Overview
Brand: Hamilton
Origin: Saint Lucia Distillers Ltd., Roseau, Anse la Raye, Saint Lucia
Still: Pot (Vendome)
Age: 9 years
Finish: ex-Bourbon
ABV: 67.4%
Hamilton's famous series of Saint Lucia Pot Still rum expressions is once again in focus; after analyzing the 8 year, we take a look at the next oldest vintage in my collection of these bottles.
Hamilton Saint Lucia Pot Still 2005 is another molasses-based rum, originally distilled at Saint Lucia Distillers in 2005, through their Vendôme hybrid still– specifically using the pot section. The distillate was placed in ex-Bourbon cask #90115, where it aged for 9 years.
This was imported by Ed Hamilton– in the cask it was aged in, as specifically noted on the label– and bottled in New York state in 2015 at a strength of 67.4% ABV.
Appearance
Orange-brown, low viscosity
Nose
Cinnamon-raisin bread, freshly-peeled orange rind, underripe blueberries, fresh pineapple juice, dates, rotting banana peel, window cleaner
Palate
Rotting banana, underripe blueberries, grapefruit, pineapple, permanent marker, vanilla, green apple core, molasses
Finish
Long, strong, funky; sour blueberries, green apple, pineapple rind, cinnamon, banana peel, window cleaner
Rating: 8/10
Summary
Hamilton Saint Lucia 9 year is absolutely massive, and packed with flavor. At this high proof, it's holding nothing back from the experience, even though that leads to the rum tripping over itself at points.
Straight on the first sniff, I get cinnamon-raising bread, with the yeast, dark fruit, and spice aromas that come with it. Orange rind, blueberries, pineapple juice, dates, and banana are the fruit notes I get from nosing further, with window cleaner chemical funk rounding that out.
More of those tropical fruits come through on the palate, which also brings sour grapefruit, stinging permanent marker and a note that reminds me of a green apple's core. The long and funky finish brings more fruit, along with cinnamon and window cleaner again. This ending can get a little muddled with the high proof and spices providing a bit of a burn, but for the most part is still enjoyable.
This is truly one-of-a-kind stuff, which may compare in overall funk levels to the wilder Jamaican rums, but has a character all its own.