CDI 2014

Compagnie des Indes is a respected French independent bottler with a broad, terroir-led range, and this single cask draws on rum from Thailand, distilled in 2014 and bottled unsweetened at a measured 43% after eight years. It is a gentle, accessible expression rather than a powerhouse, in keeping with the house preference for natural, drinkable cask selections.

The nose offers caramel, dried fruit and a roasted note, while the palate is soft and lightly tropical with dried fruit, coconut and vanilla carrying through to a finish of vanilla, caramel and coconut. Some drinkers find it a touch flat and reminiscent of a mellow Barbadian profile, though the tropical fruit, wood and gentle spice give it enough to hold interest. As an honest, unsweetened, easy-drinking single cask from an unusual origin, it makes a pleasant introduction to Thai rum and sips comfortably neat or over a little ice.