Nestled in the highlands of St Peter in Barbados is St Nicholas Abbey which was built in 1658 and has remained unchanged for the last 350 years. It is only one of three Jacobean mansions remaining in the Western Hemisphere.This old plantation house sits in over 400 acres of sugar cane fields and has been fully restored to its former glory by local architect and current owner, Larry Warren. The rum is produced exclusively for the plantation by R. L. Seale. It is initially aged in oak Bourbon casks at 65% abv for the first 8 years, after which it is batched and re-barrelled into the same casks at bottle strength to be aged for a further 2 years at the Abbey. The 10 year old rum is bottled straight from the cask by hand in to a specially designed decanter which has an image of St Nicholas Abbey etched on to it. Each bottle is sealed with a mahogany and leather topped cork and hand engraved with a number and dated. Hand finishing this rum of such exceptional quality and provenance at the Abbey is truly reflective of its 350-year heritage. The rum is deep amber in colour with sweet aromas on the nose of fudge, vanilla, chocolate and cinnamon. The palate is incredibly smooth with notes of dried fruits, oranges and spice, the finish is long and silky smooth. Overall, St Nicholas Abbey will be loved by rum aficionados as well as being a great introduction to the premium rum category for whisky and Cognac drinkers. 'Here's a rum with absolute classic Bajan balance and finesse. Mellow sweetness, cleanliness and poise. The nose is mellow soft with some soft fruits and the tobacco edge you get from maturation in quality oak. On the tongue it shows excellent structure with a very fine grip. There's sweet spice, juicy tropical fruits and a hint of creme brulee, elegant is the word. It was my rum of the show (Rumfest 2008) by some distance.' Dave Broom 2008.

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