Worthy Park 2007 Habitation Velier

According to the back label, this was the third distillation from Worthy Park distillery since its reopening, having operated nearly continuously since 1670 (the rum for this bottle was distilled in 2007 and bottled 10 years later). Habitation Velier is known for collaborating with distilleries to release special pot still rums under their label at cask strength, often aging barrels at the distillery before bottling. I haven't tried many of these, but they generally have a dedicated following. The Last Ward 2009 was the last one I sampled, and it was very good. The nose on this one is very fruity, with some sweetness and lemon peel present. Ideally, let it sit for about 15 to 20 minutes before your first sip. On the palate, the strength is immediately noticeable (some might prefer adding a little water to reduce the ABV), but after adjusting, you'll get cinnamon and ginger. The fruity notes from the nose also appear, though I can't identify the specific fruit, perhaps pineapple. It's a very rich experience and not sweet at all. The finish seems to last forever and includes some chocolate notes with a pleasant burn. It's difficult to say if this is superior to the Last Ward 2009, but it's at least comparable. I anticipated some funkiness from Worthy Park (even though the label indicates WPL or Worthy Park Light for lower ester rum, I still expected some rum funk), but this almost completely dials that back and aligns more with what I'd expect from a well-aged Appleton rum. That's not a criticism, just not what I anticipated, and either way, this is very good. At some point, I'll get around to reviewing the numerous Foursquare bottles I have, but I suspect this would still hold up very well against them. I'm sure this bottle is hard to find, but if you come across it, I highly recommend purchasing it.