Three Jamaican Rums from K&L

K&L recently brought in a trio of Jamaican rums from three different distilleries from Scottish bottler Hunter Laing. These use a new label called Golden Devil similar to Laing's Kill Devil label that is used overseas (I would guess there was a trademark issues with that name in the US because the bottles otherwise look the same).

Monymusk 2007, Golden Devil, 9 yo, 50% abv ($50)

The nose on this is very nice with both funky and fruity notes. The palate is light with a slight funk and some alcohol notes. The finish is a bit flat. Overall this one has some nice notes but is a bit light and flat.

Worthy Park 2006, Golden Devil, 10 yo, 50% abv ($50)

This one has a similar light funk on the nose to the Monymusk but more of the molasses comes out. On the palate it's rich with a light funk and vanilla notes. It gets more funky toward the end and has a mildly funky finish. I thought this one was quite good.

Hampden 1992, Golden Devil, 24 yo, 50% abv ($100)

I was a huge fan of the last Hampden rum that K&L brought in so I was excited to try this one. The nose definitely has that deep, sweet funk that the other Hampden had. On the palate it has honey, prunes, overripe fruit and a savory umami note. The finish is funky. This one is really good.

The Hampden is definitely the one to get here. The Worthy Park was also good, if a bit lighter, and I didn't care for the Monymusk.

Thanks to Dan Walbrun for the samples. 

K&L Rums

Photo Courtesy of K&L Spirits Journal

Today I take a look at K&L's exclusive barrel rums. These are single barrel rums that were bottled in Scotland by Hunter Laing. Both of the Guayanan rums are from closed distilleries.  I'm not usually one to care about bottle design, but I have to say that there is some pretty cool label art on these rums.


Faultline Jamaican Rum 14 yo, Hampden Distillery, 50% abv ($75)

The nose on this is fantastically fruity with cherries but also a vegetal note; it noses more like a rhum agricole. The palate opens with pineapple then gets spicy with mint.  The finish has overripe mangoes and herbs and even some kalamata olives.  I really dig this stuff; it's funky with a ton of flavor packed into it. Just great.

Faultline Single Barrel Guyana Rum 20 yo, Uitvlugt Distillery, distilled 1994, 52.8% abv ($150)

The nose is light and crisp with apples.  It almost smells like an apple brandy.  The palate starts fruity but quickly turns spicy and trails off with black licorice.  This is another great rum with a lot of flavors mixed in.  The licorice notes on the finish are a bit strong for me, but other than that, it's both complex and enjoyable.   

Faultline Demarra Rum 25 yo, Enmore Distillery (Guyana), distilled 1989, 51.3% ($200)

This is another very fruity nose with fruit cocktail.  The palate, though, comes on very spicy with anise and clove and less fruit than the other two. Then it moves to a caramel note.  It's got a spicy finish with peppercorns and anise. Sweet, densely flavored and spicy, this is another winner.


This was a great end to this series of K&L tastings.  These were really exceptional rums.  My favorite was definitely the 14 year old (luckily, it's also the cheapest), but I keep flipping over whether I like the 20 or 25 year old better. The 20 year old is lighter while the 25 is more dense. It just depends on the style you like or the mood you're in, but all of these were great.

Thanks to David Othenin-Girard for the samples.