Copeland Smugglers' Reserve Rum (70cl, 40%)

A rum blend from the Copeland Distillery in Donaghadee, combining pot-still rum from Barbados with lighter rum from the distillery's own production. The Caribbean portion matures in bourbon barrels from Kentucky, while the Copeland rum uses French Pinot Noir wine casks and bourbon quarter casks, with further maturation in American first-fill bourbon casks and Pinot Noir casks. The final blend consists of 90% bourbon-cask-matured and 10% Pinot-Noir-cask-matured rum, describing the cask influences rather than the origin proportions. It is bottled at 40% in a 700 ml bottle. The nose shows mild, sweet spices with a hint of gingerbread. The palate combines banana and coconut with an impression of rum-raisin ice cream, plus vanilla and caramel. The finish is medium in length, velvety, with sweet spices lingering.