We are back from our small summer break. Please excuse that we didn’t have any material for you in the meantime but getting older and having increased family duties means that we are having way less time for our hobby compared to when we started this blog more than six years ago… time flies my friends!

Rest & Be Thankful is another addition to the list of Whisky bottlers (albeit also a relatively new one in that field I think) that is entering the territory of Rum. So far they have been focusing exclusively on Jamaica. In this first session, we shall check out their Monymusk selections, subsequently we will be having a look at their choices from Long Pond. The featured image shows the Scottish ‘Rest and be Thankful’, a mountain pass in Argyll in the west of Scotland.

Rest & Be Thankful Monymusk “MPG” #7238 2000 21YO (60,1%): “MPG” is a light pot still distillate that is said to mimic the Rums of the old St. Thomas estate. Nose: We are getting a mix of unripe fruits, acidic notes (vinegar), herbs and honey. Think vinegar made from green apples, infused with honey dipped sage and lavender. Yup, that comes quite close. With more time in the glass the honey is becoming more and more powerful, which does much more good than harm in this case and I am starting to like this quite a bit. Especially the lavender adds a really cool nuances here as well. Palate: At first I have to make sense of this profile but after a few seconds it becomes clear that the nose translated directly to the palate – you just have to sort it out. Vinegar, green apples, honey, herbal drops and lavender are a powerful combination, even though it is a rather atypical profile. With the third sip we are getting even more herbs and clearly also licorice. Nice! Finish: Herbs, honey, herbs, honey. I think you know where this is going. By the way, I am quite sure that Ricola is producing something similar. (85/100)

Rest & Be Thankful Monymusk “MBK” #27854 1998 23YO (57,1%): To the best of my knowledge, “MBK” isn’t an official marque by the distillery but perhaps we are wrong. Anyway, this is a light pot still Rum. Nose: A mix of ripe and unripe continental fruits, mostly featuring green apples and pears. Then gooseberry and now plenty of kiwi, perhaps some caoutchouc as well. After a while also vanilla, oak and pepper. A light, yet promising nose. Palate: Quite a bit drier than the nose suggested, with much more oak. It still has these very same fruity notes but the Rum is quite astringent. With the third sip I get more spices such as cardamom and even more so, cloves. Add pepper and allspice. Finish: Quite long with oak, fruits and spices. Kiwi, cloves and pepper are probably the most obvious impressions. It is not a bad Rum at all, quite the opposite – it is a fine and relaxed sipper, but it just doesn’t catch me at all. Perhaps we have been spoiled by other releases from Monymusk but this isn’t the face that suits the distillery the most, I’d say. (77/100)

Rest & Be Thankful Monymusk “AHJ” #26761 1998 23YO (59,4%): Same age and vintage as the previous Rum but a different marque. Once again, I am not aware of the “AHJ” marque or something that’s even remotely close. Nose: Very intense and spicy, with pepper, allspice, nutmeg and a Garam Masala spice blend. Later also vanilla and papaya, but not many more fruity notes. It feels a bit empty and dull if you know what I mean – as if some elements are simply missing. Palate: Like the nose, the Rum is still dominated by the spices, with Garam Masala being the clear winner here. Later also garlic yoghurt and a few herbs such as rosemary, as well as quite some oak. Just like with the nose, I am constantly thinking that we are only witnessing one half of the Rum, which is too bad. Finish: Medium long with those spices and oak. Cinnamon is playing a much more prominent role now. The next Rum will show if we were simply dealing with a subpar barrel this time or if it just wasn’t the best distillate. (71/100)

Rest & Be Thankful Monymusk “AHJ” #26709 1998 24YO (56%): We stick with whatever “AHJ” is and add another year. Nose: Totally the same stuff. Going back and forth between this and the 23YO one, I can hardly tell a difference. Relatively speaking, this one is a bit less intense and interesting but the differences are negligible. Palate: Yoghurt, spices, papapya… nothing new, really. Finish: See above. At this point I think it is fair to ask if it is really necessary to bottle two of these barrels. Sure, one was interesting since I am not aware of another Monymusk that tastes like this; after all this should be “new” stuff. Nevertheless, both barrels are almost identical and if you ask me, these Rums definitely do lack quality, which makes the second barrel redundant in my mind. But these are just my two cents… (71/100)

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