Rest & Be Thankful Clarendon MPG 2000

Rest and Be Thankful bottled this single cask Clarendon, distilled in 2000 and aged 21 years, carrying the MPG marque from the Monymusk side of Jamaica's workhorse distillery. This is one of the estate's lower-ester marks, so the funk is subtle and the emphasis falls on balance and nuance.

Distilled from molasses on a pot still and matured in ex-bourbon wood, it shows yellow fruit, pear, tropical fruit and honey on the nose, then spicy yellow fruit, woody and pear notes on the palate, finishing spicy with barrel, honey and a vegetal edge. A surprising menthol note and a hint of calvados-like fruit add interest. Bottled at 60.1% and unsweetened, it rewards attention with elegance rather than power, though some find it a touch lean for the age. Best in small neat pours or with a few drops of water, it suits drinkers who appreciate dry, refined, low-ester Jamaican rum.