Let's take a look at Worthy Park, the oldest sugar refinery and distillery in Jamaica (1710) still in operation, but which stopped producing rum in 1950, following a rum production deemed too excessive in Jamaica, at the end of the Second World War. It resumed service a little over 10 years ago (in 2005), using local molasses seeded with yeasts grown on site, for three different types of fermentation: a so- called "light" rum which contains between 60 and 119 esters, a "medium" rum (120-239) and a "heavy" rum which can contain up to 360 (and even more depending on demand). Distillation is carried out using a double-twisted pot still (with a capacity of 18,000 liters) which produces 4,000 liters of rum daily (which will come out at 85°). The distillery holds a stock of over 9,000 Bourbon barrels.

Worthy Park offers less typical rums than Hampden for example, in a lighter but equally interesting register. For comparison, the Hampden distillery can produce heavy rums that go up to 1600 esters., le maximum autorisé par la Jamaïque ; un rhum utilisé entre autre dans l’élaboration du Rum Verchnitt en Allemagne.

The Worthy Park distillery offers its own brands, the white Rum Bar (65°) since 2007, and the Worthy Park Gold (4 years), in addition to supplying the usual independent European bottlers: Rum Nation, Compagnie Des Indes, Our Rum & Spirits, Mezan, Bristol Classics, Kill Devil, Rum Albrecht and The Rum Cask with a 4 and 9 year old. These bottlers offer for the most part rums vintage 2005.

For this tasting, we will focus on 2 whites, that of Rum Nation and the fullproff of Habitation Velier; and for the old ones, head to The Rum Cask and its 9 year old, and the 10 year old Habitation Velier. The opportunity to compare 2 rums of almost the same age, but with very different aging, only Velier releasing a rum entirely aged in the tropics. And the opportunity to taste the first vintage to be released since the distillery reopened.

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The Rum Cask Worthy Park 9 / 57.5°

9 years old for this rum distilled in 2005 (when the distillery reopened) and bottled in 2015 at 57.5° (limited edition of 200 bottles of 50cl). There is also a 4 year old, sold as a mixer by the same bottler.

The color is an old gold, light amber, very bright and oily; thick tears appear that fall very slowly.
On the nose, it is very pleasant and gourmet, very far from the stinking Jamaican heaviness, we are rather here on ripe and very fruity exotic fruits, full of sugar and sun. Banana especially, perfectly ripe, slightly pulling on a candy aroma. All finely caramelized, with a hint of cinnamon and vanilla, for a very pleasant rum.

In addition to banana, we find pineapple, peach, apricot, with a fairly fine woodiness, tending towards tobacco, and with a lot of freshness: lemongrass, anise, Mexican orange blossom; This 9 year old is very fragrant, fruity and floral, and shows a very beautiful maturity on the nose, seductive and delicious.

While the nose suggests a creamy mouth, it appears rather soft but powerful. First on a shot of oak, smoke (tobacco leaf), anise and fresh herbs, banana; the alcohol stings a little but quickly the rum encompasses the palate, tangy, delivering like a sap in the mouth, and herbs in quantity. The fruits return, always exotic (mango, pineapple), and the rum now appears phenolic. It is very good but it goes in all directions, disconcerting without being very balanced or excessively complex. We imagine that the rum would have gained maturity with more aging, or perhaps simply with 100% tropical aging?

The finish is very soft, medium long, on fruits in syrup, gently spiced, then vanilla and caramel. The empty glass recalls the nose, gourmand and seductive.

Far from a 'dunder' and very heavy rum, this one offers an easier palette, less heavy, more fruity and gourmet, especially on the nose. The mouth cuts and offers a more exuberant, multi-directional rum. Note: 85

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Forsyths WP 2005/2015 / 57.8°

“Jamaica Pure Single Rum”, and first distillation since 1962, when the distillery reopened in 2005; bottled in 2015 after 10 years of entirely tropical aging, with an angels’ share greater than 64%, and cask strength (57.8°).

Dress of a very classy old gold, oily and graceful, ultra bright.
On the nose, the alcohol dissipates quickly and leaves room for light and pleasant smells, and confirms that we are facing a rum with a light profile, and once again far from the Jamaican 'stinky' standards. We find a broken exoticism (banana, pineapple), caramelized and slightly smoky (tobacco), and even chocolatey (milk chocolate).

The profile is more empyreumatic than the Rum Cask and more complex, and the nose quickly brings to mind a banana braised on the barbecue with its hot chocolate coulis. The rum evolves and the rest does it a world of good: we can sense a stick of liquorice arriving that marries wonderfully with the chocolate, then sweet spices (cardamom) warm a handful of pan-fried apricots, which we would have simmered with fresh aromatic herbs (from Provence?). It is warm, gourmet, fruity, and we are well above the glass; a comforting rum, which is not without reminding us a little of Reimonenq, but without nausea.

On the palate, it is oily and powerful, in a medicinal profile: oak (spicy/incisive) mixes with marine iodine and dried fruits, then with licorice, anise and a bunch of fresh herbs for a very refreshing mouth. We find this impression in white rum, with a menthol/pine sap side, which gives a whole dimension in the mouth; as much as the nose is gourmet and comforting, the mouth is tonic and vegetal (fresh), refreshing. Beautiful counterpoint, and far from boring, we are on a mouth similar to Rum Cask, but more concentrated, fatter and above all more complex; as if tropical aging had transformed the mouth of this rum. Very interesting to see the difference, which is not obvious on the nose, but so much on the palate.

A dash of water will take away some of its fire and will work well for it, bringing out the exoticism. The finish is long, always refreshing, grassy, ​​and even metallic at the end, with a spicy exoticism in the background that dries the mouth slightly, and which will persist for several minutes.

A rum, and a nose, very fine and gourmet at the same time, pastry. The mouth offers another facet, hyper refreshing and mixing exotic fruits with an incisive woodiness and herbs in abundance, but remaining concentrated and rather fat. This rum brings the docce that was missing from the bottling of The Rum Cask, with more complexity, to get as close as possible to the nose. A successful bet. As for the Demerara, Velier shows the difference, and we imagine that this is only the beginning…with already a 6-year-old Hampden that promises to be phenomenal. Note: 88

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Forsyths WP 151 Proof / 75.5°

A white rum this time, still from Worthy Park (WP), bottled at 75.5°. The rum underwent an exceptional 3-month fermentation, at the request of Luca Gargano, for an ester content of 502 gr. The labeling is quite clear, and a warning indicates not to drink the rum pure, but to use it exclusively in cocktails. Note that there is also a reduced version of this Forsyth, this time at 57°.

A very oily dress, sticky legs, but what more could you hope for from a rum with a strength of over 75°? At least the liquid doesn't attack the glass, that's something.
On the nose, caution is required, and the skulls that adorn the back label make perfect sense. No need to get very close to the nose to sense the aromatic power of this Jamaican, 20cm is enough. This white appears very mineral, very powerful and wild; heady varnish odors mix with the roundness of dried and broken exotic fruits, banana and pineapple; fruits made acidic following total abandonment, and rotten citrus fruits. The vegetal part is also very present, fresh (grass) and minty, with a hint of pepper and ginger, and steamed artichoke. Surprisingly, the 75.5° goes down rather well, very well even, with an alcohol that is very well integrated and melted throughout. The citrus fruits become even more present with the rest, bringing a lot of freshness to the nose, supported by an icy menthol, and always this artichoke. It is opulent and gourmand, and so sweet for 75.5°.

A splash of water opens the nose considerably, on a fresher palette, with accents of citrus and mint, with always a banana, this time very ripe. How fresh this rum is!

On the palate, the attack is fatty and almost sticky, with the impression that the alcohol evaporates, letting the aromas explode in an extreme smoothness. A real aromatic firework... it is first sweet, vegetal, iodized, and the degree goes wonderfully well, without aggressiveness, and with in the end an exotic and sweet sensation, in addition to being once again very (very) fresh. We find this dried banana and green citrus fruits, warm spices (nutmeg, pepper) and a hyper refreshing mint, and a hint of salt which brings an acidity which brings out and amplifies all the aromas. The artichoke arrives at the end, a sign of a long fermentation, and some olives. Magnificent.

I thought I would quickly need to add a dash of water, but is it really necessary? Experience will nevertheless show that it works rather well for him, with a mouth made softer but still very aromatic and refreshing, and more present spices. It goes down well, and it is even very pleasant, creamy and so rich. The finish is excessively long, and tenacious (with or without water), and seems to evoke a warmly spiced flambéed banana, before seeing the artichoke reappear.

An intensely rich and yet very gourmet white rum, marked by a great freshness that gives a whole other dimension to the tasting. More than an asset, it amplifies the entire tasting of this rum with so little alcohol. A real improvement of sensations.

The price may nevertheless seem quite expensive, and will surely cool down the most daring, even more so if it is to be used in mixology. It will still be necessary to qualify its price to its degree and its long fermentation (the Rum Nation is 2x cheaper but is "only" 57°), as well as the pleasure felt when tasting it, which exceeds a packet of aged rums. Note: 90

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Rum Nation Jamaica White Pot Still / 57°

Still from Worthy Park, this white rum comes to us from the Italian Rum Nation. The fermentation would be shorter than the Velier (without additional information).

Fat and clear dress
On the nose, the concentration is once again in order, with a very rich nose, but nevertheless less complex than the previous rum (more raw and less creamy, less seductive). We find this mineral, vegetal (grass) side very fresh and so cathartic; the glue varnish mixes with green banana and metallic notes; liquorice, spicy spices (pepper, curry), olives, capers and citrus fruits (zest) in abundance. Guaranteed refreshing and iodized effect, saline, and as if ashen. A bomb.

On the palate, it is oily and very rich, smooth; the 57° delivers a powerful and extremely aromatic rum, medicinal, which completely coats your palate. Notes of cane, spices, smoke/ash, menthol or anise; it is very refreshing, iodized, with olives and white pepper, without forgetting citrus fruits and broken exoticism. There are people in this rum, and it goes in all directions in a firework of aromas. The finish is very long here too, on citrus fruits, solvent, passed banana.

This rum has some similarities with the Habitation Velier bottling, but offers a more raw and less refined side of Worthy Park. Habitation Velier is clearly more seductive and creamy, making the difference, but this Rum Nation remains excellent, and will especially make the difference in terms of price (37 against 69). Note: 87

In terms of old rum, the comparison between a European bottling (with continental aging) and the Habitation Velier aged entirely in the tropics, shows a notable difference, especially in the mouth, where the latter is much more concentrated and complex, for an almost similar age. We have already seen it with the Demerara, and this example is only the first of its kind for Jamaica, and let's hope that there will be many more... In any case, in this series of Habitation Velier, only the old Jamaican seems to have a good quality/price ratio (at least in France): for €89 you have a 10-year-old Jamaican aged entirely in the tropics; you just have to compare with other renowned bottlers to understand the good opportunity. But The Rum Cask already offers a fine example of old Worthy Park, with surely a few good years spent in the tropics.

The 75.5° Worthy Park white is a bomb, one of the best whites I have tasted so far, and would surely justify its prohibitive €69; But Rum Nation already offers a fine example of this rum (admittedly with less fermentation) for half the price (€37 and 57°), a good start to begin with; but if you get hooked on the Rum Nation, you will surely fall in love with the Habitation Velier, which is much better (and that is an understatement). On the other hand, these prices also reflect the current madness of agricultural rum producers, who are offering more and more 'premium' whites at exorbitant prices... A new trendy toy, before no doubt finding new 'innovations'.

To help you (and me) find your way around, regarding the notes:

90 and + : exceptional and unique rum, it is the best of the best
between 85 and 89 : highly recommended rum, with that little something that makes the difference
between 80 and 84 : recommendable rum
75-79 POINTS : above average
70-74 POINTS : in the low average
less than 70 : not very good

Review courtesy of DuRhum.com.

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