CDI Caraibes

Caraibes is one of the approachable entry blends from Compagnie des Indes, the French independent bottler founded by Florent Beuchet in 2014 to let each rum origin speak for itself. Rather than a single cask, this marries molasses rum from Guyana, Barbados and Trinidad into a deliberately gentle, multi island style aged in ex bourbon oak and bottled at 40%.

Expect a pale, light spirit with vanilla, caramel, soft citrus and a touch of dried fruit and spice, the kind of pour often handed to someone moving up from supermarket rum. Unlike the house single casks, which are natural, this blend carries a small amount of added cane sugar that Compagnie des Indes discloses openly, around fifteen grams per litre, so it reads soft and lightly sweet rather than dry. It works as a relaxed sipper or a casual mixer, though drinkers used to the bottler's bolder full proof releases will find it tame by design.