Rest & Be Thankful Long Pond ITP 1998

Rest and Be Thankful bottled this Long Pond from the 1998 vintage, a single cask at 54.7%, unsweetened and twenty five years old. The ITP marque sits on the more restrained side of the estate, and at this age it reads as a mature, rounded Jamaican that holds back the extreme funk in favour of depth, for drinkers who want richness over raw esters.

Molasses fermentation and pot still distillation give the base, while long maturation, part tropical and part continental, has shaped a nose of vanilla, citrus, tropical fruit and gentle ester. The palate brings tropical fruit, citrus and a nutty, roasted spice, with a natural sweetness that runs into the woody, chocolate tinged finish. The funk is there but soft, a quiet undercurrent beneath the fruit and oak. This is a contemplative, well aged Long Pond made for unhurried sipping.