Travellers Rumclub Private Selection Ed. 29 Rum (DOK Cask Finish) 2014

Travellers Rumclub Private Selection Edition 29 is a single cask Belize rum finished in a Hampden DOK cask and bottled unsweetened at a powerful 65.7% by Spirit of Rum. DOK is Hampden's highest ester marque, near Jamaica's legal ceiling, so this finish brings serious funk to a normally rounder Belize base, making it a clever and intense crossover for experienced drinkers.

The Travellers column distillate supplies the chocolatey, woody Belize core, vanilla, caramel, burnt sugar, dark chocolate and oak, while the DOK cask layers on estery tropical fruit, pineapple and citrus and a creme brulee-like lactic note. The two halves play off each other well, the funk adding lift without erasing the rum's identity. At 65.7% the strength is considerable and rewards a rest and a little water. Dry and additive-free, it offers genuine depth and good value, a powerful sipper for those who love Hampden's funk and want to see it stamped on a Central American rum.