Overview
Brand: S.B.S., Origins series
Origin: Long Pond Distillers Ltd., Clark's Town, Trelawny, Jamaica
Still: Pot
Age: Unaged
Finish: n/a
ABV: 57%
Today we get to look at a sample of a rum marque rarely bottled by itself, from a brand that isn't frequently seen Stateside. S.B.S., or Single Barrel Selections, is a brand under the umbrella of 1423 World Class Spirits, a Danish spirits importer and distributor; S.B.S. releases quality rums without additives or chill filtration. The Origins series highlights unaged rums from a variety of distilleries and production methods.
S.B.S. Origins Jamaica TECC is a molasses-based pot still rum that was distilled at Long Pond in Clark's Town, Jamaica. It was produced to the TECC marque specification, which has an ester range of 1,500-1,600 g/hLAA, making it Long Pond's highest-ester marque. It was bottled unaged at a strength of 57% ABV.
This sample was provided to me by Andrew Hinton, a friend of mine and admin of the Friends of Rum Tennessee (FORT) group.
Appearance
Clear, low viscosity
Nose
Fresh pineapple, overripe banana, bubblegum, pear, sour strawberries, starfruit, blue raspberry flavor, orange peel, rotting peach
Palate
Overripe troical fruits (banana, pineapple, starfruit, blueberries), strawberries, peach, orange peel, heavy cream
Finish
Long, fruity, acidic; rotting tropical fruits, cinnamon, apricot, strawberries, peach, white grapefruit
Rating: 7/10
Summary
Wow, this certainly expectedly as intense and aromatic as the ester range would suggest. Sampling SBS Origins TECC, it is really fun to see how this compares to other Jamaican rums at the upper legal limits of ester count.
Throughout the experience, I get loads of rotting and fresh fruits, including pineapple, banana, strawberries, strawberry, and orange. Pear, bubblegum, peach, and blueberries also show up in the palate and finish, while the palate provides a silky heavy cream texture, which translates to a slightly dairy-like note on the rear palate. The finish is fruity and acidic, with those fruits, cinnamon, and white grapefruit lingering for a very long time.
Like Hampden's DOK, this is super intense, and not something I would regularly sip neat like other rums. But similarly, it's fun to try a component in the toolbelt of Long Pond's blenders. It's great to see this offered as a standalone expression for those that want to venture into the high-ester game.