Albert Michler Distillery Old Bert Jamaican Spiced (Recipe No. 120)

Old Bert from the Albert Michler Distillery is a spiced, sweetened Jamaican rum based spirit rather than a dry aged sipper, and it is honest about that. At 40% and unapologetically sugary, it sits closer to a liqueur than to the cask strength single casks Jamaica is known for, aimed at drinkers who want warmth and dessert sweetness with a hint of island character.

The molasses base carries spice and a little tropical fruit, but the dominant notes are brown sugar, burnt sugar, vanilla, caramel and coconut, finishing syrupy and nutty with a cappuccino edge. The body is heavy and oily, the funk only a whisper behind the sweetness. Treat it as a cocktail base, a dessert pour or a soft after dinner glass rather than a study in Jamaican distillation, and on those terms it does its job.