After a number of the whisky releases, we’re now wanting on the rums that had been included within the newest batch of Whisky Jury bottlings. Two of them are excessive ester rums with the attractive Ester Hunter label, and the third is a TDL from the 2002 classic. Whereas this doesn’t have the repute of another vintages, I do keep in mind a really distinctive and really humorous 2002 from FRC.
You can test their retailers checklist, however plenty of the releases are gone earlier than you recognize it.
Diamond 2014 (53,6%, The Whisky Jury ‘The Ester Hunter’ 2025, John Dore double retort pot nonetheless, cask #5, 280 btl.)
Nostril: very expressive Pattex glue and cellulosic varnish, with engine oil and hints of olive brine. New leatherette and anise, together with crushed peppermint leaves. Then bitter apples and overripe bananas, in addition to some lemons. Additionally delicate rose petals and a musky aroma within the distance. Topped with a whiff of smoke. Spot on.
Mouth: fairly sizzling, dry and pure. Lots of industrial varnish, with liquorice, inexperienced olives and loads of salty brine. Nevertheless there’s additionally a delicate fruity be aware, suppose inexperienced banana, unripe pineapple or bitter berries. Total it grows barely darker than the nostril prompt, with tonka bean, salted liquorice and lightweight caramelized pecans within the background. Water helps to spotlight the fruitiness and produce out some natural notes and a bit of additional sweetness.
End: medium lengthy, however fairly sizzling once more, wiping out some flavour. Hints of banana, extra of that salty liquorice, and leather-based.
This quirky nonetheless results in a really highly effective mixture of salty and bitter notes with excessive esters. The nostril was nice, however on the palate you must work somewhat (with water) to search out the perfect stability of business power and extra accessible flavours.
HD 15 yo 2009 DOK (55,9%, The Whisky Jury ‘The Ester Hunter’ 2025, cask #3, 173 btl.)
Nostril: a truckload of overripe bananas and pineapples, combined with gherkins and modelling glue. Balsa wooden, black olives, a whiff of acetone and a contact of marzipan. New plastics and candied ginger too. Over time a transparent wave of aged cheese will get stronger – not for everybody.
Mouth: extra fruits than the Diamond, however nonetheless equally spectacular funky notes. Drying esters (somewhat mineral sooner or later), with large varnished notes and brine. Inexperienced apples and inexperienced lemons, in addition to pineapples and rotting bananas. A bitter (woody) roughness ultimately.
End: lengthy and mineral, with plenty of salty notes, with echoes of bananas and a touch of latest plastics.
Undoubtedly an ester bomb once more, this excessive marque HD. Barely rounder than the 2009 DOK for TastToe maybe, however with just a few wacky additions. Method with warning. Rating: 90/100
TDL 2002 (56,1%, The Whisky Jury ‘The Many Faces of Rum’ 2025, refill barrel #16, 229 btl.)
Nostril: speedy fruitiness. Hints of ardour fruits, melons, delicate lychee and succulent crimson Moselle peaches. A pleasant mint / lime mixture too – this all the time works. Hints of apple tea, whiffs of diesel and comfortable leather-based within the background.
Mouth: nonetheless fruity – the winery peach notes are spectacular. Hints of mango, golden kiwi and papaya as effectively. The fruits are overtaken by mentholated notes and spice somewhat rapidly, which suggests it doesn’t fairly attain the tropical blast of a number of the 2003 or 2009 bottlings. Then hints of vanilla, eucalyptus and natural syrups, in addition to a light-weight trace of petrol.
End: fairly lengthy, nonetheless displaying this sturdy mixture of fruit and mint. A really delicate medicinal edge too.
A stunning TDL once more, though the palate doesn’t fully fulfill the promise set by the fantastic nostril. Have I ever informed you Moselle peaches and mangosteens are my favorite fruits? Regardless of the marginally much less exuberant palate, it affords plenty of basic mentholated TDL markers. It proves that a number of vintages have nice outcomes. Rating: 91/100
