ScotchingHard
Habitation Velier Forsyths WP single Jamaican rum 2005
Aged Rum — Jamaica, Jamaica
Reviewed
January 31, 2020 (edited May 13, 2020)
$24 for 1.5 ounces at Tail Up Goat
This particular bottle may be difficult to obtain now, but craft presentation rums, in general, have impressed me. There is not a big collectors market, so these bottlings are for the connoisseurs, and you can be confident when you buy a cask strength rum with a good disclosure of information on the bottle, that the flavors inside will be bold, and the experience will be memorable.
This is an oaky experience. The tree bark juice reminds me of Orphan Barrel Rhetoric. But the sugarcane-based distillate and the higher ABV complements the huge oakiness much better than in an “over-oaked” bourbon. Everything about this rum fits with its dark appearance. It is aggressive and smooth, like a Cajun suitor, with heavy, intoxicating toffee, tree sap, molasses, black pepper, paprika, and apple cider. This finishes with a drying oak, a sizzle of hot pepper, and a funky musky sweat.
My caution is that this has a heart of deep molasses fighting with intense woodiness. It may be an overbearing experience, with the main flavor profile being a tug of war between sweet and bitter. The “WP” indicates this rum is from the Worthy Park Estate in Jamaica. There are younger aged rums from WP that are perhaps friendlier, and better for most occasions. This bottle says this rum was aged 10 years in the tropics with greater than 64% angel’s share. Compared to cask strength whiskies aged for long periods in the tropics selling for many hundreds of dollars from producers such as Amrut and Kavalan, this beast shows how rum is still very reasonably priced.
Score: ** (unimaginably good)
How much does a bottle cost: $75-120. Very hard to find.
How much do I think a bottle is worth: $150
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@cascode The Last Caroni? Yes—it’s the official bottling from the last remaining barrels
@PBMichiganWolverine Details man, details! Is this a Velier?
@PBMichiganWolverine I am buying Barrel products thanks to you. Haven’t opened any yet.
@ScotchingHard i just got my hands on The Last Caroni...supposedly from the last few barrels. So—not at the same level as a Caroni, but there was a Barrell rum I tried last week, which was damn good, especially considering the price ( $90)
@PBMichiganWolverine that caroni would be three stars. I have tried an Adelphi caroni that was three stars as well, and an AD Rattray caroni that wasn’t as good but still very good. Reminds me that I still owe you some samples. I’m gonna get on that this week :)
How would you rate this compared to the Caroni, which still remains as my favorite ( out of the few I’ve tried )