"Britain's oldest wine and spirit merchant, having traded from the same shop for over 300 years. The business was officially established in 1698 by the Widow Bourne at 3 St James's Street in London, opposite St James's Palace. The company evolved from selling provisions, exotic spices, tea and coffee to, ultimately, fines wines and scotch whisky.
Berrys first supplied wine to the British Royal Family during the reign of King George III and has continued to do so to the present day. Our first Royal Warrant was awarded in 1903 by King Edward V11 and today we hold two Royal Warrants for H.M. The Queen and H.R.H. The Prince of Wales."
Whilst visiting London, I recently made a purchase of two bottles of the following:
Berrys' Own Selection Port Morant Demerara 1992, Islay Cask Rum from casks #1 & 13.
Here's what Berry Bros & Rudd say about this product:
"We take pride in selecting only the most exceptional casks of fine Rum. This extraordinary Rum from Port Morant on the banks of the Demerara river was matured for several years in a Laphroaig Malt Whisky cask prior to bottling at the optimum drinking strength of 46%. We have chosen not to artificially colour or chillfilter the spirit, retaining a fuller, more authentic flavour.
The heady bouquet gives fruit and honey notes with the smoky background influence of the Islay Malt Whisky cutting through. This is an unusual but interesting marriage which combines two seemingly disparate elements to make a very flavoursome Rum."
I must admit, I had the highest expectations for this rum, thinking of the combined delicious smokiness of an Islay whisky, combined with the sultry and balanced aromas of fine Demerara rum. Unfortunately in my opinion this marriage made in a barrel has not worked out quite so well in all honestly.
Colour: Golden yellow, not unlike an aged chablis.
Nose: Sappy, bitter burned sugar, aniseed, old dried citrus fruits, unfriendly smokiness. Definitely *NOT* my style..
Palate: A bit thin and very dry; somewhat bitter and burning, the aniseed and pine sap comes through. Roasted sugar, some (bitter) smoky notes. Where is the beauty and softness of the Demerara?!?! In this case the nose is very close to the palate - and it is not my cup of tea.
Finish: Nutty, Smoke, waxy pine sap, fading aniseed, cedary wood notes. Dry as Sahara, but at least the more offensive tastes are fading away, leaving a pleasant warming and slightly smoky end to the palate.
Comments: An utter disappointment on my side, although I admit that my expectations were really quite high. Oh well, lessons learned. This is an experience to try for sure, but is it a good sipping rum? Hmm, I would not want to mix it into anything either, to be honest. Perhaps this would make an interesting version of dry Martini, but thats about it. Did not try it with ice, this could smooth down the less pleasant flavours. Simply not my idea of a great, enjoyable rum. Now I may not be a huge fan of what I consider almost overly sweet & sugary rums like Zacapa 23, but given the choice, I would sip that happily and leave this one to the true hardcore rum aficionados. I am hoping that as the rum gets in touch with air in the opened bottle, it will become more pleasant.
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