Bodega Suau Ron Jungla

Bodega Suau bottles Ron Jungla in the Dominican Republic, working the island's amber, vanilla and caramelised nut tradition but steering it somewhere less expected. Distilled from molasses on a column still and finished in cognac casks, it carries caramel, oak, papaya and candied fruit on the nose, with the brandy influence already showing. Helpfully, this one is unsweetened, which sets it apart from much of the sweeter Dominican field.

The palate brings caramel and cocoa alongside a clear brandy and cognac note, finishing dry and oaky with lingering caramel. Without added sugar to smooth it over, the cognac cask does the rounding, giving a soft but not cloying profile with a distinctive grape spirit edge. It drinks as an enjoyable, fairly priced sipper that stays balanced rather than sweet, a good pick for anyone who likes the idea of Dominican rum lifted by a noticeable but well judged cognac finish.