Hamilton Jamaican Pot Still Black Rum

Appearance: Dark brown, presumably heavily colored as with all black rums (not sure I'd touch anything turned this color by a barrel!). A thin body. Negligible legs. Nose: I'd be surprised if this was unusually high-ester, but low-ester it is not, as its heritage is clear on first sniff as it invades the nose with tropical vegetation, a pronounced sour edge, and an undercurrent of gently sulfured molasses. Bright acidic fruits lead - papaya; passion fruit - laced with floral notes, but transformed and deepened by molasses and ripe banana peel. No ethanol singe, but not for the faint of heart regardless. <side rant> "funk" and "hogo" don't resonate with me as descriptors, despite their ubiquity. I get the benefit of a quick way to describe the style, but it seems like they are often used to describe: - all Jamaican rums, even where not applicable whatsoever or extremely subtle (ex: aged Appleton rums) and - extremely complex flavor profiles, in a single catchall word, that can differ wildly from one expression to the next which ultimately throws a lot of beautiful, assertive spirits and all of their myriad component flavors and differences into one "note". </side rant> Opening: sweet and rich syrup, subtle molasses Mid-palate: tart tropical fruits from the nose build then fade to growing oak astringency with a vein of Juicy Fruit gum Finish: brief flash on the swallow; lingering dryness and the molasses returns for a lengthy finish Empty glass: prunes all day; smells like a port and it's delightful Very satisfying overall. Don't have a good feel for value without tasting competition (Corbua? others?). Head and shoulders above Myers's in refinement and depth. Gosling's is half the price and would still be my preference for Dark & Stormys, but this has much more character, plays lead instead of 3rd chair like Goslings, and was a delightful foil for the creamy, sweet spices in coquitos over the holiday.

It smells funky but you can't taste it. You can really taste the abrasive young spirit in the mix.

Rich molasses smell. Taste is more mellow than the nose suggests. Overripe fruits, brown sugar, and some slight smoke.

Dark roast, vanilla, light, almond