Rum Nation Small Batch Rare Rums 2007

From Rum Nation's Rare Rums tier, the dry, full-proof end of the Italian house's range, this is a Jamaican distilled in 2007 and aged fourteen years in ex-bourbon, bottled at 57.7%. The estate goes unnamed, but the profile sits close to Worthy Park's clean pot-still style.

Molasses-based and pot still, it leads with wood: toasted oak, earthy spice and a roasted, almost peaty note frame the tropical fruit and caramel underneath. The palate is woody and spicy with a nutty warmth on the finish, the barrel doing as much talking as the spirit. This sits more on the oak-driven than the high-ester side of Jamaica, and reflects Rum Nation's signature two-stage ageing. Certified unsweetened, it suits drinkers who like their funk wrapped in plenty of wood and sipped at strength.