Vidya The River Mumma. I’m pleased to present today the first Independent bottling from UK based importer/distributor Skylark Spirits. As you will learn from this review they have started things at the more daring end of the rum spectrum.

I think it was Rumfest 2018 that I first became aware of any aged rum from the New Yarmouth Distillery on Jamaica. I tried a Compagnie des Indes bottling and reviewed the higher ABV Denmark only release.

The New Yarmouth distillery is part of the Appleton Estate. It is based in Clarendon Parish and produces the white unaged rum in Wray and Nephew Overproof. Operating both pot and column stills. It is not a small distillery, its just its rums appear more in blends and “branded” rums rather than their own line up of New Yarmouth rums.

Vidya is a word from ancient Sanskrit, which stands for clarity, knowledge and learning. Vidya rum “aspires to showcase some of the finest of the spirit c.ategory”. No pressure there then lads…….

Legends of the River Mumma goddess have been whispered throughout Jamaica for centuries. She is said to have guarded rivers such as the Rio Minho, which runs alongside the New Yarmouth distillery, acting as the protector of the fish and wildlife inhabitants.

The unique artwork designed by London artist Aaron Godwin-Lamptey, depicts The River Mumma sitting on a rock near the river (as many had claimed to have seen her). She is what modern fokelore would term a mermaid and each bottle of Vidya The River Mumma has a slightly different colour scheme on the Mermaid’s tale. Ensuring each bottle is unique.

Vidya The River Mumma was distilled in 2005. It is 100% Pot Still rum. It spent its first 7 years ageing in ex-bourbon casks in Jamaica. The rum was then re-filled into once used bourbon casks and moved to England in 2012. In 2017 it was moved to Denmark. It was bottled earlier this year there. So it is 7 years Tropical Ageing and 8 Years Continental Ageing.

There are/were 255 bottles of this available. It has been bottled at 61.5% ABV. The barrelmarque is SFJW – which was used by one of the carriers for their own records the actual marque is NYE/EM 1300 /1400 gr/hl AA.

Vidya The River Mumma retails at £129.99 and is available at Master of Malt and other retailers. The rum is presented in a stubby bottle with, as mentioned already some really vibrant original artwork. It has a synthetic cork stopper to seal the liquid securely.

I think I have covered everything there is to know about this particular rum but should you want to read a bit more than Vidya have set up their own very informat

ive website.

In the glass Vidya The River Mumma is quite light in colour for a 15 year old rum. A kind of straw/white wine colour. It looks a little darker in the bottle.

The nose is very reminiscent of my beloved Duncan Taylor 15 Year Old Long Pond. Ahhh memories. So striaght away you are getting a concentrated whack of Pear Drops (English boiled sweets) which really tickles the nostrils. Intense notes of nail varnish and creosote initially overpower the nose a little. Time in the glass is of the essence with this rum.

Give it a bit time to air and you will appreciate all the other wonderful notes that are present on the nose (some might not sound that inviting but believe me they are wonderful – note you are dealing with someone who loves the smell of petrol and nail varnish). So I’m still getting those varnish notes and now I am getting a little petrol as well. This is balanced – I’m not sure if that is quite the word as this is a pretty full on assault of my schnozz……by notes of tropical fruits. Passion Fruit, Guava, Lychees and some more familiar notes of burnt banana, almost fermented Pineapple Juice and some lighter notes of coconut.

This is all (just about) wrapped up in some lovely warming bourbon-esque oak and warming spices. Cardamon and a touch of All Spice.

It’s fantastic. Ridiculously complex and just so, well sniffable?

The problem with a rum with a nose as good as this is the expectation levels of the sip…..

On the sip it is initially less fruity and more “oaky” and spicy than I might have expected. I shouldn’t really as this is often the case. There’s a nice light note of vanilla in there as well on the initial entry which is nice.

As Vidya The River Mumma moves onto the mid palate you get more of the rich intense fruitiness and some of the less desirable sounding notes. So you get pineapple, banana and coconut alongside a less intense hit of varnish. Its balanced though with enough oak and spice to keep things in tandem.

The nose on this is wonderful and you’ll likely spend a lot of time nosing this rum between sips. It’s certainly not a rum to be chugging back like a pirate. In some ways the nose has more of an unaged feel to it but the rum once you start sipping it is much more refined and well “aged”.

Finish wise it has a nice hit of oak and you are left with a very intense hit of Pear Drops and nail varnish again.

It is long and such is the intensity of this rum you will savour it for a long time before the next sip.

This is a very funky high ester Jamaican rum but the 15 years of ageing have given it an added layer of “aged spirit”. I can’t think of any other way to put it. I’ve not had a bad rum from New Yarmouth as yet and this one certainly hasn’t disappointed.

Excellent start to the Independent bottling route by Skylark Spirits.