Sample Eleven Special Edition 4 Maple Syrup Cask is a molasses rum made in collaboration between The Rum Mercenary and Kintra Spirits.
This is a complex blend of rums from Panama, Guyana, Barbados, and the Dominican Republic (all aged between 2 and 5 years), a pot still rum from Jamaica (of unknown age), and a small amount of very old Caroni (19 years old) and Enmore (27 years old) rums to add further complexity. This is precisely what makes up "Sample Eleven Blended Rum".
This blend was then transferred for a 2-month finish to a barrel that had previously contained maple syrup. This gave it a slight herbal sweetness.
A total of 320 bottles were drawn from this unique cask.
Nico's tasting notes
On the nose, a sweetness of caramel, molasses and maple syrup takes us to the roasted, caramelized nuts typical of rums from the Demerara region. The rancio that develops here evokes a beautiful maturity, enhanced by some colorful, ripe exotic fruit.
With aeration, this roundly roasted profile is maintained, with the addition of a few sweet spices that now suggest a pastry register, like a caramelized pecan tart with salted butter.
The palate is round and fluid, with suave notes of ripe exotic fruit. The rum's fuller-bodied side kicks in right away, and spices and a mineral powder of wood and nuts begin to warm the palate. Caramelized nuts are savory and lightly salted, as in a molasses-soaked pastry.
The finish is pastry-like, with licorice, pits and cane sugar.
"A lovely rum treat, buoyed by caramelized nuts and maple syrup..."
