Diamond 8 Year Wooden Pot Still (Hamilton Single Cask Cask Strength Collection) (Marque MDE) (Barrel No. 15241)

Rating: 10/23 This is my second Mission Wine & Spirits Hamilton Guyanese rum. I wasn't impressed by the first one, but I also expected it to be the least good because it was produced with a coffey still. This used a pot still, so I'm a bit more optimistic, but worried after the last one. E: This is concerningly light, just like the last one. I expected this, but it isn't a good sign. N: Lots of molasses rum funk. It's a lot like Pusser's Gunpowder Proof. Not a whole lot going on here, but it has lots of that rum funk, which is great, if you want it. P: This burns from the alcohol, which shows through as youthful with harsh burning and lightness. There's some caramel underneath this, with bold funky flavors like in Pusser's Gunbowder Proof. It's rich, with bitter wood and char and...I'm not quite sure. But it's a rich boldness. I get hints of banana, with much lesser orange and lime. Maybe papaya. They're hard to find though. It doesn't taste particularly old, but it's rich and bold, but also harsh and young. I think that this really needs some proofing down. Adding water, this is still harsh, but it's easier to handle and it's still a lot like the Pusser's. F: This is bitter and mostly nondescript, but it does have a big chocolate vibe to it. Honestly, it's my favorite part so far. Ooh, I'm getting char, faint honey, and touches of mango and orange. Faint fireworks. Oh, and some mild vegetal flavors come in at times. - Conclusion - This is a big improvement, but it's still rough. It's aspiring to be Pusser's Gunpowder Proof. Unfortunately, I don't have much faith in Mission at this point. This is sadly far from the Pusser's (15/23) in quality and it's actually not as good as Signatory's Caledonian 29 (1987) (12/23) either. The harshness here is a big problem and so is that bitter smack in the gob. I'm thinking that this couldn't be below a 9, but it's not above an 11. Why release these? I could clean them up with some home-aging. They really need some work. Or just to be used as mixers. Breuckelen 77 Whiskey American Single Malt Aged 7 Years Bourbon Cask Finish (12/23) is clearly better than this. This definitely isn't going to be an 11. It's a 9 or 10. I'm leaning toward a 10. Yeah, I'm going with a 10.