Two Shores Rum Peated Cask Finish (65%)

Two Shores Peated Cask Finish is aimed at drinkers who want more tension and intensity in their rum. The base first spends eight years in ex-bourbon casks in Panama, where it develops rounded notes of vanilla, caramel and gentle spice. It is then finished further in Ireland in mature Irish whiskey casks that had previously held a 10 year old peated Scotch from the Western Isles. That final stage is what gives this bottling its smoky, earthy and more forceful side.

In the glass, the base rum remains clearly present, but the peat influence pushes the profile in a very different direction. The sweeter tones from the bourbon ageing are joined by smoke, earth and a darker spicy layer. As a result, the rum feels not only full and powerful, but also layered and distinctive, with much more intensity than the softer finishes in the range. That last point is a cautious inference based on the higher bottling strength and the peated cask finish.

What makes this rum especially appealing is that the smokiness does not sit separately on top of the rum, but becomes part of the whole profile. The eight years of ageing bring calm and body, while the peated finish adds extra depth, tension and a rougher edge. It is a rum for drinkers who want more from a finish than subtle nuance alone, and who enjoy a rum that clearly moves into a different stylistic direction.