WP Lluidas Vale The Duchess 12 Years Old Lluidas Vale Cask 4 57.9% 2006

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Serge Valentin (88)

Colour: gold.

Nose: gentler, less extreme than that Hampden, more complex as well, with some smoky earthiness, no acetone this time, rather a feeling of smoked banana cake, cigar ashes, a mild oliveness, and whiffs of camphor an eucalyptus wood. With water: the varnish comes out, together with more very lovely earthy tones and fermenting tropical fruits. A combo that always works very perfectly.

Mouth (neat): very unusual this time, with notes of grappa and marc de Bourgogne at first (not égrappé/destemmed), and only then cane, olives, and lemon, then liquorice and a touch of tar. With water: really, marc. And then, indeed, olives and tarry liquorice. Some sides remind me of that crazy thing that Silver Seal did, called Grhum. Which is grappa finished in ex-rum wood.

Finish: rather long, funnily grape-y, and then appropriately olive-y.

Comments: totally up my alley – and indeed it’s fun. One to poor blind – not saying it’s a real eye-opener though (ooh that was utterly lame, S.!)

Gal Granov (88)

Worthy Park 12 yo [The Duchess] Cask #4

Another single cask Rum from one of our favorite small Indie bottler – The Duchess – the Rum label managed by my good Dutch friend Nils. After the lovely FourSquare 13 yo I reviewed a few months back , we’re off to Jamaica and Worthy Park, one of best distilleries operating there now..

Worthy Park , 12yo cask #4 ,57.9% 2006 , € 65

Nose: sweet overripe exotic fruit, mainly pineapple and mango with some orange cantaloupe and bananas. But the fruity notes are just the prequel to lovely wood varnish, earthy notes and wet dunnage floors,and wait! Some smoke? I think so.
Palate: big and sharp, with olive brine, feels a little winey with some tannins, and grape pith, almost grappa like. This is rum right? Well it is and there’s some sweet molasses touches as well,licorice and burnt sugar, rubber?
Finish: more grape peel, chacha (Georgian grappa ), wood and molasses.

Conclusion: Lovely stuff once more, this one combines tropical fruit, with lovely wood notes, polished oak and grappa like qualities. Complex, Fun and drinkable, and also very affordable. Highly recommended.

Malt Fascination (89)

Sniff:
A very heavy and feinty rum. There’s sweetness, there’s wood. There is engine oil and sugary biscuits. Tea, ferns, mold.

Sip:
Very sharp, even as a second dram. Dry, woody, spicy. Some wet dirt, wood pulp and old, cracking leather.

Swallow:
Candied lemon, cracking leather, cactus, oak. Lots of contrasting flavors. Fruit and spices, sweet and savory.

Well, this is something different. There’s mountains of flavor with a lot of feinty notes to it. You’d almost say it’s a bit too much, but it’s not. This is exactly what it needs to be and it’s the best rum I’ve tried in quite a while. Well, since last April at Cadenhead’s, but that was a while…