Cane Island Beenleigh

This is a young pot still rum from the Beenleigh distillery in Queensland, selected and bottled by the European house Cane Island. Beenleigh is one of Australia's oldest rum makers, and at four years old this is very much an entry level look at what it can do, a quirky, affordable way to explore a region that rarely reaches the shelf.

Distilled from molasses on a pot still and matured in ex-bourbon oak, it leans light and almost whisky like, with tropical and floral aromatics of banana, vanilla and sugarcane giving way to a peppery, woody palate. At 43% it is gentle and approachable rather than deep or powerful, and the character reads as fresh and original instead of rich. It suits curious drinkers happy to meet a distillery at the start of its range, and it works comfortably in cocktails.