Famille Ricci Quintessence 2022

Famille Ricci assembles this Quintessence 2022 as a high-strength multi-distillery blend, aged around thirteen and a half years in ex-bourbon and bottled at a full cask-strength 57.8%. The composition leans on Jamaica for its backbone, with Trinidad and Barbados rum filling in around the edges.

That Jamaican core brings Hampden-style funk to the fore, the nose alive with ester, tropical fruit, glue and green apple, the palate rich with tropical fruit, caramel, roast and mango, and the finish trailing mango, pineapple and licorice. The Trinidad component adds a spicy thread while Barbados lends a soft coconut layer underneath. Despite the funk and proof, it holds together with real balance, the kind of complex, well-judged blend that rewards attention. It is a rewarding high-strength sipper for drinkers who love Jamaican character and want to see it threaded through a layered, multi-origin composition.