Review by: Raygun

A quick note before anything else for the sake of transparency. This review was done with an industry sample provided free of charge, with no expectations beyond drinking them. As always, I do my best to provide my unbiased opinion, and readers can decide how they want to take this review. For more information, see our Ethics & Transparency statement.

Papalin is a series of blended rums from Velier. This entry is a blend of rums from three Jamaican distilleries: Worthy Park WPL (60-119 gr/hlPA), Long Pond STCE (550-700 gr/hlPA), and Hampden C<>H (1300-1400 gr/hlPA). All distilled on pot stills and aged on site before being blended. Reviewed from a sample. Rested about 15 minutes.

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Distilleries: Worthy Park, Long Pond, and Hampden

Bottler: La Maison & Velier

Region/style: Jamaican pot still molasses rum

ABV: 57%. Cask strength. 

Age: 5 years in Jamaica   

Cask type: Ex-bourbon

Color: 1.4 tawny. Natural color and free of additives

Price: Around $70

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Nose: Not hard to believe there’s a good bit of Hampden high ester in here. Rubber cement, overripe papaya and plantains, banana leaves, and even some bleu cheese funk.      

Palate: Gets even stranger here. More overripe fruit (with some cantaloupe in there) and cheesy funk. Still reminding me of bleu cheese, down to the salty flavor. Nutritional yeast and a touch of lime. A lot going on. Time in the glass brings out more tartness.  

Finish: More conventional here. Some caramel and a little more lime. Still some of the cheese flavor, more like Camembert, pepper, and nutritional yeast. A little creaminess in the texture. 

Bonus wife note: “It smells very strong. I don’t like it.”     

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Conclusion: Wild stuff, which won’t be a surprise with its roots. I found it even more out there than straight C<>H. Those looking for an extreme rum will not be disappointed. For me, it was a similar experience to other Jamaican rums. I start out wondering what the heck I’m drinking, and by the time I’m halfway through the glass, I’m thinking, “It’s actually pretty darn good.”

Score: 83

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Scoring Legend:

• 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable.
• 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category.
• 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram.
• 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff.
• 75-79: Decent rum worth tasting.
• 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better.
• 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink.
• 50-59: Save it for mixing.
• 0-49: Blech.