Dead Reckoning Nelson's Dockyard Single Barrel Antigua Rum (700ml)
Dead Reckoning's latest offering features 'rum royalty' from the legendary Antigua Distillery. Located in English Harbour (home of the ‘English Harbour Rum’ brand), the rum is copper pot distilled from a molasses wash, matured for two years in x-Bourbon wood, then finished in Australia for two years in a first-fill Apera cask before bottlling at 50%. 355 bottles are available.
Little-known to rum lovers, Antigua Distillers Limited was formed in 1932 by eight local businessmen and by 1933 they had established their own distillery on Rat Island (named because of its shape – the authorities didn’t want a distillery on the mainland due to the potential smell and noise). Originally equipped with a multi-column Savalle still, it was replaced in 1991 with a three-column still from John Dore & Co. made entirely out of copper – bolts included. That was subsequently modified into a five-column still making it shorter, apparently due to the danger of tropical storms in the area. While the distillery's website does talk about a yeast and fermentation process that “adds a level of flavour to the liquid in the tank, and it also produces a number of compounds that contribute directly to the complex flavours and aromas of the final product”, the wash is distilled to 95% ABV making it pretty much neutral in taste. Most of the flavours are said to come from the maturation process which typically employs charred 200 litre ex-Bourbon casks, so this bottling adds a bit of a twist. Reportedly, nothing has been added.
Other reviews... Nose: A sweet cacophony of chewy dried figs, juicy lunchbox sultanas, toffee apples, dried banana chips and desiccated coconut. Palate: Crisp, clean and dry on the pallet with granny smith apples and vanilla custard chased around by stewed fruits and ginger-y spices. Finish: Not a lot of length to the finish, but it’s a fun ride whilst its there! – espresso coffee, dark chocolate and more sultanas with a mild white pepper salute right on the tail. Wow – this is quite a textbook mix of bourbon and sherry (ok, ok… Apera) cask characteristics – floral apple and vanilla notes from the bourbon and the dark stewed fruit and pepper from the Apera cask. The characteristic column still ‘crispness’ is also there to complete the lesson. - rumtribe.com.au
Notes from the bottlers... Toffee, caramel, roasted coffee, chestnut & a hint of black pepper. Whilst working in the mega yacht industry, I was fortunate to spend several months a year living in English harbour in Antigua. Nelson’s dockyard was the location of many a party with fellow crew members. It is also place where Lord Horatio Nelson spent time. This is where my love for this Rum developed as it was a daily staple for all yachting crew. In the past English Harbour rums did have slight adulteration, but I believe they have now changed their formula so no longer will you see sugar added to any of their rums.