JAMAICA RUM (LONG POND) 1941 50% GORDON & MACPHAIL

This rum was distilled in 1941 at Long Pond distillery in Jamaica, then shipped to the UK in 1946. It has been matured in Elgin since 1967 before being bottled in 1999.

THE BRAND

Long Pond distillery, located northwest in the Jamaican parish of Trelawny and not far from Montego Bay, was built in 1753 in the middle of a large expanse of sugarcane. Over the years the distillery has passed through various ownerships, either private or publics, until 1953, when it was acquired by the Seagram Ltd, owner of the Captain Morgan brand. In the following decades and after the acquisition of the neighbouring estate, Vale Royal, Long Pond was renamed Trelawny Estate.

In the 1970s, Jamaican distilleries started shutting down one after the other and the Jamaican government began a process of nationalisation in order to save their activities. This led the Seagram Ltd to withdraw from the island and in 1977 also the Trelawany Estate was nationalised and included in the National Rum of Jamaica (NRJ) circuit, created by the government to save the distilleries.

In 1993 the continuous economic loss, brought the NRJ to look for some investors, deciding to calling on the Demerara Distillers Ltd in Guyana and the West Indies Rum Distiller in Barbados, this latter currently owned by Alexandre Gabriel from the French Maison Ferrand.

In 2012 Long Pond was closed by the group, mainly due to wastes treatment problems and to the dunder storage tanks that required huge capitals for repairing, focusing their attenction on the Clarendon distillery.

In July 2017, given the renewed interest in Jamaican rums in recent years, after a maintenance began after its closure and thanks to foreign capitals, Long Pond distillery has re-opened the doors, making its John Dore pot stills and Blair column still come back to life.

It almost disappeared in a fire in summer 2018, but the fate left unaffected its historical stills.

THE BOTTLER

Gordon & MacPhail is a well-known and respected independent bottler of Scotch whisky. The company has a long history of bottling and distributing whisky, dating back to the early 20th century. They are particularly known for their licensed bottlings of popular distilleries such as Macallan and Talisker, which helped establish those brands in the 1970s and 1980s. The company also owns and operates the Benromach distillery, where they have been distilling since 1998. In addition to Scotch, Gordon & MacPhail also produces and bottles other spirits, including Demerara rum.