The ImpEx Collection 2007 Long Pond Distillery 13-Year

I came across this rum on the Florida Rum Society website and I was immediately intrigued. It’s fairly rare to find tropically long aged distillates from the Long Pond Distillery from Independent bottlers at even remotely affordable prices. So when I saw it’s fairly reasonable price I immediately jumped on it (after a brief moment deciding whether to get the Clarendon or the Long Pond).

As alluded to, this is a light ester (though I use that term lightly) pot still rum from the Long Pond Distillery in Jamaica aged for 13 Years in Jamaica in bourbon oak and then bottled at 53.6% ABV. This is my first experience with a pure long aged distillate exclusively from the Long Pong Distillery.

The description also caught my eye hitting many of my favorite Jamaican rum notes…Banana, orange marmalade, pineapple. So to say the least I was very excited when this finally arrived. But does it live up to my lofty expectations coming in?

Pouring it into the Glenacairn I get a powerful whiff of Blackberry jam like if you open a jar of homemade Blackberry jam and stick your nose down close to it. It’s delightful. But let’s give this at least 15 minutes rest.

After while taking in the nose from the rested Glencairn I get an absolute blast of fruit straight to the face. I am talking the fruitiest nose of any rum I have ever smelled…but a very different variety of fruit. Whereas most Jamaica pot still rums produce scents of Banana, Apple and Pineapple (at least to me), this one is of a decidedly different sort. First, as mentioned is a tidal wave of blackberry jam, just as that starts reaching shore, another tidal wave hits, this one with White Grape Juice and fresh White Cherries - like if you poured a bowl of white grape juice and then set it next to a bowl of freshly picked perfectly ripe white cherries. Next comes Apple Cider with just a slight hint of acetone followed by the scent of fine cigar tobacco, vanilla ice cream, and just the slightest hint of rubber. But really, the Blackberry Jam, White Grape Juice, and fresh White Cherries really steal the show.

Often with Jamaican rums, I find they have a fantastic nose but then sometimes struggle to translate those notes on the palate. Not here. The notes from the nose are even magnified further directly on the palate with no alteration. True to form, I get a big mouthful of Blackberry Jam, White Cherries, and White Grapes accompanied by whiskey and cognac notes. But that’s not all. I also get a mouthful of Cherry Pie filling accompanied by Spiced Apple Cider, Vanilla, and a sour astringent note akin to a woody Rhubarb taste. This is fantastic. High expectations not only met but well exceeded.

The finish is a little faint but it is where this rum starts to present something entirely new. On the finish, the fruit punch to the face is replaced by more herbal and floral notes. It starts with Fennel followed by an astringent note like biting into Rose Petals. That is then followed by a return of the Cognac note before then taking a hard right turn into Peppermint, Menthol, Cigar ash, and fermented apples. Interesting.

So this rum met every expectation and in some parts even exceeded it. It isn’t at all what it’s description reads (there is no Banana anywhere in sight) but it is somehow even better than described in a completely different direction. I have never had any other rum with quite the fresh fruit punch to the face that this one has. Especially the Blackberry jam note. That one is unique and right in your face.

This was a very different experience to distillates from Worthy Park and Hampden. Whereas those are Bananas, Cherry Cola, and Apple Brandy, this is more pungently fruity with a different spread: Blackberries, White Grapes, White Cherries, and Spiced Apple Cider.

It’s fairly impressive and time and slight dilution only make it better. It’s not quite Habitation Velier level, but it’s damn close. It’s better than any of the actual Worthy Park and Hampden direct aged distillates I have had. This definitely intrigues me to go after the 13 Year Clarendon and 15 Year Long Pond variations from the same company.

If you see a bottle of this, I highly recommend it. It is a fairly different and pretty fantastic experience. It is absolutely one for the collection.

Short Description: Blackberry Jam, White Grapes, and fresh White Cherries as presented by James Brown.

Nose: Blackberry Jam, White Grape Juice, White Cherries, Spiced Apple Cider, slight acetone, Pineapple, Fine Cigar Tobacco, Vanilla ice cream, slightest hint of rubber (the fruit notes particularly the Blackberry, Grape, Cherry, and Spiced Apple Cider notes are incredibly strong)

Palate: Blackberries, Whiskey, Cognac, Grapes, White Cherries, Spiced Apple Cider, Cherry pie filling, Vanilla, Rhubarb

Finish: faint Fennel, Rose Petals, Cognac, Peppermint, Menthol, faint cigar ash, fermented apples

ABV: 53.6%

Country of Origin: Jamaica

Distillery: Long Pond