English Harbour Reserve 10 Year Old Antigua Rum (75cl, 40%)

A minimum of ten years tropically aged in once-used bourbon casks, bottled at 40% ABV in a 750ml bottle. The molasses comes from Guyana and the Dominican Republic, fermentation runs 24 to 36 hours in open fermenters, and distillation is on a John Dore/Savalle copper hybrid column still. The distillery calls it a tasting rum, with notes of smoked cedar and dried fruits. The official notes describe soft, smoky oak balanced by citrus, dried fruit, vanilla and burnt sugar, with coconut, cinnamon and tropical florals on the nose. The palate follows with butterscotch, thick coffee and baked apple, and a smoky cedar body carries through the finish with cardamom, rosemary, caramel and ripe blackberries. Serve with a block of ice or a splash of water.