Long Pond Rum Sponge No. 17 ITP 2004

In a blind tasting, I would have guessed a blend of Long Pond and (very good) Belize. Extremely exciting profile. Very approachable yet complex. Atypical and very exciting character. A real highlight in the RumSponge tasting!

Heavy sweetness of vanilla, caramel and coconut, which briefly make you think of Belize, Barbados or even New Yarmouth 1994 - accompanied by tropical fruits, which due to the ester number in the comparatively low range but appear relaxed and make the rum quite drinkable. Interesting release, which I would not have blindly assigned ad hoc Long Pond.

Overall a great and complex rum without expected funkiness. The nose is fruity, woody and round with aromas of vanilla and caramel At the palate it’s fruity, spicy, sweet, complex and round with flavors of banana and caramel.

An ITP and mW the first 2004 LP. The nose goes towards cake dough and toffee, less fruity than eg the LP ITP-15 from 2006. On the palate spicy with allspice, vanilla, barrel. Delicious part!

Beautiful Long Pond. However, I would have hoped for a little ester, but still a solid rum with lots of coconut, spices and roasted aromas that is convincing. I would never have guessed Long Pond blind. More likely FS and/or Belize.

I would never have suspected LP from the nose. The banana and coconut allowed rather the conclusion of Belize and Barbados. On the palate then but rather associations to LP, but rather discreet and quaffable, the finish is so medium length and also corresponds more to a LP. A very interesting and good bottling . Time what different

Super round Long Pond, so very tamed nose with hardly any esters and definitely no typical Jamaican rum. For this honey / caramel with roasted coffee, wood and vanilla. Very harmonious! The mouthfeel shapes up similarly with delicious coffee and honey. A peppery spiciness comes in suddenly on the finish, but quickly fades in favor of caramel, vanilla and chocolate.

Extremely round and sweet. Some spices, wood, caramel and light fruit. Interesting profile.

Edit: in the meantime I have bought a bottle and tried it again, I am still enthusiastic about this one, but for the sake of fairness I have adjusted it downwards a little compared to others. At first I thought it was from Barbados, maybe a Foursquare? The taste reminded me a little of a rum from New Yarmouth. An absolute cracker for me. Has probably now knocked my favorite Long Pond (Cambridge 2010) off the throne. Many thanks to Serge, who gave me his double sample!

Delicious Long Pond, is not as intense as some other representatives but offers many subtle nuances. I like very much

The first LP 2004. Extremely exciting profile, since unknown to me so far. Not so typical Long Pond. Very smooth. The 13 years of tropical maturation I find not even so strongly noticeable. Nice story about it from Angus.

A rum tasted online with Angus MacRaild. The nose is spicy, with banana, roast and chocolate.the palate is smooth, pastry-like, with esters and tropical fruits.the finish is long and the aromas remain very present on the palate. A very fine finish for this LP 2004. The empty glass adds a light caramel, my second favorite of the evening.

Rum Sponge - RumX-live tasting, fourth rum of the evening. And also a pleasant surprise. Is probably the only ITP from 2004 so far.Low Ester, slightly diluted from 66% to 60%.Nose: fruity, with a subtle vinegar note. Cocoa powder next to it. Clearly has something of fruit bread with candied orange peel and lemon peel. Now comes banana with aromas of red apple. Honey and toffee give a pleasant sweetness that plays against the vinegar. Nice nose. 8.6Palate: wonderfully intense, balanced yet complex. Spicy and bacony right at the start. Quite a bit of doughy aromas of brioche. Sweet tonka bean and licorice. The ABV fits very well. 8.8

An atypical profile for a Long Pond, very pastry-like and gourmand. Cookie, caramel, honey and brioche bring their share of sweetness, while exotic fruits (banana, pineapple, coconut) envelop the nose in velvet. The esters here are concealed beneath a veil of spice and chocolate, extending to dried and candied fruits. A soft, round and elegant profile. The attack on the palate is extremely greedy. This Long Pond could be mistaken for a Foursquare, as the markers are so similar: coconut, banana and pineapple for the fruit, chocolate, coffee and roasted nuts for the darker side, spices of all kinds and, above all, a good dose of pastry and caramel, making for a very drinkable profile, where the alcohol is well integrated. Esters, on the other hand, are very discreet. The finish, in the same vein as the palate, lets the pastry notes linger for a long time. Exotic fruits and gourmet notes of chocolate and spices lend a pleasantly mellow, rounded quality. A highly original Long Pond, both gourmand and sweet. It's almost regrettable that there isn't more typical Jamaican DNA.

Beautiful long-lasting long pond. Lots of tropical fruit. However, I miss the ester a little. The 60 percent is super integrated and ideal. Personally, I don't think the price-performance ratio is appropriate. However, if you get a sample like I did, you should try this drop