CDI Compass (Overproof White Rum)

This overproof white from Compagnie des Indes breaks from the soft Spanish style mould around it: a Dominican Republic rum made from fresh sugarcane juice rather than molasses, distilled on a combination of pot and column stills. Unaged and bottled at a bracing 51.2% cask strength, it is built for impact and freshness, declared unsweetened so the cane character leads.

The fresh cane base and pot still input give it a lively, ester driven nose of glue, fresh sugarcane, citrus and floral notes, while the palate carries that same bright glue, citrus, sugarcane and an oily texture before a fresh, floral, cane led finish. It recalls a funky white Jamaican or an agricole style spirit in its energy, all grassy cane and high toned esters. With no added sugar and plenty of character, it shines as a daiquiri base or in a cocktail far more than as a neat pour, a fresh and characterful white for the cane juice curious.