Overview
Brand: Privateer, Distiller's Drawer series
Origin: Privateer Distilling, Ipswich, MA, USA
Still: Pot/Column Hybrid
Age: 5 years, 1 month
Finish: New American Oak
ABV: 57.4%
I really enjoy single casks of all types of spirits– they offer a look into a producer's craft and product components, and each one is unique. For Privateer, Mirth joins two of my other other single cask bottles– Windward and Nexus– as being aged for over 5 years.
Mirth was one of my first Privateer rums from their Distiller's Drawer series, so I'm excited to get around to reviewing it. It was produced using Privateer's hybrid pot/column still, then laid to rest in new American oak for 5 years and 1 month at Privateer's facility in Ipswich, MA. It was bottled at a strength of 57.4% ABV.
Appearance
Dark copper, low viscosity
Nose
Funfetti frosting, butterscotch, vanilla, fresh oak, orange peel
Palate
Vanilla, butterscotch, stewed black cherry, orange peel, brown sugar
Finish
Medium-long, balanced, tannic; vanilla, cola spice, buttscotch syrup, tiramisu
Rating: 7/10
Summary
Mirth is very tasty, textural, and full-bodied; this is consistently a favorite pour of myself and my girlfriend, when discussing different Privateer single barrels.
A bakery's worth of aromas comes through when nosing, including frosting, butterscotch, vanilla, and orange; it's slightly musty, like an old leather-bound book. The palate is nearly identical, adding stewed black cherries and brown sugar, providing a richness that leads into a "funk". Mirth's age shows on the finish, which is balanced but fairly tannic; cola spice and tiramisu join butterscotch and vanilla at the end of the experience.
This is quite enjoyable, and a great example of how a well-crafted distillate can take to longer aging in new American oak.