Oliver & Oliver Cubaney Elixir

Cubaney Elixir comes from Oliver and Oliver, the Dominican blending house behind Cubaney and Opthimus, working in the island's amber, vanilla and caramelised nut tradition. Distilled from molasses on a column still and matured in ex bourbon wood, it is built for softness above all, bottled at just 34% so the texture is light and easy from the start. The nose is simple, caramel with a touch of spice.

The palate is caramel, vanilla and chocolate, sweet and noticeably diluted, the low strength and evident sugar combining into something that drinks more like a gentle liqueur than a dry rum. Honesty matters here, this is a very sweet, soft pour where caramel dominates and structure is minimal, made for relaxed, undemanding sipping rather than analysis. For drinkers who like sugary, easy Dominican rum it delivers exactly that, though anyone exploring drier or more nuanced styles will likely find it too simple.