Valinch & Mallet Clarendon Pure Single Rum 2010

Valinch and Mallet labels this Clarendon a Pure Single Rum, the 100% pot-still, single-distillery designation that is a strong quality signal. From the 2010 vintage and bottled as a single cask at 13 years and 56.6%, it shows Clarendon's lighter, fruitier side rather than its most medicinal extremes.

Matured in ex-bourbon wood, it opens fruity and gently funky, with esters that point straight to Jamaica without the heavy power of a Hampden. Pineapple and tropical fruit lead, joined by light herbs and a touch of varnish, then the palate turns herbal, fruity and woody with a Clarendon medicinal thread. The finish stays woody, herbal and fruity with a flicker of allspice. Certified unsweetened and slightly astringent, it is a focused, fruity single cask that delivers the island's ester character at cask strength while staying short of full-on funk, ideal for drinkers who prefer the gentler end of Clarendon.