Picking up from where I last left off, we arrive at the final offering of the trio of Madeira rum samples from @engenhosdonorte, also commonly referred to as the North Mills Distillery, nestled in Porto da Cruz on Madeira Island. To refresh our collective memory, Engenhos do Norte, established in 1927, stands as one of the three historic distilleries on Madeira, with the island now boasting a total of six. Remarkably, it remains the sole distillery in Europe that continues to harness steam as its principal source of power, a tradition that endures to this day.

This particular sample hails from the Rum 970 sub-brand, and in contrast to the preceding two, which were single casks, this one is a single batch — L31521. It was distilled in a pot still following a 48-hour fermentation period, subsequently aged for 15 years in Madeira wine casks, and ultimately bottled in 2021, with a production of 1,323 bottles at a cask strength of 49.6% abv.

The aroma was exceedingly inviting and sumptuous, with notes reminiscent of sweet dessert wine, yet punctuated with grassy undertones, a testament to its “agricole” nature. It reminded me of an old-fashioned candy shop, a medley of sweet lollies, chocolates, and a touch of toffee caramel. Despite its 15 years of maturation, it appeared rather youthful for its age, though there were subtle hints of mustiness, savoury notes, dried meat jerky, and even a trace of rancio.

The palate, however, was entirely unexpected. While the aroma revealed glimpses of grassy brightness, the palate was pure, unbridled smoothness, predominantly influenced by the Madeira wine cask. It was akin to a dessert wine, with a slight oily texture, accompanied by delicate hints of milk chocolate and praline. The finish was relatively brief, yet delivered a substantial presence of rancio, some sulphurs, and a touch of purple grape gummies to end.

Your occasional rum addict!

@weixiang_liu