Worthy Park Cask Selection Series #3, 4 and 5
Jamaica
55-58%
£70-80 (approx.)
Pure Single Rum – 100% Pot Still
ABV Hydrometer Test: 55-58% ABV @ 20°
* P
1423, hailing from Denmark are an independent bottler of rums from single casks and use Skylark Spirits for their distribution. I recently reviewed their SBS Barbados 2008 Rum (Foursquare) which is a fine tipple. These Worthy Park bottles are distributed by Spirits Elite.
Today I am reviewing their collaboration with Worthy Park for a “Cask Selection Series” of rums, all of which have been aged or rather finished, in different types of casks. I have been sent some lovely samples of these rums ahead of their official impending release.
To date, here are the Worthy Park Cask Finish Series bottlings:
- #1 Marsala Cask 60%, 319 bottles, distilled in 2012 (aged five years)
- #2 Oloroso Cask 59%, 428 bottles, distilled in 2012 (aged five years)
- #3 Sherry Cask, 57% 1,148 bottles, distilled in 2013 (aged five years)
- #4 Madeira Cask, 58%, 677 bottles, distilled in 2013 (aged five years)
- #5 Port Cask, 56%, 585 bottles, distilled in 2008 (aged ten years)
- ??? Virgin Oak, 55%, 397 bottles, distilled in 2013 (aged five years)
NOTES:
- The Sherry Cask edition is a blend of rums aged in ex-Oloroso and ex-Pedro Ximenez casks, which is probably why there are more bottles available.
- All of the bottles are a combination of tropical and European ageing. Four years (for editions #1-4 and Virgin Oak) and nine years (for edition #5) in Jamaica and one final year in the different casks in Denmark, making five/ten years of ageing in total.
- I am writing about all four editions together. I expect many of the flavours to overlap so I will write a general comment under each section to cover all four rums and then add any extra notes for each different rum.
- The ex-Virgin Oak Cask Finish is not scheduled for a release (November 2018). A good rum-friend from Worthy Park kindly provided me with a sample.
Under Richard Seale’s/Luca Gargano’s proposed rum categorisation, these would all most-likely be classed as “Pure Single Rum” – 100% Pot Still from a batch distillation.
Bottle/Presentation 3/3
The bottles look superb…a slightly stubby look with very sturdy glass bottoms. They have lovely solid cork enclosures too.
The labels show lots of useful rummy information. Terms such as “Pot still distilled” and “Estate Distilled, Aged, Blended & Bottled” adorn the front as well as the numbers of bottles produced.
All of the branding is very distinct and common throughout. The type of cask “finish” is very clearly marked on the bottle.
Glass/Aroma 7/10
Side-by-side in the glass, all four look nearly identical. They are a medium amber with slightly orange hues on the surface.
The aromas are very powerful and all benefit from me using my Neat glass to mask some of the alcoholic fumes. Time in the glass allowed the rums time to breathe and develop more aromas. Funky Jamaican fruit and oak notes dominate…..
SHERRY:
Dried fruits, notably raisins but also fresh bananas and peppery spice.
MADEIRA:
More like red fruits on the nose with a smokey oak influence.
PORT:
Dark summer fruits, figs, a hint of vanilla and smoked oak.
VIRGIN:
Banana, spices – pepper, cinnamon and nutmeg, licorice and oak.
Taste, Initial-middle 31/40
All of the rums have very powerful entries dominated by spicy pepper. Adding some water helps to open the rums up.
SHERRY:
A creamy texture with spicy pepper and raisins.
MADEIRA:
A hint of the red fruits from the nose with spiced banana.
PORT:
As with the Madeira, the dark fruits from the nose are present but are quite subtle.
VIRGIN:
Toasted oak and spicy pepper.
Taste, Middle/Throat 33/40
Throughout the palate, it is the spicy pepper and fruity notes that dominate these rums.
SHERRY:
The pepper continues with some star anise and dried fruits. The creamy texture is joined by more oak and banana.
MADEIRA:
Red fruits…plums, cherries, raspberries and a dry mouthfeel. Once again, spicy pepper dominates.
PORT:
This tastes more dry and oaked than the other fortified wine casks. More intense experience than the others, possibly down to the additional length of ageing. Again red fruit notes but also again, dominated by the spicy pepper.
VIRGIN:
This has far more wood than all three of the fortified wine cask finishes. It is dry, spicy and also fruity – banana, raisins, mango.
Afterburn 6/7
All have very long finishes, but as with the rest of the tastings, it is spicy pepper that dominates.
SHERRY:
Some oak and dried fruits linger.
MADEIRA:
Possibly the sweetest finish of the four rums
PORT:
Lots of fruit notes and a hint of oak.
VIRGIN:
Toasted oak and more spicy pepper.
TOTAL 80/100
Overall
I was expecting to find that I preferred one of these over the others, but to be honest, each of them has its own charms and appeal although as you will have read above, spicy pepper is the flavour that dominates throughout. Adding some water is essential in my opinion, to open out some of the flavours of these rums.
Although the vast majority of the ageing and therefore the value of the product, is from Jamaica, this is an interesting example of a European bottler adding value to a product with secondary ageing for one year. Obviously, given that these are Jamaican rums, we want Jamaicans to be the financial beneficiaries of these products. That said, there is room for adding a premium onto the price for the Danish bottlers to take their cut following their small contribution to the product.
All of these are superb quality rums, just what I would expect from Worthy Park.
Let’s look forward to number 6, 7, 8……….
Review No. 131
*
P Denotes the rum contains POT still distillate.
C Denotes the rum contains traditional/Coffey COLUMN still distillate.
B Denotes the rum contains a BLEND of POT and COLUMN still distillate.
M Denotes the rum contains MULTI-COLUMN still distillate or is a MODERN rum.
A Denotes the rum is an AGRICOLE i.e. from Cane Juice.
S Denotes the rum is presented in a SWEETENED style.
Marking Guide:
Bottle/Presentation Out of 3
Glass/Aroma Out of 10
Taste, Initial-middle Out of 40
Taste, Middle/Throat Out of 40
Afterburn Out of 7
TOTAL 100
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