In an anniversary release from The Whisky Jury, you’d expect some Ben Nevis, of course. But when it comes to rum, TDL is also one of the pet peeves of this bottler. This time we’re getting an older TDL 2000, a vintage that is not as common as others. Apart from this there’s also New Yarmouth 2005 and HD 1997.
T.D.L. 25 yo 2000 (52,8%, The Whisky Jury ‘The Many Faces of Rum’ 2025, refill barrel #R1490, 234 btl.)
Nose: starts a little closed, in a slightly austere way. Prickly pear, some sharper floral notes and green banana peelings. Wee vegetal notes too. Hand warmth helps to bring out lovely maracuya, along with lemon and bits of mango. These fruits tend to stay in the background and tend to be overtaken by minty notes. Underneath there are hints of fir oil, moderate esters and salted caramel.
Mouth: this time the tropical fruits come to the fore. Passion fruits, grapefruits (bittersweet) and nice hints of lychees on syrup. Then there’s still the zestiness, the mentholated side and the medicinal herbs. A clear caramelized note and acacia honey too, along with oak spice and a wee hint of rubber in the distance.
Finish: medium length, with a nice tension between fruity acidity, herbs, toffee and menthol.
Not as exuberant as some TDL 2002 for instance, but still a very interesting mix of flavours. Retailers can be found on the TWJ website but I doubt there’ll be many bottles available.
New Yarmouth 20 yo 2005 (59,8%, The Whisky Jury 2025, refill barrel #14, 221 btl.)
Nose: ester galore. Lots of modeling glue, whiffs of acetone, overripe bananas and rotting pineapples. Green olives in brine. Then salty liquorice, hints of fresh carbon, myrtle, a little almond paste and bright spices. Also a nice combination of candied cherries and peppermint. Really good.
Mouth: very high ester levels indeed, wow. Nice lemony notes, plenty of glue again. Then also sharp herbs, nail varnish, a hint of wood shavings and some salty dough. So estery that it becomes fruity again, mainly unripe mango, apricot and even a hint of strawberry. Rose pepper along with some toasted notes as well.
Finish: long, slightly milder, now more on grapefruit and almonds with some medicinal touches.
Here we have New Yarmouth which comes close to Hampden’s upper marques like DOK or the C<>H we’ll have in a minute. It’s an uncommon vintage but despite the slightly invasive edge, it’s bright and downright excellent. Score: 91/100
HD 28 yo 1997 C<>H (59,6%, The Whisky Jury 2025, refill barrel #1, 195 btl.)
Nose: after the pure esters of the New Yarmouth this comes accross as a bit rounder, with vanilla and light whiffs of buttermilk. Some pastry sweetness and lots of green bananas, marzipan and oaky notes. Subtle petrol and new plastics. Hints of tangerine after a while too.
Mouth: still quite intense but slightly less chisseled than the NY. More bananas, light citrus, with firm salty overtones. Lemon juice and varnished notes, with overtones of acetone. Then black olives, some herbal notes and a bit of peppery heat. There are flashes of pink grapefruit as well, but they’re hard to spot unless you add a few drops of water.
Finish: long, on salty notes, lime and subtle wood.
Somehow, in this line-up, it feels milder than I expected. Not a bad thing, it definitely suits the age. A rum session takes about 90 minutes and in the end Hampden wins? Often yes. Score: 91/100