Samaroli 2023 ‘Nicaragua’ 2004 Vintage 18 Year Old Single Cask Rum 700ml 50%

Ex-bourbon cask, molasses-based rum that yielded 294 bottles.

Details
700ml: 50% alc
Age: 18-year-old
Region: Nicaragua
Type: Distilled molasses
Cask: Ex- Bourbon
Still type: Column
Mark: SMN
Cask No: 15
Bottler: Samaroli
Distillation Date: 31st of December 2004
Bottled in Scotland: 27th of September 2023
Individually numbered

Description
With a yield of 294 bottles from a single ex-bourbon cask, this rum was distilled at a ‘Restricted’ (secret) distillery in Nicaragua and is a real gem for rum aficionados. Distilled in a column still and made from molasses, the spirit was then laid to rest for 10 years in the tropical, Nicaraguan climate giving it an unparalleled richness.
The cask was then shipped to Scotland for the remainder of its ageing in her cool and consistent climate. This process is all done under Samaroli’s watchful eyes and palate, and the result of this double maturation is a rum brimming with flavour, with any heat and/or volatiles basically aged out of the spirit with the additional Scottish slumber.

This double country/maturation is done for all Samaroli rums, and it’s what sets them apart from the majority of rum merchants. It’s an incredibly expensive process, however the results warrant the time it takes for release.

Interesting Fact:
What do “Marks” mean in rum?
The most common way to define a rum mark is by measuring its level of esters, given in grams per hectoliter of pure alcohol (gr/hlpa). Marks are often referred to by cryptic letter codes, each one corresponding to a specific method of R(h)um production, style and level of esters. Marks can even include initials of the distillery, distiller or the distillery hand working that day and can include a plethora of other factors in the abbreviation. That’s why some marks are incredibly difficult to decipher with so many variables at work.