Barbancourt Barbancourt Cane Blossom Mizunara Cask Finish 2023

Barbancourt is Haiti's best-known rum house, working from fresh-pressed sugar-cane juice in the cane-juice tradition that ties it to clairin and agricole, though it cannot use the protected word. This Cane Blossom release takes a young rum and finishes it entirely in Mizunara, the prized and porous Japanese oak, a brand-new barrel rather than a refill.

Bottled at 45% after a couple of years in that single wood type, the result is pale and delicate. The nose is floral and flowery with young wood, soft fruit and a touch of ginger, while the palate stays floral with pear and a clean oak note. The finish keeps the flowery character going with young wood and a little vanilla. Honestly, this is a light, gentle and youthful rum where the Mizunara delicacy shapes the whole experience, one for drinkers curious about an unusual cask rather than those after weight or depth.