Cadenhead's Classic Green Label

A mysterious little number here from WM Cadenhead's, Scotland's oldest independent bottler and usually more known for their Whisky bottling but they also do a pretty interesting line of rums.
This is their basic green label product and has no age or origin statement beyond "Product of the Caribbean", I've chatted to the guys in the shop and they won't be drawn on what all is in here but I'll add my speculations after the tasting notes.

---

• Atmosphere - tasted this while listening to the Red Dead Redemption soundtrack, a wonderfully atmospheric and evocative album.
• 50% ABV
• £27 for 70cl
• No additives other than water to lower the ABV
• Colour - dark golden
• Nose - burnt biscuit and caramel with some spice, almost pungent (in a good way)
• Flavour - an initial hit of sweetness, followed by a pineapple & banana fruitiness with some cinnamon
• Finish - a lingering warmth with some pepper and a bit of bite on the way down with a dryness
• Initially I had this neat and while it doesn't strictly need water/ice it does smooth out some of the rougher edges that a higher ABV brings and brings out a bit of vanilla on the nose and the palate.

Now, there is a fair bit of speculation as to where the hell this is from on the web and it's pretty clear it's a blend of different countries but which? To my mind it's:

• Mainly Jamaica - the fruity notes remind me more of a Jamaican style, a lot of esters giving a powerful nose
• Some Guyana - the more whisky-esque notes running through this remind me of some of the younger El Dorado range
• Possibly Trinidad & Tobago - Peppery notes always bring Angostura to my mind, and I know they do produce a lot for other people, so maybe

This is a quite challenging rum overall, the high ABV and mix of flavours certainly keep you guessing and I quite like that but I can see how others might not be a fan. Certainly it's not one that you'd sit and drink all night, more of a glass or two at the end of the night, if you're also a scotch drinker I think you'd enjoy it.
Cadenhead's also do a lot of interesting regional bottlings which I'll review in the near future.