ImpEx Collection 18 Year Old Long Pond Cask #20 VRW Jamaican Rum 2005
58.6% ABV (117.2 proof, cask strength) | 18 years old, vintage 2005 | Cask #20 VRW | Long Pond, Jamaica — this is the 2005 18-year-old Long Pond from the ImpEx Collection, the independent-bottler series from ImpEx Beverages president Sam Filmus. One cask — #20 VRW, the Vale Royale Wedderburn high-ester marque — aged 18 years and bottled at full cask strength with no additives. Only 194 bottles exist.
Long Pond, the historic Trelawny distillery founded in 1753, makes some of the wildest pot-still rum on earth, and the VRW marque (150–250 esters gr/hLAA) is its funkier register. ImpEx's Edition Five press release describes the nose as Red Delicious apple and white raisins over big oak with red licorice; the palate as cedar, fennel, orange peel, clay, and pine with a gentle tobacco undertone; and a long, earthy, smoky finish. A 98-point, Best-Rum-in-class trophy bottle for high-ester collectors — available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA.
Tasting notes
Nose: Red Delicious apple, white raisins, big oak, red licorice. Palate: cedar, fennel, orange peel, clay, pine, gentle tobacco. Finish: grounded, earthy, warm smoky depth.
Why buy it from Del Mesa Liquor
- 18-year-old Long Pond VRW at 58.6% cask strength — no additives, single cask #20
- 194 bottles total — Edition Five of the ImpEx Collection (Apr 2026)
- 98 points — Platinum, Best Rum, 98 pts at the 2025 Las Vegas Global Spirit Awards; Double Gold at the Enthusiast Report International Spirits Competition
- Available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor
How to serve it
Neat in a copita or Glencairn at cask strength first, then a few drops of water to unlock the apple and licorice notes.
Frequently asked questions
What is the VRW marque?
VRW (Vale Royale Wedderburn) is a high-ester pot-still marque at Long Pond, 150–250 esters gr/hLAA — the “funky” register of Jamaican rum.
How many bottles of this were released?
194 bottles, from a single cask, as part of ImpEx Collection Edition Five (April 2026).
Is this different from the ImpEx 15-year Long Pond?
Yes — the earlier 2005 15-year VRW was 52.2% ABV / 304 bottles and the 17-year Cask #18 was 54.9% / 255 bottles. This is the 18-year-old, Cask #20, 58.6% bottling — do not confuse them.