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Holmes Cay Fiji 2004 Single Cask Rum
The Holmes Cay line launched in 2019 with a single cask Barbados rum product sourced from the historic Foursquare Rum Distillery. For 2020 the company has released two new vintages from Fiji and Guyana. The Fiji rum was produced at the South Pacific Distilleries located in Lautoka, Fiji (the only rum distillery in Fiji). Distilled using a pot still, the rum was aged for twelve years in used Bourbon barrels in Fiji, then aged an additional four years in a new American White oak cask at the Main Rum Company in Liverpool, England. The rum goes through a minimum level of filtration before it is bottled at 58 % ABV (and was limited to 240 bottles). All Holmes Cay products do not use additives of any kind and are sold at cask strength.
Holmes Cay Single Cask Rum
Appearance
The short necked 750 mL bottle label provides the basic details of the product along with the details related to the specific cask and bottle. The rum holds a golden amber color in the bottle and lightens slightly in the glass. Agitating the liquid created a thick band that slowly expands and releases slow moving legs.
Nose
The aroma leads with a rush of caramelized vanilla, ripe banana and pepper. After letting the glass rest for a few minutes I detected lemon/orange zest, fresh cut cane, salty chicken brine, roasted peanuts, finishing with notes of wet pine and oak.
Palate
The first sip of the rum has a fiery kick that quickly mellows conditioning the mouth to properly evaluate the notes. I found the flavor profile had an interesting swirl of lemon zest, copper, dried orange peel, hot cinnamon candy, smoky oak, toffee, fresh ginger, sweet vanilla icing, pencil lead, banana, as well as fresh ground black pepper. The pepper, copper and mineral notes lingered on the palate for a long medium dry finish.
Review
I can honestly write that this rum has by far one of the most chaotic flavor profiles I have evaluated in years. Usually the flavors come in a progression or pattern that reads like sheet music as I am processing it. This flavor profile is a swirl that pummels your palate from every direction. I spent a great deal of time evaluating the aroma, and then twice as long exploring the flavors. The complexity is impressive and I absolutely reveled in it. At its core the rum maintains equilibrium, a strange balance that is familiar, but different than the average aged rums on the market. With the age statement I expected to find the liquid dominated by wood notes, but instead discovered them always present, mingling, weaving, and dancing with the other notes in the flavor profile. I recommend this rum for any connoisseurs looking for something new to explore and learn from. With limited distribution and number of bottles out in the world, I do not expect to see this product to stay on the shelves long. As the saying goes, “not all good things are meant to last” and that holds true for this rum.
