Hello kids, I am back! For various personal reasons I have taken a break from most things rum (except drinking some) for about 6 months, but I never planned to let it go, so here I am with the first review of this year. I thought it was only appropriate to mark my “grand” comeback with a rum offering that has also taken its time to be ready before coming out.
The Retribution Distillery is based in Frome, Somerset (England) and it’s owned and ran by Richard Lock – a lovely and very passionate fella. They make rum, whisky, gin and vodka, and if you’d like to know more about their distillery and production, just read my distillery visit post here.
This is the very first official aged rum release from Retribution Distillery coming from a single 200 litre ex-Jim Beam barrel. This is also the rum that came from their Cask 001 Rum Club where you were allowed to buy a bottle in advance before it reached 2 years of ageing. That being said, Richard, seeing its potential, decided to post-pone the release until it was truly ready ending up with a 3 year and 4 months old rum – you can read my tasting notes for the 1 year old sample here.
There are two versions of this expression launched, the one for the Cask 001 Rum Club members (42 in total) which were released at cask strength (71.4% ABV) and another one which is available to purchase online and clocks in at a more modest 58% ABV. I will be reviewing the cask strength one of course, but this can be used as a reference for the 58% ABV one as well.
Retribution Cask Aged Pure Single Rum is molasses based, fermented for at least 7 days, pot still distilled and aged in an ex-Bourbon cask for 3 years and 4 months. Bottled at 71.4% ABV without any chill filtering or additives.
On the nose it feels moreish yet strong. Nougat, butterscotch, peanut butter and rich honey. Dried plums, vanilla pods and biscuits. It does have a dessert-y vibe to it, but I know it’ll pack a bite. Crème brulee with some warm spices such as ginger and nutmeg. Banana foams and a hint of lemon zest.
On the palate it becomes a bit more “explosive”. Vanilla custard, coconut cream and toasted biscuits. There’s a layer of smokiness to it, like charred oak. The mouthfeel is very oily and enjoyable, despite its high ABV. Menthol, berries, orange zest and fig leaves. The butterscotch and nougat flavours are making a comeback as well. Cacao nibs and nutmeg. The finish is long with butterscotch and toasted wood.
This is a beautiful expression and a great example of British rum. It has notes reminiscent of rum, bourbon and scotch all at once, and it’s quite layered for its young age. Richard did a beautiful job and I’m glad to have this as my first review of 2025. I know his focus is on whisky nowadays, but I wouldn’t mind another release like this every once in a while. The Cask 01 Rum Club was definitely a good investment.
The 58% ABV version, which is the only one available to buy, can be found for £65 on their website and I think you should definitely grab one – it probably actually benefits a little from the dilution. Support a local producer and have a fantastic rum at the same time.
Retribution Cask Aged Pure Single Rum – 3 Years Old (Cask 001 Rum Club Edition) score:
Flavour/taste: 58/70
Value for money: 15/15
Transparency/purity: 15/15
Overall: 88/100
Cheers!