Black Gate Distillery Ranga Rum (700ml)

A new Aussie rum from the team at Black Gate, better known for their cracking single malts. This is produced from molasses in a traditional copper pot still, then matured for two years in a second fill 100 litre ex sherry cask. A final twist sees the rum finished in a 100 litre ex ginger beer cask, pushing this into spiced rum territory. 161 bottles on offer.

Tasting note: Brilliant gold. Ideal clarity. Nosing finds an amalgam of golden syrup, ginger bread and green banana. Entry is hollow, subdued, understated. Builds to an intense, off-dry ginger beer attack that pretty much eclipses any trace of rum, excepting the spirit heat. Rounds out like a double barrel Dark'n'Stormy, which is essentially what this cask experiment is. Ginger beer defines the aftertaste. Great if that's the sort of thing you like, but the ginger will be over bearing for Rum purists. 51% Alc./Vol.