Cadenhead‘s Travellers 2006

Cadenhead's Travellers 2006 is a single cask from Travellers Liquors in Belize, bottled by the Scottish house Cadenhead in its natural, unfiltered style. Distilled in 2006 and aged seventeen years, this molasses rum is presented at cask strength, the bottler's hands-off approach letting a single barrel from a less commonly seen Central American distillery speak in full.

Maturation in an ex-bourbon cask has built a sweet-and-spicy depth that the high proof then sharpens. The nose is rich with demerara sugar, leather, fudge and vanilla, while the palate swings drier and brighter, orange peel, kumquat and ginger over a bitter edge, and the finish turns dry, peppery and spicy with dark chocolate. At a full 55% and free of any smoothing, it rewards a little water, a characterful, unsweetened single cask that shows Belize rum with its spice and structure intact.