TBRC Diamond 2004

That Boutique-y Rum Company bottled this Diamond 2004 at thirteen years old and cask strength, 56.1 percent, drawn off the single wooden pot still. TBRC, curated under Atom Brands, is known for honest no-additive single casks and blends with playful labels, and this is an unsweetened, full-proof slice of heritage Demerara wood.

From molasses through the wooden pot still, the nose carries caramelised notes, banana, port and bourbon, with an intense palate of mango, a rubbery edge and citrus, finishing on pear, vanilla, cashews and young wood. Drinkers find this a dry, spice-driven rum that swings from Christmas cake to pencil shavings, with a sharpness that some feel runs a little hot. It is a vivid, fruity and dry single wooden pot still Diamond, full-proof and unembellished, for those who like their Demerara raw and lively.