The ImpEx Collection 2007 Clarendon Distillery 13-Year

I bought bottle this quickly after falling in love with The ImpEx Collection 13 Year Long Pond bottling. I had also read that this rum had a unique flavor profile (spoiler: it does). If it was anywhere near as good as ImpEx’s 13 Year Long Pond, I figured I had to try it.

For starters this a pot still rum distilled at the Clarendon distillery in Jamaica, home of Monymusk and the Monymusk Sugar factory. It has been tropically aged for 13 years in bourbon oak casks and bottled at 51.4% ABV.

So how does this one measure up?

The nose is quite rich and fairly complex for an aged rum. I find that most Jamaican rums that have been tropically aged for a long period are not near as complex on the nose as their unaged counterpart. This rum scoffs at that notion.

Wafting the Glencairn I get an intense floral bouquet followed by green apple skins, homemade salted caramel sauce, maduros (caramelized, pan fried overripe plantains), Spanish cherry liqueur chocolates, butterscotch fudge, ginger beer, and cherry cola - specifically Cherry Dr. Pepper. With the addition of water a “new car” scent emerges from the depths.

Taking a sip I get instantly gobsmacked with Green Apple Jolly Rancher. It permeates everything. Once the “is this liquified green apple jolly rancher distillate?” note dissipates I start to get other unusual notes floating around: Rosewater, cherry cola, guanabana, the return of Spanish cherry liqueur chocolates, fine aged scotch, vinyl, and dandelion greens. All underlaid by a peppery spice. This is a trip…especially the dandelion greens and the sheer overpowering nature of the green apple jolly rancher note.

As the palate fades I am left with cherry cola, sharpie, menthol, and dandelion bitters. The finish is medium and rather fascinating. After setting the glass down a while my senses are overtaken by the smell of roses.

Ha! That is different. It’s funky but not really at all what you think of when you typically think of Jamaican funk. It’s a floral and sour hard candy funk. It’s different and altogether rather interesting. I definitely prefer the 13 Year Long Pond bottling, but this one has plenty of merit in its own right. This reminds me of a super intense version of Plantation Xaymaca that has been aged for far longer. If you like the Xaymaca, this has those same notes but on steroids plus a whole lot extra. This rum kind of makes Xaymaca seem like the pathetic ultra-watered down shadow of what it could have been.

Short Description: Floral bouquet, hard sour candies, Rosewater, and dandelion on blast all up in your face holes.

Nose: floral bouquet, green apple skins, homemade salted caramel sauce, maduros, Spanish cherry liqueur chocolates, butterscotch fudge, ginger beer, cherry cola, new car

Palate: green apple jolly ranchers (strong), Rosewater, spicy, cherry cola, guanabana, Spanish cherry liqueur chocolates, fine aged scotch, dandelion greens, vinyl

Finish: cherry cola, sharpie, menthol, dandelion bitter, long after roses

ABV 51.4%

Country of Origin: Jamaica

Distillery: Clarendon at Monymusk