Zéro Nine Spirits South Pacific Rum des Îles 2015

Zero Nine Spirits South Pacific Rum des Iles is a Fijian rum from South Pacific Distilleries, distilled in 2015 and bottled unsweetened at cask strength, 49.9%, by the French bottler Zero Nine Spirits. It comes from a distillery often associated with wilder, funkier Fiji, though this release lands in gentler, sweeter territory.

The nose mixes vanilla and coconut with dark chocolate and a faintly dirty note, while the palate leans creamy and dessert like, fudge and vanilla over coconut with the alcohol still showing. The finish is fudgy and warm with a slightly burnt edge and a sense of the dilution sitting a touch loose. Rather than the herbal, industrial Fiji some might expect, it reads closer to a young Barbados profile, an easy enough cask strength pour for those who like soft, vanilla and coconut richness, even if it does not flag its origin loudly.