Navy Island Navy Strength

Navy Island bottles a navy-strength Jamaican blend drawn from Hampden, Worthy Park and Monymusk, three of the island's pot-still houses, at a serious 57%. It is unsweetened and pot-still throughout, offering genuine Jamaican funk in a more affordable, blended package than the single-distillery bottlings, with the ester character that defines the island front and centre. The mix of distilleries gives it breadth across the funky, fruity Jamaican spectrum.

The nose runs to ripe banana, esters, grapes and wood; the palate is woody and roasted with dark chocolate and banana, finishing smoky, roasted and dark. Drinkers pull out strawberry, cherry and stone fruit alongside sticky caramel, vanilla and chocolate, with real complexity and length, though the many component stills can make it a busy blend to pin down. With no added sugar and plenty of hogo, it works neat, with a little water, or in a bold cocktail, and makes a strong-value route into navy-strength Jamaica for anyone who enjoys Hampden or Worthy Park.