Kill Devil (Hunter Laing) 2008 Guyana Port Ellen Finish 11-Year

So I'm petty sure you could sneak this into an Islay scotch tasting and perhaps no one would suspect somethings off. This rum gets me really excited for the category, as I've had a few really great samples of rum so far which has highlighted the diversity and quality of the spirit category.

But onto the tasting. On the nose there is car exhaust, tar, burnt plastic, tobacco, molasses, sour, lemon, and an earthy/grassy note. If you spend more time nosing, more of the gentle elements (e.g. fruit) are noticeable, similar to a smoky scotch.

The palate is a lot gentler than the nose. There is honey, peat, salt, pepper, ginger and it's viscous/oily. Very pleasant.

The finish is long, with notes of orange, oak, light pepper, and a lingering tobacco.

I think this is fantastic, and would be a good choice for anyone who loves their Islay scotch (think Ardbeg or Octomore). If you are looking for prominent rum notes, this may not be the best rum for you, as I felt they were buried quite a bit under the Port Ellen finish.

9/10

That’s my first only Port Mourant Still bottle and now I can understand the hype, it is really o a league of its on when it comes to flavour. I am really enjoying this rum but I am a little confused. When I first opened i could smell the peat from afar and the palate followed through with heaps of Islay notes which I love but then after the first day it kind of went away and I can’t get as much peat as on the first glass. So because of it I won’t be giving it a 10 but it’s worth a 9 as the base rum is fantastic.

Single cask distilled 2008 in one of the 3 pot stills in guyana(port mourant, Versailles, enmore), 8 years in a single cask(ex bourbon?) and then captured(lucky him) in a ex 25 yo port Ellen cask ex sherry...
What a find!
Port Ellen now a collector’s sought after whisky, the distillery being closed back in 1983 in ISLEY island; famous to accomplish definite peate taste and scents , unique and particular.
Now this is the point: bottles abv at more than 60, cask strength and what a royal heritage!
Hunter Laing...that’s the name hiding behind....so here why this precious cask comes from!
Getting back to the review...
Nose pungent, elegant,; adding drops of water here it comes, yes,whisky -single malt .No rum in it, no room for rum haha, I’d say 80% single malt(in a blind taste i’d Bet 99% of people would get it wrong stating this is single malt!).
Mouth: lingering, all round, spicy
Palate: peated!!!!, sweet almonds, pineapple, red berries what a friendly Fire!!!
Finish: very warm and long as expected from ABV’s...
After taste: some molasses residuals...but it’s fine
Price: 130€
Really worth!!!!

I suspect mainly continental aging in Scotland, probably 3 years only in Guyana - hence the quite fresh rum notes of sweet and sour, liquorice ... reminds a little of some low ester Hampdens OWH

But the cask finish in ex-sherry ex-Port Ellen is impressive. 25 year Port Ellen costs the earth so some money spent there ..Hunter Liang have good stocks.
More a malternative for the whisky purists who like peaty stuff like me ... good quality for sure

Kdo ma rad C.S. po whisky musi byt spokojeny. Na nose i v chuti prevlada sekundu rum, nez se dostavi whisky tony a ty pak rum ovladnou. Skvela zalazitost v alkoholove sladkem havu. V ustech zustava whisky a lehka raselina.

This is so good, very full body, strong aroma, smoked wooden taste, just a bit of sweetness.