This 2007 vintage comes from Jamaica's famous Worthy Park distillery, reopened in 2005 after a 50-year closure. It is also Jamaica's oldest distillery.
This rum is a WPL in the distillery's classification, i.e. a light rum (well, for a Jamaican rum, which by definition is heavy in aroma). Bottled in 2017, it is 10 years old.
Nico's tasting notes
The nose opens with a rather light Worthy Park that would be closer to the style produced at Clarendon. Under a thin layer of banana polish, a syrupy fruit salad with delicate aromas. The fruitiness isn't overly tropical, but it's nonetheless concentrated, its relatively light notes escaping the glass unabated. Apple and pear, combined with a hint of copper, are sometimes reminiscent of Calvados. The profile is gently pastry-like, with almond. It's also a little resinous and rather fresh, like rosemary.
With a little aeration, this nose becomes really fluffy, silky, like apricot or guava nectar. Still with this idea of velvety fruit, we think of a vine peach. Then we open up the fruity field with fig sorbet, grape and mirabelle plum. The rum begins to caramelize at the edges, becoming honeyed and softly woody. Calvados-style apple is still around.
On the palate, the fruit is more dried. We find apricot, mango, caramelized apple with skin, dates, figs, pears, cherry... The list is long and the fruit basket is well filled. Verbena brings a softly vegetal side, its sunny leaves expressing themselves with warmth. The mid-palate is pastry-like, with almond and sweet milk caramel. The rum dances in the sun and sails along, aromatic but never heavy. The banana remains light, perfumed with orange jam.
The finish is resinous and concentrated, with candied vegetal notes and a gourmet pastry aspect.
"Worthy Park knows how to work its heavy rums just as well as its light ones, whatever happens the recipe works very well..."
Cledmund F
Incredible. My next purchase for sure. Lots of complexity for a typical Jamaican that starts with macerated fruit with character but never overpowering, and finishes with sweet spices.