Denizen Wanderer Series 8 Year Jamaican Rum

Denizen Rum has been a favorite of rum fans for years, with a simple portfolio of well executed blends that make stellar cocktails, from their Mai Tai favorite Merchant's Reserve, to their super flavorful white rum, to their classically Guyanese vatted dark - our go to for Dark & Stormy's, no matter what a certain litigious Bermudian brand has to say about it. Until now, those classics have been their whole game, but with the launch of their new Wander Series, Denizen takes a deeper, richer and more exclusive dive into Single Origin Caribbean rums, kicking off the series with Denizen’s Single Origin Edition Jamaican Rum Finished in Port Casks.

 

This toothsome tipple is a blend of both Pot and Column distilled rums from undisclosed Jamaican distilleries (although the inclusion of Column Still rum implies that either Clarendon or Appleton are involved), aged a minimum of 8 years. This slightly less intensely funky spin on Jamaican rum brings to mind a style more reminiscent of Appleton Estate than Hampden, though there is a BIT more funky bite than the classic Appleton bottlings tend to offer. The magic element that then puts this blend over the top for us is the marrying in Tawny Port casks for 3 months, melding it all together with a deep, fruity, richness that we found irresistible. 

 

The nose is inviting, with mellow spices like nutmeg, clove, and cinnamon sugar, with raspberry jam and vanilla pound cake. The palate is rich and very full-bodied with notes of caramel, bananas foster, bougie jelly doughnut, and fig. The finish comes back to cinnamon spice and molasses with a creamy feel throughout. This is a special one - cheers!