This bottling began as an experiment: what would happen if we barrelled our deep, sweet and complex Queen’s Cut at a much higher strength than usual — 81.61% ABV instead of around 62%?
After just 18 months in oak, the answer was very clear…
Bloody amazing.
What began as an experiment has now become the bottle that celebrates ten years of JimmyRum — ten years of challenging what Australian rum can be, learning our craft and occasionally doing things that probably seemed a little mad at the time.
Because if you’re going to celebrate a milestone, you may as well celebrate it with something big!
The Empress is the highest-strength spirit we have ever bottled — and, at 81.65% ABV, quite possibly the strongest Australian cane spirit (or rum) ever released.
We’ve bottled it at cask strength for one simple reason: it was far too good to cut back.
The result is an extraordinarily deep, sweet and complex spirit with layers of rich oak, maple syrup, vanilla and butterscotch and, let’s just say…a very good warmth on the palate.
Presented in a bespoke, fully laser-engraved 10th Anniversary bottle, The Empress is a genuine piece of JimmyRum history.
Only 100 bottles have been produced.
It won’t be around for long.
Spirit: Queen’s Cut — the final 10% of our Silver/Navy hearts collected from Matilda. It’s the sweetest and most complex section of the run…and the only bit fit for the Queen!
Barrel: BO089 — a 60-litre “JimmyRum Virgin” American oak barrel, coopered in Hobart
Barrel entry: 88% ABV
Maturation: 558 days — 18.3 months
Classification: Australian cane spirit — legally, it’s not rum yet, as it didn’t quite make the required two years in oak before telling us it was ready to come out.
Angel’s share: 6.63 litres, or 11.7% total volume loss — approximately 7.65% per year
Decanted: 50.03 litres at 81.65% ABV
Bottled: Cask strength at 81.65% ABV
Release: 100 individually engraved bottles
