Worthy Park Cask Selection Series #4 - Madeira - 58% abv.
Updated: Dec 27, 2018
Worthy Park Cask Selection Series #4 - Madeira - 58% abv.
Following up on the Worthy Park Cask Selection #3 Sherry cask, today we take a deeper look at Cask #4 Madeira Finish!
As with the other Cask Selections, this juice has spent time in both American ex-bourbon casks and then finished off in ex-Madeira casks. It is bottled at cask strength, which in this case is 58% abv. This round of bottling resulted in only 677 bottles, so get ‘em when you can!
Now the fun part! - Starting off this rum delivers quite a fruity bouquet filled with bruised red apples and bananas. Rotten lemons blended with roses and honey. There is some Jamaican funk, but as with the #3 cask, it’s mild, mainly shining through with the initial banana notes. There is definitely some oily-gluey and new rubber boot character going on here as well…But for me its that apple-orchard-at-the-end-of-season smell that is really taking the front seat. The wood that is there is mild and I’m not getting the vanilla and baking spice notes that I was expecting, instead hits of fresh cut oak. Somehow this rum almost smells refreshing and gives the indication that it may be a bit salty. Don’t ask me, it’s my nose doing the talking.
On the palate it is not at all as “refreshing” as on the nose. I start off with tart green apples which quickly changes in to something much richer and creamier. For some reason the first thing that jumped in to my mind was somewhere between cream soda and root beer. Sassafras root and vanilla is perhaps the more appealing description, but for me its the previous two that are more on the money. I should also mention when making this comparison that there is NOTHING sweet going on here. This rum is dry! Nuts! Lots of almonds and pecans that go hand in hand with the oxidised Madeira notes that I was easily able to find. There is also wood and spice! Cocoa beans, cinnamon, pepper...Not getting clove or allspice on this one though. Leather and rubber are also shining through. Reminds me of chewing on the leather ties on my old catchers mitt.
The finish is light but loooong. It’s hot and its dry, but it doesn’t dry up your mouth the way I expected from my first sip. I’m just left with a wonderful taste of bitter almonds and vanilla.
Beautiful. Personally, I prefer this to the #3.
Can’t wait to dig in to #5!
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