Rum tasting at The Oak Barrel, Sydney, May 9th 2019: Rum #4 Nose: Sweet, lifted dark fruit notes. Very heady and encompassing. A note of varnish (not nail varnish, more like shellac) and some raisins and dates. A dark syrup aroma, some vanilla and banana notes give it a profile not unlike bourbon. Apple cobbler, tobacco, pencil shavings. Excellent! Palate: Surprisingly astringent and dry on the arrival (the casks are more evident than on the nose) with spicy (ginger, sweet chilli, preserved lemon) notes. The development proceeds with the dry theme rather than gathering sweetness and brings forth brown sugar, tropical fruit, grilled bananas, licorice and some cane juice, but there is no sign whatsoever of added sweetening. Finish: Medium/long. The cane-juice character fades into a vanilla aftertaste. The palate is drier than the nose would lead you to imagine, but there is a very rich and full character to this rum. I was not surprised to hear that it was aged in a combination of ex-bourbon and sherry casks for 10 years in an active environment. It has a complexity and depth of body but it is not cloying or syrupy by any means. A dash of water released more ginger spice and grilled banana on both the nose and palate. A very good rum indeed, one of my favourites of the evening, and reasonable value. "Very Good" : 87/100 (4.25 stars)