Transcontinental Rum Line Panama 2011 9 Year Old

On the nose, toffee and herbs: very green tarragon is drizzled with thin but intense-flavored caramel sauce. Fresh minty touches are accompanied by sharp apples and buttery icing. Crisp barley sugar notes develop along with hints of lemon. On the palate, pear drops, rhubarb and custard sweets, and banana puree lead. Fruity notes build along with pine needles and lots of green leafiness. A layer of toffee sweetness sits underneath everything, studded with pockets of spice and sweet black liorice. The herbs are up front on the finish, with a gentle aniseed tingle that fades to light treacle toffee and gentle spice.

A fresh-tasting rum with weightier character than the nose suggests. Digging deeper into the glass is rewarded with more complexity and darker flavors.