this quite surprised me as, to its credit it doesn’t taste at all dosed in anyway. That said it doesn’t really taste that much of anything really.

    Virgin Gorda 1493 Spanish Heritage Rum Review by the fat rum pirateIt’s smooth and easy to drink but it lakcs any real impact on the palate. It has a non-existant finish and the mid palate just reveals very light spices and a touch of oak. The initial entry gives hints of vanilla and walnut but little else beyond that. It perhaps has a slight perfumed note on the entry but it doesn’t last long at all.

    Weak. Even by Spanish style rums which sometimes are bottled as low as 38% ABV as standard, this is “light” in profile. Almost to the point of being little more than slightly oaky tasting vodka.

    I would say it was disappointing but as I didn’t really know much about it when I got it, I had no expectations.

    Wasn’t worth the £35 though.

     

  • J Gow Culverin

    Bythefatrumpirate

    J Gow Culverin Rum Review by the fat rum pirateJ Gow Culverin. Regular readers of this website should already beware of the J Gow Rum Distillery from Lamb Holm in the Orkney Islands, Scotland.

    I’ve not reviewed any of their rums for a while. In all honesty I’ve not reviewed any rums for a while. Which is something I am looking to correct now I am finding a little more time to get some reviews out.

    A Culverin was a two tonne cannon adapted for use on the sea during the 16th century. It could fire up to 8kg round shot to distances of over 1 kilometre.

    It has been noted by Collin Van Schayk (the distilleries owner) that J Gow Culverin is named because ” like the Culverin this rum has a long range and packs a punch.”

    So how exactly does J Gow Culverin do this? Well lets look at the information relating to this bottle which is provided on the company website.

    J. Gow Culverin is unaged Pure Single Rum – rum with no additives from a single distillery. It is J Gow’s own TC (Triple Cut) marque. The TC marque is fermented to 9% ABV over 5 days, it is then distilled to 85% in a single pass on J Gow’s 2000L pot still with rectification column. It is then slowly diluted down to drinking strength.

    J Gow Culverin Rum Review by the fat rum pirate

    J Gow Culverin is bottled at 50% ABV and is non-chill filtered. If you want any clarification on the above technical distilling details – ask Collin I haven’t got a clue about this type of carry on…………

    You can pick up J Gow Culverin from numerous retailers such as The Whisky Exchange etc or direct from J Gow. It retails at around the £35 mark. Which might seem pricy for an unaged rum. However, you need to consider this is small batch pot still rum at a hefty 50% ABV.

    So lets move along and get some tasting done. In the glass J Gow Culverin is, as expected entirely clear. You may find the odd flavour particle or haziness in the bottle due to it being un-chill filtered but there is nothing of note beyond a neutral white spirit in my glass.

    The nose is quite surprising. It’s quite creamy and not as aggressive as I was expecting. Single Cream and Custard Cream’s (English biscuits) There’s a grassy aroma to it and a zestiness. Light notes of lemon and some freshly cut grass.

    There is a black pepper like note as well coming in as well as some green apple and a hint of cinnamon. There is a slight sourness overall as well.

    So its pretty complex on the nose and very interesting to sit and nose.

    Sipped neat the rum is quite fiery initially with a slightly metallic hit to it and a fair amount of bitterness. It’s sharp and leaves a lot of flavour behind on the palate. There’s slightly mineral like quality to it.

    It doesn’t carry the same level of sweetness and creaminess the nose suggested. You can certainly taste the 50% ABV and its pretty “fizzy” on the tongue.

    Further sips reveal a little more of the green apple and lemon/lime like notes. It’s not a bad little sipper – just as long as you recognise its an unaged white rum you are sipping on!

    In fairness it is recognised as being more of a quality mixing rum than an out and out sipper by the distillery itself but I can happily enjoy a glass or three of this neat. No problem.

    J Gow Culverin Rum Review by the fat rum pirateIt is in the mixing department where you likely will get the most joy out of J Gow Culverin though. A combination of the higher ABV (than most standard white rums) and a more interesting flavour profile makes it really stand out in mixed drinks. Simple things such as a Rum and coke/lemonade are really good with this rum. The slightly sour notes work nicely alongside the sweeter green apple and citrus notes to give you a really enjoyable and very punchy long drink.

    A Daiquiri is also really good with this rum and something which comes highly recommended.

    This showcases the variety available in White Rum and this is certainly a good bang for your buck in the current climate. Well worth seeking out and so much better than most “white rums” out there.

     

     

     

     

     

  • Angostura No.1 First Edition

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Angostura No 1 Cask Collection Rum Review by the fat rum pirateBack in 2013 Angostura announced the launch of No.1.  The first in a new collection of limited edition “Premium” rums.

    This the “first” Angostura No.1 (yes they have called subsequent releases No.1 as well confusingly) is part of the companies Cask Collection.  The collection is a range of Premium Rums aged in select barrels. 

    For this incarnation the rums were blended and aged for between 10 and 12 years and it was then left for an additional twelve months in First Fill Bourbon Casks.  Only 9,600 bottles of No.1 were available globally with just 20 cases allocated to the UK.

    The House of Angostura is known for its iconic bitters and rum-making heritage and is the only rum distillery in Trinidad today after the demise of Caroni and their merger with the Fernandes Distillery.

    Angostura No.1 is a blend of column distilled rums.  It is bottled at 40% ABV.  A bottle in the UK would have set you back around £50.  It is pretty much sold out now.

    The presentation, as to be expected of Angostura is very good.  You get a very nice stubby style decanter and a very sturdy cylinder to store your rum in.  Topped off with a very nice and very large synthetic cork stopper.  The presentation is clear and uncluttered.  More information and less marketing nonsense would be good but hey this is commercial bottlers for you.

    In the glass the rum is a very deep reddish brown almost a mahogany like colour.

    Angostura No 1 Cask Collection Rum Review by the fat rum pirateThe nose is light and pretty sweet.  Thankfully there is none of the more floral notes found in the 1919.  The sweetness is a caramel/toffee.  Big wafts of brown sugar and cashew nuts.  There is slightly fresh note but worryingly very little oak or signs of ageing.

    A quick sip tells you all you need to know about this rum.  Sweet as honey.  It has a very smooth delivery with no burn and wafts of an almost artificial orange zest. Reminiscent of Ron Millonario XO in a lot of ways.  We could call the overall profile caramel or toffee if we were trying to dress it up.  It’s not though its sugar/additives all 31 g/L of them.

    Unsurprisingly for a rum which has been altered as much as this – the finish is very short and what little there is, you could say is oak, I would describe it as corked.  It’s bitter and woody and pretty awful.

    It is no wonder that Angostura are more famous for their bitters than their rums.  It must set alarms off somewhere that a distillery which has been defunct over 10 years is more heralded than the islands only remaining distillery?

    Surely someone somewhere in Angostura could put their minds to producing something a bit more authentic?

    They’ve released at least one other rum in this collection and the price was doubled (around £80).  I’ve no doubt it is much along the lines of this.

    Rum for people who don’t really like rum or rather don’t really know what rum should be.

    Avoid unless Ron Millonario is your idea of a “sipper”.  In which case you probably stopped reading this site a long time ago.

    1 star
    1 star

  • Requiem SS Ferret Australian Pot Still Rum

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Requiem SS Ferret Australian Pot Still Rum review by the fat rum pirateRequiem SS Ferret Australian Pot Still Rum. I was going to leave the title of this bottling as Requiem SS Ferret – but I thought it looked a bit strange! So I’ve added another prominent feature, on the front label to the title.

    I’ve not reviewed many rums from Australia. Despite a dreadful experience with Bundaberg, I wouldn’t say I’ve been put off trying Australian rum. Logistically though, its just difficult to get my hands on any Australian rum. Very little is imported into Europe and buying from Australia seems a bit of a headache.

    I’m obviously not alone in this, as very few rum reviewers are reviewing Australian products. Most reviewers are based in Europe and the US. There is coverage of Australian rum from native bloggers but I’ll be honest I don’t read many Australian rum/whisky reviewers blogs. Any hints on who I could follow let me know.

    That said Australia does have a flourishing and expanding rum scene. I’m a member of the The Great Aussie Rum Rumble Facebook group. By being part of this group I have seen a great number of home grown Australian brands of rum.

    Which is what I have got here. Requiem SS Ferret Australian Pot Still Rum is produced by Tin Shed Distilling Co. They hail from a suburb of Adelaide – Welland in Southern Australia.

    So what is Requiem Rum? Well Tin Shed Distilling Co. are more famous for their Whisky expression “Iniquity” which as received numerous positive reviews and award since it was released in 2019. In June 2020 after 6 years of ageing Tin Shed Distilling Co. released this, their first rum.

    So I hear you ask what exactly is the SS Ferret? In all honesty, it sounds like a pretty odd/stupid name to give a ship (I’m assuming the SS has already given that bit away). Ships usually have much more regal or prestigious names. I can’t think of any other ships named after this sort of creature. I’m reliably informed, that a Ferret is a domesticated European Polecat.

    There is of course a story to the name first up Requiem Rum is called so because each expression of Requiem Rum will be a “final mass, a prayer for the dead, a final tribute” to each ship which is named in the series. So this is just the first in a series of rums which will be released in the Requiem Rum name.

    Requiem SS Ferret Australian Pot Still Rum review by the fat rum pirateThe SS Ferret was built in 1871 in Scotland for the Highland Railway Co. In 1880 the ship was stolen. It was discovered in Adelaide, Australia by recently transferred Police Constable James Davidson from Scotland.

    Sadly, in 1920 the SS Ferret was sadly wrecked after running onto a beach at Cape Spencer on the Southern Australian coast. I guess both stories explain why an Adelaide based distiller has opted to call their first rum….Ferret. Though, in fairness it probably wouldn’t have been my first choice! For further reading see Wikipedia and the companies own website.

    So history lesson over with, lets see what we are actually getting in the bottle. Well as already noted, we have an Australian Pot Still rum. I assume it is produced from molasses but Australian regulations do not stipulate rum can only be produced from molasses or sugar cane juice. It’s quite strange, that they demand a minimum 2 years of ageing to be called “rum” but aren’t stricter on the base product used to produce the rum. Still, not to worry.

    Requiem SS Ferret Australian Pot Still Rum has been aged for 6 years in American Oak ex-Port Casks. It has been bottled at 46% ABV and is non chill filtered. In Australia it retails at $140. Which works out at around £/€78. It’s worth noting at this point, Australia is one of the most expensive places in the world to buy alcohol. Perhaps another reason why they do not export so much?

    Anyway, lets move on from the history lesson. Shall we see if those Aussies know what they are doing? Or is all Australian rum as bad as Bundy?

    In the glass we have a golden brown rum with a orange/copper hue.

    On the nose, there is a very prominent note of tangerine/mandarin. Sweet fruity citrus. It’s very pleasant with notes of milk chocolate, vanilla, some light toffee. Oddly enough I’m also getting notes of prune juice? Interesting.

    There is a little light spice, some notes of English Breakfast Tea. Slightly milky and some familiar notes. The orange and the chocolate smell a little like a Terry’s Chocolate Orange. Which is no bad thing. In the background there is just a hint of treacly molasses but its quite paired back – more like a golden syrup.

    It’s quite an intriguing and unique kind of nose. It’s rum Jim but not as we know it…….

    Well not quite, as we might know it. Sure it’s different but this isn’t confected nonsense like the likes of Papa’s Pilar. It still has a very rummy note amongst it. No additives used here. Definitely not.

    Sipping Requiem Rum SS Ferret Australian Pot Still Rum, is a very pleasant, easy going experience. The notes of orange and chocolate, on the nose come through on the initial sip. It’s quite easy going and very, very easy to drink. It has a lovely hit of orange and dark chocolate. Please note this is a million miles away, however from the nonsense that is Pyrat!

    The sweet chocolate and orange notes on the initial sip, gently move into a mid palate which has more of slightly bitter notes of tea and a very gentle slightly smoky note of tobacco and leather arm chairs.

    Requiem SS Ferret Australian Pot Still Rum review by the fat rum pirateAlthough this has been aged in ex-Port Casks it is not as sweet as some other Port Cask rums I have tried. Their is definitely an influence from the cask but this rum is not a typical example of a Port Cask finished rum. It’s different and unusual but very good……

    The finish is light and easy going with notes of orange, chocolate and a touch of molasses. It’s light but at the same time has a complexity to it.

    The best thing about this rum is its balance. It’s not overly boozy and has no off notes to it. At the right price this would be a wonderful every day sipper in the ilk of the the likes of Appleton 8 and Doorly’s XO.

    Does Australia have better rum than Bundy out there?

    Well this was real bonzer……

     

  • Ron Izalco Rum Cask Strength Aged 15 Years

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Ron Izalco Rum Cask Strength Aged 15 Years review by the fat rum pirateRon Izalco Rum Cask Strength Aged 15 Years. This brand is produced by California based Phenomenal Spirts, which are headed up Karthik Sudhir. Not putting any pressure on yourself with name are you Karthik?

    I actually met Karthik in September 2019 at a tasting of his rum at Trailer Happiness in London. It was a complete fluke really that I was down London for work purposes and was able to attend. Usually I miss out on such events being up here in the frozen north.

    This is the second release in the Ron Izalco Rum portfolio following on from the Ron Izalco Rum Aged 10 Years, which was released in 2019. Ron Izalco Rum is named after the active Izalco volcano which is situated in El Salvador.

    Ron Izalco Rum Cask Strength Aged 15 Years is a blend of rums from Nicaragua, Guatemala, Panama, Guyana and Costa Rica. I had guessed that their would be rum from Nicaragua, Panama and possibly Guatemala. I didn’t expect to see any rum from Guyana in the blend as the bottle stated this is a blend of Central American style rums. I’d say Guyanese rum is a different style to that of Panama, Nicaragua etc and whilst Guyana is in the vicinity, it’s largely seen as being part of the South America and/or The Caribbean. I’m not going to labour the point, as I’m not really that bothered about it in fact I’m quite pleased to see the Guyana rum in the blend…..I do like a bit Demerara Rum.

    All the rums have been aged a minimum of 15 years in their country of origin. They are then transported to Phenomenal Spirits in California for laboratory analysis (to ensure no additives used) blending and bottling. As a result the rum will be released in batches, the bottle I have is from batch 1 which had 2600 bottles in total.

    The rum is aged exclusively in ex-bourbon barrels and has been bottled at 55.3% ABV. it is free from sugar and any other additives.

    It is currently available at Amazon where you can pick it up for the rather odd price of £69.92. Currently Master of Malt are awaiting new stock.

    Presentation wise Ron Izalo Rum Cask Strength Aged 15 Years comes in a tall tapered be-spoke bottle. The presentation is clear and nicely done. It looks all nice and “premium”. In terms of information I would have liked a bit more information on the Ron Izalco Rum Cask Strength Aged 15 Years review by the fat rum pirateblend on the bottle. It only says it is a blend of Central America’s finest rums. Which to be honest might put a few folk off buying. The Guyana component was certainly a surprise for me and a bit of a seller to be honest. You also get a nice chunky cork stopper which is has a wooden top and Ron Izalco printed on it.

    The rear label gives us some tasting notes.

    So lets see how this blend of Central American style rums fairs today.

    In the glass we have a beautiful mahogany coloured spirit with a dark red hue around the edges. It does look well aged but then again we all know that E150 is often used in rum production. To be fair I don’t really have much objection to this. Far worse things to worry about in the Rum World.

    On the nose I get a smoky cigar like note, some toffee, muscavado and a candied fruitiness. This is quite an intense and complex nose. It’s pleasant though and well balanced. It has a mild spiciness to it a bit like an aged bourbon – something like Eagle Rare 10.

    On the sip the rum is even more intense with a real hit of red wine on the initial sip – intensely fruity with lots of Red Grape, Raisin and other stoned fruits. There are note of peach and as the sip progresses I’m noticing a Pineapple like note.

    The mid palate is smokier and drier with more bourbon spice and some black pepper. It’s getting woodier now but the fruitness is still there.

    The finish is long and warming with a wonderful smoky note which continues to work wonderfully well with the fruitier, sweeter notes in this spirit. It takes a long while to fade out. There are notes of cola and some redcurrants.Ron Izalco Rum Cask Strength Aged 15 Years review by the fat rum pirate

    This is an intense and very rich tasting rum but even at the Cask Strength of 55.3% ABV but it is not at all rough or unforgiving. You certainly know you are drinking something with a hefty ABV but it is as easy drinking as you might have found some of the Foursquare Exceptional Cask Series to be at similar strength.

    A lot of Rum Enthusiasts tend to avoid rums labelled “Ron” (to a point I often do). However, this really is well worth trying. It is much more in keeping with the type of rum I enjoy. It has a really nice balance despite it’s intense flavours and doesn’t have any “bum” notes.

    At £70 it is also well priced for a 15 Year Old Cask Strength rum. Certainly for me one of the better rums in its style, that’s for sure.

     

     

  • Worthy Park Special Cask Release Madeira

    Bythefatrumpirate

    Worthy Park Special Cask Release Madeira rum review by the fat rum pirateWorthy Park Special Cask Release Madeira. This rum is noted as being number 4 in the Worthy Park run of Cask Selection releases.

    Unlike the Port Cask rum this is a vintage from 2013 – like the Oloroso and Marsala casks that preceded it. The price of this is reflected, as it cheaper than the 2008 Port Cask release. I also have the Sherry Cask release to review. The Virgin Oak edition I tried at London Rumfest in October has yet to surface in retail……..

    This release is one of 677 bottles (so it’s not a single cask release). As with all Worthy Park releases the rum was distilled from molasses in Copper Pot Stills. The rum was then aged in ex-bourbon barrels for 4 years. It was then transferred into Madeira barrels for a second maturation of 1 year.

    I know all this because is it is written on the rear label. I also know the rum was bottled at 58% ABV. Retail wise expect to pay around £80 in the UK for a 70cl bottle.

    Presentation is in keeping with the previous releases and Worthy Park’s Single Estate reserve. So you get a nice heavy 3/4 size bottle with a chunky cork stopper. The presentation is sleek and modern and it does give the rum a premium appearance.

    Worthy Park have been earning quite a lot of praise over the past couple of years. I was actually one of the first rum reviewers to cover their rum’s way back in 2015. I have been a fan every since. They produce outstanding rum. They Worthy Park Special Cask Release Madeira rum review by the fat rum piratealso have one of the friendliest people in the rum world in Zan Kong who is a great ambassador for Worthy Park and Jamaican rum in general.

    But that doesn’t give them a free pass if this rum isn’t up to scratch……

    In the glass we have a dark brown spirit with an orange tinge around the edges.

    Nosing Worthy Park Special Cask Release Madeira I get the signature banana and English breakfast tea notes that are omnipresent in Worthy Park’s rums.

    Milky breakfast tea, banana bread and some light vanilla are immediate on the palate. Moving into some tannic and sulphur like notes – red wine and a dash of cider vinegar. There is a sweetness of slightly tart blackberries and some red currants.

    It’s complex and inviting. Notes of spice come through subtly – a little light oak and some ginger.

    Sipped at full ABV the rum is unsurprisingly quite spicy with a fair amount of burn. It’s a fairly young spirit, all being said so it might seem a little harsh to some. A few drops of water help temper the burn a little.

    The Madeira maturation certainly has had a significant effect on this rum. It may be a touch on the heavy side as it is a bit heavy on some of the “sulphur” like notes. Maybe some of the more familiar and enjoyable Worthy Park notes have lost their way a little with this one.

    As well as being very spicy on the entry you also get a lot of sweetness – again I’m getting blackberries and currants. There is a tannic almost bitter like note, again showing the Madeira influence.

    The mid palate allows more of the rum to shine with some more “normal” Worthy Park notes shining through – banana, coconut and that breakfast tea note. This then moves into a fairly long fade of spicy oak and some cinnamon and all spice. A slight bitterness is left in the mouth, which whilst not completely unpleasant, isn’t great for me.Worthy Park Special Cask Release Madeira rum review by the fat rum pirate

    I would probably have enjoyed this rum more, without the Madeira finish if I am being entirely honest. Whilst it does make a significant difference to the rum – I do think it may have had a little too much influence. I’m not a big Madeira drinker – perhaps if you are this rum might appeal more to you.

    Despite all this “negativity” this is still a more than decent rum. I may not enjoy it as much as the Port Cask or the Oloroso or Marsala casks but it’s still “good” rum. Aside from the odd off note, it’s very drinkable and pretty tasty.

    It’s just not one of the better Worthy Park offerings. Still way better though than a lot of competitors!