Cane Island Secret Distillery 12 Year Old Single Estate Nicaragua Rum (700ml)

The second release from Cane Island ups the ante with an award winning, twelve year old single estate rum from Central America. This is a column distilled expression that is 100% tropically aged – but with a twist…it was not actually aged in Nicaragua. Although the distillery is listed as ‘Secret’ on the bottle, you can take it from us that the spirit is from Compañía Licorera de Nicaragua (CLN), located in the Nicaraguan capitol of Managua. If you’ve heard of that distillery before, it’s no wonder. They produce a little brand called ‘Flor de Cana‘ there as well! This expression won a Gold medal at the Tokyo Whisky & Spirits Competition in June 2022. Produced from molasses derived from CLN’s own cane plantations in the Chichigalpa, after a relatively short fermentation of 24-36 hours, the wash was distilled using a five-column still where heavy rum is taken from the first column at 75% abv and light rum is taken from the fifth column at 95% abv. The CLN marques are normally blended together and proofed down to 70% abv before aging. It was then matured for 12 years in ex-bourbon barrels. This result has a very rich mouthfeel, delivering what you'd expect from an honest 12 year old. 43% Alc./Vol.

Notes from the importers... Nose: Lightly funky tropical fruit salad, unburnt tobacco, vanilla and biscuit spices plus a nice orange zest as well with vanilla paste there too. Palate: More of those tropical fruits – banana, pawpaw and even some lychee there, the tobacco notes continue on the palate as well, plus a nice vanilla note to round it all off. Finish: A lovely, sweet and satisfying finish with chocolate and coffee note alongside more of that delicious fruitiness and a jaffa choc-orange makes itself known as it fades. A very easy (almost dangerously so) drinking rum that will disappear quickly on a table with friends. Big and rich with masses of fruit and chocolate notes, as well as a pleasant unburnt tobacco backbone. The touch of orange really lifts this one to something special. Complex and with lots to chat about in the flavour profile, sip this one neat – or at most a cube or two of ice.