Bottle Details:
Distillery: LP & HD
Bottler: The Whisky Jury (TWJ)
Vintage: 1998 & 2014
Bottled: 2023
Stated Age: 9 years - 25 years
Casktype: Refill casks
Blend: 2/3 1998 LP + 1/3 2014 HD
Number of bottles: 143
Strength: 56.9% Vol.
Distillation: Pure Pot Still
LP & HD The Duo (1998 & 2014)
As I understand it, this is 2/3 LP (right, not Laphroaig) from 1998, with 1/3 HD (right, not Harley-Davidson) from 2014. Let's see if this will be another rasta rocket from Jamaica. Colour: gold. Nose: but naturally. A blend of several green olives (Spain, France, Italy, Portugal, Greece) with a few light acids, varnishes, glues and fibre coatings. Damp earth after a massive rain, in a pine forest by the Mediterranean. With water: it becomes very acetic and we quite like that. Lemon with apple vinegar and touches of caramel. In fact, it's superb. Mouth (neat): it's so good! Purely Jamaican but not extreme, with fruits (papayas, mangoes, bananas) that can express themselves without being stuck in wood glue, if you see what I mean. I know you see what I mean. Otherwise, benzene, motor oil, anti-rust paint and carbolineum. You see the thing. With water: ultra-classically Jamaican. Beautiful salinity, polish, glue, pickles in brine, bananas just a tad overripe, petrol (who's never had petrol in their mouth when siphoning a friend's tank at three in the morning, with their agreement of course, to try to avoid running on empty?) Finish: long, saline and acetic. Liquorice and olives in the aftertaste. Comments: damn, but it's so good!
Nose: a natural duo. Fermenting bananas all over, with some lime acidity and ripe pineapples. Then linseed oil, instant glue, liquorice and green olives. Varnishes, mild herbs and brine. Celeriac in the background. I’m wondering which component has the upper hand – I’d say the Hampden part.
Mouth: high esters of course. Fennel and aniseed, with more (green) bananas, light acetone and brine. A yoghurty sourness, some acetic notes and light rubber. Lime and crushed black olives, as well as drops of cough syrup. The banana flavour stays strong, and it’s really nice.
Finish: long, slightly sweeter and rounder now, stiill high on banana candy.
As much as we like single rums, this duo was born for each other. It has all of the expected Jamaican funk but also a nice elegance and fruity banana. Great blending work here, we’re starting high!