Update 2020: this is the old bottling of Pusser’s 15 year old and the first review I did back in 2016. Things have moved on since then and Pusser’s have re-branded and re-released the 15 year old.

What is it? A blend or rums from Guyana and Trinidad that is aged for at least 15 years. Quite heavy use of the wooden pot stills from Guyana. Molasses based.

40% abv. Filtered. Coloured.

Sugar? Yep. Added – on-line sugar tests so between 25 and 30 grams per litre. No other flavourings are added.

Nose: Lots of oak, planks and cut wood, that sort of thing. Baking spices (cinnamon, clove, brown sugar), vanilla, a little bit of liquorice and some tropical fruit, maybe dried mangos.

Palate: Dry at first, sappy with a medium to heavy mouthfeel.  A touch of coffee and slight bitterness, a little tingle of black pepper. Not what I was expecting from rum at all.

Finish: Medium to long, but I get the feeling that it’s hanging around because the sugar has coated my mouth. Too syrupy as it moved from palate to finish, the interesting bitterness goes and there is a flatness that is brought on by the sugar. The final and lingering taste is strongly of over ripe bananas. I like bananas.

Thoughts? It’s a nice rum. As one to start with coming from whisky the oak and bitterness breaks me in a bit, but it’s too sweet. If they had toned the sugar down a bit it would have been a lot better, but it’s 15 years old and a good price (£40), so I can’t complain too much.