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Holmes Cay Single Cask Rum Barbados 2009
During the fall of 2023, Holmes Cay released another expression of their Single Cask Rum line. This rum was made at the Foursquare Rum Distillery, based in Saint Phillip, Barbados, using 100% molasses and is a blend of pot still and column Coffey still rums. This is standard operating procedure when it comes to rums of this vintage. Things get interesting when it comes to the aging of the spirit. The first eight years the rum was aged in used bourbon casks, then spent four additional years aging in Liverpool, UK, in bourbon casks, and then finally aged two years in New York State in a Premier Cru Bordeaux cask. After completing the aging process, the rum was non-chill filtered and bottled at 55% ABV. No sugar, coloring, or other additives were used during this process.
www.holmescay.com
Holmes Cay Single Cask Rum 2009 Barbados
www.holmescay.com
Appearance
The 700 ml short-necked bottle is sealed with a clear security wrap holding a wooden-capped synthetic cork to the bottle. The label provides basic information about the product and the different casks used during aging. The rum holds a solid amber color in the bottle, but in the glass, I detected a red hue in the liquid. Swirling the liquid created a thick band that slowly released a couple of waves of legs. It takes several minutes for the bands to evaporate, leaving a ring of pebbles around the glass.
Nose
The aroma leads with dark berry notes and is quickly followed by a rich Madagascar vanilla and nips of smoky oak, rounding out the experience.
Palate
The first sip delivers the dark berry notes from the aroma along with the bite of the alcohol across the palate. Spicy notes hit hard midpalate with notes of clove, lightly bitter cinnamon bark, allspice, and black pepper. As the spice notes subside, a distinct plum note with orange peel zest weaves in and merges with the berry flavors. As the rum flavors begin to fade, a graphite/oak char note lingers on the palate, creating a long, dry finish.
Review
Since Eric Kaye founded the Holmes Cay line in 2019, he has been on a mission to find unique blends and flavor profiles and bottle them in limited releases. The Holmes Cay Single Cask Barbados 2009 release demonstrates the nuances of aging in tropical and continental environments and the influence the cask finish has on a product. When I first sipped the rum, I very quickly tossed out any preconceived notions I had about the brand that created the rum and instead turned my attention to the twists and turns of this rather unique flavor experience. While I found the aroma simplistic with its one, two, three, and done experience, the flavor profile was an enjoyable exploration as I sipped and savored the rum, enjoying the fruit and spice notes and the way they flowed during the evaluation process. Like most Holmes Cay releases, this is a limited product, and if you enjoy interesting flavor experiences, this one is worthy of your time and attention.
