Red Mill Rum x Oak Barrel ‘The Apprentice’s Cask’ Sydney Rum

This story begins a few months ago, when I was out on a walk in Balmain… Knocking on the door of Red Mill’s new site at the White Bay Steelworks, I were met with nothing but kindness by the team at Red Mill Rum, alongside some incredible spirit! Several brief months later, we are proud to be working together for their first ever limited release bottling!

“As a young cooper, you will often practice your craft by building barrels out of discarded staves, hoops and heads. At A. Stiller Cooperage in the Barossa Valley, the apprentice’s will take retired Scotch and Irish Whisky, Bourbon and local red wine casks, mix their used staves together, before rebuilding them into a smaller barrel known as a Quarter Cask. This old/new barrel will then be heavily toasted and charred.

We first ordered some Quarter Casks to be made for Red Mill in 2022. We filled the first one with a mix of Rums that were already aged in casks from our hall, notably ex-Red Bordeaux, Cognac, Oloroso Sherry and Australian Pinot Noir. The result is a Rum that is exotic and powerful, full of characters reminiscent of their origin. We called this the Apprentice’s Cask.”

– David Fesq, Founder of Red Mill Rum

I pitched a few ideas for a limited release for the Fair to Red Mill (some of which are perhaps to be seen at a later date), but the answer to what should be bottled was obvious, sitting right in front of us at their hall in Rozelle since long before I dropped by that first time a few months ago. This cask has seen everything, and drinks wonderfully. Bottled with minimal filtration, at natural cask strength, it is rich, fruity, dense and funky on the finish, I’m honoured to be releasing such an incredible bottling at our first ever Rum Fair. I look forward to enjoying this Rum with everyone on the day! – Thomas Ryan

We loved running the first ever Sydney Rum Fair, and we look forward to doing it again for 2025!

36 Bottles, handle labelled and numbered in store. 60.2% abv.

Official Tasting Notes:

Nose: Freshly fried plantain chips, promite on toast, rockmelon

Palate: Nutella Toast! I really get a roasted hazelnut & oiliness on the palate that is unmistakably Nutella, Not only that, theres tropical fruit, an earthiness and funk that is reminiscent of an English style rum, somewhere between Bajan & Jamaican.

Finish: Funky, farmhouse, a little spicy thanks to a healthy ABV. Oak tannins and red apple skin. Dry finish