2010 Velier National Rums Of Jamaica Long Pond Cambridge STCE Jamaica Cask Strength Pure Single Rum (700ml)

"Astounding...a brown bomber that showcases the island, the distillery, the marque and the ester-laden profile." - lonecaner.com

A reproduction marque based on Cambridge Distillery, originally located in Trelawny Parish but closed in 1947 - hence this 'replica' was actually distilled at Long Pond in 2010. It's part of a quartet under Velier's National Rums of Jamaica series first issued in 2018. The intention is to capture Jamaica's key styles via four different expressions. It's not known if Velier obtained an antique bottle of Cambridge and attempted to reproduce the flavour profile, or if this is more about matching historical ester counts (the chemical compounds that smell and taste of fruit and flowers). Either way, this expression falls under the Jamaican classification of "Continental Flavored style" equating to rums with 700/1600 gr / hlpa of esters (the other three classifications are 'Common Clean 50-150 gr/hlpa', 'Plummer 150-200 gr/hlpa' and 'Wedderburn 200-300 gr/hlpa' - all probably derived from an earlier British classification). The counts refer to the esters after distillation (i.e.- before maturation), so they would differ after years of tropical ageing. It should also be noted that exceptionally high ester rums are generally not marketable (nor palatable), instead they're reserved as blending agents. Thus, in the grander scheme of things, Cambridge is a mid-level ester style, but most Jamaican rums are much, much lower. Further confusing matters, Velier's label carries a secondary marque: 'STCE' standing for 'Simon Thomsom Cambridge Estate' which is a reference to Long Pond's in-house measuring system, the title incorporating the name of one of Cambridge's historical owners. Whether this implies that Cambridge's stills had been brought over to Long Pond, or that the Cambridge style was being copied with Long Pond's existing stills is not clear.

We received a 50ml sample. Overall the nose has a dry, unadulterated feel, the opening aromas of balsamic, nail varnish and shellac giving way to a core of poached fruits, vanilla, crushed papaya seeds, roasted almonds, muted raw sugar and coffee cake. The palate unfolds in stages: Entry accents 'industrial' notes evoking gunshot, acetone and pickled ginger; The mid-palate attack turns intensely estery, bittersweet and pleasingly astringent then breaks loose with a rush of ripe tropical fruits leaving banana bread, fruit cake, light treacle and plenty of residual funk. The length is just what you'd expect. Mouthfilling, idiosyncratic, intoxicating and 'out there', it's a clinic on extreme Jamaican styles; Some may find the industrial notes too quirky, or too much - or both, but if purity and provenance are important to you, there are few like this. Fifteen barrels equate to 4900 bottles globally. 100% tropically aged. 57% Alc./Vol.

Other reviews... What makes the rum so astounding – and it is, you know, for all its off-the-wall wild madness – is the way it keeps developing.  In many rums what you get to smell is pretty much, with some minor variation, what you get to taste. Not here. Not even close. Oh the palate is forceful, it’s sharp, it’s as chiselled as a bodybuilder’s abs, and initially it began like the nose did, with glue, ammonia and sweet-clear acetone-perfume bolted on to a hot and full bodied rum.  But over time it became softer, slightly creamy, a bit yeasty, minty, and also oddly light, even sweet. Then came the parade of vanilla, peaches, ginger, cardamom, olives, brine, pimentos, salty caramel ice cream, freshly baked sourdough bread and a very sharp cheddar, and still it wasn’t done – it closed off in a long, dry finish laden with attar of roses, a cornucopia of sharp and unripe fleshy fruits (apricots, peaches, apples), rotting bananas, acetones, nail polish and lots and lots of flowers...Luca Gargano, if you strain your credulity to the limit, can conceivably make a boring rum…but he’s too skilled to make a bad one, and I think what he was gunning for here was a brown bomber that showcased the island, the distillery, the marque and the ester-laden profile.  He certainly succeeded at all of these things…though whether the rum is an unqualified success for the lay-drinker is a much harder question to answer. You see, there’s a reason such high ester superrums don’t get made very often. They simply overload the tasting circuits, and sometimes such a plethora of intense good things is simply too much.  I’m not saying that’s the case here because the balance and overall profile is quite good – just that the rum, for all its brilliantly choreographed taste gyrations, is not entirely to my taste, the ammonia-laden nose is overboard, and I think it’s likely to be a polarizing product – good for Jamaica-lovers, great for the geeks, not so much for Joe Harilall down the road. I asked for new and spectacular and I got both.  But a wonderful, amazing, must-have rum? The next Skeldon or 1970s PM, or 1980s Caroni? Not entirely. - the lonecaner.com

...The rum has a lot of esters for the nose and should be allowed to breathe for 15-30 minutes. I find typical ester notes like fermented tropical fruit, solvent and varnish. In addition, nice roasted aromas, vanilla, nuts and burnt sugar. A nice thick funky nose that is powerfully intense. On the palate, the rum appears light and fresh at first. Almost flowery. But then it quickly becomes more powerful and full-bodied. Overripe fruit, esters, a nice nutty spiciness with roasted aromas and a good portion of wood. It's all creamy and dry. The finish then becomes woodier with leather and bitterness, solvents and a slight astringency. What can I say. A great rum that has everything I expect from a high ester Jamaican. The tropical maturation is on point and the barrel influence is super successful. The rum doesn't quite have the complexity and depth of the TECA from 2007. Still, it's hits my taste and it's really fun. - rumratings.com

... A vatting of fifteen (15) bourbon barrels. That's almost as many as in a batch of Johnnie Walker Blue, no? Now, as for this little rum and as I understand it, the name Cambridge refers to an old distillery whose make they're replicating at Long Pond, the marque STCE meaning 'Simon Thomsom Cambridge Estate'. Good, and the name 'continental flavoured' refers to one of the four styles they're making altogether, namely a rather high-ester one (500 to 700 gr/hlpa). Good, hope I've got everything more or less right, let us proceed… Colour: full gold. Nose: varnishes, acetone, polishes and carbon dust (a Porsche after the Nürburgring, as they say). Gosh they'll cancel us too one day. Then the expected rotting (well, rotten) bananas, artichokes, black olives, and Scotch tape. With water: more of all that, with perhaps a different balance. More Scotch tape. Mouth (neat): massive loads of rotting tropical fruits, with a feeling of ammonia, and certainly more varnish, plus coal tar and just diesel oil (right, a feeling of diesel oil, or rather something reminiscent of diesel oil). With water: sorrel juice (yep) and guava juice taking over. Very unusual – well I'm not familiar with these makes anyway. Acidic and rather sour. Finish: long, with more tart fruits of all kinds. Sour, gherkiny aftertaste. More liquorice in the aftertaste. Comments: extreme. Quaffing dressers often comes with a challenge, this is an excellent (and actually excellent) example. 88 points - whiskyfun.com