1997 The Colours of Rum Clarendon 24 Year Old Edition No. 13 Cask Strength Jamaica Rum (700ml)

Jamaica's Clarendon Distillery (est.1949 and initially owned by the Monymusk Sugar Factory) is a large plant, home to about 5-6 column still marques and about 20 pot still marques. Amongst these is Monymusk, named after one of the oldest sugar cane plantations in Jamaica, located in Lionel Town, Clarendon. To confuse matters, there's also a brand called 'Monymusk', but that has only been around since 2012. The historical connection remains, as Clarendon is located on six acres in the Monymusk Estate. About 90% of the total output goes to Diageo's Captain Morgan and Myers brands, which in total accounts for about 60% of all Jamaican bulk rum exports. In short, Clarendon is a hybrid set up - on the one hand churning out industrial column still distillate for global brands, while on the other creating various esoteric and highly-regarded light and heavy ester pot-distilled rums. Obviously, this selection falls into the latter category.  The 'MMW' (Monymusk Wedderburn) marque means the ester count is between 290-300 g/hlpa. There are suggestions of raw sugar mingling with green woods, white pepper and distant wax on the nose, building with riper tropical fruits. It is sweeter in the mouth with bright, bristling spices, exotic fruit notes and pineapple pudding at the finish. There's a sense of freshness throughout, and the lower ABV makes for one of the most accessible of the current selections. Continentally aged in an x-rum cask with an outturn of 192 bottles. 49.2% Alc./Vol. Non-chill filtered. Tasted from a 20ml sample.