Labourdonnais Star & Key Passion Fruit

Labourdonnais distils on the northern plains of Mauritius, working with fresh-pressed sugar-cane juice in the agricole manner even though, outside the French islands, the rum cannot legally use the word agricole. Star and Key is its flavoured line, and this expression sets ripe passion fruit against the estate's own cane spirit.

The base shows its cane-juice origin clearly, grassy and vegetal under the fruit, which gives the passion fruit, apple and stone-fruit notes something firmer to sit on than a neutral spirit would. There is a woody thread through the palate and a peachy, apricot lift on the finish. At 40% it is soft, thick and openly fruit-forward, an easygoing introduction to cane-juice rum rather than a dry purist pour. Best served cold or long over ice where the tropical fruit can do its work.