The Duchess are a recent addition to the numerous independent bottlers of rum here in Europe. Hailing from the Netherlands they are fronted up by Nils Van Rijn.

Should you wish to learn more about The Duchess ethos and Nils’ views on rum and spirits in general then please read the following interview here.

First of all the name WP Lluidas Vale probably won’t fool many people with interest in buying bottlings such as this. The WP stands for Worthy Park and Lluidas Vale is where their distillery is situated on Jamaica.

This rum has been aged for 8 years in Jamaica in ex-bourbon casks before being transferred to Europe for further ageing. It was distilled on the 6 March 2006 and bottled in September 2018.

An 100% Pot Still rum bottled at Cask Strength of 57.9% ABV. It was released a few months back and will set you back around £55-60 you can find it here for example. This has been around for a months now but its still available. It was a single cask release but I am unsure how many bottles were in the run.

Presentation wise it comes in a 3/4 style bottle, which is nicely styled and the artwork is provided by a Dutch artist. The unusual white wax seal on the cork closure adds a nice touch. I like the design of The Duchess rums. Some claim they can be a bit hard on the eyes with so much going on.

This rum has received favourable scores from the likes of Serge Valentin at Whisky Fun. Having spoken to Nils I’d be surprised if he bottled anything which was sub par.

In the glass The Duchess Rum Jamaica WP Lluidas Vale Aged 12 Years is golden/orange brown. It is good to know the % mix of continental and tropical ageing with this. I wasn’t aware rum was aged for quite so long before being moved to Europe until the past year or so.

Nosed classic Worthy Park so lots of Banana bread, milky breakfast, chocolate and pineapple. All nicely balanced and brought together by vanilla and rich oak spices.

Sipped the rum delivers a lot of intense flavour. It’s good to try these Worthy Park rums at Cask Strength. They really benefit from a higher ABV. The concentration of flavours on the palate, especially on entry is huge. Lots of toffee, shortbread biscuits, milky but slightly bitter breakfast tea, banana and pineapple are all fighting for your taste buds.

With the second sip the palate adjusts a little more and you start to notice the notes of nail varnish and olives on the mid palate. This is a very complex sipping spirit with a lot going in. This is not as sweet as some other Worthy Parks or as chocolatey. It is a little drier than the Estate’s own releases and not quite as rich as the Habitation Velier offerings I have tried.

This is noticeable on the finish which is very woody with lots of oak spices and ginger. It’s long and very pleasant. It is a very dry finish though with a slight sharpness at the end.

This is quite a “macho” Worthy Park with a lot of fire in its belly. Even at the relatively sweet beginning, the spiciness of the spirit wants to get in on the act.

Overall this is a very good rum. Certainly one which a Worthy Park fan would certainly appreciate.

It is “different” enough to warrant a purchase should you be seeking something slightly different. This is, as I have mentioned earlier, a slightly drier and I would say more “mineral-ey” type of rum than many Worthy Park’s out there.

The price is really reasonable as well.