Watt Rum Clarendon Distillery 16yo...

Watt Rum Clarendon Distillery 16yo (57.1%): Do you remember the ex-Clarendon barrel I mentioned in yesterday's post..? The barrel which the remaining portion of Watt Whisky's Campbeltown Blended Malt is transferred to for finishing..? That barrel is the very same barrel this rum was maturing in... It was filled at Clarendon Distillery in Jamaica in 2004, spent the first 15 years in the Caribbean and then shipped to continental Europe where it added another year to its age before being bottled to yield 288 bottles in total. Clarendon Distillery is built in 1949 equipped only with two small pot sills but since then it has been upgraded numerous times raising its capacity each time. Today it is a distillery of industrial scale and produces rum for huge brands such as Captain Morgan and Myers's as well as for more niche labels like Monymusk and Port Royal.

Color: Beautiful dark old copper sheet, wildflower honey color with a ring of large and very persistent teardrops eventually forming thick, oily and very slow legs. The stage is set for greatness...

Nose: Bunsen burner, candied cherries and strawberry preserves. Warm honey, burnt sugar and creme brulee. After adding water: Iced coffee, condensed milk and pebbles. Chocolate syrup, wet tobacco leaves and Averna. Enjoying this nose so much at this moment.

Palate: Burnt plastic, molasses and medlar. Overripe black and damson plums, dates and birch beer. A little less playful than the nose. Adding water definitely makes it easier to drink, maybe a little too easy... Black cherry soda, wild mushrooms and custard. Still less sweet more savory compared to what the nose prepared us for.

Finish: Long with a thick coating around the tongue: Coal gas, black pepper and birch beer. Allspice and nutmeg.

Overall: All the things you would ask from a well aged Jamaican rum: Funky, sweet and savory at the same time, packed with fruits, liquorice and coffee. But to be honest the nose was my favorite part of the whole experience. Well, sadly this was my last sample from Watt Whisky's current batch of releases and what a joy it was to spend a week with their immaculate selection. Kudos to Kate and Mark Watt for such an amazing line-up again and thanks for choosing me to send these samples all the way from Campbeltown to Los Angeles. I am humbled... Cannot wait to visit their offices and share a dram or five together in May 2022..!

Price: £115

90/100