First Impressions
Elizabeth Yard is an Edinburgh-based independent bottler that takes Caribbean rums and finishes them in small octave casks at Holyrood Distillery. This 2011 Trinidadian was aged in the Caribbean before being finished in a red wine octave — a small cask (approximately 50 litres) that provides intense wood and wine contact in a short period.
Tasting
The nose shows the red wine influence clearly. Red berry fruit and dark chocolate lead, with vanilla oak and wine tannins adding complexity. A gentle spice note rounds things out. The wine and rum characters integrate well.
The palate is rich and fruit-forward. The red wine octave finish has added red berry character, dark berries, and a tannic structure that's unusual in rum. Chocolate and vanilla from the rum's original Caribbean ageing provide the foundation, oak spice adds warmth, and the wine-rum interplay is genuinely interesting.
The finish is medium-long with red fruit, oak, chocolate, and a dry, tannic close that betrays the wine cask influence.
The Bottom Line
At £67.95, Elizabeth Yard TDL 2011 offers an interesting cask experiment at a reasonable price. The red wine octave finish adds genuine character without overwhelming the Trinidadian base rum. For rum drinkers who enjoy wine cask finishes, it's a worthwhile exploration.
