Don Papa Rye Cask Rum

This Rye Cask release is one of the more interesting turns from Don Papa, made by the Bleeding Heart Rum Company in the Philippines. The molasses spirit takes a rest in ex-rye whiskey casks, and the borrowed wood pulls it firmly toward a whiskey profile, bottled at a stronger 45% than the brand's softer standard bottlings.

The nose opens with tropical fruit, vanilla and honey, but the palate is where the rye shows, all caramel, bourbon and spice with a dry, wood driven backbone, then smoke, vanilla and more whiskey character on the finish. It reads drier and far less sugary than the usual Don Papa, closer in spirit to a cask aged whiskey than a sweet tropical rum. That makes it a fitting pick for whiskey drinkers curious about rum, or for cocktails where a sweeter rum would be too much.