This was the third bottle the rum fairy delivered and it turned out to be really pleasant surprise. Monymusk went through a rebranding a couple years ago and the rum inside is a different blend than the Special Reserve I bought in 2021. The 100% column still rum comes from the Long Pond and Clarendon distilleries and is aged for ten years in Jamaica, issued at 40% ABV.
This expression is closer to Appleton than some of the super funky Hampden rums, so I decided to do a blind test with the old expression plus Appleton 8 and Appleton 12. It was fairly clear which ones were from each brand but it was immediately noticeable that the Monymusk rums had a higher degree of that funky Jamaican rum flavor. At the same time the new Special Reserve was a lot more flavorful than the old one, making this a great lower proof sipping option for those who want it a little more funky than the Appletons or those Myers’s Reserve or Single Barrel bottlings. The leather and tobacco notes from Monymusk Special Reserve are very approachable.
Those flavors do work well in my favorite cocktail as well, even with an ABV below what I usually go for. I absolutely enjoyed Monymusk Special Reserve in a Mai Tai.
If you’re looking for something different from Jamaica or a nice sipping rum to gift to friends, Monymusk Special Reserve is a great option to consider.