Distillerie d’Indochine Sampan Cellar Series (Cognac Cask) 2019

Distillerie d'Indochine Sampan Cellar Series, the Cognac Cask release, is a Vietnamese agricole-style rum distilled from fresh-pressed sugarcane juice at the Sampan distillery, part of a growing wave of cane-juice rum coming out of Southeast Asia. This is a three year old expression from the cellar series, distilled in 2019.

The spirit runs off a column still, and the defining element is its time in cognac casks, which layers grape and vanilla notes over the grassy cane base. The result is woody and notably dry, with sugarcane, grapes, vanilla and allspice on the nose, then tropical fruit and confectionery across the palate, closing on orange, vanilla and a faint salinity. The cognac wood adds a drying grip on the finish that keeps it firmly on the savoury side. At 45.1% it is a well-balanced introduction to Vietnamese cane rum with a European cask twist.