The Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS") has, for me, a pretty good track record of releasing wild, wild, wild rums. So far the ones I've had have been just completely insane - reeking of motor oil, fresh paint, gasoline, rotten fruit, wet dirt, you name it. So when I saw this Worthy Park 7 year aged rum come up - finished in a peated whisky barrel, and bottled at 67.5% ABV, no less! - I jumped all over it.
Let's begin with the official notes:
Either madness or brilliance - it is remarkable how often those two traits coincide. Aromas of glue and pine sap, pineapple dipped in white gloss paint, fruity funky earthiness – let us walk the plank and take a sip! An insane hit of flavour and power, like being pounded by a barrage of hot shots (cannonball that are heated before firing) from all three decks fired by a Man-of-War! The burning timbers we tried to douse with saltwater as the fragrant wood smoke engulfed the whole ship, yet we managed to get away. After five years in an ex-bourbon barrel, we transferred this rum into a refill bourbon cask which previously matured peaty whisky from Speyside.
Well, hot damn. Glue, sap, pineapple-and-paint on the nose! What is fascinating is how little the text actually says about the flavors here - only "an insane hit of flavor and power," which could mean almost anything. I'm mega mega curious. Also, peaty whisky from Speyside?! Who could that be? The suspects, as far as I know, are limited: BenRiach, Benromach, Glenfiddich... maybe Balvenie or Tomintoul?? All of those are interesting. The notes go on to say this:
About Cask R11.14 Hot shots:
This single cask rum marries the Spanish ‘Ron’ style with British style in seamless fashion – Spanish styled rums are typically column-distilled, offering lighter color and flavour, whilst British styled rums are traditionally pot-distilled, yielding darker color and richer flavour. Here, the rum is 100% pot-distilled yet retains silky bright fruit character (Spanish style) and simultaneously delivering dark ripeness and ester funk (British style) in the glass! You're in for a rare equatorial treat with this bold spirit!
Oooooh, bright fruit and dark funk, eh?? Well, let's see how this madness shakes out in the glass:
Nose: This is already bonkers crazy insano wild: super glue and sweet banana, combined with fresh paint and - indeed - overripe pineapple. There is also a rich scent of wet loam - like potted plant dirt right after being watered. Oddly, I don't get any smoke or peated influence at all on the nose.
With water: Basically no change. A slight halo of gasoline emerges.
Mouthfeel: Thinnish, but still oily.
Palate: Hot holy damn. This is bright, fruity, interesting stuff! I expected all the weird razor-blade-with-rust flavors, but instead got bright bright fruit: pineapple and mango and banana turned up to 11. Some light smoke and cinder. Salt. Weird notes of apple cores and ... what is this?? ... something like cola. Very hard to define.
With water: Intense as hell, as before. Some fruit emerges: apples and ... something. This is so outstandingly funky it's very hard to tell what's going on, exactly. I will say - very little smoke or peat of any kind here.
Finish: Rum isn't famous for its long finishes, and despite the peated barrel impact here, this is no exception. Short finish: rotten banana, latex paint.
Verdict: The peated barrel influence is oversold here - it's barely present at all. The simple Jamaican funk totally overrides it from beginning to end. This is a wild, crazy rum - my favorite kind - full of paint, gasoline, rotten fruit, ripe fruit, and dirt. Great stuff! Recommended for true explorers on the fringe of flavor.
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