Ferroni le flamant rhum 2023

Maison Ferroni, the Provence house known for its cask-strength, unsweetened bottlings, puts out this Le Flamant as a pot-still rum from fresh-pressed sugar cane juice. Made in France rather than the French islands, it is agricole in style and method without carrying the protected term, and it shows Ferroni's preference for character over polish.

The nose is fermentary in a promising way, all sugarcane, anise and licorice with a faint funk. The palate turns buttery and oily, rich with white nuts and almond over the cane, and a touch of sweetness from the fruit rather than any dosage. The finish stays dry and green, sugarcane and licorice tipping into a faintly medicinal anise note. Bottled at 50 percent and unsweetened, it is an oily, savoury cane-juice rum for sipping slowly, with enough texture to reward attention neat.