What is it? An experiment. 2001 vintage from the Diamond distillery in Guyana and aged for 10 years in ex-bourbon casks. It’s then further matured, on Islay (Scotland) at the Bruichladdich distillery, in Ribero Del Duero Tempranillo wine casks and bottled in 2012. Limited to 1800 bottles.

Natural colour, un-chill filtered and bottled at 46% abv.

Sugar: Nope.

Nose: Pungent. Massive. Varnish, gloss paint, petrol, crushed shells – phenolic. Liqourice, aniseed, car tyres. Salt, olives, warm sand. Ah….what’s this, an undertone of berries; cranberries, cherry drop sweets and salted(?) strawberries! Black pepper. What a nose!

Palate: Zippy, zingy, tangy delivery, very busy. Silky mouth feel of a medium weight. Salted liqourice, very dry, like swallowing a mouthful of seawater. Then there is the fruit, dark fruits this time with blackcurrents, blackberries and that hint of cherry. Something incense like, maybe cedar. Butter and toffee that is just starting to catch on the pan, slightly burnt.

Finish: Long, long, long. Not so phenolic here, although still somewhat briney with some green olives and a little aniseed. A little butter, caramel and some burnt toffee sauce again which moves it to slight bitterness. Unsweetened dark roasted black coffee, maybe black tea too and prickle of ground black pepper. Very dry.

Thoughts? This stuff is insane. It’s all over the place; it swings from phenolic to fruits to baking spices and back to phenols again and then to the fruits. Totally un-balanced, but I simply could not care less about the balance. The cask finishing really adds another level of complexity to the rum and it makes it loads of fun.

It’s sold out everywhere, and I think the range has been discontinued, but if I could buy another one I would without doubt. Can’t remember having this much fun from a drink at £40.

Zacapa/Diplomatio drinkers; this isn’t one for you. Seriously. It’s not just another level, but it’s playing a different game. If you come to this follwing a Diplomatico then it’ll probably make you throw up. What a rum!