Barbancourt Rhum Blanc

The white expression from Barbancourt, Haiti's most established distillery, which has long worked in a French-influenced style. Unusually for the island it distils from sugar-cane honey, the reduced syrup of the cane, rather than fresh juice or molasses, then runs it through a column still for a cleaner, more refined spirit than a rustic clairin.

The result is floral and approachable on the nose, fresh and rounded with orchard fruits. The palate is oily and fresh with citrus running through it, finishing pungent and peppery with a little sting at the back. It is bottled unsweetened at 40%, so the texture and gentle florals come from the spirit rather than any dosage. Lighter and more polished than Haiti's wild village rums, it is an honest, versatile white that sits comfortably neat and slips easily into a daiquiri or a Ti' Punch.