Chayriques Brothers Rhum de la Jamaique 1889

Chayriques Brothers Rhum de la Jamaique carries an 1889 date, making it a rare nineteenth-century survivor and far more a piece of liquid history than an everyday bottle. A rum of this age is fascinating for what it is, though time has clearly taken a toll on the spirit inside.

The nose is the highlight, very old Cuban cigar with tropical fruit, banana and pineapple over a marked woodiness, tobacco, licorice and tannins giving it real antique character. The palate is where age shows its cost, watery and bitter with the fruit faded and the structure falling away. This is a bottle to approach as a tasting of history rather than a search for vibrancy or balance, a chance to nose something distilled in the Victorian era. For the curious collector it is a memorable experience, but its appeal lies in provenance and the evocative nose rather than the drinking.