Overview
Brand: Blackadder, Raw Cask series
Origin: Undisclosed Distillery, Panama
Still: Column
Age: 11 years
Finish: ex-Bourbon
ABV: 63.2%
Most of the Panama rum I've been able to try has been from Grander, so I was excited when I got the opportunity to try a Panamanian rum from Blackadder.
Blackadder Raw Cask is a series that the Scottish independent bottler created for their whisky releases to showcase that they truly do not filter their rum at all. These bottles will have cask particles from the barrel dump floating about, with only the largest pieces removed.
Blackadder Raw Cask Panama 11 year was initially distilled in March 2009 via column still, most likely; for this release, the producing distillery is undisclosed. The rum was aged in an ex-Bourbon cask until November 2020, at which point it was bottled in Scotland at 63.2% ABV, and yielded 265 bottles; I have #91.
Appearance
Dark gold, medium-low viscosity, barrel particulate
Nose
Butterscotch, vanilla, hint of cinnamon, raspberries, ethanol
Palate
Vanilla, butterscotch, tobacco smoke, raspberry tart, salted pecans
Finish
Medium-long, dry, spicy; butterscotch, tobacco, black licorice, salted pecans, vanilla
Rating: 6/10
Summary
This Blackadder Panama is well within the range of higher proof Panamanian rums that I've tried before; while it is pleasant enough to sip on, it suffers from its light style being overtaken by the cask and proof.
The dark gold liquid features suspended cask particulate that is a signature feature of the Raw Cask series, which offers butterscotch, vanilla, and some cinnamon on the nose. That carries over to the palate, which is a bit shallow in depth and light in complexity, but adds tobacco smoke, raspberry tart, and pecan notes. The finish is dry and spicy: tobacco, black licorice, and pecans are detectable.
All-in-all, I enjoy the rum, but wish it had a little more going on; perhaps that's just a critique of the style itself, rather than this particular cask. That said, it's an enjoyable pour that is one I don't have to think too hard about to enjoy, which itself is a value.