Romdeluxe Renaissance White Alligator 2018

Romdeluxe Renaissance White Alligator 2018 is a single cask Taiwanese rum distilled at Renaissance and bottled by RomDeluxe, the Danish house behind the Wild Series of high ester, very high strength funk bombs with black and white animal labels. At three years old it is young on paper, but tropical ageing and 64.8 percent strength give it a presence and depth that feel far beyond its years. It belongs to the unsweetened, serious end of the RomDeluxe range.

Distilled from molasses on a pot still and matured in ex bourbon wood under tropical conditions, it pushes Savanna style fermented tropical fruit, strawberry, bubblegum and honey against heavy charred oak, with papaya and roasted notes on a long finish. The esters run high and the profile reads wild and aromatic, drawing easy comparison to Hampden and Savanna Grand Arome. The alcohol is surprisingly well integrated for the proof, but this remains a pour for seasoned drinkers who want intensity, transparency and serious funk in the glass.