Levy Lane Rum Co Tamosi Karaya. This review will round up all the releases to date that have been put on the market by Levy Lane Rum Co so far. From what I understand there are plenty more to follow.

As well as having a “regular” Tamosi rum. Which is a blend of Caribbean rums, Levy Lane Rum Co also released, a limited release Port Cask finished Cask Strength version of roughly the same blend. This is the second of two single casks Demerara rums they released.

Karaya is the Taino word for moon. She held immense power over people, and had a habit of enchanting those who lent her their gaze for too long.

Levy Lane Rum Co Tamosi Karaya is the oldest rum in their portfolio, so far. So old, in fact they can legitimately call it an Uitvlugt rum. As it was actually distilled their. Way back in 1998. I don’t want to repeat details I have given in previous reviews, so I will instead direct you to the Tamosi Rum website. This should help should  you want to learn a bit more about the brand. You can of course read my previous reviews as well.

This rum was distilled on the iconic Port Mourant Double Wooden Pot Still. This still is now housed at Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL). The Uitivlugt Distillery closed around 1999/2000.

This rum was aged for 2 years in Guyana before being moved to Europe for a further 20 years of Continental Ageing. It was bottled in 2020, so it is 22 years old in total. Levy Lane Rum Co Tamosi Karaya comes in at Cask Strength of 61.1% ABV. I’m not sure how many bottles were produced but as it was a Single Cask we can take a guess at around the 250 mark. It has, unsurprisingly sold out pretty much everywhere but you can still find a bottle at retail price here.

A 70cl bottle at original retail price will set you back around £/€180. In the grand scheme of things that is obviously a pretty price to pay but it’s certainly not expensive for what it is.

So as we’ve covered Levy Lane Rum Co and Tamosi quite a bit lately, I’ll crack on with the nosing and tasting now. Does that grab you at all? Yes…..ok then.

In the glass Levy Lane Rum Co Tamosi Karaya is a light to medium brown colour. It is yellow-ey brown, if you like. Which will be partly due to the Continental Ageing. It also shows that this was pre-DDL. So no “caramel” or “molasses” (depends on who’s telling the story) was added pre/post distillation. nor where the barrels coated prior to ageing.

On the nose this is unmistakably a Port Mourant rum. The immediate slightly tannic notes alongside the familiar liquorice and aniseed aromas. Unsurprisingly, for a rum of this age it is quite “musty” and has a fair hit of woodiness on the nose. There is a really nice development of marmalade, cinnamon and raisin. This all seems to be wrapped up in something quite floral and spicy. A bit like Christmas cake.

The nose is complex and has a lot going on. There is a brininess and a touch of tar. I’m getting some fresh mint and something a bit herbal which reminds me a little of Saint Lucia Distillers output.

Sipping Karaya at Cask Strength, it is initially a bit more savoury and oak forward than the nose suggests. However, subsequent sips reveal a very concentrated almost floral sweetness. This balances incredibly well with the heavier tarry and briny notes that come into play on the mid palate.

It has a really nice “orange” note running right through the rum from the initial sip right through to the finish. This works alongside the salty liquorice and deep dark fruit notes of blackcurrant and redberries.

Each sip seems to be giving me something different to experience. This is indeed a very complex rum. One which is best taken very slowly and savoured to appreciate fully. It has some aspects I haven’t tasted before with a Port Mourant distillate. There is quite a big hit of citrus going on almost like a sweet Tangerine or Mandarin. Were it not for the spicy oak and brininess going on, this could have knocked this off kilter a little. It doesn’t though, it just adds an extra layer and gives you something else to reach out for and enjoy.

In terms of the finish it’s long and warming. The orange and Christmas cake like notes remain throughout. They fade a little as the finish develops into a much more savoury end. Salty liquorice and brine take over and the rum ends with a kind of pastry-like note.

It is fair to say that the Levy Lane Rum Co and the Tamosi brand have made a pretty successful entry into the rum market. I must say I am looking forward to see what is coming next from them as they haven’t put a foot wrong so far!