Mezan Hampden & Monymusk XO Extra Old

Mezan, the bottler known for natural, unadulterated rum, blends Hampden and Monymusk here into a vatting carrying a 23-year age marker and bottled unsweetened at 40%. The two Trelawny and Clarendon estates sit at different ends of the funk spectrum, and the result lands in soft, easy territory.

Molasses-based and pot still, it shows banana, solvent and ripe mango with a vegetal edge on the nose, then a light palate of banana, tropical fruit and gentle wood spice before a short, spicy finish. The funk is restrained and the body thin, so this drinks as a relaxed, undemanding evening pour rather than a heavyweight Hampden statement. At 40% and certified unsweetened, it works neat for newcomers easing into Jamaican pot still, or stretched into a mixed drink.