After some of the whisky releases, we’re now looking at the rums that were included in the latest batch of Whisky Jury bottlings. Two of them are high ester rums with the beautiful Ester Hunter label, and the third is a TDL from the 2002 vintage. While this doesn’t have the reputation of some other vintages, I do remember a very unique and very funny 2002 from FRC.
You could check their retailers list, but a lot of the releases are gone before you know it.
Diamond 2014 (53,6%, The Whisky Jury ‘The Ester Hunter’ 2025, John Dore double retort pot still, cask #5, 280 btl.)
Nose: very expressive Pattex glue and cellulosic varnish, with engine oil and hints of olive brine. New leatherette and anise, along with crushed peppermint leaves. Then sour apples and overripe bananas, as well as some lemons. Also subtle rose petals and a musky aroma in the distance. Topped with a whiff of smoke. Spot on.
Mouth: quite hot, dry and pure. A lot of industrial varnish, with liquorice, green olives and plenty of salty brine. However there’s also a subtle fruity note, think green banana, unripe pineapple or sour berries. Overall it grows slightly darker than the nose suggested, with tonka bean, salted liquorice and light caramelized pecans in the background. Water helps to highlight the fruitiness and bring out some herbal notes and a bit of extra sweetness.
Finish: medium long, but quite hot again, wiping out some flavour. Hints of banana, more of that salty liquorice, and leather.
This quirky still leads to a very powerful combination of salty and sour notes with high esters. The nose was great, but on the palate you have to work a little (with water) to find the best balance of industrial strength and more accessible flavours.
HD 15 yo 2009 DOK (55,9%, The Whisky Jury ‘The Ester Hunter’ 2025, cask #3, 173 btl.)
Nose: a truckload of overripe bananas and pineapples, mixed with gherkins and modelling glue. Balsa wood, black olives, a whiff of acetone and a touch of marzipan. New plastics and candied ginger too. Over time a clear wave of aged cheese gets stronger – not for everyone.
Mouth: more fruits than the Diamond, but still equally impressive funky notes. Drying esters (rather mineral at some point), with massive varnished notes and brine. Green apples and green lemons, as well as pineapples and rotting bananas. A sour (woody) roughness in the end.
Finish: long and mineral, with lots of salty notes, with echoes of bananas and a hint of new plastics.
Definitely an ester bomb again, this high marque HD. Slightly rounder than the 2009 DOK for TastToe perhaps, but with a few wacky additions. Approach with caution. Score: 90/100
TDL 2002 (56,1%, The Whisky Jury ‘The Many Faces of Rum’ 2025, refill barrel #16, 229 btl.)
Nose: immediate fruitiness. Hints of passion fruits, melons, subtle lychee and succulent red Moselle peaches. A nice mint / lime combination too – this always works. Hints of apple tea, whiffs of diesel and soft leather in the background.
Mouth: still fruity – the vineyard peach notes are impressive. Hints of mango, golden kiwi and papaya as well. The fruits are overtaken by mentholated notes and spice rather quickly, which means it doesn’t quite reach the tropical blast of some of the 2003 or 2009 bottlings. Then hints of vanilla, eucalyptus and herbal syrups, as well as a light hint of petrol.
Finish: quite long, still showing this strong combination of fruit and mint. A very subtle medicinal edge too.
A lovely TDL again, even though the palate doesn’t entirely fulfill the promise set by the glorious nose. Have I ever told you Moselle peaches and mangosteens are my favourite fruits? Despite the slightly less exuberant palate, it offers a lot of classic mentholated TDL markers. It proves that several vintages have great results. Score: 91/100