St. Lucia Distillers Chairman's Reserve Spiced Rum

Chairman's Reserve Spiced is the spiced expression of St. Lucia Distillers' Chairman's Reserve range, a line first blended in 1999 under then-chairman Laurie Barnard from column and pot still rums. For the Spiced, Coffey (column) and pot still rums are aged separately, by batch and by still type, in ex-bourbon barrels, then blended and rested in oak vats for a further six months. During that final stage the rum is steeped with bois bandé, a Caribbean bark, along with local fruits and spices including cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, vanilla, allspice and lemon and orange peel. It pours a deep mahogany with a reddish tint and is bottled at 40% ABV; this listing is the 700ml bottle.

Tasting Notes: Complex and spice-driven, with citrus keeping the sweetness in check.

Nose: Bitter orange, nutmeg, cinnamon and sweet raisin.

Palate: Rich and sweet, with nutmeg, vanilla and clove balanced by a crisp orange-peel freshness.

Serve: Over ice, or lengthened with ginger beer or cola.