Rest & Be Thankful Clarendon MPG 2000

This 21 Year Old single cask comes from Clarendon under the MPG marque, selected by Scottish-rooted bottler Rest & Be Thankful. Clarendon in Clarendon parish runs both pot and column stills and supplies marks across the funk spectrum, here distilled from molasses in 2000 and matured in ex-bourbon at cask strength, the long ageing rounding the rum into something fruity and honeyed rather than aggressively funky.

The nose is tropical and estery with floral and lemon-peel lift, the palate brings honey, ester, tropical fruit and citrus, and the finish turns nutty and chocolatey with biscuit and confection. Bottled at 59.4% and unsweetened, it shows a creamy, well-aged Clarendon where the esters are present but not dominant and the wood is clearly felt. This is a balanced, mature Jamaican for drinkers who want age and fruit in harmony, a satisfying neat pour from a respected mark.