The Wild Parrot South Pacific Blackjack Series () 2009

The Wild Parrot South Pacific Blackjack Series is a single cask Fijian rum distilled in 2009 at South Pacific Distilleries and bottled by The Wild Parrot at full cask strength, 55.2%, after fourteen years in ex-bourbon. It is unsweetened and very much aimed at drinkers who seek out the divisive, smoky end of the Fiji spectrum.

The nose is heavy and unusual, leather and glue over a smoky, almost peaty depth, and the palate doubles down with peat, coffee and a sour edge. The finish stays earthy and dark with tobacco and wood. This is industrial, challenging rum, the kind that chews like leather and soap as one drinker put it, far from an easy crowd pleaser. For those who relish the wild, funky side of South Pacific stock it offers plenty to wrestle with, though it asks real commitment from the glass.