Privateer New England White Rum

Privateer New England White is the clear, unaged expression from the Privateer distillery near Boston, a producer respected for clean, additive-free, openly made rum. Distilled from molasses with the house's emphasis on letting the spirit speak, it is bottled at 40%.

Despite being unaged it carries more character than a neutral white, the nose offering sugarcane, pear, candied notes and a cola-like edge, the palate turning to dates, dried fruit and cream toffee with a dry, drier-than-expected feel, and the finish running peppery and spicy. Tasters note vanilla, liquorice, aniseed and a creamy mouthfeel, though some find it slightly watery at this strength. It reads as an honest, dry, distillery-forward white rather than a fruit bomb, the kind of bottle that rewards attention. It makes a clean, characterful base for a daiquiri or a Ti Punch and holds up to light neat sipping.