18 years old, distilled 17th January 2003, 55.7% abv, Refill Ex-Jamaican Rum Barrel, 238 bottles, dram price D

The nose has stewed fruits and barley sugars, with hints of old library books. The mouthfeel is thin with no cling. The body has more of those fruity notes - stewed and hints of fruit salad sweets - and then a touch of barley sugars and old unpolished oak furniture, then hints of the rum. This is a sweet and chimeric dram! The finish has light touched of citrus fruits (lemon flavoured boiled sweets?), old unpolished furniture and hints of rum.

Water brings out thin, rapidly spreading whorling that settles into brief mottling. The nose gains rum esters almost immediately but the stewed fruits are still there. The body gains more fruits - fruit salad chews, pears, hints of plums. The finish gains more rum.

Water definitely unleashed the rum beast - but this one turned out to have a huge roar and yet be a cute little bunny rabbit. No knights will be running away from this dram! But the very nature of it will no doubt deter many an explorer who sees it on the map...

One for summer afternoons.

Technical score: 4.5/5
Personal preference: I’d like a bottle.

This whisky was provided by the SMWS in a preview session - thanks to them for that. Full editorial control has been retained in the tasting process.