Don Q Double Cask Vermouth Finish

Don Q Double Cask Vermouth Finish is a column still rum from Destileria Serralles, the long established Puerto Rican distillery behind the Don Q range. Aged around four years and finished in vermouth casks, it is bottled at 40% and built around an unusual wine led twist on the smooth Spanish style.

Matured first in ex bourbon then finished in vermouth wood, it leans light bodied, fruity and herbal. The nose carries wine, caramel, dates and fruit, the palate turns woody and vinous with cherry and a Mediterranean spice note, and the finish brings smoke, vanilla and a dry edge. The vermouth influence is pronounced, which makes it more of a talking point than a neat sipping staple, some find it a touch overpowering on its own. Where it really comes alive is in a cocktail, lending a cool, herbal lift to a rum Manhattan, an offbeat bottle best understood as a mixing tool with character.