Berry Bros & Rudd Rum 2006

Berry Bros and Rudd Rum 2006 is a sixteen-year-old Panamanian single cask from the long-established London merchant, distilled in 2006 and bottled unsweetened at cask strength. It takes the usually gentle Panama spirit and presents it dry and at full 55.9%, a more uncompromising reading of the origin than the soft commercial bottlings.

Distilled on a column still from molasses and matured in ex-bourbon oak, it shows what extra proof and an additive-free approach draw out. The nose carries butterscotch, dried fruit, spice and an estery lift, the palate turns woody and coffee-edged with a clear alcohol presence, and the finish runs peppery, bitter and charred. Tasters note an unusually herbal, medicinal streak for Panama, with the strength not fully tucked away. This is a robust, characterful pour for drinkers who want intensity and edges, best opened up with a few drops of water and approached neat rather than mixed.