SVM 11 y.o. MMW Blend Jamaica Vatted Single Rum - Tropical vs Continental Aging - Wedderburn

Volume: 1.4 litres | Alcohol content: 66.5% | Chill filtration: No | Colouring: No

Special Features:

This comparison set brings together two ageing paths for the same Jamaican rum style: MMW Wedderburn from Clarendon distillery, known as Monymusk. Both rums are distilled from molasses exclusively in pot stills and are eleven years old. Tropical Aging matures entirely in Jamaica, whereas Continental Aging matures in Liverpool. Through this shared edition, Velier and E&A Scheer offer a direct comparison of the influence of different maturation climates.

For each version, rums from ten casks of the 2007 vintage and two casks of the 2008 vintage are blended. The vintage composition and number of casks match, but the rums do not come from the same batch. The comparison therefore does not involve splitting a single identical distillate between two ageing locations. The tropical bottling has an ester content of 315.6 grams per hectolitre of pure alcohol.

The gift packaging contains one bottle of Tropical Aging at 69.1% and one of Continental Aging at 63.9%, each holding 0.7 litres. Neither rum contains added colouring, and neither is chill-filtered. Their contrasting profiles range from pronounced woody and nutty notes in the tropical version to the fruitier character of the continentally aged rum.

Tasting Notes:

• Nose: Tropical Aging has a pronounced ester character, with intense aromas of caramel, vanilla, nuts and cinnamon, possibly accompanied by dried fruit and a solvent-like nuance. Continental Aging is sweet and very fruity, with distinct pear and hints of young Cognac or Armagnac.
• Palate: Tropical Aging displays strong woody and nutty notes, a burning warmth and slight bitterness. Continental Aging tastes tart, with notes of young bananas. It is less harsh, with a subtler bitter note.
• Finish: Tropical Aging's long, bitter finish develops into aniseed notes. Continental Aging leaves impressions of young wine and a metallic note. Its finish is also long, but less intense than that of the tropically aged rum.

Distillery/Bottler:

This edition is a collaboration between Italian independent bottler Velier and Dutch rum specialist E&A Scheer. Founded in Genoa in 1947, Velier developed under Luca Gargano into an important supplier of independently selected rum bottlings. Their joint project contrasts tropical cask maturation at origin with continental ageing in Europe.

E&A Scheer traces its origins to brothers Evert and Anthonie Scheer, who founded the company in Amsterdam in 1712. Today, its work centres on sourcing and blending rums to create reproducible flavour profiles. The Main Rum Company in Liverpool has been part of the business since 2001. It specialises in rare and aged rums in cask, oversees their further maturation and selects the appropriate time for their release.

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