The Little Distiller Ultimatum Rum Cask Finish (Ultimate Edradour) 2014

This is a Venezuelan column-still rum from molasses, picked as a single cask by The Little Distiller for its independent Ultimatum range and drawn from a 2014 distillation at seven years old. It sits in the Spanish style, where the spirit runs light and the character is meant to come from oak rather than additives, and here the choice was a dry, unsweetened bottling rather than the rounded, dosed style the origin is often known for.

Maturation was in ex-bourbon, which suits the gentle base, lending soft cocoa and a dried-fruit edge without burying it. The profile stays restrained and earthy, opening flowery and almost grassy before grapes, light fruit and a vegetal note come through, with coffee and cocoa on a palate that arrives late and fades fairly quickly. At 47.9% it carries a little more grip than the standard 40% ron, a quiet, contemplative pour for drinkers who want Venezuelan rum kept honest and free of sugar.