American rum independent bottler Holmes Cay is releasing what's billed as a once in a lifetime Infinity Edition that comes courtesy of one of the rum world's biggest forces, Main Rum Company, who is responsible for being the largest rum supplier to numerous brands.

The origins of this Infinity Edition comes from a single cask belonging to Main Rum Company (over in Liverpool, UK) where whenever samples were no longer required as flavour references, these would go into the ex-rum cask. And thus the cask over time came to contain some historic samples from 13 distilleries across 7 different countries, ranging from 20 to 47 years old, and having been distilled from as far back as 1976, to as early as 2003. Finally, the cask was sealed in November 2003, and has been left to marry for over 20 years, before it was released to Holmes Cay for bottling.

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“I am extremely grateful to the Main Rum Company for entrusting us with this special barrel.  There is truly nothing like the Holmes Cay Infinity in the rum world. The components are a Who’s Who of the great distilleries of past and present.  Legendary lost rums from Caroni, Uitvlugt, Enmore, and Gardel aged for 20 years with storied classics from Hampden, Long Pond, Diamond, Montebello and others. This incredible cask includes gems such as a 1976 Port Mourant from Guyana and a 47 year old Gardel rhum agricole from Guadeloupe. The rarity of some of these rums and their age in the cask truly make it one of a kind.” said Eric Kaye, founder of Holmes Cay.

Official Tasting Notes

"On the nose, the Holmes Cay Infinity edition boasts rich baking spice, vanilla and caramel, highlighting oak interaction in the years of maturation. On the tongue, the interplay grows to include layers of vanilla, toffee and overripe banana with a backbone of leather.  The toffee sweetness fades as leather and tobacco linger, imparting subtle dryness to the long finish."

With only a total of 100 standard sized cask strength (58% ABV; 116 Proof) bottles being produced from this incredibly unique single cask, each Infinity bottle will come with a special box that includes a booklet detailing the various component distilleries and individual rum marks that have gone into the Infinity expression. The standard size bottle will retail for an MSRP of US$1,500, with a small number of 200ml bottles going for an MSRP of US$300.

Below is a snapshot of some of its components:

Guyana

Holmes Cay sources rums from Uitvlugt Estate, Enmore Estate and Diamond Distillery. The brand shares that Uitvlugt Estate was once a sugar factory and rum distillery which closed in 1999, and the brand used an antique metal column still that was over 100 years old. Enmore Estate was once a sugar factory and rum distillery like its predecessor, and it closed in 1994. Enmore used what the brand referred to as “the world’s only remaining wood-bodied continuous still,” and it dated back to 1882. Diamond Distillery is described by Holmes Cay as one of the Caribbean’s largest rum distilleries.

Jamaica

The brand sourced rums from Hampden Estate, Long Pond Distillery and Clarendon Distillery. Hampden Estate dates back to the 1770s, and Holmes Cay shared it is known for “funky, high-ester rum.” Long Pond possessed a reputation for making richly full-bodied Jamaican rum, and the brand was bought by Seagrams in the 1950s. Clarendon is the sister distillery of Long Pond, and the brand makes light to mid-bodied molasses rums.

Guadeloupe

The offerings from Guadeloupe are Montebello Distillery, Gardel Distillery and Poisson Distillery. Gardel Distillery was additionally a sugar factory that originated in 1870. Though the brand ended its distilling operation in the 1990s, it still makes sugar today. Some of the rums from Gardel date back to 1976. Montebello Distillery dates back to 1930, yet became dilapidated in the 1960s. The revamped distillery makes cane juice-based rums. Poisson Distillery is one of the smallest distilleries, and it includes a 1998 component made from cane juice.

Trinidad

Holmes Cay sourced rums from Caroni Distillery. The brand shared that Caroni Distillery is no longer in operation, and the brand used to possess five distilleries in Trinidad. It originated in 1918 and specialized in light and heavy rums. This offering is molasses-based.

Barbados

The brand sourced rums from West Indies Rum Distillery. The rums from this brand which dates back to 1983 are molasses-based and pot-distilled. West Indies Rum Distillery was founded to “bring column distilling to Barbados,” according to Holmes Cay.

Venezuela

Holmes Cay sourced rums from Pampero Distillery. The brand shared Venezuelan rums are typically lighter-bodied, and the offerings from Pampero Distillery are molasses-based rums distilled in column stills.

Brazil

The brand sourced cachaca from Epris Distillery. Epris Distillery is another “lost distillery,” according to the brand. It originated in 1987 in Sao Roque, Brazil, and the cachaca was distilled on a column still made from stainless steel.