Dzama 3 Years

Dzama is one of Madagascar's better known rum names, and this three year old comes straight from the distillery at a firm 52% rather than the usual gentle 40%. The base is molasses, rested in ex-bourbon wood, and the result sits in the easy, sweet end of the island rum spectrum rather than the austere, oak-driven one.

The nose opens hot and alcoholic before settling into guimauve and caramel, while the palate turns soft, round and silky with honey and a touch of chocolate before a brief spiced finish. There is a sweet, vanilla-forward character running through it that reads more like a lightly enhanced spiced rum than a bone-dry pot still pour, so it is best approached as a warm, sippable everyday rum or a base for mixing rather than a serious cask study. Honest expectations make it far more enjoyable.