Clarendon distillery, just a short ways southeast of New Yarmouth, sits on the massive Monymusk estate in Clarendon parish - whence its occasionally bearing either name - and is probably best known for making Myers and the non-US version of Captain Morgan (we yanks get the St. Croix stuff). It's very frequently found in a variety of pot still blends (albeit less often mentioned - I'm thinking Xaymaca, Smith & Cross, Compagnie des Indes...) or low-shelf mixing rums, and it's fairly rare to find Clarendon distillate presented on its own in good form, especially in the States. But even if they're mostly a large-scale producer for blends and 40% jobbing rum (and not a pot-still-only thoroughbred like Worthy Park or Hampden), don't think that means Clarendon doesn't have its charms.
In the course of this channel somehow I've never gotten around to reviewing any rum entirely produced at Clarendon, but today that changes thanks to a modest release from Ed Hamilton and some Florida rum nerds. And as a sparring partner I'm throwing in a big high-ester bruiser from Anders Skotlander in Denmark, one that blends Clarendon with its nearby neighbor. Do not light a fire near either of these:
- Clarendon Estate Jamaican Rum, Hamilton Single Cask for Florida Rum Society (10 years old, aged 5/2011-9/2021 with 8 years tropical aging; WNJME marque, cask no. 435768, 68.1%), 89/100
- Jamaica High Ester White Rum (Skotlander Rum Lab Batch SKJ01, Monymusk and New Yarmouth, distilled 2017 and bottled 2020; 720g/hLpa; 75.2% ABV), 87/100
The Skotlander Rum Lab is lovely, if maybe a little academic: the true ester maniacs are going to rush straight past this on their way towards TECC, NYE/WK, and DOK, yet it's still freaky enough to scare everyone else off. That said, it does make a hell of a daiquiri. The true star here is the mysteriously-marqued FRS pick, which is one of the best specimens of oaky, mint-tea-driven lowish-ester pot still rum that I've had in awhile, rather handily beating (IMHO) the older Worthy Park pick from the same group (reviewed at [ Ссылка ] ). And as of my posting this they've still got a few cases left, so there's that.
Extra special thanks to my Different Spirits on Patreon ([ Ссылка ]) -
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