Overview
Brand: Worthy Park
Origin: Worthy Park, Lluidas Vale, Saint Catherine Parish, Jamaica
Still: Pot
Age: 6 years
Finish: ex-Bourbon
ABV: 45%
Worthy Park needs no reintroduction. From esteemed single barrel offerings to celebrated indpendently-bottled releases, the distillery in Lluidas Vale has captured the hearts of Jamaican rum lovers. With Single Estate Reserve, they aim to up the ante, and create a rum that fully encapsulates what the estate has to offer.
Alongside the distillery, the Worthy Park estate contains thousands of acres of sugarcane, as well as a fully-functional sugar refinery. The products from the refinery– predominantly speaking of molasses at this point– are used in production of rum brands produced at the distillery, namely Rum-Bar and the house Worthy Park brand; processed sugar is sold under the Worthy Park brand as well.
Single Estate Reserve is produced entirely on the estate, hence its name. This blend solely uses molasses from the refinery in its fermentation stage, which is then sent to the copper pot stills for distillation. It is not specified the exact marque(s) used for this rum, but due to the profile, I'd gather this is WPL (Worthy Park Light). The component rums are all aged in ex-Bourbon barrels, and range from 6 to 10 years old, hence I'm calling this a 6 year old rum, despite not technically having an age statement on the label. This expression is eventually bottled at 45% ABV.
Appearance
Gold, low viscosity
Nose
Fresh banana, pineapple, green apple, dried papaya, vanilla, star fruit, lemon zest, underripe blueberries
Palate
Rotting bananas, grilled pineapple, mixed grapes, Medjool dates, star fruit, vanilla, stewed blueberries, molasses
Finish
Long, fruity, warming, slightly bitter; bourbon oak warmth, green apple, vanilla, banana, black tea
Rating: 7/10
Summary
Although this has a more subdued style of Jamaican funk, Single Estate Reserve brings a pleasant and approachable experience. The funk, aging, and other flavors mesh together very well, creating a balanced dram.
Classic Worthy Park notes like banana and pineapple come through, as do other tropical fruits like Medjool dates and star fruit. Sour grapes, blueberries, molasses, and green apple also join the palate, which leads in to a long, warming, and slightly bitter finish. Everything here is very balanced.
This is a great introduction to both Worthy Park and Jamaican rum, while also being a thoroughly enjoyable sipper for those who want something a little lighter.