Worthy Park Single Estate Reserve - 45% abv.
Updated: Dec 27, 2018
Rum-Review-A-Day: Day 18 - Worthy Park Single Estate Reserve - 45% abv.
Today I am going to jump back to a rum that was released in late 2017, the Worthy Park’s Single Estate Reserve. A little background on one of Jamaica’s most prominent rum producers; Worthy Park Estate has been producing sugar cane since 1720 and its earliest on record production of rum was already in 1741 (although it was likely earlier than this). In 2004 Worthy Park’s distillery received a massive make-over, installing a Forsyths double retort pot still, ensuring the tradition of Jamaican funk. Their first (own brand) releases came in 2007 with the Jamaican-market focused Rum Bar Overproof. The Rum Bar brand was expanded to also include a gold (4-year ex-bourbon) and a silver (40% unaged white - although higher ester count than the OP!). In addition to the Rum Bar line, WP also produces A LOT of bulk rum that is blended and independently bottled, through for example E&A Scheer in Amsterdam. This bulk rum accounts for a large proportion of the unnamed funky Jamaican rum that we find in rums available today.
In recent years Worthy Park as been working on a new line of rums that tap into the slightly more luxurious market, the first of which is their Single Estate Reserve. This rum is bottled at 45% and is a blend of bourbon-barrel aged rums ranging from 6-10 years.
On the nose, this is going to be slightly different to the normal funk bombs coming out of Worthy Park. That isn’t to say that its not funky. The initial notes is the stereotypical banana, mango and papaya. Although here, instead of it reminding me of fermenting/rotting banana, it is almost coming across as a slightly sweeter and “dusty?” banana. I don’t know how many of you remember the candy runts - it smells like the hard candy banana from runts! Vanilla, coconuts, mild oak, white chocolate. Spices; nutmeg and cardamom. Something mineral. Limestone and hints of salt. Slightly green tones (which I tend to notice in all WP rums), that take me to fresh cut, yet somehow dry sugar cane. Not quite hay, but on its way there. That and cardboard. All together the nose gives off a somewhat sweet and rounded character. Funky, but not knock-out funk. Its a refined, somewhat “approachable” WP nose...
On the palate, much more familiar funk coming through! Here we have the rotting bananas. Some sweet dried mango. Cooked green apples. Creamy papaya juice (…on a side note; if you haven’t had fresh creamed papaya juice, go out and find some! It’s delicious!). Candied lime peel. I find much stronger spices on the palate; cinnamon, nutmeg, white pepper. Hazelnuts and almonds. Vanilla, almost toward condensed milk, without being sweet. Mild hints of leather and tobacco (fresh moist pipe tobacco, not dry cigarette garbage). Liquorice and root beer. Butterscotch, eucalyptus and a very light touch of salty green olives. Subtle tones of water-logged oak with slightly charred character. This rum is beautifully integrated and balanced, almost making it hard to distinguish any stand-out or extreme flavours. Instead you are left with one big flavour that evolves the more you sit with it.
Mouth feel is medium oily and just slightly warm, making it extremely easy to drink. Careful with this one. Finish is long and ending with salty dried mango.
In a word: lovely.
It should also be mentioned that after the success of this first estate reserve, WP also released a Cask Selection series, with bourbon-barrel aged rums finished in Marsala, Oloroso, Sherry, Madeira and Port casks (have posted reviews of these previously)…as well as an unreleased virgin oak…and there are more releases in the works! All I can say is LUCKY US!
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