Worthy Park Estate has been around since 1670. Though it produced rum intermittently between 1740 and 1962, it ceased production following World War II due to an oversupply of Jamaican rum (is there really such a thing?). Today, I get to try two rums from the year its distillery was reestablished, 2005.
Redacted Bros. JMWP 16yr
This bottling from the American brand of Thompson Bros. was pot distilled from molasses, aged sixteen years, and bottled at 54%.
On the nose, I get Earl Grey tea, sweet orange zest, toasted coconut, banana, fancy lotion, and antique shop, and graham cracker.
Going for a taste, the Earl Grey notes now fuse with chai spices like green cardamom, clove, and ginger. I also get coconut, orange, mango, vanilla pudding, sandalwood, graham cracker, and marshmallow. I would say it has almost a s’mores vibe, but I don’t really find any chocolate.
The combination of fruit, spice, and confectionery flavors works beautifully here. It may be one of my favorite aged rums from the distillery, but honestly, it isn’t vastly better than other Worthy Parks of similar pedigree. (7/10)
Habitation Velier Forsyths WP 2005
Like the bottle above, this rum was pot distilled from molasses in 2005. What sets it apart is that it was aged only ten years exclusively in a tropical climate, and it was bottled at a cask strength of 57.8%.
On the nose, I get sunscreen lotion, potpourri, chalk, mulch, prairie grass, and perhaps even a prairie burn happening a couple miles away. The nose seems a little closed off and not quite as expressive as the Redacted Bros.
Thankfully, the palate is more fresh and lively than I expected. I get orange zest, underripe banana, orange blossom water, roses, coconut, tobacco, and wildflower honey. It’s a bit less oaky than its sparring partner.
Though this focuses more on earthy and floral flavors than the Redacted Bros., they’re shades of the same color. I think I prefer the Redacted Bros., but I could see my opinion changing with my mood. Every rum I’ve had from Worthy Park between 2005 and 2007 has been consistently good, and neither of these are an exception. When I’m in the mood for a low-ester aged rum, these both hit the spot. (7/10)