T.D.L Kill Devil Fernandes 1999

This is a Hunter Laing Kill Devil single-distillery release of Trinidad rum, drawn from a 1999 cask and held twenty-one years, mostly in the cooler European climate where ageing runs slow and the wood builds gradually. Hunter Laing applies its whisky-house approach here: natural, non-chill-filtered and bottled at full strength rather than reduced to a crowd-pleasing proof.

The molasses spirit shows the darker, roasted side of Trinidad, distilled high yet matured into something heavy with oak, leather, prune and mocha. The palate is all dark wood, smoke, coffee and dried fruit, closing charred, woody and astringent with a thread of vanilla. At 61.5% it asks for patience and a few drops of water to open, a rewarding step up for drinkers who like intense, almost whisky-leaning rum.