During the 19th century, the Netherlands became a thriving ground for innovation and business due to the openness and creativity displayed by citizens and immigrants. With a 3.5% global turnover, the Netherlands has the sixth-largest economy in the E.U. Moreover, the Dutch have a lot of experience in the maritime trade because Dutch people are considered pragmatists with exceptional negotiation skills.
These functions appear helpful for independent bottlers who sometimes get materials from around the globe and then sign the finished product under their brand. This enabling environment made it possible for Mr. Hubertus to be a successful bottler of the best whisky and rum that the world would later love to appreciate after his demise.
Official website: ultimatumrum.com
In 1921 Hubertus H. van Wees founded the family business "Firma" J.H. van Wees Junior." He started as a wholesaler of "tobacco products." What began as a Tobacco trading company would later become one of the most sort after independent bottlers due to the dropping profit from tobacco wholesale then. A few decades later, the proprietors successfully reformed the company into a thriving rum and whisky wholesaler.
The company was founded under "J.H. Van Wees & Zonen B.V." in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, and later expanded into other countries like the United Kingdom, Germany, and France.
In 1958 John Henry Van Wees died, and his son Hubertus Henry Van Wees took over as the company's president. Ultimate Whiskey Company owns the Little Distiller, developed initially by Firma J.H. van Wees Junior (1921).
In 1987, the third generation of Van Wees took over the company. Maurice, Han developed international trade and moved the company from the city center to the outskirts of Amersfoort. As a result, the company rapidly expanded its range of products.
Han and Maurice van Wees began "The Ultimate" series in 1994. They choose the best casks of Single Malt from Scotland for this and bottle them in no-nonsense bottles with the red cap that has become reasonably identifiable among connoisseurs. Everyone may sample unique and unusual barrels from well-known, lesser-known, and even disappeared distilleries from all parts of Scotland for a reasonable price. The rum is non-chill filtered, uncolored, and unadulterated. Meanwhile, almost 800 barrels have been unleashed in The Ultimate.
The Ultimate series, which Han and Maurice van Wees launched in 1994 and has since produced over a thousand single malts, has been available since then. The producer's philosophy from the beginning was to offer a premium product at a competitive price. Their trademark is transparency.
Rum has been blended and distributed by The Little Distiller since 2016. The selection ranges and is broken down into single cask selection and premium blends. The latter group stands for today's hero, "Ultimatum Selected Rum."
The bottle's apothecary appearance conceals eight Caribbean rums with molasses bases. Although it doesn't specifically mention the components' origin, the label informs us about it. Eight rums do not necessarily equate to eight distilleries or eight sources. Jamaica, Barbados, Trinidad, and Guyana are listed on the manufacturer's official website.
This Ultimatum Rum is an English-style rum from Jamaica bottled by the Dutch independent bottler Ultimatum (van Wees). This Jamaican rum was transferred to St. Emilion wine hogshead SE10 in October 2019 for eight months finish. It was bottled in July 2020, non-cold-filtered and with no added color, as a limited single-cask release of 310 bottles.
The rum is aged in casks with a combination of new and used oak that the owner of Ultimatum himself exclusively selects. The rum ages at least six years before being bottled at cask strength without any additional sugar or coloring agents added, resulting in a lovely natural color and taste profile that is very similar to what you would get from a blend. And because it was aged so long, it has that wonderful savory flavor that comes with aging in wood barrels—a taste that brings out the complexity of this particular Jamaican spirit.
The nose shows notes of spices such as cloves and cinnamon along with hints of vanilla and caramelized sugar, giving it a sweet aroma that makes it easy to drink straight up without needing anything else added to cut through all those spice notes.
This premium Ultimatum rum is from a single cask of 20-year-old Caroni rum from Trinidad. The Caroni distillery was closed in 2002, and this rum is from one of the last casks of Caroni rum that was produced. This rum has been aged in an ex-bourbon barrel and bottled at cask strength without added sugar or color. This unique rum from the Ultimatum inventory is packed with flavor.
The Ultimatum Single Cask Selection Caroni Trinidad 20-Year-Old Rum has a deep amber color and smells of vanilla, caramel, and oak. The taste is of vanilla, caramel, oak, and spices with a long warm finish. This rum was distilled in Trinidad and bottled in Scotland by Ultimatum.
The rum is produced from a mixture of molasses and sugarcane juice. The Ultimatum Single Cask Selection Caroni Trinidad 20-Year-Old Rum has a deep amber color and a rich, sweet flavor with notes of vanilla, caramel, and toffee. The rum is limited to about 259 bottles.
It is aged for 20 years in a single cask, which imparts a unique flavor profile not found in other rums. The nose contains notes of tropical fruits, sweet molasses, and oak. The palate is rich and full-bodied, with dark chocolate, coffee, and spice flavors. The finish is long and lingering, with a hint of smoke.
This is a very old and rare rum distilled in Panama in 2004 from a blend of pot and column still rums. It is a secret distillation that was only known to a few people. The rum is aged for 12 years in oak barrels and has a strength of 46%.
A deep, dark, and brooding rum that is both mysterious and alluring. The Ultimatum 2004 Panama Secret Distillery 12yo is an authentic sipping rum, with each sip revealing new layers of flavor. Notes of chocolate, coffee, caramel, and spice mingle together in perfect harmony, leading to a long and warming finish. The Little Distiller produces only 328 bottles of this exceptional rum.
The nose of this rum is full of rich, dark fruits like plums and cherries, with a hint of vanilla sweetness. The palate is thick and oily, with more dark fruit flavors and some chocolate and coffee notes. The finish is long and warming, with a slight alcohol burn.
Aroma: Toffee, oak, and dark fruits.Taste: Sweet and rich with toffee, oak, dark fruits, and a hint of spice.Finish: Long and sweet with toffee, oak, and dark fruits.
