SBS Jamaica 2021 WPE Danish Virgin Oak Miniature Single Barrel Selection Jamaica Rum 20 cl 61,6%

In the middle of Jamaica, where sugar cane fields roll up the hills around Lluidas Vale, sits a distillery that has been making rum since the 1740s – with one long pause along the way. Today Worthy Park is back in full swing, and this bottle is the result of a small Danish experiment: what happens when the exact same rum is left to rest on four different types of virgin oak?

The Expert's Description

S.B.S Jamaica 2021 WPE Danish Virgin Oak is a Jamaican Single Cask Rum distilled from molasses on a pot still at Worthy Park and bottled at cask strength, 61.6%.

The bottle is one quarter of 1423's "Experimental Cask Series" – a box of four 20cl bottles from the same batch of Worthy Park rum, where each cask is a virgin oak barrel sourced from a different country. Alongside the Danish one sit a Spanish, a French and an American release, and the whole point is to taste side by side how the origin of the wood alone changes an otherwise identical rum. The Danish virgin oak cask has given a rum with clear sweetness and spice from the fresh wood, while Worthy Park's signature funk and fermentation character still comes through strongly in the glass.

Worthy Park is among the last 100% Jamaican-owned distilleries on the island and one of the few that still makes rum from its own cane fields to its own bottle. The molasses comes from the estate's own sugar factory, and the rum carries no added colour and is not chill-filtered – as with the rest of the S.B.S range.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Overripe banana and tropical fruit meet a clear funky edge, with a touch of vanilla and toasted wood from the fresh oak.

Palate

Bold and spiced, with dark chocolate, vanilla and a warm woody sweetness, while the fermented Jamaican character stays present underneath it all.

Finish

Long and warming, with toasted oak, brown spice and a lingering fruit sweetness that fights a little against the high strength.

Specifications

Name: S.B.S Jamaica 2021 WPE Danish Virgin Oak
Distillery: Worthy Park Estate
Bottler: 1423 / S.B.S
Region/Country: Jamaica
Type: Jamaican Single Cask Rum
ABV: 61.6%
Size: 20 CL
Cask Type: Danish Virgin Oak Cask
Non-chill Filtered: Yes
Natural Colour: Yes
Distillation method: Pot still, distilled from molasses
Distilled: 2021
Bottled: August 2023
Edition: Experimental Cask Series – Danish Virgin Oak
EAN no.: 5712718008180

Flavour Profile

Funky · Tropical · Vanilla-forward · Oak-spiced · Bold

Investment Potential

Medium. Single cask rums from S.B.S tend to move quickly among collectors, and this experimental four-cask series, with four different virgin oak types from the same batch, makes this particular release worth holding onto alongside the other three.

Did You Know?

Worthy Park stopped rum production entirely in the early 1960s due to oversupply in the Jamaican rum industry – and stood silent for more than 40 years. It wasn't until 2005 that the distillery got new copper pot stills from Forsyths in Scotland and properly returned to the rum map.

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Frequently Asked Questions about S.B.S Jamaica 2021 WPE Danish Virgin Oak

What makes S.B.S Jamaica 2021 WPE Danish Virgin Oak special?

It's one of four bottles in 1423's "Experimental Cask Series", where the exact same rum from Worthy Park has been aged on four different virgin oak casks – Spanish, Danish, French and American. This is the Danish release, bottled unfiltered at cask strength, 61.6%.

What does "WPE" mean on the label?

WPE stands for Worthy Park Estate, the Jamaican distillery the rum comes from. Worthy Park is one of the last 100% Jamaican-owned distilleries and makes rum from its own cane fields to its own bottle.

How does the Danish release differ from the other casks in the series?

All four casks are virgin oak, but sourced from different countries, and the wood gives each its own character. In tastings, the Danish oak has shown a particularly well-integrated rum, with spice and sweetness that don't overpower Worthy Park's own funky edge.

Should it be served neat or with ice?

Try it neat or with a few drops of water first – at 61.6%, a little water opens up the chocolate and vanilla notes without washing away the funk. Ice mutes both the spice from the cask and the rum's own intensity more than it can really take.

Is S.B.S Jamaica 2021 a rum worth collecting?

Yes – single cask rums from S.B.S are in demand among collectors, and an experimental series with four different cask types from the same batch makes this particular release worth having alongside the other three.

Who is behind S.B.S?

S.B.S, Single Barrel Selection, is a rum series from the Danish spirits company 1423, which has been importing and bottling spirits since 2008. Each cask is selected and bottled individually, with no additives and no chill-filtration.

Does it pair well with food?

The bold chocolate and vanilla character works well with dark chocolate or an espresso after dinner – flavours strong enough to match both the strength and the tropical funk without being drowned out.